I felt my side with my hand. The wound was almost healed, but my jacket was still stained.

  “I can't believe you'd actually stab me.”

  “You call that a stab?”

  I glared at him. “What the fuck was that then?”

  “A graze… Just like this.” Jett disappeared again.

  I folded my arms and felt a sharp cut in my right arm.

  “Arrgh!!” I held my arm.

  Jett was toying with me. I had just gotten used to his rhythm. Damn it. I needed to think.

  But first, I looked at Jett; I needed to take cover. I bent low and leapt up in the air, dashing into a nearby valley.

  I sat down beside a huge rock. Jett’s gonna find me soon enough… I looked up.

  Aren't they gonna stop this? It's gone too far, and I'm pretty sure Jett’s gonna kill me.

  Kill me… kill me? I smirked once.

  “Fuck this. I’m not dying in a simulation,” I said aloud.

  “Hiding?” I spun around and saw Jett, arms folded, a smirk on his face.

  I grinned. “Nah.”

  He charged without warning. His fist smashed into a massive rock, sending shards flying. I leapt out of the way, landing lightly on uneven ground.

  Jett drew his blade mid-air and lunged after me. I inhaled deeply, then let it all out in one swift breath.

  My gauntlets flared with power. I slammed my fist into his strike, and the collision sent a massive explosion around us. Dust, smoke, and debris swirled violently, the shockwave pushing us apart.

  I braced myself, chest heaving, smoke curling around my body. The air was thick, and the forest felt like it had been torn apart by raw force. I fled the scene.

  “Guess this is for real, huh?” Jett didn't waste a second tracking me down. “You activated your shit…”

  I turned my back to him. “I'll kill you, Jett,” then I looked straight at him. “I'll kill you.”

  “Let's see you try,” Jett took out his blade and swung it around.

  “It's gonna be different…” I closed my eyes and inhaled.

  My blood surged. The air was different—faster. Everything was moving in slow motion, but I could feel it.

  My body ignited with my pulse energy, and just like that—I was faster. Stronger. A tidal wave of strength poured through me.

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  We charged at each other. Jett had his weapon, but I blocked it with my gauntlet. He tried to put pressure on me, but I was matching his speed. Then I went on the attack.

  Jett’s grin faded, and he moved back—just barely in time. I swung at him. My fist cracked through the air, faster than he could blink. He dodged, but barely.

  Not fast enough.

  I caught his wrist before he could react, yanked him forward, and slammed my knee into his stomach. The air whooshed out of him, but I didn’t give him a second to recover. His grip on his blade faltered.

  I grabbed it.

  And threw it—hard.

  The weapon spun through the air and embedded itself into a nearby tree. The sound of it sinking deep into the bark echoed through the forest. So realistic.

  Jett’s eyes burned with fury. “You really don’t know when to quit, huh?”

  I stepped forward, not backing down. He was slower now. I could see the difference in his movements. And it pissed him off. I swung my fist.

  The crack of his nose breaking echoed through the hollow forest. His eyes went wide with shock. Blood poured from his nose, but he didn’t stumble back. Instead, he gritted his teeth and glared at me with raw fury.

  The simulation around us began to ripple. It was getting real now. The force of our blows was shaking the ground beneath us.

  I pulled my fist back, ready to land the final blow.

  JETT’S POV

  I couldn’t breathe. Mason had activated his Pulse energy, and it had flipped the table over. Now, it seemed like I was barely hanging on.

  I was fast—too fast for most—but Mason? He wasn’t just keeping up anymore.

  He was on a different level.

  And I—I couldn’t match it. Not when he was like this. His hits came at me in flashes of light, every punch landing like a bullet.

  He’s moving so fast now… that cursed ability of his makes him way more powerful than before.

  I grit my teeth and tried to react, but I was slipping. Mason's blows were everywhere. My nose exploded with pain as he elbowed me in the face. Blood poured out, and I couldn't get any air.

  Mason looked like a monster, a juggernaut. With every step he took and every hit he landed, it shattered the fight we were supposed to be having.

  Shit. Think, Jett, think! I need to come up with a plan first. So, as he came up to me with a punch, I ducked and sped out of there as quickly as I could.

  "What the fuck are you going to do?"

  Mason held my leg and slammed me to the ground.

  Crap...

  KEISHA'S POV

  "Stop it!" I shouted at the screen, but my voice didn't matter.

  I could see the rage in Mason's eyes, the brutal speed, and the way he was laying into Jett. It was... terrifying. He was unleashing it all—every bit of his pulse energy.

  "Mason, stop!" I yelled again, my voice almost cracking. This wasn't him anymore.

  Liv was beside me, her eyes wide with worry. Levi was still silent, looking at the screen.

  "Pulse born..." I heard whispers around our mates.

  "Levi..."

  "Yeah, this is bad," he agreed.

  MASON'S POV

  Jett was resisting, but I landed blow after blow. He couldn't keep dodging, and pretty soon, he gave up.

  I lost control and kept punching him. I couldn't stop... All I felt was anger, and it fueled my powers even more. The intensity increased, and Jett resembled a bowl of spaghetti sauce. So, I reached for his neck.

  Stop!!

  I remembered Keisha's face as I choked Jett. "Tch! Damn it..."

  JETT'S POV

  He stopped abruptly.

  I painfully turned my head and saw him stand up. He looked at me and grinned. "Sucks to be you."

  Then he fell down. I sighed and looked up at the sky; the simulator was powering down.

  I'd lost... and it wasn't even close, all because of that cracked ability of his. I spat out blood and tried to stand up. It was painful, but I dragged myself over to Mason's unconscious body. He was emitting steam all over his body.

  The little strength I had faded out of me, and I lost consciousness.