Early morning, Godolkin U campus.
A stretched Hummer drove into the parking lot and slowly came to a stop.
Five disheveled young men and women, smelling of alcohol, stepped out of the car, their expressions full of exhaustion.
Luke and Andre stumbled out of the car with their arms around each other's shoulders, complaining incessantly, "I'm exhausted. We waited half the night, and my mouth is practically raw from all that interrogation."
"Luckily, it was all government agencies. Since the FBI did the interrogation, other departments can just borrow the files. Otherwise, we'd have to make several trips to the NSA or the Counter-Terrorism Bureau, which would be even more tiring."
Jordan Li stepped out of the car with his suit jacket draped over his shoulder and let out a long breath. "The professor gave us a special day off. Time to head back and get some proper rest."
Wade stretched energetically and used air currents to lift the others, flying toward the dorms. "Come on, I'll give you guys some fresh air to clear your heads."
Kate stepped out of the car slowly, picked up her bag, and walked away without a word.
'Stubborn as a mule,' Wade thought, glancing back at her before pulling the others along behind him.
The group returned to the dormitory building and went their separate ways... Back in his room, Wade dug out several hidden satellite phones and checked the messages one by one.
'No news from Mena, but Shetty left a text... Is it time for our regular meeting again?'
He sent Shetty the address of a random suburban motel and put his phone away.
'I'll head over after a shower; wouldn't want her catching a scent... Kidnapping someone and still having to arrange regular family reunions is such a hassle.'
There was a sudden knock on the door, and the handle turned back and forth. "It's me, open up."
"Why aren't you resting? What are you doing here?" Wade took off his clothes and pointed casually behind him; the locked door swung open.
Kate sat on the edge of the bed, her hands pressing hard against her head, indenting her skin. "Something's wrong... very wrong. I remember certain misplaced memories about the camp, and they don't feel right!"
"Those images... they're all out of place. I clearly remember Homelander saving us, but another image in my head shows us arguing, with so many people wailing and screaming in pain..."
She snapped her head up, her eyes bloodshot. "Which one is real? Tell me which one is real?! I feel like my head is going to split open!"
"It's about time." Wade knew the memory seal he had placed must be loosening. He walked over, intending to remove it.
But Kate suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, rubbing her head against him. She murmured, "Don't move... I feel much better like this. This is enough..."
Wade was caught off guard. He placed a hand on her head, letting his psychic power flow out.'Stop overthinking. I'll lift it for you now...'
He carefully guided his psychic energy, slowly dismantling the seal as if defusing a bomb.
A few seconds later, with her memories fully restored, Kate burst into tears. Sobbing, she said, "I... I can't live without you anymore. Please don't drive me away, okay? I'm begging you!"
Wade's psychic energy suddenly became stuck in her mind, bombarded by an endless void and a series of unsightly, frenzied images involving himself. It felt as if he were being sucked into a vortex of desire.
A persistent throbbing pain shot through his head. Gritting his teeth, he forced his psychic energy to withdraw and panted, "Kate, don't get worked up. Let go first."
Kate clung even tighter, her voice muffled. "No... if I let go, you'll go find Gilly, won't you? Just like at the party, you only had eyes for her..."
Outside, the sky was a dull gray, mirroring Kate's chaotic state of mind. Inside the room, there was only the sound of stifled sobbing and Wade's steady breathing.
Wade grabbed Kate's shoulders and pushed her back slightly, forcing her to look up. "Look at me. This isn't affection, and it isn't love."
Kate's face was streaked with tears, her eyes a mix of confusion and near-obsessive possessiveness. "No, that's not it..."
Wade pushed back her face as she tried to lean in closer, saying coldly, "You're just unable to adapt for the moment and are desperate to fill the void inside you. I just happen to be the most familiar presence you can reach out to right now. That's all."
"It's not," Kate said, shaking her head vigorously. "I remember clearly! It was me... I was the one who wanted to be near you. Only when I'm thinking of you can I feel at peace!"
Wade pressed her down onto the edge of the bed and pulled over a chair to sit opposite her. "Tell me, besides 'needing me' and 'fearing my departure,' what do you actually want for yourself?"
"Everyone needs a goal in life. Kate Dunlap, have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future?"
Kate looked at him blankly, her lips trembling, but she couldn't find the words. The question seemed too distant and too heavy.
Seeing her like this, Wade understood. He said softly, "I've had moments of confusion too, wanting to blindly grab onto anyone nearby to fill the void."
"I know that feeling is warm and you wish you could hold onto it forever, but it's not right... It's like two people about to freeze to death huddling together, stealing what little warmth the other has. In the end, one of them will always freeze first."
"I don't care!" Kate gripped his hand tightly and cried out at the top of her lungs, "I only have you left! Only you understand me... Without you, I feel like I'm nothing."
Resisting the powerful psychic shockwaves she was unconsciously emitting, Wade snapped coldly, "Listen, you cannot pin your entire existence on another person."
"If it's only because you 'need' me right now, then how are you any different from a heavy burden to me? I'm human; I get tired too, and there will come a day when I'll want to throw that burden off."
These words were like daggers stabbing into Kate's heart. She swung her arms wildly, striking out as she sobbed, "You bastard! You made me like this, so you have to take responsibility... You must!"
Wade cupped her face and wiped away her tears. "You aren't my accessory, nor are you anyone else's."
"As a Supe with powerful telepathic abilities, your value shouldn't be defined by whether I 'need' you or not. Think about what you can actually do."
"I... I don't know... No one has ever told me these things."
Wade sighed helplessly. After a moment of thought, he said, "Your ability is very special. You can sense emotions and even influence thoughts... You need to learn to control it, understand it, and then... use it well."
Kate lowered her head and whispered, "Everyone is afraid of me. Except for you and Shetty, no one is willing to get near me at all."
Wade placed his hands on her shoulders and comforted her, "No, that's not true. Our school has a psychological counseling center. Go there and study psychology. Then, use your abilities to help those troubled by their emotions and filled with inner turmoil. Listen to them, understand them, and help them resolve their inner conflicts."
"If you can do that, you'll become a unique... 'Soul Healer.' When that time comes, you won't have to worry at all about whether I'll leave you, because you yourself will become someone that others cannot ignore—someone they respect and admire."
A beam of morning sunlight happened to pass through the window, forming a halo behind Wade.
In Kate's tear-blurred vision, he became the only clear figure in this chaos.
Kate stared at him, a light dawning in her eyes. "Do... do you need me to do this?"
Wade knew she was just habitually letting someone else make decisions for her. He smiled and said, "A capable and valuable friend is much more important than a burden who only holds you back, isn't that right?"
"I understand," Kate said, wiping her tears and choking back a sob. "If that's what you want, then I'll do it."
Seeing Kate pull herself together, only to twist her life's goal once again into being "useful to him," Wade sighed silently to himself.
He knew this wasn't a healthy way to guide her, but for now, it was the only way to stabilize her and lead her toward a better path.
Wade gave her a gentle hug and encouraged her, "Then start today. Think carefully about how to take that first step."
"I understand." Kate wiped her tears and slowly let go. "I'm going to the counseling center. I'll go right now."
She stood up and walked toward the door, looking back every few steps and waving goodbye. "I won't let you down."
The door closed, and Wade collapsed onto the bed, rubbing his temples as his tensed mind finally relaxed. 'Giving her something to do should keep her mentally stable for a good while.'
He initially had only wanted to get revenge on and use Kate, always on guard against a potential psychic outburst from her.
A woman's heart is as deep as the ocean floor... Never entrusting his life and safety to others was one of his survival principles.
Remembering Shetty's invitation, Wade sprang up and floated into the shower. "Well then, back to work... That woman is exceptionally sharp; I'll have to give her a serious warning this time."
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