ABSENTMINDED

I was supposed to be fighting a group of Bears in preparation for challenging the North faction leader named Ryan, but apparently, he’d disappeared. None of Jack’s Bears could find him, which had disappointed me more than I’d expected it to.

I was never too sad about private trainings with Atlas, though.

After pushing myself up from the ground that was covered in dying grass, I dusted myself off as well as I could. When I’d taken a deep breath, I held my hands up, ready for him to charge at me again.

Except this time, he didn’t.

Instead, Atlas snapped his fingers, and a ball of flames came racing toward my head.

Every muscle in my body might have been screaming at me, but the idea of getting my face burned off sent a wave of adrenaline pulsing through me.

I was on the ground in less than a half second with one leg out straight behind me, the other bent at the knee and my hands keeping me in place while my forehead nearly touched the dirt.

Instinct kicked in, and instead of asking him