The sound didn't come again.
William didn't relax.
Silence like that didn't mean safety—it meant something had already decided not to rush.
He stood still in the East Courtyard, eyes fixed on the shadows along the cracked walls.
Then he exhaled slowly and turned back to Cassian.
"…You said you had something to say," William muttered. "So say it properly."
Cassian didn't move.
"You need to stop reacting late," he said.
William frowned.
"That's not what I asked."
"No."
"Then answer what I asked."
A pause.
Then William said it clearly this time:
"Why are you telling me all this?"
Cassian looked at him directly.
No deflection this time.
No silence games.
"If you lose control," he said, "it becomes everyone's problem."
William nodded once.
"Okay. That part I understand."
A beat.
"…That's not the only reason."
Cassian didn't answer.
Which confirmed it.
William's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yeah," he said. "I thought so."
He stepped closer.
Not aggressive.
Just… serious now.
"This doesn't look like kindness," he said. "So let's not pretend it is."
Cassian held his gaze.
Then:
"You want the truth?"
"Yes."
"Then listen."
Cassian shifted slightly, like he was choosing how much to say.
"The people who came after you," he began, "they don't move on their own."
William's expression didn't change.
"…Hunters."
"Yes."
"I figured that much."
"You didn't figure enough."
That irritated him.
"Then explain it."
Cassian didn't drag it out this time.
"They're not independent," he said. "They're a division."
William folded his arms slightly.
"Of what?"
A small pause.
Then:
"The Order."
Silence.
Not confusion.
Not immediate understanding either.
Just… weight.
William stared at him.
"…Never heard of them."
"That's the point."
The wind moved faintly across the courtyard.
William didn't look away.
"What are they?" he asked.
Cassian answered without hesitation now.
"They're the reason people like you don't exist in public."
That landed.
Hard.
William let out a quiet breath.
"…That sounds dramatic."
"It's not."
Cassian stepped slightly closer.
"The Order doesn't chase people."
A beat.
"They collect them."
William's jaw tightened.
"…Collect."
"Yes."
"For what?"
"That depends."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting right now."
William looked away briefly, processing.
Then back.
"So let me get this straight," he said. "These Hunters—"
"—are enforcement," Cassian cut in.
"They find people like me."
"Yes."
"And then?"
"They don't ask permission."
That was enough information.
William ran a hand through his hair.
"…Then why am I here?"
Cassian didn't hesitate.
"Because something interrupted them."
William's eyes sharpened.
"…My aunt."
"Yes."
That hit deeper than anything else.
For a moment, William didn't speak.
Didn't joke.
Didn't deflect.
Just thought.
"…She told me they were after me," he said quietly. "She didn't say who they worked for."
"She wouldn't."
"Why?"
"Because saying that name matters."
William frowned.
"…That sounds ridiculous."
"It isn't."
Cassian glanced toward the edge of the courtyard again before continuing.
"The Order isn't just strong," he said. "They're… established."
"That doesn't mean anything."
"It means governments don't fight them."
William paused.
"…What?"
"It means people disappear," Cassian continued. "And no one asks loudly enough."
The air felt heavier now.
Less like a school.
More like something else entirely.
William crossed his arms again, slower this time.
"…And the academy?"
Cassian looked at him.
Then said it plainly:
"It belongs to them."
That landed harder than expected.
William blinked once.
"…You're serious."
"Yes."
"They control this place?"
"They oversee it."
"That sounds like the same thing."
"It usually is."
William let out a short breath.
"…So I came here for protection."
"Yes."
"And I ended up exactly where they can watch me."
Cassian didn't respond.
Which was an answer.
"…Great," William muttered.
He looked down briefly at his hand.
No glow.
No visible change.
But it didn't feel normal anymore.
None of this did.
After a moment, he looked back up.
"…So where do you fit into all this?"
Cassian's expression didn't change.
"I pay attention."
"That's not a role."
"It's enough."
William stared at him.
"…You knew about them before I got here."
"Yes."
"And you didn't say anything."
"There was nothing to say."
"There is now."
Cassian studied him for a second.
"You're not like the others," he said.
William groaned.
"Please don't start that again."
"You weren't supposed to be active yet."
That made him pause.
"…They said that too."
"Yes."
"Who is 'they'?"
Cassian didn't answer.
Not this time.
William exhaled slowly.
"…You're doing it again."
"Yes."
"Talking halfway."
"Yes."
"That's annoying."
"I know."
A faint sound echoed again.
Closer this time.
Both of them noticed immediately.
Not behind.
Not at the entrance.
Somewhere along the walls.
Movement.
Controlled.
William's focus snapped back instantly.
"…You expecting someone?" he asked.
"No."
"Good."
"It's not."
The air shifted.
That same subtle fracture—
stronger now.
William felt it clearly.
His hand tingled.
The pulse returned.
Low.
Waiting.
He didn't move.
Didn't rush.
Just watched.
"…So," he said quietly, eyes still on the shadows, "the Order collects people like me."
"Yes."
"And this place watches me for them."
"Yes."
"…And you're telling me this because if I lose control, I become a problem."
"Yes."
A small pause.
Then William added:
"…And because you're curious."
Cassian didn't deny it.
The shadows along the far wall shifted again.
This time—
something stepped forward.
Not fully visible yet.
But enough to confirm—
they weren't alone.
William exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "That tracks."
Cassian's voice dropped slightly.
"Stay focused."
"I am."
"Not enough."
The figure moved again.
Closer.
Deliberate.
Watching.
Waiting.
William didn't take his eyes off it.
But he spoke anyway.
"…You said the Order collects people like me."
"Yes."
"…This one of them?"
Cassian didn't answer immediately.
Then:
"No."
That was worse.
William's grip tightened slightly.
"…Then what is it?"
The figure stopped just at the edge of visibility.
Not rushing.
Not hiding anymore.
Just… there.
Cassian's eyes narrowed.
"For once," he said quietly, "that's not something I already know."
William almost smiled.
Not because it was funny.
Because it wasn't.
And that made it worse.