Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 828 191.5 - Sponsor ?

"Don't leave yet."
Astron raised an eyebrow at Lilia's firm request, his dark purple eyes flicking to her face with mild curiosity. "Why?" he asked, his tone straightforward but carrying enough weight to make the single word feel heavier than it should have.
The question hung in the air, simple yet disarming, and for a brief moment, Lilia found herself at a loss. Why did I say that? she thought, her lips pressing into a thin line. She wasn't close to Astron, not really. Sure, they had shared a few conversations—discussions about archery techniques, mana control, and other intellectual topics that he seemed to excel at—but their relationship was surface-level at best. Nothing about it was personal.
And it wasn't as though she found him attractive. That wasn't even a consideration. Lilia had no time for such frivolities—her life was already tangled in enough complications. Astron was intriguing, sure, but only in the sense that he was an enigma. A puzzle she couldn't yet solve. That was all.
Then why had she asked him to stay?
The answer came to her in fragments, piecing itself together in the silence. Because I need someone. Someone I know, even just a little. Someone who doesn't look at me the way Selene does, or the way those cadets inside do. Someone who isn't playing a game.
It was a selfish reason, she realized. But it was also the truth.
Lilia exhaled softly, her gaze steady as she met Astron's questioning eyes. "Because…" she started, carefully choosing her words.
But well, she didn't have any.
"Because?"
Lilia met Astron's gaze, her crimson eyes steady as she searched for the right words. But none came immediately. His simple "Because?" echoed in her mind, disarming her more than she cared to admit. She wasn't used to being questioned like this—at least, not by someone who genuinely didn't seem to care about her status or reputation.

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