Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler

The next day around noon, Axel packed his luggage and knocked on Phoenix's door.

Phoenix answered with a smile. The room was spotless, not a single thing out of place.

"Axel? What's up?"

"Hey... sorry to bother you. My train was full, so I booked you a seat on the next one—half an hour later."

Phoenix grinned. "No problem. Half an hour's nothing."

"I'll wait for you at the station," Axel said casually, then turned and left without another word.

Phoenix sat back down, none the wiser, and resumed his meditation.

Half an hour later, the rest of the Obsidian team met in the hotel's downstairs restaurant.

Seeing Phoenix among them, Rosaline raised an eyebrow. "Phoenix? Weren't you supposed to leave already?"

"Oh, Axel said the train was full. He booked me a later one," Phoenix said, scratching his head.

Rosaline and Vince exchanged a sharp look.

Without a word, Rosaline pulled out her phone and checked the train schedules. Her brow furrowed.

"Vince," she said softly.

He stood up right away, no need for further explanation.

Across the table, Kaia leaned in and whispered to Millers, "Have you noticed how Rosaline and the Captain keep whispering to each other lately?"

Millers smirked. "You think they've got something going on?"

"What?!" Phoenix's eyes widened in disbelief.

Kaia stared at him. "Phoenix, for fuck's sake, he's obviously joking. If you repeat that to Rosaline, she'll rip his tongue out."

Millers chuckled. "Don't be so cruel, Kaia. I'll buy you a movie ticket to make it up to you."

Rosaline and Vince stood quietly in the corner of the hotel hallway. The call had gone unanswered.

"I double-checked the ticketing system," Rosaline said, brows furrowed. "The Dune-to-Ebonveil route isn't popular. Train occupancy rarely hits seventy percent."

Rosaline's expression darkened. "So what the hell is he up to?"

He turned slightly, glancing back at the three teammates still chatting and eating. He lowered his voice. "I think... he's trying to lure Maxen into attacking him."

Rosaline's pupils constricted. She clenched her jaw tight. "Is he fucking stupid? Even an idiot knows we'd protect him. Maxen's not a fool—he'll sniff it out. Who does Axel think he's putting on a show for?"

"Everything he does, he does on his own terms," she muttered bitterly. "If I see him again, I swear I'll beat the shit out of him."

Vince didn't respond right away. He just sighed, his expression unreadable. "We should've taken his words more seriously. Back at the restaurant…"

He trailed off. Axel had brought up Maxen as a threat—seriously, and with obvious hostility. But they'd brushed him off.....

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"What would it have changed?" Rosaline said, still stubborn. "We can't be as reckless as he is."

"Maybe not," Vince said. "But maybe he wouldn't be risking his life right now if we had."

That shut her up. Rosaline's expression shifted—still angry, but now laced with real worry. "You don't think Maxen would actually go for it, do you? He knows we'd intervene. Even if Phoenix isn't around, he wouldn't dare."

"I don't know." Vince shook his head. "But you've seen how Axel sets things up."

Rosaline's nerves snapped taut. "Should I call Phoenix? Tell him to leave, now?"

"The train's already gone. Even if we drove, we wouldn't catch up," Vince said grimly. "Besides, Axel's smart. He'll want it clean..."

Vince's jaw clenched slightly. Even for him, this was a hard situation. Axel... what the hell are you trying to pull?

Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, Phoenix and Millers were gossiping as usual. Phoenix had the innocence of a golden retriever. Millers, of course, was stirring the pot.

"Honestly, I think there's something going on between the Captain and Rosaline," Millers said with a mischievous grin.

Phoenix blinked, stunned. "Wait—what?!"

Before the conversation could continue, Rosaline stormed in like a thundercloud. Her boots hit the floor like gunshots.

Phoenix panicked instantly. "Deputy Captain! It—it was Millers! He said there was something going on between you and the Captain. I just listened!"

"What the hell?!" Rosaline snapped. Her eyes locked on Millers, whose face went pale.

"Phoenix! You traitor! How could you throw me under the—!"

"Shut it!" Rosaline slammed both hands on the table. "Get up. We're leaving. Now."

Phoenix looked longingly at the half-eaten food in front of him. "But... don't we have over forty minutes?"

"You're going now. When you catch up with Axel, I want you to keep both eyes on him. Don't let him out of your goddamn sight, got it?"

"Y-yes ma'am!" Phoenix said, scrambling to follow.

Millers, sensing danger, tried to slip away—quietly, carefully—only to freeze as Rosaline's voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Millers. What was it you just said about me?"

Millers' face drained of color. "...Help."

His scream echoed through the restaurant.

Clack-clack-clack...

The train rolled steadily down the old rail line, wheels rumbling beneath the floor. The air was thick and a little musty. Axel sat alone by a window, watching the bleak landscape pass by.

Around him, the carriage buzzed with low noise. People played cards, slurped instant noodles, tried to soothe crying children. After the fall of the old world, most high-speed rail systems had been lost in the early wars. The few routes that remained still used traditional locomotives.

A man in the back row slowly lowered his newspaper, eyes locking onto Axel for a brief moment before folding the paper and setting it down.

"Excuse me, bro. Gotta hit the restroom," he said quietly to the passenger beside him, slipping into the aisle. But instead of heading for the bathroom, he moved between carriages, weaving his way through the train.

Peaked cap. Sunglasses. Slouched posture. Unremarkable at a glance.

But this man was Maxen.

He'd bought up return tickets to Dune and waited at the station for Axel to appear, trailing him onto the train unnoticed.

Now, he wasn't just stalking. He was hunting.

As he moved between cars, Maxen's eyes scanned everyone—subtle, patient, looking for a tail. Someone else who might be protecting Axel.

He passed through sixteen carriages without seeing a familiar face. Just as he began to relax—

A large silhouette caught his attention at the far end of a car.

Only the back was visible, but it was enough. Broad shoulders. A posture like a coiled spring.

Maxen's stomach dropped. That body shape. That presence.

He crept forward, force fluctuations tightly restrained. His movements were casual, almost lazy, but his heart pounded like a war drum.

As he drew closer, the man's features came into view—mostly hidden beneath a hat and sunglasses, but unmistakable.

Phoenix.

Maxen's blood ran cold.

He immediately turned around, backtracking with careful, quiet steps. He walked the rest of the way like a ghost, making sure not to pass by Axel again. By the time he sat back down, his palms were soaked with sweat.

His thoughts churned violently. That conversation yesterday... was it bait? Did Axel set me up?

Everything made sense now. The overheard words. The too-perfect timing. They wanted him to overhear. They wanted him to bite.

And damn it, he almost had.

Maxen's breaths grew shallow, heart hammering. Axel was just a Level 2 Awakener. But he was terrifying. Calculating. Cold. And clearly willing to go to extreme lengths just to eliminate a threat.

If he was this dangerous now\\... what would he become once he reached Level 3? Level 4?

Would he even be alive?

Stay calm. He closed his eyes, focusing. Cooling the fire in his chest. Regaining control.

They hadn't spotted him yet. That meant the initiative was still his.