"Theo, Axel, Cassia, you three hold on a second. Someone wants to see you."

  Just as Axel was about to leave, Kieran’s voice stopped him.

  "Good news — the Dune Business Association is here. The principal managed to get you some sponsorship," Kieran added with a smile, his eyes gleaming with envy.

  Though Dune wasn’t a large city, the Dune Business Association was a powerful entity. It was a joint venture created by several major companies in the area, dealing in everything from raw materials to entertainment, real estate, and beyond.

  Only the top students at the schools were ever worthy of their early investment.

  The three of them followed Kieran to the principal's office. There, a middle-aged man in a suit stood up with a warm smile. “These must be the talented students from Brookhaven High,” he said. “I’m Steel.”

  Steel appeared to be in his forties, but he didn't quite match Axel's idea of a typical businessman. Despite his well-tailored suit, the bulging muscles at his temples and the rough, thick joints of his hands betrayed a more rugged nature. He looked more like a warrior than a corporate figure.

  But Axel didn’t think much of it. In this world, if you didn’t have some sort of physical power, you weren’t going anywhere.

  Cassia and Theo, not ones to be shy, exchanged pleasantries, and Steel wasted no time. He handed each of them a raw stone worth 200,000 yuan along with a Force-increasing Pill.

  But everyone knew the game. A few presents weren’t enough to bribe anyone — they were just a gesture. If something more serious came up, they would negotiate the terms. After all, being a genius now didn’t guarantee you’d be a powerhouse awakener in the future. For the Dune Business Association, first-level awakeners were a dime a dozen.

  “Alright, I won’t keep you,” Steel said, shaking each of their hands with a confident smile. “I hope you can make Dune and the school proud in the future.”

  When he shook Axel’s hand, he lingered a second longer than necessary, his grip firm but not threatening.

  "This must be Axel, right? I’ve heard about your story. I wish you the best of luck," Steel said, his voice sincere.

  When he finally released Axel's hand, there was a strange, subtle energy that lingered, like an invisible mark had been left on his skin.

  Axel’s brows furrowed. That feeling... It wasn’t something he could easily dismiss. If his Force hadn’t already surpassed 100, he might not have noticed it at all.

  What the hell was that?

  Despite the nagging feeling in the back of his mind, Axel quickly regained his composure, smiled, and nodded at Steel.

  ......

  Once Axel was out of the principal's office, he headed straight to the nearest bathroom. His face was grim, and a knot formed in his stomach.

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  Now it made sense. Steel had been speaking to him just a little too long during the handshake. That extra second was enough for him to leave his mark, literally.

  Axel took a deep breath and entered his inner vision, his thoughts immediately focused on the familiar ancient tree. He could see it clearly now, a faint gray light clinging to its branches.

  Without hesitation, Axel’s Force surged and wrapped around the strange energy that had been planted there.

  If I wanted to, I could burn this mark off.

  But he hesitated. He could feel the other party’s presence clearly now — Steel was an awakener, too. If Axel removed the mark, there was no doubt Steel would sense it immediately.

  What does he want with me? What’s the Dune Business Association trying to do?

  Axel’s mind raced as he pondered the situation. He didn’t think he’d made any enemies with the Dune Business Association. What exactly was Steel playing at?

  After a few minutes of contemplation, Axel made his decision. He needed help, and there was only one person who might be able to offer it: Skye from the Law Enforcement Bureau.

  Axel dialed Skye’s number, but it kept going to voicemail.

  Damn it.

  He only knew two awakeners in Dune: Skye and Kieran. But Kieran had only been hired by the school as an instructor, and Axel wasn’t sure if Kieran would even be willing to help.

  Two minutes later, Axel spotted Kieran on the playground, revving his motorcycle as he prepared to leave.

  After hearing Axel’s concerns, Kieran glanced at the serious young man, struggling to decide whether to laugh or sigh.

  “Axel, are you sure you’re not overthinking this? What could the Dune Business Association possibly want from you?”

  Honestly, Kieran felt like Axel was blowing things out of proportion.

  The Dune Business Association wasn’t some shadowy group plotting something sinister. They were simply making an investment, seeing potential in these promising students. That was their job, and they did it every year.

  “You haven’t even awakened yet. Even if you do, they’re not going to care much.”

  Axel, however, knew better. If he hadn’t felt that strange mental mark himself, he wouldn’t have believed it either.

  “Teacher Kieran, whether I’m overthinking it or not, I just need your help. Can you come home with me and bring my sister, Annabelle? I’ll stay here in the school until the test day.”

  “I don’t need the pills or the raw stones. You can have everything as a reward. I just need you to help me.”

  Kieran had planned on calming Axel down, but the guy's words hit a nerve. Axel was clearly beyond persuasion.

  “You little punk,” Kieran muttered, half annoyed, half amused. “It’s like you’re trying to negotiate with me, huh? Alright, alright. Fine. Since you insist, I’ll go back with you.”

  Kieran shook his head. Damn it, the kid could be difficult sometimes. “But don’t try that reverse psychology crap on me again, got it?”

  Axel’s shoulders relaxed as he looked at Kieran, gratitude in his eyes.

  “Thank you, teacher.” He let out a deep breath, feeling some of the weight lifting off his chest. “And please, just follow my plan. I’ve thought this through.”

  The kid was too thorough for his own good, and now it seemed like he was getting paranoid. But, whatever. He agreed, even if he didn’t entirely understand it.

  Axel led him through the plan, detailing every step. Kieran’s mood soured as he listened. Damn, this kid’s got a screw loose.

  Axel wanted him to come home with him, but not just that. He wanted Kieran to shadow him from the shadows, keeping out of sight, ready to act if needed. If things went south, Kieran was supposed to help Axel out and prevent anyone from getting away.

  “You’re seriously acting like someone’s gonna try to hurt you.” Kieran chuckled. Axel’s plan was way more meticulous than Kieran would have expected from someone so young.

  “Teacher, just trust me on this,” Axel said, his tone firm. “

  Kieran gave a short nod. “Fine.”

  The awakening skill of mental marking is written in textbooks. It is an auxiliary awakening skill that can detect the location information of the marked person. His home address wasn’t a secret—It was public information, available in the school archives.

  Assuming that the other party has malicious intentions, the other party marked Axel, obviously wanting to attack him on his way home.

  As they walked out of the school, the sky overhead had turned a dark, inky gray. Light drizzle began to fall, casting a hazy mist over the city.

  The calm before the storm, Axel thought.