Astral Epoch

The morning light, faint and broken, pierced through the remnants of the storm clouds, casting an ethereal glow over the crumbling stone pillars of the Four Symbols Ruins. The air, thick with an almost tangible heaviness, seemed to carry the weight of a thousand unspoken words. In the midst of it all, Cassius stood in the open square, his hands clasped behind his back, his posture rigid and unyielding. His gaze, cold and sharp, swept over Adrian and Lia, lingering on them as though they were not allies but potential threats, his eyes filled with a palpable disdain.

Adrian stood at attention, sensing the weight of Cassius's presence, as though the very air around him had turned to ice. The distrust radiating from Cassius was unmistakable, and it made his instincts flare. Every muscle in his body tensed, prepared for whatever tension lay ahead.

Cassius's voice cut through the heavy silence like a knife, biting and sharp. "You seem to trust her too much." The words hung in the air, thick with threat, carrying the chilling coldness of a winter wind.

Adrian's brow furrowed slightly, though he did not flinch. His gaze never wavered from Cassius, though beneath his calm exterior, a surge of unease pulsed within him. He responded, his voice steady but carrying a weight of restrained tension, "What do you mean?"

A faint, cold smirk curled at the corners of Cassius's lips, the expression almost imperceptible but full of contempt. His eyes narrowed, flashing with a quiet malice as he spoke again, each word cutting deeper than the last. "You think a mysterious woman would help you without reason? What is her true goal? And what part will you play in her scheme?"

His words struck Adrian like arrows, each one piercing through the layers of doubt and confusion he had long tried to suppress. They twisted in his gut, unraveling the tightly held beliefs he'd clung to, forcing him to confront the questions he had been avoiding. What was Lia's true purpose? What role did he play in all of this? And, perhaps most troubling of all—had he been blind to something far darker than he was willing to admit?

The air around them seemed to freeze in that moment, thick with tension. Adrian felt the sharpness in Cassius's words, each syllable like a blade cutting into his thoughts, leaving invisible wounds that stung with a bitter truth. Standing before him, Cassius was like an immovable iceberg, his cold gaze sweeping over Adrian as if trying to see beyond his skin, into the very core of his soul. The scrutiny was intense, unnerving—but Adrian didn't flinch. He didn't respond immediately. He couldn't.

A storm of emotions churned within him, but Adrian knew Cassius's words weren't without merit. The doubts that had lingered at the back of his mind now surged forward, demanding his attention. He had always felt an unease around Lia, a strange pull of mystery and uncertainty that surrounded her like a shadow. Her presence had often unsettled him, and her actions, though always timely, had never been entirely clear. It was as though she appeared out of nowhere when he needed her most—but now, in the face of Cassius's direct confrontation, those lingering doubts could no longer be ignored.

Adrian stood still, letting the silence settle over him like a heavy fog, slowly calming the tumult within. His mind was racing, questioning everything—his trust, her motives, and even his own judgment. Lia, whose every action had seemed so perfectly orchestrated, now stood before him as a puzzle he couldn't solve. Had he been naive to think she was merely an ally? Or was there something more beneath the surface?

Lia stood quietly to the side, her face betraying no emotion at first. But as Cassius's words landed, her expression briefly darkened, a fleeting shadow crossing her calm features. She didn't respond to the accusation, nor did she show any sign of anger. Instead, she lowered her head slightly, her gaze drifting inward. Adrian noticed the brief complexity in her eyes—a brief flicker of something deeper, something hidden. But she remained silent, as if the storm brewing around her wasn't hers to face.

Adrian's silence wasn't born of fear, but of something more profound. He understood that this moment wasn't just about defending Lia or justifying her actions—it was a test. A test of his own resolve. He was being forced to confront the very foundation of his trust. Should he continue to stand by her, or should he pull away from the doubt that had taken root in his heart?

Cassius's challenge hung in the air like a question that demanded an answer. Adrian knew that whatever choice he made here, it would shape the path ahead—one way or another.

Cassius observed Adrian's silence with a smirk, one that held both disdain and a chilling depth of understanding. His gaze was cold, unyielding, as if he already saw through everything Adrian was thinking. The smirk was a weapon in itself, one that sharpened the edge of his words.

"You think that with the Azure Dragon's Might, you can change anything?" Cassius's voice was a low, cutting sound, laced with scorn. He waved a hand dismissively, as though Adrian's strength was beneath his notice. "Trusting others, especially a mysterious woman—such a choice is nothing more than a path to the Abyss. Her true goal is known only to her. You're just a pawn in her game, and the fate you'll ultimately face is exactly what she desires."

Each word from Cassius was like a dagger aimed directly at the softest, most vulnerable parts of Adrian's soul. His chest tightened, the weight of Cassius's accusations pressing down like an anchor. The air around him seemed to grow thicker, more suffocating, as if the very atmosphere mirrored the pressure building inside him. The doubts Cassius voiced echoed in the quiet corners of his mind, but still, Adrian couldn't fully dismiss them.

He had always known there was something elusive about Lia, something he hadn't been able to fully grasp. Yet the connection they shared was undeniable, and in that moment, he realized that her power, whatever its origin, had never felt like a threat to him—it had always felt like a possibility, a hope.

Adrian inhaled deeply, his gaze steadying as he squared his shoulders. He couldn't fully understand everything about Lia—about her connection to the stars, or her enigmatic past—but he knew, deep down, that whatever she was, she wasn't his enemy. He had to trust in the path they had walked together, despite the darkness of uncertainty that clouded it. Hope had always been more than just a fleeting feeling—it was a force, one that had brought him this far.

At that moment, Lia slowly raised her head. Her eyes, which had remained lowered until now, met Cassius's gaze. There was no anger in her expression, no trace of defensiveness. Instead, there was a quiet strength, a silent endurance that radiated from her. She didn't speak, didn't respond with sharp words or a retaliatory challenge. She simply stood, her silence as heavy as any response could be.

Lia had long since grown accustomed to this kind of questioning. She had never intended to explain herself fully, for she knew that some questions were not meant to be answered in words. They could only be revealed in time, through the trials of fate and the unfolding of events. This, too, was part of her journey. And perhaps, part of Adrian's as well.

Adrian turned his gaze back to Cassius, his stance more resolute now. The path ahead wasn't clear, but he knew one thing for certain—he would walk it, no matter the uncertainty, no matter the cost.