Chapter 84: Melancholic boy

Tyr held Xander’s wrist, casting a flat, quiet look at Zade, who remained on his knees.

"What if he isn’t lying?"

Xander knew that Tyr had always carried deep guilt over his younger brother’s tragic death, which was why a wave of lingering pity was swaying his judgment now.

The two remained locked in a tense standoff for a few long seconds, until Xander finally lowered his rifle of his own accord.

Out of respect for his teammate, he could spare their lives—but a penalty still had to be enforced. Otherwise, these Wilders would grow accustomed to stealing as a habit.

Xander brought his heavy combat boot down firmly onto Zade’s wrist. Zade snapped his head up, his eyes meeting Xander’s icy glare.

The next second, a blood-curdling scream echoed across the cavernous station.

Xander snapped one of Zade’s legs cleanly. Vander began frantically kowtowing in gratitude, repeatedly thanking them before hauling his nearly unconscious brother away, scrambling out on all fours.

A harsh warning to deter the rest.

By all rights, neither of them should have walked out alive today; surviving was purely a lucky break.

Tyr stared after their struggling, limping figures as they trudged into the distance, his emerald eyes unreadable and still.

Xander picked up the toolkit. "Hey, don’t let misplaced kindness cloud your vision."

Sooner or later, it will cost you.

Tyr remained silent. Perhaps he was simply searching for a way to pay off a small, meaningless debt of guilt.

***

At 7:00 PM in the evening, a scorching red sun hung low on the horizon, casting orange-gold twilight rays through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the 99th floor. The light draped a soft, shimmering veil over the spotless floor and minimalist furniture.

Wearing an apron over a clean, casual set of home clothes, Xander was busy pan-searing asparagus and steak in a skillet, casually seasoning it with celery salt and cracked black pepper.

Arden’s spirit animal—a jaguar—was currently tussling with San’s spirit animal, a Golden Crow. Felines simply loved pestering birds for pure entertainment.

Out on the balcony, Chopper lay sprawled out star-shaped, soaking up the last bits of sunlight.

Orion was busy feeding his modified transgenic turtle—the only thing he had brought with him all the way from Central. Through the clear glass tank, the tiny turtle slowly extended its neck to take the food. Products of genetic engineering like this could only digest specialized nutrient blends.

The butler bot arrived to serve each Sentinel their tailored meal. Everyone had different tastes—some loathed broccoli, others despised bitter gourd—so the nutritional balance was adjusted individually.

When Bunny sat down at the dining table, she noticed Liam was nowhere to be found.

Huh, where did that kid run off to? Is he still brooding over earlier?

Xander brought over a freshly cooked steak, thoughtfully cutting it into neat, bite-sized pieces for her.

Bunny picked up her fork, sensing a subtle shift in the room’s atmosphere. Everyone clearly knew she had spent the night in Xander’s room.

For the Sentinels, this was great news. If the Vice Commander had already broken the ice, how far off could it be before they managed to coax the young Guide into their own rooms?

Brandon sat to Bunny’s right, instantly leaning his head over like an eager puppy:

"Bunny, do you want to come watch a movie in my room tonight? I can bake sweet little cakes for you!"

(Needless to say, the choice of movie wasn’t the main draw.)

Not to be outdone, Illai chimed in immediately, "Bunny, come to my room instead—I’ll play the guitar for you."

Xander quietly sent both young Sentinels a sharp, warning glare, only for San to throw out an even more absurd line:

"Guide Bunny, my cat knows how to do a backflip—do you want to come take a look?"

Bunny: ...You better actually be talking about a real cat.

She threw a disgusted glance at Brandon’s black fishnet tank top and shredded denim jeans, before turning her gaze to San’s deep V-neck knit sweater, which practically exposed his entire chest.

Seriously, what is with the holy, hole-riddled rags these two wear every single day? She genuinely suspected they were taking turns swapping wardrobes.

Reaching over, Bunny pulled Brandon’s slipping jacket back onto his shoulder. "If you keep dressing like this, you’re going to get rheumatism when you’re older."

Still, with Liam absent from dinner, she couldn’t help but feel a little worried.

Bunny decided to hunt down this moody little pouty-face.

She checked Liam’s room first—empty. Then she combed through the study, the gym, the training court... until she finally spotted him up on the rooftop terrace, sitting alone in the freezing wind.

A textbook melancholic boy.

Liam sat with his back turned to her, his broad shoulders slumped low, his head buried in his hands. He looked every bit like a heartbroken, abandoned puppy.

Honestly, you couldn’t blame him for sulking. He was the very first Sentinel to forge an exclusive bond with Bunny, yet she wasn’t even half as affectionate toward him as she was toward Xander.

Liam was terrified, refusing to accept the thought that Bunny didn’t genuinely care for him—that she had only bound with him to save her own life.

If that were true, he wouldn’t even have a fighting chance. He would be destined for neglect and cold distance, just as Cyrus had mocked—Bunny had never promised to take responsibility for him.

The more Liam dwelled on it, the more crushed he felt. He slammed his empty soda can across the roof, the corners of his eyes reddening with deep grievance.

Men and women operate on fundamentally different emotional wavelengths; a man’s neural pathways can be remarkably blunt in certain ways. In his mind, keeping a distance and withholding physical intimacy is a direct sign that you don’t truly care for him.

To him, only after capturing your heart and possessing your body has he completely won you over.

For a young guy who has never experienced romance before, Bunny’s emotional distance and hesitation cut deeper than a brutal breakup.

"Liam?"