"Step aside, or I'll make you," Jax snapped, his voice cracking just enough to betray how hard his heart was hammering against his ribs.
He didn't have to wait for an answer. A heavy, gold-plated boot slammed into the center of the walkway, cutting off their exit from the testing arena. The man wearing the boot looked like he’d been dipped in luxury and arrogance—stiff high-collar coat, polished silver gears humming on his cuffs, and a smirk that made Jax want to punch him in the throat.
"Look at this," the man drawled, glancing at the crowd of apprentices and examiners. "A street rat didn't just pass. He passed with a Vane. I didn't know the Huntresses were running a charity for the gutter-born now."
Elise didn't flinch. She stepped forward, her shoulder brushing against Jax’s. The contact was brief, but he felt the heat radiating through her leather gear, a sharp contrast to the cold sweat slicking his palms. She didn't look at Jax, but her hand shifted, her fingers grazing the hilt of her blade in a way that screamed *don't move*.
"He passed the trial, Kaelen," Elise said, her voice like a blade of ice. "Move. Now."
Kaelen laughed, a short, sharp sound that echoed in the metallic cavern of the arena. "Passed? Please. We all saw the rig. It’s a piece of junk held together by spit and prayers. There’s no way a gutter-rat’s intuition did that. He’s hiding something. A forbidden core, maybe? Or a cheat-sigil?"
Jax stepped up, ignoring the warning tension in Elise's posture. "It's called talent, you gold-plated prick. Maybe if you spent less time polishing your boots, you'd know how to actually tune a rig."
The laughter from the crowd died instantly. Kaelen’s smirk vanished. In a blur of motion, Kaelen’s hand shot out, grabbing Jax by the collar and slamming him backward against the cold iron railing of the platform. The impact knocked the wind out of Jax, leaving him gasping, his feet dangling inches off the floor.
"You've got a loud mouth for someone who's one mistake away from a labor camp," Kaelen hissed. His face was inches away, smelling of expensive mint and old money. "Who gave you the core, rat? Who's paying you to infiltrate the academy?"
"Nobody!" Jax choked out, clawing at the grip on his shirt. "I found it!"
"Liar," Kaelen spat. He raised a hand, a spark of concentrated star-magic flickering between his fingers. "Maybe a little shock to the nervous system will loosen your tongue."
Suddenly, a gloved hand clamped onto Kaelen’s wrist.
Elise had moved so fast Jax hadn't even seen her shift. She didn't just stop Kaelen; she twisted his arm upward, forcing the magic spark to fizzle out harmlessly in the air. Her body was pressed tight against the railing, effectively shielding Jax from the elite's reach, though the proximity meant Jax could feel the steady, rhythmic thrum of her breathing against his chest.
"Touch him again," Elise whispered, her voice low and dangerous, "and I'll ensure you never hold a wand again."
Kaelen sneered, though he winced from the pressure on his wrist. "Protecting the vermin, Vane? Your family name is already dragging through the mud. Do you really want to be seen as the bodyguard for a thief?"
Elise didn't let go. Her grip tightened, and for a second, Jax saw a flicker of something in her eyes—not pity, but a fierce, burning territorialism. It wasn't that she liked him. He knew she still hated his guts. But the curse—the living gear biting into his chest—pulsed in sync with her heartbeat. They were locked. If he went down, she felt the pull. If she bled, he choked.
"He's my responsibility," Elise said. "Which means he's none of your business."
Kaelen yanked his arm back, stepping away with a disgusted look. "Responsibility. Right. Tell me, Vane, does the Council know you're harboring a criminal? Or are you just hoping to keep the little rat as a pet?"
Jax dropped to the floor the moment he was released, coughing and rubbing his neck. "I'm nobody's pet, you arrogant piece of—"
"Shut up, Jax," Elise snapped, though she didn't move away from him. She stayed close, her presence a wall between him and the sneering elite.
Kaelen didn't look finished. He reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a pair of heavy, blackened iron cuffs. These weren't standard police restraints. They glowed with a dim, oppressive purple light—Void-iron. Anti-magic. Anti-everything.
"The examiners might be satisfied with your little stunt," Kaelen said, his voice returning to that smooth, deadly drawl. "But the Inquisition has a different set of standards. A street rat with a dead star-core is a security risk. And a Huntress who refuses to hand him over? Well, that sounds like complicity."
Jax felt a sudden, sharp spike of cold in his chest. The living gear, usually a dull throb, suddenly snapped tight. It felt like a hook had been driven into his sternum and yanked. He gasped, clutching his chest, his knees buckling.
Beside him, Elise let out a sharp, strangled cry. She didn't fall, but her hand flew to her heart, her face turning a ghostly shade of white. She staggered, her breath coming in ragged, shallow bursts.
"What... what is this?" she wheezed, her eyes wide with shock.
Kaelen didn't answer. He just smiled—a wide, predatory expression. He stepped closer, the Void-cuffs humming with a hunger that seemed to feed on the pain radiating from the pair.
"You two are so strangely synchronized," Kaelen observed, his eyes scanning the way they both clutched their chests in unison. "Almost as if your lives are tied to the same broken clock. How fascinating. I wonder... if I lock one of you in a void-cell, does the other one stop breathing?"
Jax tried to stand, but the pain was a physical wall. Every time he tried to push up, the gear in his chest twisted, sending a shockwave of agony that echoed straight into Elise. He could see her trembling, her fierce composure shattering as she fought for air.
"Get... away from her," Jax managed to growl, though it sounded more like a plea.
Kaelen laughed, the sound cold and devoid of any humor. He stepped into their space, the Void-cuffs open and waiting.
"You're in no position to negotiate, rat. And you, Elise, are in no position to refuse. You've been far too lenient. If you won't bring him in, I'll just take you both."
He lunged forward, the heavy iron rings snapping toward their wrists with a metallic clang.
"Wait!" Elise screamed, her voice breaking as she tried to shove Jax behind her one last time, but the pain spiked again, paralyzing her mid-motion.
Kaelen’s smirk widened as he tightened the first cuff around Jax’s wrist, the Void-iron searing into his skin. Then, he reached for Elise.
"Fine," Kaelen whispered, leaning in close to her ear as the second cuff snapped shut. "Both of you are coming with me. Let's see how long you last when I start pulling the gears apart."
As the cuffs locked, a blinding flash of purple light erupted from the living gear in Jax's chest, and Elise's eyes flew open, her pupils blown wide with a sudden, agonizing synchronization.