John had always been good at staying invisible.

  But now?

  Now, he wasn’t sure he could.

  Eli stared at him, suspicion flickering in his tired eyes.

  "You’re… different," the kid said again. "Something’s off."

  John exhaled slowly. He couldn’t afford to let Eli see too much.

  Not yet.

  "Just tired," John lied. "We need to move."

  Eli hesitated, but eventually nodded. Good.

  John turned toward the streets, keeping his movements measured. Controlled.

  But deep down, he could feel it.

  The Mask hadn’t just made him stronger. It had made him more.

  Every step felt effortless.

  Every breath felt deeper.

  And worst of all?

  Every instinct told him to stop holding back.

  But that was exactly how people got noticed.

  And right now?

  That was the last thing John needed.

  The slums stretched ahead, a maze of dark alleys and flickering neon signs.

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  John kept his hood low, moving carefully.

  Eli followed close behind.

  They needed a place to lie low. Somewhere Cain’s people wouldn’t look.

  John had a few ideas.

  But before he could act—

  His instincts flared.

  A presence.

  Someone watching.

  John kept walking.

  Didn’t turn. Didn’t react.

  But his mind was already racing.

  Who?

  Cain’s men?

  Another enforcer?

  Or someone worse?

  John exhaled slowly.

  Then, he did something dangerous.

  He stopped holding back.

  Just for a second.

  The moment he let go, everything shifted.

  Sounds sharpened. Heartbeats. Breathing. The faintest shifts in the air.

  He felt the watcher.

  One block behind. Moving carefully. Too carefully.

  John’s pulse slowed.

  Whoever they were, they weren’t a random thug.

  They knew what they were doing.

  John made a choice.

  He turned down a narrow alley—a dead end.

  Eli frowned. "What are you doing?"

  John didn’t answer.

  He waited.

  Waited until the presence stepped into the alley.

  Then, without warning—

  John moved.

  Before the figure could react, John was on them.

  A blur of motion.

  One second, the watcher was standing.

  The next, they were pinned against the wall, John’s hand against their throat.

  A sharp inhale. A flicker of surprise.

  And then—a smirk.

  John’s eyes narrowed.

  Because standing in front of him, completely unfazed—

  Was Aria.

  "That’s new," Aria murmured, arching an eyebrow. "You weren’t that fast before."

  John didn’t let go.

  "What do you want?"

  Aria smirked.

  "You," she said. "Or more specifically, an answer."

  John’s grip tightened. "To what?"

  Aria leaned in slightly.

  "To the same question Cain is asking," she said. "What happened to you?"

  John’s pulse slowed.

  She knew.

  Not everything. Not yet.

  But enough to be dangerous.

  John exhaled.

  Then, finally, he let her go.

  Aria laughed softly. "Good choice."

  John clenched his jaw.

  "I don’t have time for this," he muttered.

  Aria’s smirk didn’t fade.

  "Then you really won’t like what happens next."

  John’s stomach twisted.

  Because he could tell—

  She wasn’t talking about herself.

  She was talking about Cain.

  And whatever Cain had planned next?

  It was already in motion.