"What… the?"
Paul didn't move.
The smile stopped him cold—not because it was threatening, not because it looked violent, no. That would've been easier to process. Would've made sense given what he'd just watched this kid do to Dean.
No, the smile was something else entirely. It was… gentle. Almost warm.
***
A few moments earlier, beneath the earth, it was silent.
Adam couldn't hear anything else—no rumbling of the ground, no roots shifting. Just the weight of the Earth pressing against him as his body forced itself to regenerate despite being compressed.
It was dark. Completely dark. Silent… at least it was supposed to be.
You failed.
Adam's regenerating jaw tightened. Dirt pressed into the gaps between his teeth.
You could have lived with Dr. Aniston here. If only you were a good boy, Adam. You were? You are? You think so?
His fingers twitched. Tried to curl.
No. How many have you hurt?
