The solemn breeze and the low ambience of the night were Finn’s only sources of comfort as he walked alone through the streets of the barracks, his head lowered while he pondered the encounter.

The strange man in the darkness had said a few things that seemed rather compelling to Finn, yet he remained wary of it all.

An easy life in the academy, where he could rise to the very peak—that was what he wanted.

But the methods of obtaining everything he desired through this man left far too many questions unanswered.

’He even threatened to kill me if I don’t do his bidding. This is real trouble,’ Finn thought.

"What’s trouble?"

Estes’ voice cut through Finn’s tension like a knife.

He turned toward the source of the voice and this time...

He actually found her.

Estes floated casually in midair beside him, her usual alluring stare fixed on him. Her pretty face carried a hint of concern, while her outfit had changed entirely. She now wore skin-tight leather trousers and a white crop top that left far too much for the imagination to ignore.

At the sight of her, Finn immediately glanced around at the recruits still wandering through the vicinity, checking whether anyone else could see her.

After confirming they couldn’t, he turned back to Estes and recounted everything that had happened during her absence.

By the time he finished, the worried look on her face had deepened.

"I see."

Finn raised a brow.

"What? Do you have any idea what this is about? What I should be looking out for? What I should avoid?"

Estes remained silent for a moment before slowly rolling in the air as though she were lying on an invisible bed.

Facing upward, she let out a sigh.

"Whoever this person is, he is certainly one of the high-ranking officers. Perhaps even a General of the Grey Knights. This is going to be a very, very difficult situation for you."

Finn groaned.

"A General? No. But certainly one of the officers. That’s the problem though... how am I supposed to hold my own against an officer?"

That was a particularly difficult question.

Even Estes merely shrugged.

"In due time, we’ll find out how. But for now, let’s just be careful, okay?"

Finn nodded.

Still...

The thought of an academy officer attempting to recruit him into some secretive organization made him wonder how much of his academy life had actually been coincidence.

Or whether it had all been planned from the beginning.

His thoughts drifted toward Terrence and the shy boy.

Could they also have been planted?

Finn wondered.

As though reading his mind, Estes spoke once again.

"Terrence isn’t a spy for the officer. You should be more wary about his lineage."

"His lineage?"

Estes chuckled.

"If I were you, I’d be asking him a lot of questions."

Finn wanted to continue the discussion, but by then they had already reached the door of his cottage.

He glanced at Estes one last time and gave her a tired look.

"We’ll continue this discussion later."

Estes merely shrugged and giggled.

Finn grabbed the doorknob, twisted it, and pushed the door open.

What he saw next made his jaw slacken in shock.

His mind struggled to process the sight before him.

All he managed to say was—

"The hell?"

Right before him was a spectacle he had never expected to witness.

The first thing that struck him was the smell.

Food.

Hot.

Savory.

Mouthwatering.

The aroma washed over him in waves, rich and inviting, making his stomach immediately cry out in protest as though demanding he dive into the nearest plate and devour everything in sight.

The second thing that stunned him was the number of faces inside the room.

Terrence.

The shy boy.

And strangely enough...

Artemis Bryce.

All three seemed to rise from the beds they had been sitting on the moment he entered.

Terrence was the first to move, racing toward him with a broad smile.

Meanwhile, the shy boy—Doram—simply offered a small wave.

Terrence reached him first, immediately throwing an arm around Finn’s shoulders.

"Ohhh, Finn! I’m glad you’re alright."

Terrence ruffled Finn’s hair aggressively.

Finn attempted some resistance, but it accomplished absolutely nothing.

With a groan of defeat, he turned away from the handsome blonde and looked toward Artemis Bryce.

The beautiful young woman stood beside a large wooden table covered with the source of those heavenly smells.

She wore...

’An apron? Wait. She cooked all this... for me?’

Estes grinned from ear to ear.

"That’s great wife material. In my day, there would’ve been a proper bedding ceremony about now."

’Shut the hell up,’ Finn grumbled internally, rubbing his temples. ’I take it back. I wish you’d stayed locked in the library for another day.’

Her laughter only grew louder.

"Vaywill."

Artemis’ voice cut through Finn’s mental suffering.

"Oh—sorry. Thank you for everything. For the meal... the, uh... appearance. It’s very much appreciated."

The moment those words left his mouth, Finn felt the overwhelming urge to squeeze his own throat.

’Why the fuck am I stammering? Get it together, you bastard.’

Artemis simply smiled.

Removing the apron, she folded it neatly and let out a small yawn before walking toward the door.

"I’ll be off now. I don’t want to get caught outside during curfew."

With that, Artemis waved at them before stepping outside.

The door clicked shut behind her.

The instant it did, Terrence pulled away from Finn and let out a deeply frustrated groan.

The sudden shift startled both Finn and Doram.

The handsome blonde had barely seemed capable of losing his cheerful mood.

"What?" Finn asked.

"Nothing. I’m just disappointed. If you would’ve asked, we would’ve excused ourselves and given you both some privacy."

"What?! No! It’s not like that—"

"Aren’t you both dating?" Doram asked, his voice low but perfectly clear.

Finn shook his head immediately.

"No, we’re not."

Doram fell silent.

Then he calmly walked over to the table and picked up the plate of meat.

"We don’t give meat to scared men."

With that, he carried the entire plate back to his bed.

Finn blinked.

Several times.

"What?! Are you crazy? She made that for me! And I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast—"

His protest died instantly as Terrence picked up the bowl of ramen and headed toward his own bed.

"Hey! Give me back my food! Or at least share some with me!"

Both boys shook their heads simultaneously as they began digging into the dishes.

"Our food. Our companion... our food. Your girlfriend... your food."

Doram replied bluntly before taking a savage bite out of a large piece of roasted chicken.

"Damn you both."

Muttering under his breath, Finn walked over to the table and picked up the final remaining plate.

His eyes narrowed.

Then he groaned.

A plate of soft-boiled eggs.

Finn picked one up, shoved it into his mouth, chewed, and forced himself to swallow.

’Mum did say I needed more protein... Ugh... who am I kidding? It tastes terrible. And it’s cold.’

Estes giggled again.

"This is perfect for your diet. More of this and I’ll be able to shape you into a real man."

Finn felt his skin crawl at her response.

Not entirely out of irritation.

Something else lurked beneath it.

Something he refused to think about.

Finn groaned once more.

"I’ll need therapy after this."