Damn it! An ability user! Just as that thing was about to pierce her temple, a powerful force suddenly yanked her aside. She stumbled but finally broke free from the binding force, like pulling her feet out of thick mud. The newcomer pulled her forcefully around the corner of the wall. "Your guard is really slipping these days." A low voice sounded beside her ear, tinged with a hint of smugness. Thora recognized him by voice alone, but she had no time to deal with him right now. She shoved aside the person blocking her and stepped out into the open, a silver-white handgun instantly materializing in her grip. She aimed in a certain direction on a distant building, held her aim for two seconds, then slowly lowered the weapon. The person was already gone. Lance stepped out and looked at her. "Someone with a grudge against you?" Thora frowned as she put away her gun. "I don't know. But one thing's for sure—that was no ordinary person." She turned and began searching the surrounding area. Lance crouched down and picked something up, holding it out to her with a perfectly curved smile. "Looking for this?" Thora took it from him—a high-strength tranquilizer dart. She brought it to her nose and sniffed, about to analyze its composition, when Lance suddenly leaned in, his face level with hers. "I just saved your life this time, kid." He smiled warmly. His cat-like eyes brimming with starlight, his mixed-blood features even more captivating in the night, yet carrying a dangerous allure.Thora quickly pocketed the dart. She had already figured out that whoever attacked wasn't trying to kill her. They wanted to capture her alive. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. Who the hell was that? Thora's attention was completely elsewhere, which made Lance's brow furrow. "Kid, isn't it polite to look at someone when they're talking to you?" His tone still carried a smile, but his expression held a dangerous chill. Thora snapped back to focus and looked at him, asking seriously, "Have you eaten?" Lance froze for a moment, then answered instinctively, "No." "Perfect. Neither have I. My treat." In Thora's mind, repaying a debt was simple—a meal would settle it. If not, then two meals. Lance stared at her for a long moment before realizing she intended to repay a life-saving favor with a single meal. His expression turned sullen. But he couldn't bring himself to refuse the invitation. "All right." His lips curved as he agreed, straightening up and fixing his gaze on Thora. "Why are you staring at me?" Thora frowned. Her gaze was crystal clear, as if it could reflect everything in the world without a trace of impurity. This wasn't mere innocence. The rules of her world were simply straightforward. She had her own principles, her own sense of right and wrong. Those who deserved death would receive no mercy. Those who didn't would never be killed without reason. All her actions were free from the influence of others or external circumstances. She followed only her own convictions. This was the "Ash" in his heart, a ray of light escaping from God's darkest corner... Something stirred in Lance's chest. He leaned in again, his husky voice whispering in her ear, "Do you know, Ash, there's always something about you that makes me want to ... commit a crime." Thora's cold eyes darkened as she looked straight at him, her tone icy. "I don't know about tempting anyone to commit crimes, but I definitely have what it takes to land you a life sentence. Want to find out?" Lance chuckled softly, his laughter swirling by her ear, making it tingle. Thora shot him a cool glance, then turned and headed toward the cafeteria. Lance followed close behind. ... Just like last time, the cafeteria was empty except for the two of them. Thora's idea of "treating" him was simply pushing all the meat from her tray onto his. Looking at the pile of meat on his tray, Lance's lips curved slightly. He said nothing and began eating elegantly. After they started eating, Thora asked casually, "I thought you'd already left." Lance paused mid-motion, picked up a napkin to dab his mouth, and teased, "Why? Don't want me to go?" Thora gave him a cold look and didn't respond. Lance didn't push the topic further. He spoke slowly. "They didn't want to kill you—only capture you alive. And they have abilities like that, it's probably not any of the trash you've crossed paths with at school recently. "You should think about what powerful enemy you've made, who sees you as a threat, or what they might want from you."