NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Chapter 8
The thug, a bald man with a beard, his face covered in scars and marks, stormed over to the girl. He slammed his fists onto the table. The girl, about to take a bite of her pineapple pie, glared up at him.
"Hey, watch it! I'm eating," she snapped.
The thug grinned wickedly. "I don't care. Give me your money, or else..." He licked his lips, his gaze darkening.
The girl spat in his direction. "If you want something, ask politely."
Zedd, watching the exchange, muttered to himself, That girl's got guts.
The thug's grin faded, replaced by a scowl. "Do you know who I am, little brat? I'm the—"
Before he could finish his sentence, the girl grabbed her cup of strawberry milkshake and threw it straight into his face.
Standing up, she walked away, leaving the thug drenched and humiliated.
The entire restaurant fell silent, stunned by her boldness. Zedd, though, continued eating his meal, impressed by the girl's courage but not willing to get involved. If you help people in trouble, you just end up in more trouble yourself, he thought.
The thug, his pride wounded, shifted his gaze to Zedd. He knew the village was small, and rumors spread fast. Deciding to take out his frustration, he approached Zedd. But Zedd didn't even flinch. He kept eating, his demeanor calm.
The thug, seeing Zedd's indifference, grew enraged. He lunged forward, throwing a punch. Zedd effortlessly caught his wrist, twisting it and snapping it with a quick motion. The thug howled in pain, collapsing to the floor, then scrambled to his feet and bolted out of the tavern.
The onlookers were horrified, but Zedd paid them no mind. He finished his meal, paid the bill, and left. Tonight, he had work to do.
Zedd made his way back to the rented cabin on the outskirts of the village. Inside, he lit a candle and set to work. He had turned the small 10-by-12-foot cabin into a makeshift lab. For the next few hours, he focused on perfecting the formula for synthetic tissue. His eyes were bleary, but he couldn't stop until he had refined the formula's durability.
After four hours of intense work, fatigue finally caught up with him. He slumped into bed, but sleep eluded him. His thoughts wandered back to the military academy. I wonder what Kayden and Murray are doing right now? he wondered before drifting into an uneasy sleep