Rehab for SuperVillains (18+)

Every tree looked the same, their bark blending into a monotonous wall of shadow, every root a trap for her aching feet.

The sun had set long ago, and the sky above the canopy was ink-black, pierced only by cold, distant stars that offered no guidance.

She'd been running for so long that even her S-Class stamina faltered, her legs screaming with each step, her chest heaving as she sucked in sharp, ragged breaths.

Lightning sparked weakly at her ankles with each stride, the blue arcs sputtering from fatigue, flickering like a dying flame.

Her body needed fuel to maintain the high-output bursts she'd been chaining together—hours of sprinting without pause—but she hadn't eaten since morning, her reserves running on fumes.

Still, she couldn't stop.

Kael's out there.

Every time her mind whispered to quit, to take a moment, to rest—his face flashed in her thoughts, his steady hazel eyes, his quiet resolve, pushing her forward again.

She tightened her grip on the girl, her boots pounding the earth, refusing to yield.

The green-haired girl had been quiet most of the night, her expression pinched, her emerald eyes squeezed shut as she strained to listen through the chaos of sound that only she could hear.

Liss could feel her trembling faintly, even in her arms, the girl's slender frame tense with the effort of her superpower.

Her silence wasn't calm—it was the quiet of someone teetering on the edge, close to breaking under the weight of her own senses.

And then—

The girl's eyes shot open, wide and sharp, her ears twitching like a startled animal's.

Her pupils dilated, catching the faint starlight, her breath hitching audibly in the stillness.

Liss noticed immediately, her stride slowing as she looked down, her own breath ragged. "What is it?"

The girl shook her head frantically, her green hair swaying, then pointed sharply into the trees to the left, her hand trembling but insistent.

She repeated the gesture desperately, her fingers curling into a tight fist, her chest rising and falling with quick, shallow breaths.

Liss squinted into the darkness, her blue eyes narrowing as she tried to pierce the shadows. "What happened?"

The girl grabbed Liss's sleeve with trembling fingers, her lips parting soundlessly, her emerald eyes wide with urgency.

She pointed again, almost pleading, her silent desperation louder than any shout.

Liss's gaze sharpened, her heart kicking up a notch. "Kael?"

The girl nodded, fast and fervent, both hands clenched into fists now, her breathing erratic as if she'd heard something undeniable, something vital.

Liss's lips parted, and for the first time in hours—her face softened, a fierce, determined smile breaking through the exhaustion.

"Finally," she whispered, her voice rough but alive with renewed purpose.

She bent low, muscles coiling like a spring, electricity crackling faintly at her feet as she gathered what little energy she had left. "Let's go."

Lightning exploded beneath her boots, a jagged burst of blue that lit the forest for a fleeting second, and they vanished into the dark trees, streaking toward the sound of frantic breathing the girl had latched onto.

The air roared past them, the world blurring into streaks of shadow and starlight as Liss pushed her body beyond its limits, driven by the singular need to find him.

_______________

Elsewhere…

Kael sat slouched against the old couch, the fabric worn thin beneath him, threads fraying under his weight like memories unraveling.

The television flickered in the corner—not a program, not a movie, just static, gray and white, fizzing softly like distant rain, a hypnotic drone that filled the small living room of the wooden house.

The sound was almost soothing, a constant that grounded him in the surreal haze of the moment.

Beside him, Lital curled herself into his body like she was part of him, her presence as inescapable as the shadows that clung to her.

Her head rested against his chest, her long black hair spilling over his arm in raven-black waves, silken and heavy.

Her legs were tucked beneath her, but one bare thigh pressed against his, warm and deliberate.

Her fingers—nails sharp and black—traced absent lines across his stomach, circling, pausing, dragging softly with a purpose that made his skin prickle.

She smelled faintly of something dark and sweet, like night-blooming flowers left in the rain, a scent that lingered in the air and pulled at his senses.

Every so often, her touch shifted—not idle, but intentional, memorizing the lines of his body, claiming him with each slow stroke.

She didn't just rest against him; she enveloped him, her warmth both comforting and overwhelming, her affection a quiet storm.

Minutes passed in silence, the static from the TV the only sound beyond their breathing.

Finally, Kael chuckled softly, the sound dry and forced, an attempt to break the tension.

"You realize we're watching nothing, right?"

Lital tilted her head slightly, her cheek still pressed against his chest, her black eyes lifting to meet his hazel ones, unblinking and intense. "Hmm?"

"It's just static." He gestured toward the screen with a lazy wave, trying to keep his tone light.

"No picture. No sound. Just… fuzz."

Lital shifted her chin, resting it on his chest now, her glossy black lips parting slightly as she studied him.

"Are you bored?"

Kael smirked faintly, a weak attempt at humor to diffuse the weight of her presence.

"Yeah. Maybe. Better to turn it off than watch snow."

His voice carried a light tone, but it felt fragile, like a thin sheet of glass under pressure.

Lital didn't smile, didn't laugh.

Instead, she lifted herself slowly, her body gliding up until her face hovered just inches from his, her long black hair framing them like a curtain, her shadow tendrils twitching faintly along the couch, alive with her mood.

Her black eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, searching his with a quiet intensity.

Her lips brushed his—soft, careful, almost tender, a gentle press.

Kael's heart skipped, his breath catching.

He kissed her back, briefly, instinctively, before his mind caught up, and when she pulled away, he managed a weak smile, his voice unsteady.

"You taste… sweet."

Her eyes widened just a fraction, a flicker of warmth softening her features.

But Lital wasn't finished—not even close.