Ciel was surprised by Elara's response. She'd been expecting a different answer, anticipating another outburst. Instead, the fire in Elara seemed to have burned itself out as quickly as it had started—leaving only determination in its place.

  Gabrielle, noticing the shift in the atmosphere, raised an eyebrow. For the first time, a flicker of uncertainty crossed her expression. She studied Elara carefully for a moment before speaking again—this time, her voice lacked its usual mocking edge.

  "Changed your mind, huh?”

  Elara met Gabrielle's gaze directly, her eyes still wet but brimming with an icy resolve. "Yes," she answered firmly. "I won't give you the satisfaction of seeing me lash out again."

  Ciel glanced between the two, astonished by Elara's sudden shift in demeanor. It was a far cry from the furious rage she'd displayed just moments earlier.

  Gabrielle smirked again, regaining a part of her composure. "Well, well…looks like you've got a little self-control after all.”

  Elara simply nodded, her jaw set in a firm line. Ciel, still holding on to her, looked almost bewildered by Elara's new resolve. Was this the same angry, hot-headed friend she'd just tried to restrain?

  Gabrielle's smirk widened at Ciel's obvious shock. "Seems like she does know how to rein herself in," she quipped, her eyes flickering with a hint of genuine curiosity.

  Ciel shook off her astonishment, her focus back on Elara. "Elara...you okay?”

  Elara took a slow, deep breath, steadying herself. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice now eerily calm. She gently pulled her arm from Ciel's grip, signaling that her anger was truly under control this time.

  Ciel, although relieved, still looked at her friend with a mix of worry and relief.

  Gabrielle, on the other hand, chuckled softly under her breath. "Heh, color me surprised," she mused, crossing her leg over the other. "The gem sprite's got self-restraint after all.”

  Elara didn't respond, her gaze fixed on Gabrielle with a steady, almost unsettling, calmness.

  Ciel watched her closely. She'd known Elara for years and had never witnessed this level of control from her before. It was almost eerie—like seeing an entirely different person.

  Gabrielle arched an eyebrow, intrigued by Elara's silent reaction. "You're not gonna step on my face again?" she quipped with a suppressed chuckle, testing her limits…

  Elara's gaze remained unwavering, her expression cool and composed. She didn't take the bait, not a muscle in her face betraying her thoughts. The contrast to the furious gem sprite that had just tried to stomp Gabrielle's face into the floor was almost jarring.

  Ciel, although impressed by her friend's restraint, couldn't shake off an uneasy feeling. It was as if the fire that usually fueled Elara's actions had burned out to something...colder, more calculated.

  "Step on me, mommy~" Gabrielle taunted again with a rumbling low voice, a mock-sultry look on her face.

  At Gabrielle's attempt to rile her up, Elara didn't even flinch—only a slight twitch of her eyebrow gave away her irritation. Ciel watched her closely, her worry growing further. There was something eerie about Elara's cool composure; it felt almost artificial.

  Gabrielle, noticing the lack of reaction, seemed slightly puzzled. "What, no comeback this time? You were quite the firecracker a few minutes ago," she teased, trying again to provoke a reaction.

  Elara continued to stare silently, her cool demeanor unfazed by Gabrielle's taunts.

  Ciel, meanwhile, could barely recognize her friend. Elara's calm was almost unnatural—a complete one-eighty from her usual heated outbursts. Feeling increasingly unsettled, she opened her mouth to speak once more, but was stopped by the sound of a harsh impact outside. As if on pure impulse, Charlotte used her time-stopping skill, freezing the entire building to a standstill.

  "Hey, what's that?" Charlotte asked, still shaken up by the sudden bang.

  Ciel, startled by the sudden noise and the abrupt freezing of time, looked out the window. Sure enough, there was no movement outside, not even a gust of wind.

  "It sounded like... an explosion," she said, her voice hushed.

  Elara, still maintaining her composure, kept gaze fixed on Gabrielle. The fact a loud bang had managed to penetrate the bubble of her cool focus was unsettling.

  "I'll go see who it is," Jax said, disappearing into the shadows and teleporting to where he heard the sound. A second later, he arose from the same shadow he disappeared into and said hesitantly: "Guys...it's the Cabal again.”

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  Ciel's eyes widened at Jax's words, realization dawning on her. "The Cabal?" she repeated, anxiety creeping into her voice.

  Elara stiffened, her cool facade faltering for just a split second. The mention of the Cabal had clearly gotten to her, but she quickly masked it with the same detached calm.

  "How many?" she asked, her voice as steady as ever.

  Jax grimaced slightly. "It looks like four of them," he reported, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "Maybe even more."

  Ciel's anxiety grew, her hands gripping Elara's arm tightly. "Four?" she echoed, her voice betraying her fear.

  Elara's cool demeanor cracked slightly, a flicker of concern creeping into her eyes. She glanced at Ciel, seeing the worry etched on her face. Taking a deep breath, Elara steeled herself, masking her emotions once more with an icy exterior.

  Jax nodded, still surveying the scene outside. "Yeah, four. And they're gathering for something—maybe a coordinated attack."

  Ciel looked like she was about to panic, her grip on Elara's arm growing even tighter. "What do we do?" she asked, her voice tinged with desperation.

  Elara took another deep breath, her gaze fixed on the window where the Cabal members were gathering. "We stay calm," she said firmly. "We need a plan."

  "But quickly, please," Charlotte warned, the strain already evident on her body, "Since these guys are so powerful, I can't keep them frozen in time for too long.”

  Elara gave a sharp nod, appreciating the urgency of the situation. However, she kept her cool, forcing her panic down and trying to think strategically.

  Ciel, who seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack, took a shuddering breath. "Okay," she managed to say, her voice still shaking slightly. "Okay. Let's think. We need a plan."

  Gabrielle, still bound and watching this exchange, seemed to find some amusement in their predicament. "Looks like your little group is in quite the tight spot," she commented dryly.

  Elara, still focused on the Cabal outside, shot Gabrielle a cold glare. "Not now," she snapped, her voice icy. She couldn't afford to be distracted now.

  Ciel nodded in agreement, her mind racing. "Right, a plan... what do we have to work with?" she asked, trying to stay calm.

  "Not much," Jax admitted, his eyes flicking back to the window. "We're outnumbered, and those Cabal guys are powerful.”

  Elara gritted her teeth, trying to control her frustration. She knew Jax was right. The odds were definitely stacked against them.

  Ciel, also feeling the pressure, clenched her fists, trying to think of a solution. "There has to be something...anything we can do," she said desperately.

  Meanwhile, Gabrielle continued to watch the group's tense discussion with a detached interest, the corner of her mouth curled up in a faint smirk. "You're better off surrendering to us than trying to stop us. No matter your time and space powers or whatever, you can't defeat us.”

  Elara's eyes narrowed as she heard Gabrielle's mocking words. "Shut up," she snapped, her annoyance with the bound woman clear. "We're not surrendering to anyone."

  Ciel, despite her fear, managed to agree. "Elara's right. We won't back down."

  Jax, clearly sharing their determination, nodded firmly. "We might be outnumbered, but we're not cowards.”

  Elara felt a flash of pride at her friends' determination. Despite their fear, they were ready to stand their ground.

  Ciel, still clinging to Elara's arm, seemed to be gathering her courage as well. "We've been through tough fights before," she said, her voice growing stronger.

  Jax, standing tall and resolute, echoed her words. "Yeah, and we've survived every time."

  Gabrielle scoffed, her grin insufferable at this point. "I dunno...the time chick doesn't seem to be 'surviving' to me," she replied, nodding her head in the direction of Charlotte, who was now bleeding from the mouth in her continued attempt to keep the other Cabal members frozen.

  Elara's eyes hardened at the sight of Charlotte's struggle. She could see the strain the time-freezing was taking on Charlotte's body.

  "Charlotte, you can't keep this up much longer," she said urgently, her concern for her friend's well-being overriding her usual calm demeanor.

  Charlotte gritted her teeth, her whole body rigid from the effort. "I'm...trying my best," she managed to reply, her voice strained.

  Jax grunted, clearly worried for Charlotte. "She's pushing herself too hard."

  Elara nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. "We need to do something. We can't let her keep this up."

  Ciel's grip on Elara's arm tightened even more. "But what can we do? We're outnumbered, and those Cabal guys are powerful," she repeated, her fear resurfacing.

  Gabrielle, still bound and watching the scene, chuckled dryly. "You're really at a loss, aren't you?" She taunted, clearly enjoying their desperation.

  Elara's face darkened at Gabrielle's words, but she knew the woman was right. They were in trouble.

  Charlotte, her whole body shaking from the strain of maintaining the frozen time bubble, managed to croak out, "I don't know...how much longer...I can hold on."

  Ciel's eyes widened in horror. "We're running out of time."

  Ciel turned her attention to Jax, urging him. "Jax, what did the Cabal members look like? Which ones were there?"

  Scratching his chin beneath his mask, Jax replied, "There was...the demon chick with the chains, the thunder dude, the red-haired girl with the giant scissors, and the doctor lady with that aura-sealing ability.”

  The mention of the Cabal members with powerful abilities made Ciel's anxiety reach new heights. "Great," her voice laden with sarcasm. "So not only are we outnumbered, we're outclassed in terms of power too."

  Jax nodded grimly, confirming Ciel's fears. "Yeah. Those guys are no joke. Especially the demon chick. The sheer amount of aura in her chains are insane."

  Elara, her composure starting to crack, clenched her jaw. "We have to find a weakness. Something we can exploit."

  They all continued to plan ahead, but Charlotte suddenly coughing blood reminded them that their prep time was numbered.

  "Damn," Ciel murmured, shaking her head at the sight of Charlotte, deciding to concede. "Charlotte...release the time-stop.”

  Charlotte, her face pale and eyes tearing from the continued effort, obeyed Ciel's order. Immediately, the sound of the outside world resumed, and time seemed to snap back to normal. The Cabal members, still gathered outside, remained oblivious to the ongoing discussion inside. One after the other, the Cabal made their way into the building, heading straight for the room Gabrielle was being held in.

  Elara's heart almost stopped. The Cabal was here. The situation had just gotten from bad to worse.

  Ciel's face paled even more, realizing the danger they were in. "Oh my god...they're coming..."

  Jax swore under his breath, "This can't be happening."

  Meanwhile, Gabrielle seemed oddly calm, her usual smirk replaced with a cool, calculated mask. "And so it begins…”