Amanda rushed toward the hospital the moment Blake called her.

Despite the storm of anxiety clawing at her chest after learning Ava was hunting Kyle, she had been told to stay home.

Then came the first update about him.

He was in the hospital.

The instant she heard those words, she ran.

She didn’t bother taking a car. She tore through the streets at full speed, ignoring the shocked stares trailing after her as she blatantly exposed strength no normal human should possess.

None of it mattered.

Right now, she only needed one thing.

To see Kyle safe.

Blake had assured her that his life wasn’t in danger, but those words alone couldn’t calm her. Not until she saw him with her own eyes. Not until she confirmed it herself.

"Umm... excuse me."

Amanda stopped at the front desk, slightly out of breath, her voice strained with urgency.

"I want to see Astortia Kyle."

The nurse looked up at her before replying, "There is no one here with that name."

Amanda frowned, irritation immediately surfacing through her worry.

But before she could press further—

"Ah, she’s with me."

A familiar voice came from her left.

She turned instantly.

The moment the nurse saw the man approaching, she quickly rose from her seat and gave a respectful bow.

Blake stepped beside Amanda before calmly telling the nurse, "No one who comes after her is to be informed about him, so..."

"I understand." The nurse nodded knowingly.

Amanda immediately understood.

Security precautions.

Blake had hidden Kyle’s presence from everyone.

The two of them began walking down the corridor, and the very first thing Amanda asked was,

"Was he wounded by Ava?"

Blake released a quiet sigh. He stayed silent until the elevator doors slid shut behind them.

"Yes," he finally said. "She was the one."

His expression darkened slightly.

"She somehow found the warehouse... and was waiting for him there."

Amanda’s heart sank the moment she heard those words.

All this time, they had been running from that woman.

And somehow, Kyle had walked straight into her trap.

"H-How is he?"

Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. Amanda understood as any other active Nightwalker just how terrifying Ava truly was. No matter how talented Kyle was, she knew he still wasn’t strong enough to face someone like her head-on.

Blake gently shook his head, trying to reassure her.

"Don’t worry. He used some kind of tool to heal himself during the fight. And before Ava could do any further damage..." He paused briefly. "Someone came to help him."

Amanda looked at him immediately.

"Who?"

Just as Blake was about to answer—

Ding.

The elevator doors slid open.

Instead of speaking, Blake simply lifted his hand toward someone outside.

Amanda turned.

The instant her eyes landed on the figure leaning against the wall, her entire body stiffened.

"C-Commander...?"

There was no mistaking her.

Standing there with her arms folded and her back resting against the wall was none other than Veronica.

Hearing Amanda’s voice, Veronica let out a faint sigh before turning her gaze toward her.

Amanda and Blake stepped out of the elevator, though Amanda still looked visibly shaken by the sudden turn of events.

Veronica straightened herself against the wall and briefly glanced at Blake.

Blake spoke first.

"Let’s see him before the two of you start talking."

Amanda immediately nodded, her lingering shock replaced by worry once again. Without wasting another second, she followed Blake down the hallway toward Kyle’s room.

The moment they entered, her steps quickened toward the bed.

Kyle lay there quietly, his face slightly pale beneath the dim hospital light. Other than that, however, there were no visible injuries. No bandages. No signs of severe treatment.

Blake noticed her gaze and calmly explained,

"He’s just resting while his body recovers. The doctor said he’s completely fine. He only needs time."

Amanda’s tense shoulders finally loosened.

She dropped onto the nearby chair and released a long, shaky sigh of relief.

He was safe.

For a few moments, she simply sat there, silently staring at Kyle’s unconscious figure, almost as if reassuring herself he was truly alive.

Then she finally asked,

"Was Commander already there by chance... or did she find some clue?"

"I... actually, this was my fault."

Veronica’s voice came from the doorway.

The two of them turned toward her as she slowly stepped inside the room.

Her silver hair reflected faintly beneath the sterile white lights as she confessed,

"Ava most likely planted a tracker on my car." Her expression tightened slightly. "And when I came to meet you and Kyle last night..."

A brief silence followed.

"She found the warehouse because of me."

Amanda blinked in surprise.

"Wait... why did you go there last night, Commander?"

The revelation had completely caught her off guard.

Veronica pursed her lips before folding her arms across her chest. She seemed to think for a moment before finally saying,

"I think you should hear that directly from Kyle himself." Her gaze softened slightly. "Just know that we’re good friends, Amanda."

Those words struck Amanda in an unexpectedly unpleasant way.

A girl only emphasized being just friends with a man when there was something more buried underneath.

Back then, when she used to spend time with Kyle and her friends teased her about it, she had responded the exact same way.

Then...

Did that mean—

"Amanda."

Blake’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Kyle’s secret has already been exposed."

Another shock crashed into her before she could even process the previous one.

She turned toward the older Astortia, confusion plainly visible on her face.

Blake continued,

"Veronica had to seek Headmaster Christopher’s help to protect Kyle from Ava."

"Huh...? The headmaster?"

Amanda felt utterly overwhelmed.

Why were so many unbelievable names suddenly getting involved today?

First Veronica.

Now the headmaster himself.

"Yes," Veronica answered calmly. "Without him, nobody would’ve been able to stop Ava from dragging Kyle back to the main base today."

Her expression darkened slightly as she added,

"So I had no choice but to ask for his help."

Thankfully, by pure coincidence, Christopher happened to be in Montclair today, allowing him to respond to her request almost immediately.

"Then... does this mean Kyle will be forced to work for the government after all?"

Displeasure was evident in Amanda’s voice.

"I don’t think so."

A fourth voice suddenly entered the conversation, startling everyone inside the room.

They turned at once.

Sitting casually on the sofa near the wall was the familiar bald old man, leisurely sipping tea as though the tension in the room had nothing to do with him.

Amanda immediately rose from her chair.

"Good morning, Headmaster."

"Hmm?"

The old man looked toward her before narrowing his eyes slightly in recognition.

"I remember you... Amanda, right?" he asked. "The one who destroyed my cup collection?"

Amanda visibly winced.

"I-I’m sorry about that, sir."

Christopher gave a small huff.

"Well, forget it."

He took another slow sip from his cup before continuing,

"As for that boy... I just finished speaking with Arthur."

"Sir Alistair Arthur?" Blake asked, surprise flickering across his face. "Isn’t he the leader of the Alpha Team?"

Christopher nodded calmly.

"He is currently acting as a mediator between me and the Central Council." His gaze shifted toward Kyle’s unconscious figure. "The matter regarding this boy has already become a topic of debate among the council members."

The atmosphere in the room instantly grew heavy.

Everyone already understood Kyle had left an extraordinary impression on the government.

But being discussed directly within the council itself?

That meant they were seriously considering recruiting him.

"Headmaster..." Veronica spoke carefully, tension clear in her voice. "Are they planning to take him?"

Christopher hummed thoughtfully.

"Naturally, there are people in favor of recruiting him and placing him under the guidance of one of the elites." A faint glint appeared in his eyes. "Even Arthur himself seemed interested in this late awakener."

As he spoke, his gaze briefly lingered on the tea cup in his hand.

Then, after a short pause, Christopher added,

"But Arthur also conveyed Kyle’s own wishes to the council."

The old man leaned back slightly.

"And quite a few voices supported him as well."

Those words caused everyone in the room to relax slightly.

At the very least, there were still a few sensible people within the council.

But Christopher wasn’t finished.

"Don’t relax just yet."

His calm voice immediately tightened the atmosphere again.

"The council is filled with people who think solely about the nation’s benefit." He slowly placed the teacup down. "And they are willing to go to any lengths to obtain what they consider a valuable asset."

Blake frowned slightly.

"Headmaster..."

"I know."

Christopher gave a slow nod.

"That’s precisely why I told you all to wait a few days." His expression remained composed, though his eyes carried a trace of seriousness now. "I believe we can reach a middle ground. One where the government feels satisfied..."

He turned his gaze toward Kyle once more.

"...and this young man still gets to keep his freedom."

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story, drop a comment.