Chapter 1

Rité reached an alley with a crumbling wall and collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. As her sanity returned and the tension eased, the anger that had driven her ebbed away, replaced by a flood of pain. She could no longer move a single finger.

“I should have killed that man… only then would I have the right to face you, Nox…”

Lying face down on the ground, Rité blinked her hazy eyes like a dimming light bulb. She hadn’t felt this lonely and in pain since the day she couldn’t save Nox. She missed her brother. She wanted to caress his face and beg for forgiveness one last time.

“I’m sorry I let you go that day…” She wished to kiss his tear-streaked cheek gently.

At that moment, a voice boomed from a loudspeaker outside.

“Sister… please save me…”

Rité’s eyes snapped open at the frail voice of a young boy. Suddenly, nausea overwhelmed her, and she vomited. Since she hadn’t eaten much, only clear gastric fluid mixed with blood came out. Then, a dry, emotionless man’s voice followed.

“We have the boy named Dave. If you want to save him, come out on your own, Awakened.”

Rité lifted her head and looked in the direction of the voice with trembling eyes. Dave was an orphan boy protected by her vigilante group. After her brother Nox died, she had wandered the back alleys aimlessly until she joined the vigilante group and met Dave. He was the reason she could finally pull herself together and start living again. Dave gave her a reason to live beyond revenge.

Rité bit her lip and trembled with rage. She shuddered at their vile tactic of using a boy similar to her brother, exploiting her weakness. major

Meanwhile, outside, one of his subordinates cautiously asked, “Major, do you think this will work? She’s not an ordinary woman; she fought our entire squad alone and didn’t back down.”

Without answering, the man smiled and motioned with his chin. The subordinate turned and hastily prepared to shoot.

From a distance, a woman staggered towards them. Her entire body was covered in blood, and her clothes were torn to shreds. As she emerged from the shadows, moonlight bathed her in an ethereal glow. Her turquoise hair shone mysteriously as if she had just surfaced from the sea. Though her hair was matted with sweat and dirt, her eyes, shining a cold blue between her bangs, emitted an eerie light.

Rité walked slowly, step by step, towards the man standing with his back to the headlights of a military truck. The moment felt long and endless, like walking through a dark, long tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, he stood waiting, bathed in white light, smiling brightly as she walked towards her execution.

Around him, black-clad men lined up like shadows, aiming their guns at her.

Rité finally spoke when she reached him. “Let the boy go. He’s not an Awakened.”

Without blinking, the man looked at his subordinate and ordered, “Arrest the boy too. He’s guilty by association with the rioters.”

The soldiers grabbed Dave’s arms roughly and dragged him away. His face, covered in tears and snot, turned towards Rité as he screamed desperately.

“Sister…! Sister…!”

Rité’s eyes widened, and she screamed back, “Keep your promise! You coward! You only care about Awakened people anyway!”

“How dare you…!” A subordinate stepped forward, but the man raised a hand expressionlessly to stop him.

“Let him go. It’s true we don’t care about ordinary people, as she said.”

The soldiers released Dave. With tears streaming down his face, he looked at Rité desperately.

“Sister…”

“Run,” Rité said firmly. Despite her command, Dave extended his trembling hand, trying to reach her.

Rité shouted again, more forcefully, “Run! Don’t look back and get as far away as you can, understand?”

Dave burst into tears and started running. No one moved until the boy was out of sight.

The man calmly locked eyes with Rité. His expression was unreadable, but his black eyes seemed to pierce her soul.

After a while, when the sound of Dave’s footsteps had faded, he spoke in a dry tone, “Arrest her.”

His subordinates pounced on her as if they’d been waiting. Rité fell face down on the dirt. They tied her up with special ropes designed for Awakened people, and she didn’t resist. She had no strength left to escape after making it this far.

After binding her, the soldiers saluted, and the man walked towards her.

He didn’t touch her or harm her in any way. He simply pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. A subordinate quickly lit it for him.

With one hand in his uniform pocket, he exhaled smoke, looking down at her with his black, bottomless eyes. Rité didn’t bother to look up at him.

Finally, he spoke. “I didn’t think you’d fall for such a straightforward trick.”

Rité lowered her head. Her ruined face was shadowed deeply.

“…Unlike you, I’m not a monster.”

He chuckled softly at her response and looked at his subordinate. “Take her away.”

* * *

In the dark interrogation room, Rité knelt on the floor, her hands bound and raised toward the ceiling. Soon, the sound of shoes echoed as someone entered through the iron bars.

“Major.”

The guards watching her immediately stood aside and saluted sharply. The man’s ash-gray hair shone brilliantly under the white ceiling light. Dressed in an officer’s uniform, he silently observed Rité, who kept her head bowed. A piece of gauze covered the wound on his cheek, a mark left by her.

To prevent any potential danger, the guards placed a metal chair a safe distance away from her for the man to sit in. However, he dragged the chair closer to Rité himself, the metal scraping loudly against the floor. Once seated, he crossed his legs arrogantly and asked, “Name?”

When she didn’t respond, the subordinate conducting the interrogation shouted, “Answer him!”

The man raised a gloved hand to stop the subordinate and spoke leisurely, “It’s customary to give one’s own name before asking for a lady’s.”

Uncrossing his legs and leaning forward slightly, he said, “My name is Aster Cloud. And yours, Miss?”

“…”

His courteous manner, more suited to a ballroom than this grim setting, infuriated Rité. To him, her life-or-death situation seemed no more than a trivial amusement.

As she remained silent, he leaned back and said, “Your name isn’t important. Once you join the military, you’ll discard your old name and get a new one anyway.”

“Join the military?” Rité asked in a cracked voice, slowly lifting her head. “Who said I’d join?”

Her defiant and aggressive gaze made Aster narrow his eyes slightly. “Unfortunately, you have no choice. If you don’t join us, you’ll just be tortured to death here like a dog.”

“Then kill me! That’s what you do best…!” Rité shouted, and immediately, a subordinate whipped her, causing her head to lurch forward.

“How dare you raise your voice in front of him!”

As the subordinate prepared to whip her again, Aster raised a hand to stop him. “Enough. I’ll handle the interrogation from here.”

“Major.” The subordinate seemed slightly taken aback that Aster would interrogate a mere Awakened himself but quickly saluted and stepped back respectfully.

To them, Aster Cloud was a hero, a revolutionary figure, a messiah capable of turning the tide. His words were absolute.

The subordinates stood back, arms crossed behind them like shadows near the door.

Aster erased his expression and asked, “Let’s be honest. I’m not interested in your name. I want to know about your ability.”

Rité trembled with her head down. Thin, stringy blood dripped from her mouth to the floor.

Interlocking his fingers on his lap, Aster coldly repeated his question, “What is your ability?”

When Rité was six, they had taken her brother Nox away because he was an Awakened. They had likely tortured him just like this, forcing him to join the army.

Rité had prayed and prayed for Nox’s survival, but she had never heard from him again. Occasionally, rumors of Awakened used in the war reached her, but none mentioned Nox or his abilities.

Ten years had passed since then, and it was possible Nox had died during the brutal training. He had been only six, a child still yearning for his family’s embrace.

Teaching such a young child killing techniques wouldn’t have made him a killer. Rité swallowed the rising tears. 

Aster, indifferent to her feelings, asked dryly, “I noticed you create sharp weapons from your wounds. Weapon manifestation is rare even in the army. Do you turn your blood into weapons?”

She remained silent. Revealing her ability would mean they’d use it by any means necessary, and she’d be forced to fight in battles she didn’t want to. The Carta army was known for treating people like disposable chess pieces. Dying as their puppet was out of the question. That would be a dog’s death.

“I’ll give you one last chance to avoid this pain,” Aster’s voice turned cold. “Tell me your ability.”

When she refused again, Aster ordered his subordinate, “Administer the injection.”

“Yes, sir.”

The subordinate fetched a syringe filled with an unknown substance from a tray of torture tools and walked over. Without hesitation, he plunged the needle into Rité’s arm.

When she struggled, the subordinate grabbed her hair, injected the drug, and shoved her head forward. Rité gasped and bowed her head.

As the drug took effect, her head spun, and she struggled to breathe. “What did you… do to me…?”

Aster answered calmly, “It’s a muscle stimulant. It won’t kill you, but it will cause excruciating pain.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Rité’s body convulsed. She shivered violently like a puppet on invisible strings. Her muscles screamed with pain as if they were being shredded by knives.

Rité’s eyes widened, and tears streamed down her face. Her pride shattered; she had no energy left to maintain her composure.

Aster watched her suffering with a detached expression, as if he had seen such scenes countless times before.

When the wave of agony passed, Rité dropped her head and exhaled sharply, her frail body heaving with each breath.

Aster didn’t wait. He asked again in a monotonous voice, “What is your ability?”

“Go to hell,” Rité muttered with her head down.

Without hesitation, Aster ordered his subordinate, “Administer another dose.”

Rité lifted her trembling head and glared at him, cursing, “I’ll kill you! I’ll tear you apart before I die…!”

Aster’s eyes softened, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. “I look forward to seeing if you have the ability to do that.”

* * *

After that, it was impossible to tell how much time had passed. Rité was now completely battered, barely clinging to life as she hung there.

Aster checked his watch and stood up from the metal chair. He walked over, knelt in front of her, lifted her face with his thumb and forefinger, and said, “Stop being stubborn and just talk. Introducing yourself isn’t that hard, is it?”

Rité, fighting to keep her eyes from rolling back, stared at him. Despite the torture, a cold, vengeful flame burned in her sky-blue eyes, unextinguished. Seeing this, Aster sighed and released her chin, then stood up and commanded, “Bring Lieutenant Khalid.”

“Yes, sir.”

In her fading consciousness, Rité wondered if this was the name of a new torturer. It didn’t matter who came. In this place, she had no allies. She wished for death to take her before she lost her sanity and begged him for mercy.

Soon, someone opened the iron bars and entered, saluting Aster.

“You called for me, Major.”

“Yes. I need your ability. Read this woman’s memories and forcefully find out her ability.”

The man Aster called upon was a “memory scan” ability user. Rité tried to resist again, but her body, drained of strength, barely moved. The man called Khalid placed a hand over her eyes and pressed his fingers against her temples. As Aster placed a hand on Khalid’s shoulder, Rité was thrust back into a memory she wished to forget—the day she first met this man.

* * *

In impenetrable darkness, ten-year-old Rité blinked her clear blue eyes. She held her trembling little brother Nox tightly in her arms, trying to keep quiet.

The two were hiding in a dark, collapsing ruin. Outside, the sounds of marching boots, men shouting, and people screaming were constant. Nox, afraid he might sneeze, covered his mouth with his dirty hands. 

Due to the hasty unification of the Luminous Kingdom, civil wars broke out constantly. Those supporting a republic sought to overthrow the monarchy by any means, including using the Awakened in war. People of all ages with abilities were dragged away, so in this war-torn place, they had to pretend to be dead to survive.

In a narrow hole in the concrete wall, the two held their breath, their hearts pounding faster and louder than the footsteps outside. Then it happened. 

The wooden door of the nearby ruin shattered as soldiers burst in. The sounds of destruction and desperate screams followed. People hiding there had been discovered. Useless pleas began, though everyone knew the ruthless Carta soldiers would never listen. All they could do was beg.

The continuous wailing, gunfire, and violent noises echoed through the ruins and pounded their ears. Nox trembled, shutting his eyes tight and burrowing deeper into his sister’s embrace. Rité, also shaking, held him close.

They felt a chill despite their bodies touching. Both were drenched in cold sweat. Then, they heard a man scream as he lunged at a soldier, followed by a gunshot and an agonized cry. 

Nox flinched, his body jerking uncontrollably. Though Rité was equally startled, she quickly put a finger to her lips, signaling him to stay quiet.

She whispered into Nox’s ear, her voice softer than a ticking clock. “We can’t stay here. They’ll find us.”

Nox nodded slightly, his head frozen in fear. They cautiously emerged from the concrete wall, their steps silent. Rité had anticipated this and prepared a backup plan.

Holding Nox’s shoulder, she said, “I’ll distract them. You escape through the basement. If you turn into a dog, they might mistake you for a stray and not shoot.”

“No! I won’t go without you.”

“Listen to me.”

“No!”

“Nox.”

Her firm tone made Nox tear up as he pleaded, “Can’t we go together?”

Rité looked into her brother’s sky-blue eyes, so similar to hers, and spoke calmly, “It’s too hard for both of us to escape. But I’ll be fine. I’m not Awakened. They’ll let me go.”

“Really? But…”

“You can escape on your own, right? You’re brave.”

“…”

“Say you can. We’ve picked berries, gathered herbs, and caught fish before. You can survive without me for a while, right?”

“Why do you keep talking like that? I want to stay with you.”

Tears rolled down Nox’s cheeks like chicken droppings. Seeing this, Rité’s eyes reddened, but she forced a smile to reassure him.

“I won’t die. You’re faster, but I can be quick too. I’ll find you again. Wait for me, okay?”

“Really? You’ll come for me?”

“Yes, I promise. I won’t leave you alone.”

She linked her pinky finger with his and looked him in the eye. “You’re brave, right?”

“Yes, I’m brave.”

When he finally gave her the answer she wanted, Rité smiled faintly.

“Good.”

She kissed his forehead and whispered, “Go now. They’ll be here soon.”

Nox hesitated but then ran to the basement. Rité watched until he was out of sight, then took a deep breath and faced forward, praying her distraction would give her brother time to escape.

‘Please, don’t let Nox be caught… Just this once, please…’

Clasping her trembling hands, she prayed fervently. As soon as she finished, the door burst open with a loud bang. Dark figures, backlit and barely distinguishable, stood there. They wore black uniforms and stood rigidly, exuding intimidation. 

One of them aimed a gun at her and shouted, “Hands up!”

Rité calmly raised her hands above her head, hiding her anxiety. The soldiers approached her. The man in front, wearing a military cap over his red hair, smirked as he asked, “Not hiding?”

He crossed his arms and asked leisurely, “Where’s the Awakened? You’re alone?”

Despite the sinking feeling in her heart, Rité answered calmly, “I live alone here.”

“In this ruin?”

“Yes.”

The slap came immediately after she finished speaking. She crashed into the window, hitting her head hard against the frame, and collapsed on the floor. Blood trickled down her forehead.

The man, now expressionless, looked down at her coldly and said, “Trying to fool us? A young girl like you has no reason to live alone in such a ruin unless you’re hiding an Awakened.”

Rité bit her lip, praying Nox had escaped.

He knelt on one knee, roughly grabbed Rité’s hair, and lifted her head as he questioned her.

“Tell me. Where are you hiding the Awakened?”

Rité stared straight into his eyes and spoke clearly, “I told you. I live here alone.”

He slammed her head back onto the floor. Rité grunted, squeezing her eyes shut in pain.

“How dare you look at me like that.”

Just then, a commotion erupted outside.

“It’s the Awakened! Capture him…!”

The shouts of men were followed by gunfire and the yelp of a beast. Rité’s eyes widened, and she instinctively sat up.

Her vision darkened as if she had been shot herself.

The man sneered at her reaction.

“Looks like they’ve caught him.”

He dragged Rité outside by her hair.

In the front yard of the ruins lay a small beast with a bullet wound in its leg. A young man, who appeared to be a teenager, pointed a gun at the head of the dog that had transformed back into Nox.

Rité’s eyes widened, and she called out his name instinctively.

“Nox…!”

The young man who had his gun trained on Nox turned his head slowly. It was Aster Cloud, at sixteen years old.

His snow-gray hair and emotionless black eyes were fixed on her. Smoke curled from the barrel of his pistol, indicating he had just fired it.

Rité crawled over to Nox, who had transformed back into a human, and cradled him in her arms. Nox, breathing raggedly, murmured weakly as he lay in her embrace.

“I’m sorry, sis… I ran as fast as I could… but they caught me…”

A hot lump rose in Rité’s throat. Tears dripped onto Nox’s pale face like molten wax.

“I’m sorry… It’s my fault… I was foolish…”

She cursed herself for making her younger brother flee alone. If she had known they couldn’t escape, she wouldn’t have subjected him to such suffering.

Rité looked up and glared at the boy who shot Nox. Her fiery blue eyes met his cold black ones.

“Get them away.”

At the red-haired man’s order, Aster coldly separated the siblings. Nox, naked and vulnerable, was dragged away by the soldiers. Despite his struggles and the bullet wound, he couldn’t keep up and was ultimately dragged through the wet dirt, leaving a trail of blood.

“Nox…!”

Rité reached out desperately, only to be kicked in the back by another soldier. She curled up on the ground, gasping for breath.

“Sis…! Sister…!”

Nox, wide-eyed, kept looking back, calling out to her desperately, but the soldiers forced his head down and dragged him away.

“Captain Darren, what should we do with this girl?”

The red-haired man glanced back.

“Kill her.”

“What?”

“She’s clearly not Awakened. If she were, she wouldn’t have let her brother escape alone. But she might follow us and cause trouble, so kill her.”

Darren looked at Aster.

“Aster, you handle it.”

Aster raised his head to meet Darren’s gaze.

“You captured the Awakened, so you should finish this too. There will be a reward for your efforts when we return to the base. So, take care of it.”

Darren patted Aster on the shoulder and walked away with the other soldiers.

Aster approached Rité, tied her hands behind her back, and forced her to her feet. He dragged her back into the ruins and threw her onto the cold floor.

Rité lay there, shivering. The soldiers left, and Aster, the last to leave, slowly loaded his gun.

The sound of the bullet being chambered was eerily clear and cold.

Rité watched the process with trembling eyes. Her turquoise hair fell messily around her face, and her terrified blue eyes shook violently.

The safety clicked off, and the hammer drew back. Without hesitation, Aster aimed at her head.

A gunshot echoed through the desolate ruins.

Rité lay frozen on the floor, unable to breathe.

She didn’t know if she had closed her eyes or if the world had ended; everything was black.

But the smell of gunpowder pricked her nose, and when she slightly opened her eyes, she saw a hole in the floor in front of her, white smoke curling up from it.

The gun rolled across the floor and stopped in front of her. Rité’s eyes widened as she held her breath.

Aster’s voice, now deep with maturity despite his youth, broke the silence.

“I only care about the Awakened. I saved the last bullet for you.”

His voice was both that of a seasoned man and an untainted boy.

Rité slowly lifted her head to look at him. His presence seemed out of place in these ruins.

“Don’t think about following me with that gun. Or I will kill you.”

His final words were chilling. Rité’s eyes shook with fear.

With that, he walked out of the ruins. Rité stared at the gun he had thrown to her, trembling.

She wanted to chase after him and shoot him in the back. She wanted to avenge Nox, who had been hurt and dragged away like a dog to slaughter.

But she couldn’t move.

Her mind was flooded with defensive thoughts she had never considered before.

What if she failed, and Nox was retaliated against?

She had never fired a gun before; what if she missed?

Could she really fight them all alone?

What could she do with just one bullet?

No, those were all just excuses.

She was afraid.

She didn’t want to die…

The fear that had grown like a monster inside her kept her glued to the floor.

‘I’m so scared… I feel like I’m going to die…’

Crying, Rité lay on the floor, instinctively holding her breath to survive.

Just as she had always done. Watching everyone die before her eyes. Cowardly and… miserably.

‘Nox, I’m sorry… I’m sorry I’m such a coward…’

Hot tears streamed silently onto the floor.

Aster currently stood like a ghost, observing the scene alongside Khalid. Time seemed to stretch on indefinitely. Outside, darkness and desolation reigned, and the silence was absolute, devoid of any signs of life.

It had been a while since the soldiers left in their truck, yet Rité still lay motionless on the ground, barely breathing. As the ruins settled into complete silence, she twitched slightly. Finally, she struggled to sit up from where she had been lying. In her blurry vision, a lone nail sticking out of a wooden board in the corner caught her eye. This was the spot where the now-adult Aster was standing.

Rité, as if possessed, crawled towards the board on her knees. She turned and began rubbing the rope binding her wrists against the protruding nail. Initially, she struggled and hurt her hands, but soon she managed to free herself from the restraint.

Khalid, standing beside Aster and watching her, widened his eyes slightly at what happened next. As soon as Rité freed her hands, she punched the wooden board. It was as if she was punishing herself for abandoning her brother. She cried hysterically, hitting the board repeatedly.

Her fists bled, but she continued to wail, looking up at the ceiling and howling like a wounded animal. The empty ruins echoed with her cries, but no one came to find her. No one knew she was still alive. She was completely alone.

Aster watched the scene impassively.

Then, a sudden powerful gust of wind whipped through the area, and countless thin, sharp spikes formed around Rité. These spikes shot out in all directions like bullets, shattering the windows and further destroying the ruins. It was the moment of her Awakening.

Surprisingly, as soon as she Awakened, Khalid found himself unable to remain in her memories. The space and time around them began to waver. Khalid, grimacing from the sudden headache, spoke to Aster.

“The Awakened is rejecting the memory scan. This space will soon collapse. We need to leave quickly, or we’ll be trapped in this memory forever.”

Aster nodded, and the two of them exited Rité’s memories and returned to reality. The forced termination of the memory connection took a toll on them as well. Khalid clutched his head, feeling nauseous and as if his skull might split open—a side effect of being expelled from someone else’s memory.

Despite the pain, Khalid found it hard to believe what had just happened. Refusing a memory scan required immense willpower. He had only ever been expelled from a higher-level Awakened’s memory once before, but the aftereffects now were even more severe.

Aster, still looking unperturbed but breathing a bit more heavily, immediately approached Rité to check on her condition. He reached out toward her bowed head but stopped his hand in mid-air. She was crying.

Although not present in that space, she too had vividly relived the memory with them. A strange light flickered in Aster’s slightly widened eyes. Then, Rité’s eyes rolled back, and her body began to convulse again.

She had vowed that day, when she lost her parents, never to let her brother die. If only she had Awakened a bit sooner, maybe Nox wouldn’t have been captured. If she hadn’t hesitated, she might have saved him. If it weren’t for her cursed fear and desire to live, at least she could have shared his final moments.

Her trauma began to spiral out of control due to the forced memory connection—another side effect of memory scanning. Aster’s face turned cold and he quickly gave an order.

“Get the Awakened ready outside now.”

“Yes, sir!”

Khalid quickly left the interrogation room.

In truth, the memory scan ability was rarely used on Awakened individuals because it often triggered such traumatic episodes. Rampaging Awakened were like ticking time bombs, to be executed on the spot if necessary. They had used this method out of necessity, but now Aster regretted the decision slightly.

Rité, now in a berserk state, used immense strength to break free from her restraints. As the chains snapped, she turned to Aster with blood-red eyes, filled with hatred.

“You… I’ll kill you…!”

Aster dodged her wild punch, which shattered the wall upon impact. Her eyes blazed as she turned and grabbed his throat, slamming him against the wall. Despite being choked, his expression remained calm, while Rité, possessed by rage, glared at him with a demonic intensity.

Awakened soldiers burst into the interrogation room.

“Major!”

As they rushed towards her, Aster calmly commanded, “Stay out of this.”

“Sir?”

“This woman is my prey.”

His voice was icy and composed, causing them to freeze in place. The word ‘prey’ held a significant meaning for him.

Rité, eyes burning with fury, continued to glare at Aster. He stared back just as intensely.

Despite the situation, Aster’s dark eyes showed no fear of death or any signs of disturbance. He spoke calmly, “Calm down. I don’t want to kill you.”

At these words, Rité completely lost her grip on reality. As she thrashed like a wild beast, Aster kicked her thigh. Her grip weakened slightly, and he used the opportunity to break free, swiftly grabbing her arms and throwing her onto a steel chair.

Rité, along with the chair, flew backward and crashed to the floor, producing a loud, grating noise. Watching Aster fight an enraged Awakened without using any powers, his subordinates gulped nervously.

Touching the red marks on his neck, Aster said, “Do you think killing me will quell your rage? You couldn’t even choke me properly.”

“…Die!” Rité got up from the floor and charged at him again. This time, Aster, with a cold, composed expression, met her head-on. He ducked and tackled her, tripping her legs and slamming her to the ground. Pinning her down, he secured her body with his legs and grasped her wrists with his hands.

Rité struggled furiously beneath him, but his thighs, strong and unyielding like rocks, held her immobile. Aster, with a faint smile, spoke leisurely, “When you choke someone, you need to secure their legs too. Make sure they can’t escape. Got it?”

His voice, tender enough to be mistaken for speaking to a lover, was followed by him tightening his grip on her neck. As Rité gasped for air, clutching at his wrists and struggling to free herself, Aster said with a hint of frustration, “You don’t listen well, do you… Well, if you had the mind to listen, you wouldn’t be rampaging.”

Rité, gasping and making painful noises, opened her mouth wide. Aster narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself, “What should I do…?”

Killing her would end the rampage, but it would also mean losing a valuable ability. After a brief contemplation, he pulled out a gun from his waist and aimed it at her forehead.

“I’ll make it painless,” he said. But then, something stopped him. Tears started streaming down Rité’s eyes again. Aster watched this with a strange fascination.

To him, a rampaging Awakened was no longer human, just a monster to be eliminated. He had never hesitated to kill a monster. But a monster shedding tears…?

Aster let out a small laugh. The tears could be a mere physiological reaction to pain, but he stared into her eyes for a moment longer. Unlike the eyes of other rampaging Awakened, filled only with murderous intent, her eyes held various emotions. He could see a deep-seated desire to live, a wish not to die like this.

“Could it be that she still has some sanity left…?” he wondered. If so, there was a chance she could return to normal. Considering the current shortage of manpower and the rarity of someone with her combat abilities, she was almost a finished weapon.

Aster had a gut feeling that her abilities were beyond his imagination. Killing her now would be a waste. Since it was also challenging for him to keep her subdued for long, he had to make a quick decision.

With a sigh, he said, “I guess there’s no other way…”

Everyone in the interrogation room widened their eyes as Aster took out a dagger and made a cut on his thumb. Blood began to form, and he smeared it on his lips, then placed his hand over his heart. The black trident tattoo on his wrist turned a fiery red as if branded.

He clasped hands with Rité, intertwining their fingers, and muttered, “…Excuse me for a moment.”

Aster closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers. Rité’s red eyes widened, but Aster didn’t let go, deepening the kiss as if not to lose his prey. Rité felt her breath being taken away and her strength draining from her body. As his tongue delved deeper, her body grew hot and trembled as if electricity coursed through it.

The unfamiliar and terrifying sensation left Rité clutching his hand tightly, digging her nails into his skin. At that moment, a refreshing energy spread through her body like flowing blood. The rampage was subsiding.

Her pounding heartbeat gradually calmed, and the excruciating pain dissipated like the last flicker of a candle. As the same trident tattoo appeared on her wrist, an inverted trident formed at the end, mirroring the one on Aster’s wrist. It looked like an hourglass with two interconnected tridents.

It was a successful pairing.

Confirming that her eye color had returned to normal, Aster pulled back. Their lips parted with a lingering stickiness. The rampage had ended, but both were breathless from the intense kiss. They were so close that they could feel each other’s warm breaths.

Aster slowly got off her. Rité, weak and dazed, looked up at him, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Aster looked down at her and said, “From now on, you’re my partner. In exchange for sparing your life, I can now freely use your abilities.”

His gentle yet demonic whisper reached her ears as she was about to pass out. “I hope I won’t regret this decision.”

With those words, Rité’s eyes rolled back, and she lost consciousness.

No one dared to speak as the soldiers behind them watched in disbelief. Witnessing a pairing was a rare and precious sight. Breaking the silence, Khalid cautiously asked, “Major… does this mean…?”

“Yes, she is now my familiar,” Aster replied.

“Familiar?” The soldiers were stunned. Aster spoke nonchalantly, “From now on, she’s my familiar. Didn’t you understand?”

He stood up smoothly, adjusting his disheveled tie and taking a deep breath as he ran a hand through his hair. The room remained silent until he turned back to face them. By then, his lips, softly tinted with blood, curled into a smile.

“This woman is now mine.”

* * *

Rité suddenly regained consciousness and snapped her eyes open. The light from the ceiling lamp blurred and then focused. She found herself lying on a hospital bed, her wrists cuffed. Her entire body throbbed with unbearable pain, her head spinning, and nausea rising in her throat.

Experiencing her first Awakened rampage, she hadn’t known it would put such a strain on her body. It was said that over 95% of those who went into a rampage died, so it was no surprise. An Awakened was so violent that it usually took several others to subdue one. Only a few could calm them, and most were simply executed without hesitation.

Rité never thought she would survive. She had intended to rely on the rampage’s power to kill that man and die herself… but it seemed she had failed again.

Just as she was drowning in intense despair, a leisurely voice nearby broke her thoughts.

“…Awake now?”

Rité’s eyes widened as she bolted up from the bed, only to roll off and crash to the floor due to the pain in her side. Her teal hair scattered messily over her face. She lay there, panting heavily, her body feverish and drenched in cold sweat.

Just as she discovered the IV in her arm and tried to pull it out, Aster spoke from the doorway, his arms crossed.

“You should stay still. Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet.”

Seeing his face, Rité grabbed the IV needle and charged at him. Aster, anticipating her move, dodged easily and pinned her wrist against the wall. The needle she had aimed at him was now pointed at her own neck.

“Let go! What have you done to my body?” she screamed, struggling against the wall. Aster leaned in close and asked menacingly,

“One question. Is your desire to kill me because of your brother? Because you think I killed that bastard?”

“What? My brother is not a bastard! You are…!” Rité yelled, thrashing wildly. For some reason, just seeing his expressionless face made her uncontrollably furious.

Aster, unfazed, continued, “If that’s the case, you targeted the wrong person. Let me give you some information that might change your mind.”

His next words made Rité stop struggling, her eyes widening in shock.

“Your brother is alive.”

Rité looked up at him, speechless.

Aster gazed down at her with his dark eyes and continued calmly, “Your brother is currently a loyal hound of our military. As you said, we here are all obedient dogs.”

As he finished speaking, he smiled. Rité, her voice trembling, asked,

“What do you mean…? Explain it clearly!”

“Didn’t you understand? Your brother is alive.”

Tears welled up in Rité’s eyes as she asked,

“Then where… where is he? Where is Nox now?”

“His name is no longer Nox. He discarded that name the moment he joined the military ten years ago. No wonder you couldn’t find him,” Aster said, releasing her hand.

“Unfortunately, he’s now on an undercover mission in the royal palace.”

“What…?”

“He’s infiltrating the palace, gathering intelligence for our Republic. If he succeeds in assassinating the king, it would be perfect. But even if he succeeds, it will be hard for him to return alive. He’s essentially a hostage now.”

“Why… why would it be hard for him to come back alive?” Rité asked urgently. Aster responded with amusement,

“Think about it. How easy do you think it is to assassinate a king and escape from the heart of enemy territory, especially under such scrutiny?”

Her face turned pale. Rité grabbed Aster’s collar and screamed,

“Why did you give Nox such a dangerous mission? Why?!”

Her blue eyes filled with pain. Aster looked at her coldly and said,

“Because he was the best candidate for the mission.”

“What…?”

“You’re mistaken if you think I assigned that mission. He volunteered. Shape-shifters have a higher chance of success in assassinations compared to other abilities. If we had an invisible man, things might have been different, but we have to make do with what we have.”

Treating Nox like a pawn, Rité’s hands shook with rage. Aster gently freed himself from her grip and said,

“I told him before he left, if he couldn’t escape, not to attempt it. There’s a high risk our information could be compromised. I don’t want to lose valuable personnel for no reason.”

Rité glared at him, her eyes brimming with tears. Aster smirked and continued,

“He’s not good at escaping. Despite all my training, he never managed to escape from me once.”

A shiver ran through her. Her heart pounded unpleasantly, and she recalled past memories that made her stomach churn. Even when he was first captured by the military, Nox couldn’t escape from Aster. Did he try to desert the military several times to come back to her?

Rité lowered her head and clenched her fists tightly.

Her brother had not given up on her. That frightened child had tried to desert the military to meet her.

Though tears streamed down her face, she no longer wanted to show her tears to Aster. He spoke to her calmly,

“You want to save your brother, don’t you? Then join our military. If you help him complete his mission, both you and he can survive.”

“…”

Seeing her trembling hands, Aster continued,

“Eisen. That’s his code name. I gave it to him because it suits his steel-colored hair.”

Nox’s hair was indeed a steely color, fitting the name ‘Eisen’ which means ‘iron’ in German.

Rité barely managed to steady herself and looked up at him. With trembling lips, she asked,

“Why did you spare him…?”

If what he said was true, then despite her reluctance to admit it, he had spared Nox multiple times when he tried to desert the military to return to her. Even if he had punished him later, he had still saved his life despite the strict military laws.

Aster replied nonchalantly,

“I don’t kill people who seem useful. And another thing you’re mistaken about, he survived on his own. He’s no longer the weakling you knew. Now he’s a beast capable of taking down ten men at once.”

Rité gasped.

Nox had surely changed a lot to survive in such a brutal place. The thought of his younger brother, once a crybaby, becoming an assassin who could take lives so easily… It stirred a mix of emotions in her.

“Do you remember what I said before you passed out?” Rité paused her thoughts and looked at him.

“I’ll kindly say it again, so listen well. You and I made a contract, staking our lives. By contracting with me, you were able to stop your rampage and save your life. In exchange, I can use your abilities at the cost of my own life force.”

Rité frowned openly. “So, you’re saying you’ll use my abilities in return for saving my life? Are you telling me to be grateful for merely saving my life?”

At her words, Aster’s eyes widened before he burst into hearty laughter. His shoulders shook as he laughed, and Rité, feeling humiliated, shouted, “Why are you laughing? Do you think I’m joking?”

Aster couldn’t stop laughing, covering his forehead with his hand. “It’s just that your answer was so funny. It’s funnier than any joke I’ve heard recently. ‘Merely saving your life,’ you say. Is there any deal more valuable on the battlefield than saving a life?”

“It’s worth less than killing you,” Rité snapped back, glaring at him. Aster smiled as he spoke.

“Alright. Let me tell you about the benefits you can gain by joining the military.”

He walked over to the window, standing with his hands behind his back. The sunlight highlighted his face, which now looked completely serious.

“As I mentioned earlier, your brother is currently undertaking an important espionage mission for the royal family. If you and he successfully complete the missions I assign, I’ll allow both of you to leave the military. Let me warn you in advance, Awakened individuals are incredibly valuable resources. The outcome of a war can hinge on a single Awakened, so understand how weighty and valuable this offer I’m making you is.”

“You mean, you’ll let us leave the military together?” Rité’s eyes widened at the enormous proposal. It was exactly what she had hoped for—a perfect resolution to atone for her cowardly mistakes.

“Yes,” Aster said, turning back to face her, his expression now fully that of a soldier. “Swear loyalty to the military, for the Republic… No.” He abruptly stopped speaking, then changed his expression and asked, “Will you dedicate your life to working for me?”

His gaze was incredibly meaningful. Rité swallowed dryly, feeling as if she were being sucked into a black hole. His eyes, unblinking and cold, seemed to have been born solely for war. He must have always received loyalty in this manner—offering people difficult-to-obtain rewards, coaxing and seducing them into doing as he wished. It was his method of exploiting people’s most desperate desires, achieving more than any interrogation could.

Even though she felt completely ensnared by him, it seemed like this was her only option. As Rité nodded stiffly, Aster’s face showed a satisfied smile.

“Good. I’m looking forward to it,” he said, straightening his uniform that had been disheveled when Rité grabbed him by the collar. “Shall we go now?”

“Where to?”

“You must be curious about my identity. You’ll soon find out. I’m about to be put on trial.”

Rité’s eyes widened in surprise. “A trial?”

“I made an impulsive decision without consulting the higher-ups, which has caused some trouble. I sacrificed one of my abilities to save an Awakened who was rampaging. So, we have to prove our contract and your abilities in front of the Carta military officials. The trial will start soon,” Aster said, checking his luxurious wristwatch nonchalantly. “It was a risky move, but it was worth it.”

Rité looked at him skeptically. “So, did you find out what my ability is?”

He glanced up from his watch, giving her a sidelong look. “Didn’t you hear me earlier? Your ability is now effectively mine. I can know what it is without you saying a word.”

When Rité stayed silent, he spoke leisurely. “Let’s get going.”

Aster left the hospital room first, walking briskly down the hallway. Rité, regaining her senses, called out after him, “You expect me to go like this?”

“Shall I dress you in a wedding gown, then?”

“…”

Rité closed her mouth and glared at him, following closely. His face showed a slight smile as he walked with his hands in his pockets, looking straight ahead. It was a casual look, as if he didn’t care if she attacked him from behind with a knife at any moment.

With a face full of displeasure, Rité hurried to keep up. As they walked down the corridor, many soldiers looked at them. They all stood at attention and saluted Aster, while casting wary glances at Rité, who followed him.

Rumors had already spread throughout the military about an Awakened who had gone berserk. To them, Rité was like a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment. However, Rité was undeterred by their stares and glared back defiantly, as if challenging them to say something. She looked like a wildcat with its fur standing on end, ready to pick a fight with anyone.

Aster, walking ahead, chuckled at her audacity.

Soon, they arrived at the trial hall. The heavy, ornate red door, decorated with elaborate patterns like an opera house, felt imposing.

Before entering, Aster paused and said, “Let me give you some advice.”

Rité raised an eyebrow, looking at his back as he spoke, staring straight ahead. “It’s best not to make enemies here. In front of the officers, drop that arrogant look and attitude. If you can’t act submissively, I recommend keeping your eyes down from start to finish. These are skilled Awakened who can kill you without anyone noticing, anytime, anywhere. It’d be a waste if you died before meeting your brother, right?”

“…”

Rité turned her head sharply, refusing to respond to his unpleasant words. Aster looked back at her, then raised a finger and spoke in a warning tone, “And don’t even think about doing anything foolish. Don’t avoid answering questions. If you follow my lead, we’ll get through this easily.”

As the thick door opened, the many people inside turned to look at them. Seated at desks arranged in a U-shape were military officers in ornate uniforms, exuding a formidable aura.

Ignoring his advice, Rité walked in confidently, not avoiding their gazes. She saw no reason to listen to his words.

Aster shrugged and went to his seat, leaving Rité standing alone in the center. There was no chair prepared for her, as if to emphasize that she was not a guest.

“…Are you the one that Major Cloud contracted with?” The man sitting at the center of the front desk looked up sharply at Rité. His black hair had streaks of white, resembling stripes, and his severe parting at a 2:8 ratio made him appear cold and stern.

His ornate uniform bore the nameplate ‘Russell’ along with three stars, clearly indicating he was the highest-ranking person present.

Rité, though inwardly nervous, met his gaze firmly and answered, “Yes.”

“Your name?”

“Rité Rainhills.”

She answered obediently this time.

Russell scanned the documents before him without changing his expression.

“The records show you’ve been quite the hindrance to our Carta military, working with vigilantes. You’ve caused numerous casualties during this recent Awakened Hunt.”

The atmosphere among the officers became instantly tense at his words. Only Aster remained relaxed, watching Rité.

“There’s evidence that Major Cloud forced a contract to stop your rampage. Do you think you’re worth that kind of trouble?” Russell’s sharp, black eyes bore into her.

Suddenly, Rité’s eyes widened as she felt a tremendous pressure bearing down on her, immobilizing her. She couldn’t understand what was happening. Her body trembled, making it hard to even stand.

Realizing the nature of the force, Rité’s eyes shook. It was a formidable ‘killing intent.’

The mere pressure from the energy overwhelmed her, causing cold sweat to trickle down her back. It truly seemed like there were only monsters here…

Just then, a woman with straw-colored hair, twisted into an updo, snickered softly. “Looks like she’s about to wet herself,” she muttered, though it was more of a private remark. Nonetheless, it drew small chuckles from the other officers nearby, who turned slightly to glance at her.

In this place, Rité was their enemy. She had opposed the military and was now captured, making it a situation where torture wouldn’t be surprising. Remembering Aster’s earlier advice, Rité managed to lift her trembling head and look towards him. Aster still wore a relaxed expression, as if silently saying, “Heed my advice now.” He had said it would be easy, yet this was clearly a serious matter where a criminal’s life hung in the balance. And that lieutenant colonel seemed intent on breaking her spirit right from the start.

He aimed to crush her completely, to make her crumble in disgrace, crying and begging at his feet, proving that she was unworthy of even looking him in the eye. 

‘Nox…’ The faint voice of Nox echoed in her ears, helping her cling to consciousness. She had to go to Nox, to pull him out of this mess. No one else could do it but her. Gritting her teeth, Rité forced herself to look directly at the lieutenant colonel.

“You asked if I have value, right? I’ve just returned from hell, so there’s nothing left for me to fear. I will bring far greater achievements to the Carta military than the number of soldiers I killed and injured. My single life will be worth more than theirs.”

It was the most appropriate offer to make to the Carta military, who treated people like chess pieces, and it was the answer the lieutenant colonel would appreciate the most. He stared at her intently. As he eased up on the pressure, Rité finally managed to catch her breath, clutching her chest.

The officers seemed slightly surprised by her composed response, even though her previous comment had drawn laughter. The woman who had mocked her earlier now looked at her with slightly widened eyes.

The lieutenant colonel spoke up. “Major Cloud, you are our military’s secret weapon and last resort. Your abilities are a precious resource we must conserve for the final battle. I didn’t expect you to contract without upper approval. What was your reason?”

The question shifted to Aster. He smiled casually, even in this serious situation, and replied, “I was intrigued by her abilities.”

“So much so that it made me want to see for myself,” the lieutenant colonel said.

At that moment, a military dagger rolled to Rité’s feet. She hesitated for a moment, looking at it.

“Show us now, right here,” the lieutenant colonel said, his expression unchanging.

Rité’s face went pale. Did they really expect her to self-harm and heal herself in front of them? She looked to Aster, hoping for some intervention, but he merely shrugged, leaving her to handle it herself. It seemed like he was silently telling her to follow his advice or do as she wished.

Her anger flared again at his refusal to help when it mattered most. She took a deep breath, calming her inner turmoil. In the military, there were only orders and obedience. This was the first test. For Nox’s sake, she had to prove her worth on her own.

Rité slowly knelt and picked up the dagger. The sharp blade reflected her face, covered in dried blood and injuries. Seeing herself properly for the first time since almost dying shocked her. The woman reflected in the blade looked truly deranged.

Unintentionally, she chuckled. The officers frowned slightly at her reaction, as if watching a madwoman. Her slow movements prompted Aster to speak, his voice oddly kind and unhurried, “What are you waiting for? Go on, cut.”

Rité glared at him, while he smirked, seemingly enjoying the spectacle, as if he needed popcorn for the show. This encouraged Rité to resolve to share her pain with him. However, she had no intention of following their expectations.

She murmured softly to herself, “The pain I feel isn’t just from being cut with a knife. No matter how many times I wound myself, it can’t compare to the agony I feel now.”

Rité closed her eyes, focusing on the sensations throughout her body. She drew out the intense pain from her recent battle and torture, channeling it outward. Sharp shards of glass began to materialize around her. The officers watched with interest.

Lieutenant General Russell remarked, “They said you can manifest weapons from pain… Does the intensity of the weapon depend on the degree of pain?”

Aster, perhaps pleased with her performance, stepped in to answer this time, “Yes, and it includes both physical and emotional pain. It’s not just physical injuries that trigger her abilities.”

Despite this explanation, the woman with the straw-colored hair sneered, “I thought Major Cloud found something extraordinary. But it seems underwhelming. So, she needs pain to create weapons? This is—”

The woman suddenly gasped, cut off mid-sentence.

Before she could even finish her thought, a sharp needle-like object was mere millimeters from her eye, having appeared out of nowhere. She trembled, unable to close her eyes, which quivered slightly.

“I can also do this. I can assassinate someone silently, in the middle of a conversation, without them even realizing it,” Aster’s voice was cold and steady.

Everyone looked at him in shock. It wasn’t Rité who had created the weapon; it was Aster. Rité, too, stared at him with wide eyes.

She had only managed to create fragmented shards of glass, barely holding form. Yet, just one day after contracting, Aster had not only fully utilized her ability but enhanced it beyond her limits.

Rité realized that he could control the weapons in the air without touching them, manipulate them freely, and even change their forms—things she hadn’t known were possible until now. As their eyes met, Aster smirked, as if to say he had avenged her. Rité suddenly understood why he had left the gauze on his cheek. The military certainly had healers; at his rank, he would have been treated immediately.

However, he had prepared for the possibility that she wouldn’t demonstrate her power, ready to showcase her abilities himself. He hadn’t just been passively observing. He had crafted a weapon in the shape of the wound on his cheek, subtly flaunting his mastery of her power.

Aster casually withdrew the needle, and the woman finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.

She hadn’t noticed the needle flying toward her until it was almost too late. If the attack hadn’t stopped, she might have died without anyone realizing. The thought of it terrified her, and she couldn’t stop trembling.

Aster casually caught the needle between his fingers and crushed it to powder. “He makes sure to eliminate all evidence after an assassination. With proper training, you could use your abilities to create weapons just by imagining pain. Of course, you’d need to experience that pain firsthand to remember it properly.”

Aster glanced at the woman with auburn hair and added, “If you insult my contractor any further, I’ll take it as an insult to myself, and I won’t stand for it, Major Melton.”

Though Aster spoke softly and calmly, his voice carried a chilling intent—a graceful threat. The woman swallowed hard and said, “I’m sorry, Major Cloud… I didn’t mean to insult you…”

There was no authority in her voice; she sounded like a woman yearning for affection. Despite being older than Aster, she couldn’t even meet his gaze, flustered and uncomfortable. It felt strange to see her this way.

‘Could she possibly have feelings for him?’ Rité thought, staring at the woman in disbelief. She had been hostile from the start, perhaps jealous at the thought of losing Aster. But now, facing his ire and the threat to her life, she seemed deeply shocked.

Aster’s words seemed to serve as a warning to everyone. No one laughed or made crude assumptions about Rité anymore. The Lieutenant General, who had been watching without intervening, finally spoke up.

“Major Cloud, that ability of hers is certainly worth pursuing. But I’ve heard there’s another ability.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The mention of another ability caused a stir among the officers. Aster looked silently at Rité, who this time didn’t heal her wounds but bowed her head deeply. Aster, sensing something amiss, narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Wait. Don’t heal it yet.”

He stood up and walked over to Rité, who sat on the floor, drained of strength. She wasn’t refusing to heal herself; she simply couldn’t. But to the others, it looked as though she was obediently following his command, especially since she had defied the Lieutenant General’s earlier order to wound herself with a dagger. The contrast was striking.

Aster used his ability to heal her wounds. A teal light emanated from his hands, healing the injuries caused by torture. As the pain subsided, Rité couldn’t help but sigh in relief. It felt like a miracle that she had been standing all this time in such a condition.

Aster looked at the Lieutenant General with a calm expression and said, “This woman is still inexperienced in using her abilities.”

There were murmurs from all around at the demonstration of his healing ability. The combination of using pain as a weapon and then healing that pain was unheard of among the Awakened in the military.

Even Aster had been astonished when he realized her abilities right after their contract was formed. The fact that the conditions for her power were pain rather than blood, and that she possessed not one but two abilities, was extraordinary. The officers seemed a bit excited, causing a stir.

If she only had the power to turn pain into a weapon, it would have been limited, akin to a disposable pawn. But if she could also heal, then she could potentially have limitless offensive and defensive capabilities. Healing abilities were rare and highly valued in the military; this was almost like having an unbeatable power.

Lieutenant General Russell spoke, “Indeed, if her abilities are honed properly, she could be a great asset to the army.”

Aster saluted him respectfully, though the Lieutenant General still seemed uncertain. “But this woman was on the opposite side. I can’t fully trust her loyalty to our forces.”

He had a point; if someone with such powers were a traitor or a spy, it could be disastrous. Aster responded confidently, “Don’t worry about that. She has something more precious than her life. She will never betray us—no, she cannot betray us.”

He ended his words firmly, giving Rité a meaningful look. She understood that he was using Nox to blackmail her, and she glared back at him. But his next words caught her off guard.

“And besides, we are quite compatible.”

Aster smiled slightly as he spoke, confusing her. He then removed the bandage from his cheek, revealing a long, ugly scar.

“Rité, will you heal my wound?”

“In front of everyone.”

He whispered the last part just for her to hear, signaling that she should put on a show for the audience, as if they were bound by an unexplainable, strong connection as partners, making it seem she would never betray him.

Rité looked up at his face in a daze. Aster leaned slightly forward, making it easier for her to reach him, and smiled. “Go ahead.”

Rité’s hand trembled as she reached out. Healing the wound she herself had inflicted—it was something she hated more than death.

Sensing her hesitation, Aster whispered calmly, “If you don’t heal it, I’ll kiss you right here in front of everyone.”

‘This bastard!’ Rité ground her teeth but then noticed the woman with auburn hair staring at them intently, her face pale and her green eyes filled with jealousy. Seeing this, Rité suddenly found the situation amusing.

It was ironic that someone else could desperately desire the very person she wanted to kill. “Fine, if you want me to play along, I’ll be your clown on stage just this once,” she whispered back, barely audible to him, and gently placed her hand on his cheek.

The murmurs among the officers grew louder, as the former captive seemed to obediently follow the man who had captured her. The idea that successful pairing in such a scenario could lead to affection made them wonder if it might be true.

It wasn’t, but Aster wanted everyone to think so. That way, they would have the simplest and most certain reason to trust that she wouldn’t betray them.

As the healing completed, Aster placed his hand over hers, gently removing it from his cheek, and then kissed the back of her hand softly.

The woman with auburn hair trembled, her eyes wide as if she had just been heartbroken. Rité, noticing her wounded expression, gave a slight mocking smile, similar to the one the woman had initially directed at her. This caused the woman’s face to flush with anger as she stood up abruptly.

“That…!” she began, but Rité, now focused on Aster, smiled mischievously. He, in turn, stifled a laugh, his shoulders shaking slightly.

“Well then, we will be on our way. As you can see, there’s no need for concern. Once the pairing is established, the partner cannot escape until the contract ends,” Aster said, grinning at Rité. The Lieutenant General stood up and nodded.

“Alright, you may go. This concludes the trial.”

As they left, Rité tried to pull her hand away from Aster’s grip, but he held on, leading her out of the courtroom with their fingers intertwined. Her eyes widened as she followed him out, clearly displeased.

“Can you let go of my hand now?” she hissed as soon as the door closed behind them. Aster let go smoothly, smiling.

“You did well.”

Rité frowned and turned her head sharply. “I don’t want praise from the likes of you.”

“I was hoping you’d be pleased. Not that there will be many chances for you to hear praise from me in the future,” Aster replied, still smiling.

Rité glared at him, then followed him out, her steps quick and determined.