The battle between Griffin and Orion was getting brutal. Griffin was dead set on killing Orion, leaving Orion no time to explain himself—he could only watch as Axel’s expression became normal.

  But Griffin was making a mistake. He had no idea Orion had already ascended to the second level.

  Thinking he had the upper hand, Griffin pressed his attack, his confidence growing. And for a moment, it did look like Orion was on his last legs.

  But Axel shook his head. He knew exactly how this was going to end. Griffin was fucked.

  Sure, Orion was battered and running low on stamina, but he’d managed to recover a good chunk of his strength earlier—when Zane had been impersonating Griffin, throwing everyone off. Not only that, but as a second-level awakener, Orion had way more explosive power than Griffin. The whole fight had been a ruse. He had been playing weak, luring Griffin into a false sense of control.

  And Griffin fell for it.

  When Orion started staggering back, Griffin seized the opportunity. Dropping his guard, he flipped his dagger into a reverse grip and lunged in for the kill, aiming to slash Orion’s throat.

  But just as the blade was about to cut deep— Orion’s bloodshot eyes flashed, and his jaw clamped down on the steel.

  Blood poured from his mouth, but the blade didn’t move another inch. And in the next instant, Orion’s hands locked onto Griffin like iron vices. "Die!"

  All that patience—all that restraint—was for this moment. Ignoring the blood spilling from his neck, Orion gripped Griffin with both hands and drove his knee up with brutal force.

  CRACK!

  A sickening snap echoed through the warehouse, freezing everyone in place. A collective gasp filled the air.

  Griffin’s body convulsed like a dying shrimp, his spine bending at a grotesque angle. Blood gushed from his throat. His wide eyes brimmed with shock and disbelief.

  He had the upper hand. Orion had been seriously injured. Their strength had always been nearly identical, so why…?

  His vision blurred.

  Orion staggered back, pressing a hand to his bleeding neck. He leaned against an iron pillar like a battered, old war beast.

  Griffin choked out a strained sound. His fading voice carried one last, desperate question: “…Did you break through?”

  Orion gave a slow, solemn nod.

  The resistance in Griffin’s eyes faded. He lifted his gaze to the warehouse ceiling, his breaths growing fainter… until they stopped altogether.

  Then—

  “Boss!”

  “Boss!”

  The Crimson Vipers, who had been in complete control just moments ago, were now thrown into chaos. Panic spread through their ranks as they gripped their machetes, eyes darting between each other and Orion. Some of them, driven by bloodlust and ambition, had already made up their minds.

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  Whoever killed Orion would become the new leader.

  But the moment Orion’s gaze swept over them, their confidence crumbled. One by one, they averted their eyes. Fear outweighed greed.

  Orion let out a cold chuckle, his voice filled with disdain. "Griffin, you were smart your whole damn life, but in the end, you still got played." He glanced around at the gathered men. Griffin wasn’t even dead yet, but Orion couldn't help sneering.

  Griffin struggled to tilt his head, his mouth opening slightly—but no words came out.

  "But I have to admit, I'm curious," Orion continued, his tone sharper now. "You’ve always been suspicious of everyone. So tell me, who the hell managed to set you up?"

  Leaning heavily against the wall, Orion fought to stay upright. He had landed the killing blow on Griffin, but the cost had been steep. He was seriously fucked up. Trading his life for an opening had left him barely standing.

  Griffin’s breathing was ragged. After a long pause, he finally forced out a few words.

  "My son’s classmate… They told me you were badly injured. They even showed me a video."

  A classmate. And a video.

  Orion’s bloodied face twitched slightly as realization hit. He slowly lifted his eyes to Axel.

  Classmates… That meant someone from **Brookhaven High.**

  And the video—

  His mind flashed back to the phone Axel had given Cassia. Suddenly, all the pieces fit together. The seemingly chaotic series of events—the disguises, the sudden ambush, teaming up with Zane to stall for time, exploiting Griffin’s greed to make sure both sides took heavy losses—none of it had been random.

  Axel had orchestrated everything. It had all been part of his plan.

  Orion exhaled sharply, his exhaustion momentarily overshadowed by the weight of his realization.

  "How long ago did you start planning this?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

  Axel met his gaze, unfazed. "About two and a half hours ago."

  Slowly, he stepped forward and picked up the dagger Griffin had dropped.

  Even now, with death looming over him, Orion’s bloodshot eyes held something new—respect.

  "You’re still this cautious, huh?"

  Axel didn’t reply. He simply glanced at Orion.

  "Tell me," Orion rasped. "We’re all dying anyway. Might as well hear it."

  Axel’s eyes flickered over him. The wound on his neck was bad—really bad. It had just barely missed his artery, but he had lost a shitload of blood. If he didn’t get medical attention soon, he was dead.

  If not for his unnatural endurance, he would already **be** dead.

  As for Griffin? No saving him now.

  But Axel only said, "No need."

  Orion blinked. No need? Logically, this was the moment for Axel to revel in his victory, to break everything down and show off his genius. Any other guy his age would’ve taken the chance to gloat.

  But this kid— He was too calm. Before Orion could say another word, he turned toward Cassia.

  "Cassia," he called, his voice rough. "Come here."

  Cassia hesitated before stepping forward.

  Her body trembled slightly as she looked around—at the corpses, at the blood pooling on the floor. And when her gaze fell on Orion, beaten and bleeding out, she felt… something unexpected.

  Pity.

  The realization startled her. She had come back to kill. She had been filled with hatred. But now, standing here, seeing the once-dominant man who had raised her reduced to this—she felt a strange sadness instead.

  Orion noticed it. So did Axel.

  Orion forced a twisted, bloody smile. "Cassia… this is the world I live in." He tried to push himself upright, but the movement only made his wounds worse. Blood spilled faster.

  "You—"

  Cassia instinctively took two steps forward—then stopped.

  Orion’s body trembled slightly as he watched Cassia hesitate. His gaze swept over the corpses littering the ground, his breath ragged as he spoke in a broken, uneven voice.

  "I never regretted what I did back then."

  "If you were just an ordinary person—if you were lucky—you might drift through life in a daze."

  "But if you’re unlucky… your entire existence could be decided by a single word from someone stronger than you."

  "And if you choose to walk the path of an Awakener, you have to be prepared to be ruthless. I never once believed I could hide that truth from you. And I always knew that one day, you’d be standing in front of me with a knife."