He fought to still the tempest that raged within his chest, but every breath came out tight and burning. Revenge rose inside him like a second heartbeat: sharp, uncontrollable, demanding. His hands shook with the memory of Elsa cold and breathless under that monstrous seal. He clenched his fists hard enough that the joints cracked, but the anger would not leave him.
Elsa watched him silently. Her eyes, tired, had in them an ember of fire, the strong one that used to be. She knew John's anger because she had tasted her own. Yet, even in this drained condition, she reached for a hand and laid it on his wrist.
"John… relax. You can't win against him."
John whirled. "I can't win? Elsa, he nearly—" He broke off, and his voice came out steady. "He nearly killed you."
Elsa shook her head. "Mathew is an A-Rank hunter. His Domain release is too strong. You would not survive one direct clash with him."
