For a moment, Jelo couldn't believe he was free. He stared at his now-free hands, turning them over slowly, flexing his fingers as if to confirm they were really his again. The restraints that had held him were gone. The machine's hum had stopped. He could move.
He processed it all in that single suspended instant.
Then instinct kicked in. He didn't yell at the scientist. That would be stupid. That would alert the man immediately and ruin any advantage he had. Instead, Jelo moved quickly and quietly toward Mira, intent on freeing her so they could face the scientist together. A two-on-one fight would be far better than trying to take on a level 10 ability user alone.
But as he took his first step toward Mira, the scientist suddenly turned back.
The man's eyes widened in shock as he saw that Jelo was no longer strapped to the machine. For a split second, his theatrical composure cracked completely, replaced by raw disbelief.
