Leo was now seated cross-legged on the futon, directly opposite the strongest awakened in Glory Base. She quietly ate from the ramen cup she had brought, her movements composed and unhurried. The faint steam from her meal curled upward, carrying the rich scent of broth and spice. Leo stared at his own cup, steam rising just the same, his mouth watering uncontrollably-- but he forced himself to resist the urge to devour it immediately.
His stomach growled, loud and animalistic, like something that didn't belong to a human body at all. It took everything he had to suppress it, his fingers twitching slightly as he balled his hands into fists.
She looked up from her meal and stole a brief glance at him. "It's not poisoned. I checked."
One of his eyebrows shot up, and he stared at her before mumbling under his breath, "As if that's supposed to change anything."
She ignored his snide remark entirely and continued, her voice steady. "Leonardo, I need your help."
Leo looked up at her but said nothing for several long seconds. He expected her to continue, to explain herself but she simply stared back at him, as if waiting for him to respond. The silence pressed down on him, heavy and uncomfortable. Finally, he cleared his throat nervously. "And what exactly would you need my help with?"
He genuinely wanted to know why someone as overwhelmingly powerful as her would ever need help from someone like him.
Her dark green eyes locked onto his and barely blinked. The intensity of her gaze made his skin prickle. "How much do you know about legacies?"
His interest immediately sharpened at the question. It was a subject that had only recently become personally relevant to him, though she had no way of knowing that. He wondered why she would seek him out for this-- and why she would bring up such a topic to someone as weak as him.
He doubted she could tell that he had already become a legacy himself. And since she clearly didn't know, he was unclear if he would be of much use to her. Even more so, he doubted he possessed information that someone affiliated with the greatest military force on the planet would want.
The only reason he could come up with was familiarity. She knew him, and he knew her. But even then, they had barely interacted since arriving at Glory Base.
So in more clearer terms-- she had known him in the past.
He wondered if she wanted him for this exact reason, but without enought strings to connect the dots in his head-- he was helpless.
"I kind of know a bit about legacies, actually." He decided not to hide anything, he needed information too. He shared the little knowledge he had, watching closely as her eyes flickered subtly at certain points.
She paused before responding. "Not bad." She stopped again, this time for longer.
The silence dragged on, gnawing at his patience until it finally snapped. "Just get to the point, Cassy," he snapped. "Some of us actually need sleep since we're not backed by anyone."
He caught the faintest flinch cross her face before she composed herself again. She exhaled softly. "Leonardo, I am faced with a dilemma. And as much as it pains me to say this… you might be the one person who can help me."
The scent of the ramen finally overwhelmed his restraint. Hunger surged violently through him, and he dug in without hesitation, eating quickly and greedily.
She continued, but this time her voice dropped, colder than before. Her gaze darkened, and something in her expression shifted. He had never seen her look so serious, so utterly focused and it unsettled him. "I want you to listen carefully, Leonardo. What I'm about to tell you tonight does not leave this room."
He gave her a slow but confident nod. If she had truly come to him for something this important, then it would have to benefit him one way or another. Information was power after all. And power could always be exploited. For now, all he had to do was listen.
"I am attempting to break through to the next rank soon," she said. "It will cause problems. That's where you come in."
Leo nearly choked.
When it came to awakening, it was never a subject to be taken lightly. Beyond the awakened rank lay an even higher tier-- one that granted immense power, greater efficiency in terms of power, a soul world, and the creation of an additional core to cultivate.
Reaching it required the consumption of countless beast cores, forcing the body into evolution. But it came with risks.
If a person's foundation was weak, the breakthrough could collapse into regression--slowly stripping them of their power, reducing them to a quiescent human again. Or worse… something less than human.
Another danger was the state of stasis. During the breakthrough, the individual would be completely immobile and mentally absent for several hours. In that state, interference was deadly. An attack—or even disruption—could cause failure. Worse still, interfering could strengthen the aggressor instead. And beasts were instinctively drawn to that surge of power.
Because of these dangers, most hunters formed groups and alliances, building trust before daring to rise in rank.
Leo had never worried about any of this.
He had always been too weak.
He also lacked any alliance backing him.
Yet—
"And how do I come into this?" he asked carefully, watching her gaze narrow. "You don't mean you want me to protect your body during the breakthrough to the ascended rank. What about Surge?"
She turned her eyes toward the window, moonlight spilling across her face. He could see her beauty in a new way, it carried an hidden layer of loss in a new way. "It's true that Surge backs me-- for now. I've gained what I needed from them. In about a year, I'll break through and sever ties completely. My goals far surpasses their mediocre vision."
Leo's jaw dropped.
The venom in her voice was unmistakable and deadly to the mind. This wasn't a sudden decision, that much he could tell-- it had been festering for a long time.
"If I do this, they'll come for my head," she continued calmly. "But once I become an ascended, I'll continue to head towards the second realm of Hellscape and escape beyond their reach."
She turned to face him suddenly, and the look in her eyes made his blood run cold. He had faced beasts before-- but this was worse. There was a hunger in her gaze, sharp and unrelenting.
"You're weak," she said bluntly. "But you're trustworthy. If you can become awakened within half a year, I'll compensate you generously."
Leo didn't know what to say.
Part of him was afraid of her, of what she was becoming. But another part didn't care at all. She had no idea he had already awakened. If he could learn from her, grow stronger… everything would change. He could finally earn enough to keep his family safe and comfortable.
Still, one question clawed at him louder than the others.
"Why throw everything away just to reach the ascended rank?" he asked quietly.
She studied him for a long moment. "Leonardo… what would you do if you found out the world was going to end?"
Leo gasped, left speechless for a few seconds before he could finally speak. "What the hell are you talking about? Have you gone senile?"
She glanced at the ramen bowl in his hands, swallowed hard, then met his eyes again. "Maybe I have. But I can't afford to be wrong."
She stood and turned to leave.
Leo followed, every step feeling like he was wading through thick mud. His thoughts spiraled. Why him? What did he mean to her? Why would she place her life in his hands when he could betray her so easily?
Even with all this questions in his mind he did not want answers now, he wanted to shut his eyes and turn his brain off.
"Would you mind if I walked you out?" he asked.
She stopped beside him and answered coldly, "Yes. I would mind. It wouldn't do us any good to be seen together."
"Sure," he muttered, opening the door.
He watched her descend the stairs into the dimly lit street lined with houses. Then she stopped.
She turned.
Her lips parted as if to speak-- but she froze, standing there for several seconds. Then she turned away and disappeared into the night without a word.
Leo remained there, staring into the darkness, his mind heavy with questions-- so many that he knew sleep would be impossible.