Cassia shot him a glare. “What the hell are these shady-ass places? They sound so unrespectable.”

  Drayke grinned. “Hey, we gotta milk Axel for everything he’s worth. A fancy restaurant won’t even put a dent in his bank account.”

  Cassia, without hesitation, smacked him upside the head. Drayke yelped, clutching his forehead.

  “I haven’t even settled the score with you yet!” Cassia fumed. “What the hell were you showing Axel last time? Some unhealthy shit?”

  Unhealthy? Annabelle tilted her head in curiosity. Axel’s face darkened as he coughed. “Drayke. Explain. Now.”

  Drayke looked genuinely hurt. “What?! It was just anime! Old-school stuff from sixty years ago—Slam Dunk and the like. Out of print classics! Axel, don’t play innocent! You loved that shit!”

  Cassia and Storm froze. Then, realization hit. Cassia’s cheeks flushed crimson. She had thought… something else.

  Despite their talk of high-end dining, luxury just wasn’t their style. They settled for a cozy, small restaurant—loud, lively, and perfect.

  “Boss! Two stacks of beer!” Drayke hollered as they took their seats. They had spent so much time training and pushing their limits that they’d mostly avoided alcohol. But now? Tonight was different.

  Axel quickly realized, though—none of them could handle their drinks. Within a few bottles, their faces were bright red and their tongues loosened.

  Drayke, drunk off his ass, slung an arm around Axel’s shoulders.

  “Axel, Cassia, you guys are awakened now. I’m so fucking happy for you.”

  He took another swig, eyes a little hazy.

  “I thought about it, y’know? I don’t have the talent for this. No matter how good my grades are, I’m still just… average.” He let out a bitter chuckle. “After college, I’ll probably just go home and help my dad run the family business. Delivering fruit.”

  His grip on Axel tightened. “But if I ever get my ass kicked someday, you better come help me.”

  Cassia, equally wasted, leaned in and patted Axel’s chest. “He’s right. You got us?”

  Storm nodded, glass raised. “Yeah, you got us?”

  Axel sighed. “Of course, you dumbasses.”

  .....

  Drayke and Storm soon found themselves locked in a ridiculous drinking contest. Cassia, watching them, suddenly moved her chair beside Axel. She poured two glasses of wine and slid one toward him.

  The dim lighting softened her features—her short hair gently framing her flushed face, her eyes carrying a warm, hazy glow.

  As she leaned in, Axel caught a faint scent of something—a soft fragrance, familiar yet unfamiliar. Had Cassia always been this… feminine?

  His gaze flickered away, cautious. He wasn’t dumb.

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  Cassia tilted her head, watching him closely. “Axel… we’ve graduated now.” Her voice was soft, almost playful, yet carrying an edge of something deeper. “Don’t you have… anything to say to me?”

  She was so close. Her arm rested on his shoulder—not quite like a buddy, but not quite not.

  A moment passed, thick with something unspoken. Cassia’s eyes held expectation, nervousness. The alcohol had made her bolder, but that didn’t make this any less real.

  Axel opened his mouth, words fumbling. “I—uh—Cassia, I’m really grateful to you. To be honest, I—”

  WHAM.

  Cassia smacked him, hard. “You absolute dumbass.”

  Axel blinked, stunned. Cassia rolled her eyes, frustrated yet laughing. “I swear, you’re so goddamn hopeless. Drink! We’re going round two.”

  Axel sat there, thrown off, while Annabelle—who had been quietly watching—covered her mouth and giggled.

  Just as laughter filled the air, a black car slowly rolled up outside. The restaurant’s lively atmosphere dimmed.

  The doors opened. Four men stepped out—all dressed in black, their presence heavy, dangerous. They scanned the restaurant.

  Then, without hesitation— They walked straight for Axel’s table.

  Cassia’s drunken haze lifted in an instant. Her bright eyes dimmed slightly as she caught sight of the approaching figures.

  Axel, on the other hand, was immediately on guard—but before he could react, Cassia waved a dismissive hand.

  The group stopped in front of their table. The man leading them was middle-aged, sharp-eyed, and carried a quiet authority. His voice was deep and firm.

  “Miss, it’s time to go back.”

  He barely spared a glance at Axel or the others, showing no intention of acknowledging their presence.

  Storm and Drayke were too wasted to notice, but Axel felt it immediately. These men weren’t ordinary. They had blood on their hands. It was in the way they stood, the cold sharpness in their eyes—the kind of presence only killers carried.

  Cassia’s expression remained unreadable. “Alright, let’s go.” She turned back to Axel and smirked. “Make sure you get these drunks home. Their alcohol tolerance is even worse than mine.”

  Axel didn’t reply—he was too busy watching her leave. Only after the black car disappeared down the street did he finally relax.

  “What the hell is wrong with me?” He let out a breath and shook his head, almost laughing at himself. Had he been living under pressure for so long that every little thing set him on edge?

  Cassia had always been a mystery. For the past three years, she had quietly supported him, providing raw stones for training—not just one or two, but a lot. Even if they were half-used, no ordinary family would give away such resources so freely. And she never talked about her family. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out—Cassia was more than just a regular student.

  Axel glanced at his friends.

  Drayke was passed out cold, mouth hanging open. Storm, despite his bloodshot eyes, still sat stiffly, like some noble idiot trying to maintain his dignity.

  Axel sighed, rubbing his temple. “You guys are a disaster. If shit went down just now, you two would’ve been deadweight.”

  Storm grumbled in his sleep. “Axel, don’t think you can talk shit just because you’re stronger now…” Then, he toppled over, face-first, knocking an empty bottle to the floor.

  Axel just shook his head. After paying the bill, he hailed a taxi and dumped the two at their respective homes before heading back with Annabelle.

  Even though it was past midnight, Axel couldn’t sleep. He cracked open his window. The familiar scent of grilled meat from a street vendor drifted in, filling the air with warmth. The sound of quiet conversations, the occasional laughter of night owls—this was home. For a moment, he let himself soak it in.

  Two months. That’s how long he had before Vince came to pick him up. The Whisper Syndicate. Joining them wasn’t just about gaining power—it was about protecting Annabelle. The Syndicate had the influence to bury the truth about her condition, something the War Academy could never offer.

  But their requirements were insanely high. Two months to break through to First-Level, Middle Grade. A task that, for most, would take a year.

  Axel exhaled slowly. It wasn’t impossible. After his last hunt—after Wolfe—he had harvested four massive life crystals. So far, he had only absorbed the smallest one. Not out of caution—but because he simply couldn’t use them yet.

  His body and mind weren’t strong enough. If he tried to absorb too much Force at once, he’d tear himself apart. But with Body Forging and Meditation, that would change. Use the Force to push his body’s limits. Then absorb the crystals.

  While others needed time to adjust between breakthroughs, he could keep going. If he did this right, he could become a perpetual motion machine.