Shun gently helped Ada tidy her clothes before picking her up and heading toward the washroom.
Warm water flowed over her body as he meticulously washed her hair and wiped her skin, his actions intimate and tender.
After the two finished washing up, they went to the restaurant to enjoy breakfast.
The dining table was already filled with exquisite dishes.
Just like last night, Shun carefully cut the steak for Ada and fed it to her mouth. Ada's cheeks were slightly flushed, but she obediently accepted it. Occasionally, she would feed him a bite as well, making the atmosphere warm and sweet.
After breakfast, Shun held Ada's hand, and a faint purple Chakra appeared around his body.
"Let's go. I'll take you back."
After speaking, the figures of the two disappeared from the bedroom, leaving behind only the warmth and sunlight filling the room.
The next second, the two figures appeared at the Kara Base.
The cold fluorescent lights in the corridor emitted a faint hum, casting a stark white light.
Shun did not step inside with her. He stood slightly sideways, half a step away from her, and raised his hand to smooth the strands of hair near her temples that had been ruffled by the wind.
"Call me anytime if you need anything. I'll be waiting nearby."
Ada glanced back at him, a faint blush rising on her cheeks due to the intimate gesture.
She nodded softly, her fingertips unconsciously gripping the hem of her skirt. "Mhm, I know. Don't overwork yourself either."
After speaking, she raised her hand and pressed the sensor button next to the door.
The alloy door slowly slid open with a soft 'hiss,' and the cold air from inside, mixed with a faint medicinal scent, rushed out.
She took a deep breath, suppressed the anxiety in her heart, and stepped inside.
The lighting in the room was a cool white, completely different from the warm yellow of Shun's residence. The walls were monotonous silver-gray alloy, and the air purifier in the corner emitted a faint operational hum, making the entire space feel especially oppressive.
Daemon was sitting propped up on the bed, which was covered with white sheets. Two thick bolster pillows supported his back, and his wrists were wrapped in new white bandages, the edges of which seeped a faint medicinal smell—the scent of the base's unique anti-inflammatory medicine.
His complexion was much better than before, having shed that sickly paleness, but his brows were deeply furrowed. His right hand unconsciously rubbed the bandaged wrist, his fingertips repeatedly brushing against the fabric, revealing persistent gloom and irritability.
Hearing the door open, his previously lowered eyelids suddenly lifted, and his yellow pupils looked toward the entrance.
The moment he saw Ada, his dim eyes brightened momentarily, like a spark catching fire, but the light lasted only an instant before quickly sinking again, as if he were looking at a stranger.
Ada quickly walked to the bedside, her skirt swaying gently with her movements, stirring up a subtle breeze.
She leaned forward, elbows resting on the edge of the bed, her tone filled with unconcealed concern. "Daemon, how are you? Does your wound still hurt? Did the doctor say when you'll recover?"
As she spoke, she unconsciously raised her hand, her fingertips slightly curved, wanting to touch her brother's bandaged wrist to check the tightness of the wrap.
But just as her fingertips were about to touch the fabric, Daemon suddenly turned his head and quickly pulled his arm back, his shoulders tensing instinctively as he resolutely avoided her touch.
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine."
Daemon's voice was muffled, like cotton wadding was stuck in his throat, and the end of his sentence carried a barely noticeable tremor.
He turned his face away, his gaze falling upon the gray, hazy sky outside the window.
Since the base was deep underground, the so-called "outside the window" was merely an electronic screen simulating the sky, which currently displayed gloomy weather, mirroring his mood.
He refused to look at Ada, yet the ears hidden behind his hair were slightly flushed, and his earlobes were trembling subtly, betraying his inner turmoil.
After a full five seconds of silence, he couldn't help but turn his head, his eyes carrying a sharp scrutiny, scanning Ada's face, bit by bit, down to the depths of her eyes, like a scanner.
Her flushed cheeks, the soft, alluring luster lingering in her eyes, the slight curve unconsciously lifted at the corner of her lips, and the scent lingering around her that wasn't her own—that was the unique smell of Shun.
He knew his sister well. This state of being wrapped in affection and brimming with desire clearly resulted from spending an entire night in intimate company.
A surge of anger instantly flared up from his heart, making his chest feel tight and his breathing become heavier.
"You... were with Shun all last night?"
Daemon seemed to be desperately suppressing his imminent emotional explosion. His hands quietly gripped the sheet beside him, wringing deep wrinkles into the white fabric, leaving behind messy marks.
Ada was stunned by the blunt question, her pupils slightly contracted, and her cheeks instantly flushed red, the color spreading from her face all the way to her earlobes. She subconsciously avoided Daemon's gaze, her eyes darting down to the floor beside the bed.
After quite a while, she softly hummed, "Mhm."
If the room hadn't been exceptionally quiet, the sound would have almost been drowned out by the air purifier.
"Sister, you—"
The moment he received confirmation, Daemon's emotions completely erupted. He abruptly sat up straight, causing the pillow behind him to slide and fall to the floor with a dull 'thud,' breaking the silence of the room.
He raised his bandaged wrist, pointing to his own injury, his voice filled with grievance and fury, his tone trembling continuously. "I was beaten black and blue by him, lying here worrying if something happened to you, afraid he might bully you, and I didn't sleep well all night. Every hour, I wanted to look for you, but I was afraid of disturbing you. And what about you? You spent the whole night with him! And you only come to see me now!"
His eyes quickly reddened, and tears welled up but stubbornly refused to fall. "In your heart, is he more important than me? Did he steal you away? Are you going to ignore me from now on?"
As he spoke the last sentence, his chest heaved violently, as if he had suffered an immense injustice.
Ada was startled by her brother's intense reaction. She opened her mouth, momentarily unsure how to respond.
Seeing Daemon's wronged, red-rimmed eyes, a profound sense of guilt surged in her heart, drowning her like a tide.
She leaned forward, wanting to hold her brother's hand, but he sharply pulled away again.
"Daemon, it's not what you think. Listen to me." She was so anxious that her voice trembled slightly.
Her fingertips waved frantically in the air before falling helplessly. "Shun... he didn't bully me. We genuinely like each other. We were just... just staying together."
As she spoke the last few words, her voice grew softer and softer, and her cheeks turned incredibly red.
The intimate relationship between her and Shun made it difficult for her to speak frankly to her brother, and deep down, she harbored a bit of anxiety about being blamed by him.
"Just staying together?!" Daemon raised his voice, his anger intensifying.
He stared intensely at Ada, as if trying to see right through her. "Sister, who are you trying to fool? The way you look, you obviously slept with him!"
His chest heaved violently and his right hand tightly gripped his injured wrist. The pain made him recall even more clearly the humiliating scene of being pinned and rubbed into the ground by Shun. Shun had pressed down on him like a mountain, a feeling of helplessness that still made his heart palpitate.
When he thought of his sister being so intimate with the person who had beaten him, he felt like his heart was tightly squeezed by a hand—it was painful and suffocating, making it hard even to breathe.
"Have you forgotten how he treated me? He pinned me down and beat me, and even mocked me for overestimating myself! Not only do you not help me, but you're getting so close to him! Are you even my sister?"
"Shun... he didn't mean to hit you. It was a misunderstanding at the time."
Ada hurriedly defended Shun, speaking quickly, afraid that if she slowed down, she wouldn't get a chance to explain.
"He just wanted to stop you from acting impulsively, afraid you'd cause trouble and get hurt. And he's a good person. He even helped me increase my power, look..."
As she spoke, she unconsciously mobilized the Chakra within her body, and a pale golden halo circulated around her.
"This is the Sage Body and Sage Mode of the Six Paths Level. He helped me activate them both. Now I can protect you better, Daemon. Stop hating him, okay? Can we make peace with him? He won't hurt us."
Her eyes were full of anticipation, hoping her brother could understand her.
"Make peace? Impossible!"
Daemon refused without thinking, leaving no room for negotiation.
He violently waved his hand, sweeping a glass cup off the bedside table. The cup hit the floor with a loud 'bang' and shattered, sending fragments flying everywhere.
"He's a bastard! He's my enemy! I absolutely don't want to make peace with him!"
"Sister, if you keep seeing him, I'll... I'll never talk to you again! I'll move out and never see you again!"
Ada hadn't expected her brother to say such hurtful words. She felt anxious and angry, her eyes instantly reddened, and her voice rose slightly. "Daemon! How can you say that? Shun really isn't as bad as you think. He treats me very well and has never hurt me. Why won't you believe me and give us a chance?"
"I don't believe it! I only believe what I see!"
Daemon's tears finally broke free, sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the sheets. He raised his hand and clumsily wiped away his tears, but they only flowed faster, and he cried harder.
"He hit me and stole my most important sister! He is a bad person! I will never forgive him! Before, you only had eyes for me, you took me everywhere you went. Now, you only have eyes for him."
His voice grew softer and softer. The last few sentences were almost a whisper, filled with loss and fear.
He was truly afraid—afraid that his sister would no longer belong to him, afraid that he would no longer be the most important person in her heart.