Once again, a palpable stillness enveloped the scene, freezing every participant in a moment of suspended animation. Zac and Jack stood alongside their teammates, all maintaining their positions without the slightest movement.
Jade broke the silence, her voice cutting through the tense air. "Oh, there you guys are. We've been looking for you two for a while now." Her eyes shifted, landing on the masked man. "Who's this guy?"
Ella, typically assertive, hesitated, sensing the gravity of the situation. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, a silent threat suspended in the air. Her gaze flitted between Zac, visibly exhausted and drenched in sweat, and Jack, seemingly unscathed but with rapidly healing cuts.
The remarkable speed of Jack's healing caught Ella's attention – even for superhumans, it was unusually swift, sparking unspoken questions about the extent of his abilities.