That might have been the one moment where Leo's heart beat so violently it nearly exploded out of his chest. Something warm trickled down his face, and he prayed it was sweat, desperately clinging to that hope-- but the reflection of the gold katana in her hand shattered that illusion completely.
A second later, pain bloomed.
He felt the sharp slice along the side of his forehead, hot and clean, and all he could do was look up at her in raw, paralyzing fear. His chest heaved violently as his breath wavered, his lungs stuttering as his eyes widened. His breathing stopped entirely—
But only for a second.
Standing over him was a tall, slender, and devastatingly beautiful young woman. Her emerald eyes glowed faintly, illuminated by the low light in the room as she stared down at him with unmistakable disgust etched across her face.
"Your reaction time is so sloppy it's a disgrace to us superhumans."
Leo sucked in a breath, air flooding back into his lungs-- but it felt wrong. Different somehow. Something had shifted inside him. Something deep. Something old and alive had stirred within the darkest corners of his soul, awakening like a dormant predator. It surged through his veins, hot and restless.
The instant the metallic scent of his own blood reached his nose, something inside him snapped…!
Leo lunged forward purely on instinct, thought lagging far behind action. He threw a powerful right straight toward her face, his eyes darkening unnaturally, feral like that of a cornered animal.
Cassandra didn't react. Her expression didn't even change.
In a blur, she drove her knee into his neck with brutal precision. The impact was so hard Leo thought his spine might shatter.
He slammed into the ground, coughing violently as pain tore through him. In that instant, his senses rushed back like a crashing tide.
Cassandra's voice crushed down on him, cold and commanding, like a general addressing a peasant. "You still have the will to fight back. I suppose that part of you still functions."
She stepped past him and into his room, her presence claiming the space effortlessly, like a conqueror entering conquered territory.
"Why are you here?" Leo asked between harsh coughs, his throat burning.
She barely glanced over her shoulder. "Haven't you heard? A beast might be loose inside the base."
Leo froze.
His body ran cold and his breathing stopped.
'Shit… does she suspect me?' His mind raced violently.
Could he even explain himself if she did? Would she believe him? Despite their shared history, he had no doubt she would be the first to cut him down without hesitation. Especially now-- when he didn't even understand what he had become. This was the worst possible time to be discovered.
Cassandra began scanning the room, her gaze cold and surgical. Panic clawed at Leo's chest, it felt like dread weighing down on him. The scratch marks were still there-- deep, unmistakable gouges in the walls. He tried to form an excuse, any excuse, but his mind was empty. He watched her eyes trace the damage slowly, left to right, narrowing slightly.
She said nothing.
After what felt like an eternity, she turned to face him.
Her lips parted, as if she were about to speak-- then closed again. She studied him silently. Leo realized he had stopped breathing without noticing, convinced that a single wrong movement would earn him a swift death.
'Curses… what do I do? What do I even say?'
Cassandra Hearth slowly raised her hand, and Leo felt his soul momentarily vacate his body. He braced for the storm of sparks that usually accompanied her rapier—
But instead, the gold katana dissolved into countless motes of golden light, fading into nothingness.
Leo forced himself not to react, not to look relieved. But he was still left somewhat stunned.
Within Glory Base, power was absolute and she stood at its peak, the undisputed champion. She lowered her first hand, then raised the second, revealing a large nylon bag.
Now why would the unrequited zenith come to kill him carrying a nylon bag?
Cassandra spoke, severing his spiraling thoughts. "I actually came here to talk. I brought food. Do you have a table?"
In the next second, all color drained from Leo's face. He turned deathly pale, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as questions crashed through his mind like a tsunami.
'Wait… did Cassy just bring me dinner? How did she know I'd be awake this late? Something's wrong. Is she trying to poison me?'
His thoughts slowed as he forced himself to think logically. Why would she want to kill him? She had nothing to gain from that. And yet-- he felt like he was missing something critical. Something huge.
Leo blinked repeatedly before finally meeting her gaze, her dark green eyes pulling him in like a deep forest. "You said you wanted to talk?"
She turned away from him, dismissing him entirely.
He waited for the inevitable comment about his wrecked room-- but it never came. Instead, she pointed toward the futon he barely used, now riddled with tears and damage.
"Leonardo…" she began.
Leo closed his eyes. 'Here it comes.'
"…Can I sit here?"
He opened his eyes slowly, unsure if he'd heard her correctly.
He reassessed the woman before him, really looking this time. And with unsettling clarity, he realized-- this was how she used to be.
Their mothers had once been close friends, foolishly assuming their children would follow suit. Even as a child, Cassandra had been an enigma to Leo. Her eyes were always cold, distant, as though something inside her was quietly dying. That feeling only worsened after her father died. Leo had seen her once after that-- at the funeral.
Then she vanished, without a trace.
Not long after, Leo's own mother succumbed to a strange illness, leaving him completely alone, with no way to ever reach Cassandra again.
He nodded slowly, hesitantly.
Cassandra knelt onto the futon, her dark leather pants stretching softly, her red shirt wrinkling slightly as she settled.
Leo didn't move right away. His felt his thoughts drifting and he let it.
'Why do I feel like a stranger in my own house? She just wants to talk… I guess that's better than her trying to kill me.'
He shrugged and stepped toward her—
Bang. Bang. Bang.
A loud knock slammed against the door.
Leo hissed under his breath. 'Can I just get this night over with already?'
A calm male voice spoke from the other side. "Open up. This is Bazzle from the Surge military group. There have been reports of a possible beast presence within the base. If this door isn't opened in the next three seconds, I'll assume—"
Leo groaned. 'Will this fool just shut up?'
He glanced back at Cassandra. Her back was still turned, completely unconcerned, calmly unpacking the food she'd brought with a surprisingly tender touch.
With no other choice, Leo opened the door slowly.
A gaunt, light-skinned man stood there, somehow even leaner than Leo himself. Despite his appearance, his confidence was overwhelming. Leo watched it evaporate the instant their eyes met.
"Oh. It's you, peerless loser," Bazzle sneered. "I suppose we can go through procedure and search the roo—"
His words died in his throat as his gaze landed on the second figure inside the room. He chuckled nervously. "I can't believe anyone would associate with you. Some people really are brain-dead."
A dark grin spread across Leo's face. "You shouldn't have done that, Bazz."
Before the man could process his mistake, Cassandra turned, her eyes locking onto him.
"Surge barracks. Training room. Push-ups until noon," she said coldly. "Then I'll deal with you."
Leo wasn't sure what shook the man more-- the fact that he'd insulted his acting commander, or that his entire future had just been erased.
"Commander Hearth, I—" Bazzle stammered, but the words never came. He knew better than to push his luck against a powerhouse.
Leo shut the door in his face with a satisfied smile. "That's what you get for being a nuisance to the community."
He turned—
And froze.
Cassandra was staring at him, her gaze sharp and unreadable.
"Now that you've had your fun," she said quietly, "let's talk."