Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 933 214.3 - No title

Maya sat at the edge of her bed, fingers tapping rhythmically against her thigh as she stared at her communicator. The dormitory was quiet—far too quiet. The usual bustle of cadets moving through the halls, the faint murmurs of conversations, and even the distant hum of the academy's activity had been swallowed by the newly imposed restrictions.

Everything felt suffocating.

She hated feeling boxed in.

Her crimson-tinted gaze flickered toward the window. Beyond it, the academy sprawled under the artificial night sky, the glow of security drones patrolling the perimeters a constant reminder that movement was being watched.

"You don't have much of a choice."

Her other self's voice was steady, calm in its certainty. "If you want to see him, it has to be here."

Maya exhaled through her nose. "I know."

It was a risk. Under normal circumstances, she would have arranged to meet him in neutral spaces—the training grounds, the secluded areas of the academy where eyes weren't constantly prying.

But those options were gone now.

The increased surveillance had made things complicated.

And she didn't have the luxury of waiting.

Her fingers hovered over the communicator before she finally pressed the call button.

It rang twice before he answered.

"…Senior?"

His voice was calm, as always, but there was a slight edge to it—curiosity, perhaps?

"We need to talk," she said, her tone direct, leaving no room for negotiation.

A brief pause.

"Now?"

"Yes."

She leaned back slightly, her fingers tightening around the device. "Come to my dormitory. It's the only place that isn't crawling with surveillance right now."

Another pause.

Then—

"Understood."

Maya didn't bother saying anything else. She ended the call, her grip loosening as she set the device down.

She exhaled, rolling her shoulders before standing.

Her hands twitched slightly at her sides, a telltale sign of her restlessness.

The redness in her vision hadn't faded.

And she had a feeling it wouldn't—not until he arrived.

"You feel it too, don't you?"

Her other self's voice was smooth, curling around her thoughts like silk. "The anticipation. The way your body reacts before your mind even processes it."

Maya didn't answer.

But she felt it.

A slow, creeping hunger that had nothing to do with food.

"He'll be here soon."

She turned toward the door, her crimson-tinged gaze sharpening.

"Yeah," she murmured.

And she wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.

A soft knock echoed through the quiet dormitory.

Maya inhaled slowly, steadying herself before moving to the door.

Her fingers curled around the handle, and for a split second, she hesitated.

Then, she opened it.

Astron stood there, as composed as ever. His violet eyes, sharp and unyielding, met hers without hesitation. He didn't look the least bit concerned about being summoned so suddenly—if anything, he seemed mildly expectant.

"Senior."

His tone was polite, neutral.

But Maya…

Maya's breath hitched—so quietly, so imperceptibly that even she barely noticed it.

Had he always looked like this?

Of course, she had always been aware of his presence—how could she not be? But now, after some time apart, after the tensions in the academy had shifted, after everything… she found herself looking at him with fresh eyes.

The sharp contours of his face, the quiet confidence in his posture, the way his uniform fit against his frame.

He looks good.

Her fingers twitched at her side.

"He looks more than good."

Her other self purred in her mind, the voice curling through her thoughts with something dangerously close to satisfaction.

"Doesn't it make you want to sink your teeth into him?"

Maya stiffened.

She forced the thought away, suppressing the sudden spike of heat curling at the base of her spine.

No.

She wouldn't let that part of her take over—not now.

She forced herself to exhale, stepping slightly to the side. "Come in."

Astron didn't hesitate. He stepped inside, his movements deliberate as he glanced around her dormitory with a quick, assessing gaze. The first-ranked sophomore's living quarters were far more spacious than the standard dorms—private, quiet, and untouched by the academy's increased surveillance.

Safe.

The door clicked shut behind him.

Maya turned to face him, crossing her arms over her chest. She needed something—anything—to keep herself restrained.

Astron's eyes flickered to her briefly before settling, waiting.

He was waiting for her to speak.

Waiting for her to explain why she had called him here so suddenly.

Maya's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than necessary.

The crimson in her eyes pulsed faintly.

She swallowed.

"I want him."

Her other self's voice was soft, indulgent, pressing into the edges of her restraint.

"You do too."

Maya clenched her jaw.

She knew Astron didn't want that.

She knew she had to control herself.

Maya turned away before she could linger on him any longer, striding toward the small lacquered table near the window. The dormitory's lighting was dim, casting a soft, golden glow over the polished wood and the carefully arranged tea set she had prepared beforehand.

"You must be thirsty," she said, reaching for the porcelain teapot. Her fingers moved with precision, pouring the dark amber liquid into a pair of matching cups. The scent of steeped herbs and faint traces of honey wafted into the air, filling the space between them.

Astron remained silent, watching as she set the cup in front of him. He didn't reach for it immediately.

Instead, his violet gaze flickered briefly over the arrangement—the simple plate of nut biscuits, the warm tea—before returning to her. There was no shift in his expression, but Maya knew he was assessing the situation as he always did.

"Sit," she said, more of an instruction than an invitation.

Astron complied, lowering himself onto the chair opposite hers with his usual composed grace. He picked up the tea, inhaling the steam lightly before taking a measured sip. His lips barely moved, but Maya caught the subtle way his posture relaxed just the slightest degree.

She took a seat as well, crossing her legs as she picked up her own cup. The warmth seeped into her palms, grounding her, but it did little to cool the restless energy simmering beneath her skin.

A moment of silence passed between them—tense, unspoken.

Then, Maya exhaled and finally asked, "How have things been for you?"

Astron glanced at her over the rim of his cup. "Unchanged."

Her fingers drummed lightly against the table. "Really?"

He placed the cup down, his expression unreadable. "I wasn't targeted this time. I was studying in my room."

Maya's gaze sharpened. There was something too precise about the way he said that.

Maya's fingers drummed lightly against the table, her gaze steady on Astron, though the irritation curling beneath her skin was harder to ignore now. His answer—It was a possibility—lingered in the air, cool and composed, just like him.

She inhaled slowly, trying to suppress the flicker of frustration burning beneath her ribs.

"He knew."

The voice in her mind curled around her thoughts, smooth and insidious. "He watched everything unfold from the sidelines, waiting, calculating. And what did you do?"

Maya exhaled sharply, forcing herself to take another sip of tea. The warmth didn't settle her, not when her mind was already tangled in too many conflicting emotions.

Maya sighed, setting her cup down with a quiet clink against the lacquered table.

She didn't speak immediately.

Instead, she stared at the dark amber liquid, watching as the ripples stilled into silence.

Astron didn't press her. He never did. He simply waited, sipping his tea, his gaze unreadable.

The room felt too quiet, too still.

And yet, her thoughts were anything but.

She had tried.

She had tried to control this mess.

To keep the Sophomore-Freshmen conflict from spiraling into chaos.

But it hadn't worked.

Even with her influence, even with how many people respected her, listened to her—they didn't listen to her this time.

The words echoed in her mind, the frustration clawing at her insides.

"Maya, it's different this time."

"You don't understand—they went too far."

"We can't just let them walk over us."

No matter what she said, no matter how she tried to push for control, the response had been the same.

It was always the same.

Maya closed her eyes briefly before exhaling another slow breath, her fingers curling slightly against her lap.

"They ignored you."

Her other self's voice was quiet, almost amused, yet there was an underlying sharpness to it.

"And you thought they wouldn't, didn't you? You thought they respected you enough to listen. But in the end… they're just following their emotions. And look where that's gotten them."

Maya didn't respond.

Because she knew it was true.

The freshmen had pushed too far. That was undeniable. But she had hoped—hoped that the sophomores wouldn't react the way they did.

That they wouldn't make things worse.

And yet, here they were.

Surveillance. Suspended clubs. Isolation.

It wasn't just about discipline anymore. The academy was tightening its grip, trying to smother the flames before they burned out of control.

And Maya?

She hated it.

She hated being restrained.

She hated that her words hadn't been enough.

And most of all—

She hated that she understood why they had ignored her.

Astron watched her carefully, the dim light casting sharp shadows over his features.

"You're frustrated."