As I turned the corner, I collided with something—no, someone. The impact knocked the breath out of me, and I stumbled backward, looking up to find myself face-to-face with a towering figure. She blocked the entire sidewalk, her massive, muscular frame an unmovable force. Her intense brown eyes immediately fixed on me, sizing me up with a look that could stop anyone in their tracks.

Maxine Steel. Even though I hadn’t seen her in years, there was no mistaking her. Her deep tan glowed faintly in the dim light, and her sleeveless, dark blue police uniform stretched tight over her powerful arms, which were thick with muscle. The gleaming golden badge on her chest caught my eye, a clear marker of her authority. A long ponytail swung over her shoulder as she straightened, standing tall, almost threateningly so. The nightstick at her side looked like it was meant for more than just self-defense—it was a symbol of the ironclad control she had over this city.

She paused for a second, eyes narrowing as she took me in. Then her gaze sharpened with recognition. "Wait a minute," she said, her deep voice cutting through the tension. "I know you. We went to school together. You are Jack, right?" Her lips curled into a slight smirk. "What are you doing here, alone?"

I froze. It had been years since I’d seen her, but I remembered well. Back then, she was already huge—towering over most of us, her muscles more defined than anyone else’s. But now... now she was a living, breathing monument to strength and control, a presence that seemed to dominate the entire street.