For the first time in nearly a week, I stepped into the sun.
I looked up and closed my eyes, letting the warmth settle on my skin. When we escaped the rift, it was nighttime on Earth. I was arrested on the spot—in front of everyone—and accused of sabotaging the mission.
Me.
The one who saved them from the Blood Thorns.
Before today, I never thought a Limitless could be labeled an outlaw. I never imagined there'd be a reason to defect from America. But now? I was starting to see things differently.
Most people would take it personally—being locked up for three days, fed crap, treated like a criminal. But I wasn't most people.
I'd relived my first life dozens of times. Dozens of timelines where I got locked up for domestic abuse because I refused to follow the "correct" path the heavens set up for me. I've spent over a hundred years in jail across lifetimes. Detention was familiar.
But that didn't mean I'd accept it.
Yes, I killed the vampire Lord and his queen for personal gain.
But I also stopped her from escaping and slaughtering what's left of the Limitless team still in the castle as of the time.
I destroyed the Blood Thorn formation.
I saved lives.
And still… I was handcuffed in front of a cheering crowd waiting for heroes to return—and branded a traitor without proof.
One thing was clear:
This wasn't the kind of system I wanted to work with.
"What do I do…" I muttered, eyes still shut. "Should I retaliate for this betrayal?"
"Retaliate, how?" Pamela's voice broke my thoughts.
My eyes opened slowly.
She stood just a few steps away, Natasha right behind her. I ignored Pamela and focused on Natasha's face.
Her eyes held pain and concern.
Disgusting.
Love... The act of giving someone you barely know VIP treatment. A level of care and loyalty that should be reserved for those who earned it—over time, through fire.
But no. We hand that devotion to strangers because they make our hearts flutter only to get burned.
I scoffed, low and sharp.
Then I lifted my hand to the left. A spatial tear opened mid-air. From it, a massive black van dropped, nose-first into the ground with a loud crash. It tipped sideways and fell over with a heavy thud.
Supplies poured out from the back—bags tumbling in all directions.
Natasha flinched.
Pamela didn't react. She just kept watching me.
"This is just procedure. Don't take it too personally," she said.
I said nothing.
Hands shoved in my pockets, I turned away and walked off without another word.
They humiliated me in public, so only I could decide how to respond to it.
Once I stepped out of the Lone Star Disciplinary Committee building, I noticed one of the academy shuttles waiting near the gates. Beside it was a small black sedan—with a familiar face in the driver's seat.
The car rolled toward me, and the window lowered.
I blinked in surprise.
It was the same lady who'd driven me to the hostel on my first day. She had handed me a call card then—something I'd completely forgotten about. It was probably still somewhere on my reading desk.
But… why was she here?
My lips parted—I was just about to speak—when I heard Natasha's voice from behind.
"Adam!" she called, her footsteps hurried and unsteady like she might trip any second.
I turned around. She stopped just a step away from me.
"Yes?" I asked casually, raising a brow.
She froze. Whatever she'd come to say, it had slipped her mind.
"W-well…" Her voice shook and trailed off.
This wasn't the same ruthless girl they called the Witch of the West. This was someone else—nervous, unsure.
When it became clear she had nothing more to say, I turned back to the car and got in.
As if reading my mind, the driver hit the gas. The sedan sped off, leaving Natasha standing there in silence.
---
The first few seconds passed in silence. The driver kept her eyes on the road. She had long brown hair tied into a ponytail and a small, average-looking face—which was probably why I'd forgotten her so easily.
She didn't ask questions.
She only spoke when spoken to.
She was perfect.
"Why were you waiting outside?" I asked.
She glanced at me, confused, like I'd just asked something with an obvious answer.
"Everyone knows you were going to be questioned today—and acquitted if innocent. It's on the news," she replied matter-of-factly.
"Oh." I muttered and looked out the window, wondering why there hadn't been reporters outside the Disciplinary Committee building. Then I remembered—the academy was run by superpowered humans. If they didn't want the press around, the press wouldn't be around.
Still, that didn't answer the question that bothered me.
"Why did you give me your call card? And why were you waiting to pick me up even though I never asked?" I asked, raising a brow.
She gave me that same confused look again. Getting it a second time made me wonder if I was the dumb one.
"What do you mean?" she asked. "Everyone does it."
I tilted my head, unsure what she meant.
"I've only been in this academy for a month," I said. "And that month was spent preparing for an expedition I got imprisoned for. I don't know much about how things work around here. So if you want me to understand, you'll have to explain."
This time, her eyes widened a little and her lips shaped an "O."
She looked back at the road and finally explained.
"There is no future for this career path and the only way out of this job is by dedicating our service to a Limitless student we believe in—until they go pro. After that, we get taken under their wings as part of their management team. It's our only way out of the rat race," she said. "I'm Mandy, by the way."
Only then did it make sense. No wonder she'd looked at me like I was slow. Even artists had managers and crews. Why wouldn't a Limitless?
Who else would handle their contracts with agencies?
Who would run errands they didn't have time for?
"And why'd you pick me?" I asked.
Mandy shook her head. "I'm not sure," she said honestly. "Maybe it was the look on your face that day I drove you to the hostel. You looked more aware than any other Limitless student I've transported."
I blinked. That... wasn't the answer I expected. I thought she'd launch into a speech about how she just knew I was the one. Regardless, her honesty was refreshing.
"I see." I nodded slowly, then closed my eyes.
Eventually, I'd find out if she was worth keeping by my side.
It wasn't a decision I needed to rush.