Rosaline still looked unconvinced. Then, with a sigh, she dropped her foot from the pillar, flicked her hair back, and started walking toward the parking lot. She didn’t even glance back as she threw out one last comment—

  “I don’t babysit brats. That’s your job. Don’t drag me into it.”

  Vince smirked.

  “And don’t act like he’s part of the team yet,” she added. “He still has to pass the assessment. He’s got a long way to go.”

  Even as she walked away, Vince could hear it. The slight shift in her tone. She was impressed by Axel, even she didn’t want to admit it.

  Dinner was over in no time. Vincent, Kaia, and Vince lingered at the table, chatting and laughing over drinks.

  Cassia, on the other hand, had slipped away. She sat alone on a stone bench near the hotel’s fountain, her gaze lost in the rhythm of the rising and falling water.

  The day had worn her down. Her short hair, usually neat, was messy, and the dust from the day clung to her fair skin.

  Axel watched her from a distance and felt a sudden wave of sadness.

  In his memory, Cassia had always been the bold one, the loud one, the one who never seemed to crack under pressure. But today…

  Today, she had discovered that her adoptive father was actually her enemy. She had nearly killed him with her own hands. She had been coerced by Lachlan. If it had been anyone else, they probably would have completely lost it by now.

  Axel walked over and sat down beside her. Neither of them said a word. They just stared at the fountain together.

  The faint scent of her filled his nose—not perfume, just her. Then, without a word, Cassia leaned her head against his shoulder.

  “…I’m so fucking tired,” she muttered, lowering her head as if to hide her red-rimmed eyes. Axel froze.

  Cassia never cried. Never. But today, Orion was dead. Benjamin was in the hospital. And she… she had nowhere to go. She never applied to war school. She had no place, no direction. For the first time in her life, she was lost.

  Axel didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t good at this shit.

  So he did the only thing he could think of—he shifted slightly to make her more comfortable. What now? On TV, guys were supposed to hug girls at moments like this, right?

  The thought made Axel tense up. Was that what he was supposed to do? His right shoulder couldn't move now, so if he wanted to hug her properly, he’d have to use his left arm.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  But for that to work, his damn arm would need to be at least a meter and a half long. He struggled for a while, shifting in awkward positions, trying to find a way to make it work—

  And then suddenly, Cassia pulled away. She looked at him playful. “…What the hell are you doing?”

  Axel froze. Shit. Thinking fast, he blurted out, “Uh… stretching. You know, gotta loosen up. Fought too much today.”

  Cassia squinted at him suspiciously. Then, out of nowhere, she smirked. “…You don’t want to hug me?”

  Axel immediately felt his face heat up.

  “The fuck? No! I treat you like a brother, and now you’re trying to hit on me? Get lost!” Cassia scoffed, sliding away from him on the bench, a look of mock 'disgust' on her face.

  Axel immediately sat up straighter and declared with conviction, “Absolutely not! I swear on my life! I was just trying to comfort you! No other thoughts at all!”

  Cassia’s eyebrow twitched. For a second, she looked like she wanted to smack the shit out of him.

  A few feet away, Vincent and Kaia had taken their beers outside and were wheezing with laughter.

  “Oh my God,” Vincent gasped, gripping his stomach. “Is our little Axel… still a virgin?” He wiped a fake tear from his eye. “Hah! I like this kid. I’m gonna teach him properly from now on.”

  Kaia rolled her eyes and slapped him on the arm. “Oh, shut up. I think it’s cute.”

  Vincent immediately turned to her, narrowing his eyes. "Wait a second. Did you just say ‘cute’? You don’t… have a thing for him, do you?”

  His voice suddenly became dead serious. “If you do, we’re done. I don't the chance!”

  Kaia snorted. “Oh, please.” She barely believed ten percent of what Vincent ever said, so she wasn’t about to take him seriously now.

  Cassia stretched her arms out over the back of the bench, exhaling deeply. She looked over at Axel, her expression more at ease.

  “Alright. Don’t stress over me,” she said, shaking out her shoulders. “After today… I’ve made up my mind.”

  Axel studied her face, his eyes searching hers. He wanted to ask, what did she mean?

  Cassia gazed into the distance, her lips curling slightly in a bitter smile.

  “Maybe the life of an awakener just isn’t for me,” she murmured. “I should just find a strong husband, settle down, and live a quiet life taking care of my family.”

  Her voice was light, almost casual—like she had just come to a profound realization.

  Axel blinked, caught off guard. Cassia was talented. Even though Dune was a small, forgotten place, her abilities were strong enough to stand out on a national level.

  He never thought the brutality she faced today would make her consider walking away. A part of him felt sorry, but at the same time, he understood. Not everyone wanted to live with blood on their hands.

  Cassia waved him off. “Go on, they’re waiting for you.”

  Axel followed her gaze toward Vince and the others. He hesitated. After the trial selection, if he made it into the Whisper Syndicate…

  He had no idea when he’d see Cassia again. Maybe by then, she really would be married.

  Axel shook off the thought and stood up. Just as he turned to leave, Vince walked past him, nodding at Cassia before taking a seat beside her.

  Cassia watched Axel walk away, her carefree expression slowly fading into something more thoughtful.

  She used to believe she understood him. She thought his biggest struggles were poverty, the way he was ostracized at school. She thought she had protected him all this time. But today, she realized— She had never really protected him at all.

  Cassia let out a self-deprecating laugh before glancing at Vince. “Mr. Vince,” she said softly, “thank you for today.” She still felt a sense of awe toward these high-level awakeners. The way they could shift the course of everything with just a few words… it was terrifying.

  Vince leaned back slightly. “Let’s talk for a bit. You mind?”

  Cassia shook her head. “Not at all.”

  He took a slow breath. “I heard about the fight. You and Axel were classmates. You’re awakened. Your ability—Boiling Solution—it’s damn powerful. And now you want to throw it away?”

  He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but at such a close distance, his enhanced hearing made it impossible not to.