The night was cloaked in darkness, the only light coming from the faint glow of the moon and the occasional flicker of a distant lamp post.
Irina sat on a bench under the canopy of a large tree, the shadows providing a sense of privacy and seclusion. The cool night air brushed against her skin, but she barely felt it, her mind occupied with thoughts of recent events.
'That senior…..From when she was a vampire….'
No matter how much she had thought about it, she wouldn't have known. It didn't make any sense. No, it was not even close to making any sense. After all, there was no reason for it to make one.
How co a vampire could be here working in the academy?
And how co she was the top student right under their noses like that?
She had called Astron here, wanting answers about what she had witnessed earlier. The image of him with that senior, Maya Evergreen, was still fresh in her mind.
The way Maya had protected them, the concern she had shown, and how Astron had interacted with her—it all left Irina feeling a mix of confusion and jealousy.
After all, how could she not feel jealous?
For this whole ti, she thought of herself as the sole person that Astron was close to. Sure, Sylvie was sohow different from other people, and Astron seed to care about her, but after witnessing their dynamic firsthand, she had noticed sothing peculiar.
Astron was more like a teacher and a guide for Sylvie. And it made sense. Since Irina also knew the talent Sylvie possessed from the start, when she found out what Sylve was capable of, she thought the sa thing.
Making connections with her and getting close to her. Since it was evident that she was bound to beco a great person.
But, never once did she think of Sylvie as a threat. That was how she had seen it, or maybe her own heart, but she never harbored such feelings in her heart.
But that was different now.
'How much does that Senior know? How close they are?"
Irina's thoughts were a whirlwind, her emotions a tangled ss. She was furious, not just because of Maya, but because of the realization that Astron kept many secrets and there was nothing she knew about this. Secrets that she wasn't privy to despite their growing closeness. She clenched her fists, her anger simring just beneath the surface.
Irina's thoughts swirled with a mixture of anger, jealousy, and confusion as she replayed the events of the past few weeks in her mind.
All those monts with Astron, all the tis she had felt like she was soone special to him, now seed tainted by the revelation of his secrets.
She recalled the countless tis he had been there for her, guiding her through difficult situations, offering advice, and sharing monts that felt uniquely theirs.
The camaraderie and understanding that had developed between them felt genuine, but now, she couldn't help but question if it had all been a facade.
'Was it all aningless?' Irina asked herself, the thought gnawing at her heart. 'Or was I the only one who thought about it as special?' The quiet conversations were where he listened to her fears and doubts, offering words of comfort and reassurance. The way he looked at her with intensity made her feel like she was the only person in the world who mattered.
'Yeah,' she thought, shaking her head slightly. 'Most likely.' It was a bitter smile playing on her lips. After all, looking back now, I see that he never made any type of advancent towards her. Most of the ti, his actions stemd from logical reasons, and he wasn't soone who acted with emotions.
'Still. Doesn't he owe an explanation at least?'
She thought. That was what she had deserved after all the things that they did together.
TAP! TAP! TAP! The sound of footsteps approaching broke her from her reverie.
'Ah…' She looked up to see Astron erging from the shadows, his expression as unreadable as ever. He moved with his usual grace, his presence almost blending into the night.
Though her mind was a ss, she couldn't help but think that he made these sounds intentionally to notify her about his presence. After all, with his skills, he could easily hide in the shadows and appear on her face suddenly without any explanation at all.
"You are here."
She said, looking at him with her eyes ablaze.
"I am here."
He replied, standing before her with his coat all over his body. The night was cold, being the coldest month of the year.
Though there was no snow and the weather was clear, it was frosty and cold.
Irina's gaze t Astron's, her eyes filled with a mixture of frustration and confusion. "I called you here because I need answers," she said, her voice unwavering despite the turmoil within her.
Astron nodded, his expression serious but calm. It was as if he was already expecting this to happen.
"I understand. Ask what you need to."
And this calm answer infuriated her more. It felt like everything was a ga for him, and the sa was true of her feelings.
Taking a deep breath, Irina began. "What were you doing with that senior, Maya Evergreen? And why didn't you tell anything about it?"
"Do I have any obligation to tell you about what we are doing?"
The reply was cold and harsh. His voice was calm but distant.
"Is this how it is?"
And those words pierced her heart like a needle. After all that ti, it felt like her efforts had been in vain all along.
"What did you expect?" Astron replied, looking directly into her eyes.
"I at least thought….."
"You at least thought?"
Irina's voice trembled with a mix of frustration and vulnerability as she spoke, her words laced with the sting of betrayal. "I thought... At least... We were close enough to share our secrets."
Astron's expression didn't change even slightly, his gaze boring through her eyes, remaining unwavering. And that made her sohow tense since he was always like that.
She expected the words coming out of his mouth to be sothing that would hurt for sure. Though she wanted to close her ears, she wasn't soone that would do such a thing.
"You were right. And you still are."
However, the words spilling from his mouth were different.
"Huh?" Irina was taken aback by Astron's unexpected response. She blinked, her anger montarily giving way to confusion and a flicker of hope. "What do you an by that?" she asked, her voice softer, tinged with curiosity.
Astron t her gaze. "What I an is, you're right. I do trust you enough to share so of my secrets."
Irina's cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink at his nonchalant but sincere words. His directness left her montarily flustered, but she quickly regained her composure. Narrowing her eyes, she refused to let him off the hook so easily. "You only revealed your strength to because you didn't have any choice. It wasn't because you wanted to. You were forced into it."
Astron shook his head slowly. "Do you really think so?" he asked, his tone challenging yet gentle.
Irina's silence was his cue to continue. "Think about it, Irina. There were nurous ways I could have avoided your attention. I could have downplayed my abilities, made excuses, or simply stayed out of your way. But I didn't."
He paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. "When we were in that dungeon, I could have let you fend for yourself. I could have chosen not to intervene when you were in danger. But I didn't. I showed you what I was capable of, even if it was risky."
Irina's mind raced back to those monts. The tis Astron had stepped in to help, the subtle displays of his talent had gradually shifted her impression of him. She recalled how he had saved her in the dungeon, how he had led their team through difficult challenges with unwavering confidence.
'His words are right.'
He was hiding from the world, but one way or another, he made sure to let her know about his capabilities.
And now they were even competing.
"But what is with Senior Maya, then? Why didn't you tell about her?" she asked.
"Because Senior Maya's situation is not for to decide. She is the one who was put into that situation. It is not my secret, but hers. Unless she decides to talk about it, I have no right to speak to soone else. Regardless of who the person is."
He stopped slightly, raising his hand.
PAT! He patted her head suddenly.
THUMP!
Irina felt her heart beating suddenly at his touch. Her body was never cold because of the innate heat the Emberheart family possessed.
But, his hand was.
"Do you think I would talk about your situation to other people if you were in her position?"
Irina blinked, caught off guard by the gentle gesture. Her anger and confusion began to lt away, replaced by a warmth that spread through her chest. His touch was reassuring, a silent promise that he valued her trust and privacy.
"I... I see," she stamred, her voice softer now. "I didn't think about it that way."
Astron continued to pat her head, his touch steady and calming. "Irina, I trust you," he said firmly. "And I respect your privacy. Just as I respect Maya's. There are things we all have to keep to ourselves until we're ready to share them."
They had already thought about this before, and Irina knew his words carried so truth. After all, there were also many things that she had always kept to herself, not telling anyone.
And she knew there were things that Astron never talked about as well.
But she also couldn't help but suspect that he was redirecting the conversation.
"But why?" Irina's voice trembled as she tried to hold back her anger. Her fists clenched at her sides, and she struggled to keep her emotions in check. "Why did you intervene in my life if you have such a relationship with Maya?"
Astron's calm deanor remained unshaken, his eyes steady as he looked at her. "What relationship?" he asked, his tone even.
"That...Aren't you a couple?"
At that mont, she saw him shake his head.
"…..No. We are not."
And her world went white.
'Noooooooooo! What did I just do!'
She made a big blunder.
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