Chapter 435:A visit.

Chapter 435: 435:A visit.

The knock came considerably later.

Silver had been lying in bed going through the upgraded shop without purchasing anything when someone knocked on Room 314’s door.

Antony groaned from his bed.

"If that’s another academy notice, tell them I’ve withdrawn."

Jude looked at the time. Dillian remained awake.

Silver got up, opened the door, then stopped.

Shawn stood outside.

Silver stared not knowing what to say at first.

His older cousin looked exactly as composed as Silver remembered, academy uniform neat despite the late hour, expression calm and slightly tired.

"Shawn?"

"You’re difficult to find."

Silver stepped aside.

"You could’ve messaged."

"I did."

Silver remembered he had no phone.

"My phone is somewhere beneath Death Row Valley."

Shawn stared at him for a few seconds without saying a word.

Silver added, "Long story."

"I’ve heard enough pieces to believe that."

He stepped into the corridor and closed the door behind himself.

Shawn glanced at it.

"Roommates?"

"Three."

"Dillian?"

Silver raised an eyebrow.

"You know?"

"Everyone knows the preliminary top five."

That was expected. Silver leaned against the wall.

"I thought you were busy."

"I am."

Shawn looked him over.

Silver could see him checking his body clearly looking for any residual injuries.

Shawn finally exhaled.

"You look better."

"I am."

"Ravenna told me you were alive before I heard anything official."

Silver smiled.

"She probably would’ve personally hunted down everyone in Alpha Three if nobody found me."

"She almost did."

Silver’s smile faded slightly.

Shawn continued.

"She came here looking for me because she couldn’t reach you. She looked like she hadn’t slept properly since the collapse."

Silver looked down.

"I know."

Shawn studied him.

"Do you?"

Silver looked back.

"Yes."

That answer seemed enough.

Shawn nodded.

"I wanted to see you myself before I leave."

Silver straightened.

"Leave?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Where?"

"Field assignment."

Silver frowned.

"How long?"

"A few weeks. Possibly longer depending on what we find."

Silver nodded slowly.

Older academy students received real operational assignments.

He knew that.

Still, they’d barely spoken since Silver reached Alpha Three.

Shawn smiled faintly.

"We’ll meet again. You’re not escaping that easily."

Silver smiled.

"I survived Death Row Valley."

"That wasn’t what I meant."

"I know."

Silence settled briefly between them, then Shawn’s expression changed.

"There’s something else."

Silver waited for him to continue.

"Grandfather."

His face became neutral.

Shawn noticed.

"I tried contacting him when Ravenna came to me."

"I heard."

"He ignored me."

Silver said nothing.

Shawn continued, and there was irritation beneath his normally controlled voice.

"I called through the family line first. Nothing. Then I contacted his secretary. I was told he was unavailable. I sent a priority message explaining that you’d disappeared beneath Death Row Valley after a Rank Six subjugation mission went wrong."

Silver’s eyebrows rose.

"And?"

"Nothing."

Shawn laughed quietly, without humor.

"I thought perhaps he hadn’t seen it, so I contacted him again."

"Still nothing."

"Still nothing."

Silver looked down the corridor.

That was strange.

Silver didn’t expect their grandfather to panic because his grandson was missing. Their relationship had never worked like that.

But strategically?

He was a rare spatial Contractor.

The family probably knew that since he hadn’t made that big of an effort to hide it after leaving the sanctuary. There was no way he wasn’t being spied on.

So with that, hiis grandfather knew exactly how valuable spatial abilities were.

Shawn crossed his arms.

"Then suddenly Association activity around Death Row Valley accelerated."

Silver looked back at him.

Shawn’s expression was thoughtful.

"Resources moved. Investigators were deployed. Pressure appeared from somewhere high enough that people stopped treating your disappearance as an unfortunate casualty and started treating it like something worth spending money on."

Silver said nothing.

"You think Grandfather did it."

"I don’t know."

That answer surprised Silver.

Shawn continued.

"That’s what bothers me. If he did, why ignore us?"

Silver thought about it.

Because that sounded exactly like their grandfather. He rarely emotionally invested in anyone else except for Shawn, hoping for reassurance from him was a pipe dream.

He probably didn’t answer worried family members and just moved pieces where nobody could see his hand.

Silver remembered the investigators finding him, the observation center and the sudden seriousness surrounding his case. He had assumed the distress beacon and parasite discovery explained most of it.

Perhaps they had... Perhaps not.

Shawn watched him.

"I don’t like not knowing."

Silver smiled faintly.

"You hate not knowing anything."

"True." Shawn stepped closer. "But don’t mistake his silence for proof that he didn’t act."

Silver’s expression remained calm.

"I don’t."

"And don’t mistake possible action for affection either."

That made Silver look directly at him.

Shawn held his gaze.

"He values you."

Silver almost laughed.

"That’s comforting."

"I didn’t say he loves you."

There it was.

Silver appreciated Shawn for that. There was no pretending or sentimental rewriting of their family.

Shawn continued, "You’re a spatial Contractor with a family name attached to you. Grandfather understands value better than he understands people. If he moved resources for you, I’m willing to bet that was part of his calculation."

Silver nodded.

"That’s what I assumed."

Shawn frowned.

"You’re not angry?"

"About him being himself?"

"About being treated like an asset."

Silver considered.

"I’d rather know where I stand."

Shawn watched him for several seconds, then smiled faintly.

"You’ve changed."

"I keep hearing that."

"I don’t mean physically."

Silver didn’t respond.

He placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Whatever happened in that valley, don’t rush to prove you survived it."

Silver looked at him.

"The academy will give you plenty of opportunities to be stupid without inventing extra ones."

Silver smiled.

"That sounded almost caring."

"Don’t spread rumors."

Silver laughed.

Shawn removed his hand.

"I need to go."

"Tomorrow morning?"

"Early."

Silver nodded.

"Be careful."

Shawn raised an eyebrow.

"You’re telling me?"

"Someone has to."

Shawn smiled.

"Fair."

He started walking.

Silver called after him.

"Shawn."

His cousin turned.

"Thanks."

Shawn understood what he meant.

He nodded.

"We’ll talk properly when I’m back."

Silver leaned against the wall.

"I’ll be here."

Shawn looked amused.

"With your record, I’m not trusting that."

Then he left.

Silver watched until he disappeared around the corridor.

He returned to Room 314 several minutes later.

Antony immediately looked over.

"Did he tell you how embarrassing it was looking for him?"

"No, you just told me now," Silver said while closing the door behind him.

"Do you know how famous your cousin is?"

Silver frowned.

"I’m not sure but isn’t that to be expected?"

Antony stared at him.

"Arrogance really runs in your Bloodline"

Silver climbed into bed.

He didn’t answer; instead, he opened the Happiness System one final time beneath the darkness of the room.

[Current Affection Points: 20,873]

Silver closed the interface.

Tomorrow he had his first real lessons.

He smiled in the darkness.

For once, he wasn’t going to rush: the academy wasn’t going anywhere and neither was the Happiness System.

And if the last few weeks had taught Silver anything, it was that becoming stronger and surviving long enough to use that strength were not the same thing.