Ayu was anxious, to put it mildly.

She knew Alonso was in there, speaking with Chiara.

Chiara had told her she was going to explain everything—the story of all the shit that happened before Alonso arrived, The Tower, and their possible plans moving forward.

How would he react? Especially after knowing about… about that asshole. What would he think of Siddharth now? Would he regret his actions?

… Probably not.

But what about the rest of them? The current people in the Oasis? Would Alonso be angry at them, too? Would he turn his back on all of it? He'd said he owed her, so he better think long and hard before doing something stupid.

She puffed out her cheeks, releasing a slow breath from the corner of her mouth in frustration. Damn it, how long is this taking?

She started pacing, her feet moving back and forth like they had a mind of their own. Her eyes kept darting toward Chiara's cabin, not too far away, where Alonso and Chiara were still talking.

What the hell's going on in there? She couldn't stand the waiting—it was eating at her. Were they fighting? Talking?

Was Alonso still pissed off, or were they making progress? She wanted to burst in and see for herself, but she knew better. Barely.

She noticed some of the others were glancing toward the cabin, too, whispering and muttering under their breath. She shot a sharp glare at them.

Leave him the fuck alone, will you? The guy won the duel fair and square, and you still want his head? Pathetic.

Her eyes narrowed further, her temper flaring.

Why don't you fight him yourselves, huh? You think you'd do better? Go on, give it a try!

What a bunch of annoying deadweights. They didn't do shit, didn't lift a finger when it mattered, but now they had all the opinions in the world.

Fucking useless. That's what they were. Always watching, always judging, but never doing anything that actually mattered.

Ayu's stomach grumbled, reminding her of the food she'd left cooking. With a huff, she stomped over to the fire where the freshly cooked meat was waiting. She had prepared far more than what a normal person would eat in a week, but… why am I even bothering with this?

She exhaled deeply, placing the cooked meat onto a fiber-like plate she had arranged on the table. A sudden sharp crack rang out, cutting through the relative quiet of the Oasis. Her head snapped toward Chiara's cabin, her brow furrowing as her stomach churned with unease.

What was that?!

Her fingers hesitated over the plate, the sound replaying in her mind. Something about it—sharp and final—left her unsettled. She took a small step forward, as if moving closer might explain it, but stopped herself. Anxiety prickled at the edge of her thoughts.

Her heart thudded in her chest as she stared, waiting, the silence stretching unbearably. Then, the door of Chiara's cottage swung open.

Alonso stepped out, and the moment he did, Ayu could feel something was wrong. Very wrong.

He stood there, dark-faced, his chest rising and falling heavily like he'd just fought a battle inside that cabin. But the worst part was the way he looked. The way he stood.

For nearly a minute, he didn't move. His face—what the hell happened in there?

Then, something shifted.

His whole expression twisted into something cold, almost scary. His eyes, which had always been hard to read, darkened in a way that made her stomach drop.

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He glanced around, his gaze landing on the onlookers who had been watching like vultures. They all took a step back, some muttering under their breath, but most of them just shut the hell up and looked away.

This pressure… Was this the true Alonso? The beast that fought Siddharth?

Ayu stood there, watching it all unfold. But suddenly, Alonso's eyes locked with hers. For a moment, something flickered in his gaze, but then his expression changed—he looked at her just like he did the rest.

Why… why are you looking at me like that?

Something was wrong. She didn't like this.

Her breath caught in her throat. He started walking toward her, and every instinct screamed at her to brace herself, but for what, she didn't know. The way he moved, the weight in his steps, it was different—this wasn't the Alonso she'd known. Who is this?

When he got close enough, she saw it. His face. That heavy, dark expression. It wasn't him. It couldn't be.

"Alonso—" she started, but the words died in her throat as he stopped in front of her. His eyes bore into hers, cold and distant, like she was nothing. What…

And then he spoke, his voice low and hard, cutting through the air like a knife.

"Ayu."

That tone. That fucking tone. It wasn't him. She clenched her fists, trying to push down the rising panic in her chest.

What is wrong with you?! She sent the image sharply back to his mind, a flicker of herself standing tall, defiant—but inside, she felt something else.

Alonso's face darkened further as he stepped closer, sending a cold, cruel image back—an image of him walking alone, far ahead, leaving her behind, disappearing into the horizon.

I'm leaving you behind, Ayu.

Her fists clenched, and she wanted to punch his face, to knock that cruel look off him—but... somehow, she couldn't. Something stopped her. The weight of the moment pressed down on her, freezing her in place.

Leaving? What the hell do you mean, leaving me behind?

She sent the images sharply back at him—her cooking food for him, letting him crash in her cottage when no one else would. The orbs she'd given him when she could've kept them for trade or someone else. You owe me, Alonso. For all of it. The thought echoed between them, more heated than she'd planned.

Alonso's response was ice cold, a harsh image flooding her mind—her as dead weight, dragging him down, slowing him with every step. His face remained impassive, his eyes sharp.

You will slow me down.

Her breath hitched, her fists trembling at her sides. What the fuck is this?

She sent the images again—moments when she'd helped him, when she'd stood by him, when they had shared something. I helped you, I trusted you! You stayed with me! You took what I gave you!

But something else slipped through—by mistake, or maybe it wasn't.

She sent a flicker of good moments: the quiet times near the lake, when they sat in silence, comfortable but saying nothing.

The awkward smile on his face when he asked her, of all things, where the toilet was after the long training session.

The both of them standing there after a sparring match, drenched in sweat, their breathing heavy, but still grinning at each other as if they had just conquered the world.

The dumb cartoonish images he sent her, the ones she pretended to roll her eyes at but secretly enjoyed.

The looks. Those lingering glances when he thought she wasn't paying attention. The way his eyes softened, even if just for a second. She could still feel the warmth of those moments, like they were imprinted in her memory.

And the images kept coming. They shifted and blurred—the stupid grin on his face when he got the upper hand, the way they could tease each other without it ever going too far. It was easy between them. Natural.

The hand he put on her shoulder, making her feel safe, calm, as if he would carry the weight of the world for her. Just like her dad.

Even the look he gave her, different from all the others, when he won the match. Him standing tall, and she… admiring… her champion.

The moment she sent them, she regretted it. She felt exposed, vulnerable in a way she hadn't before. Shit. Shit, no—don't look at that.

For a second, Alonso's gaze softened. His eyes flickered, the wall cracking ever so slightly. He remembered too. She could see it. She could feel it. He felt something too. He hesitated…

But then, he shut it down. His expression grew colder, his body stiffening. He sent back an image—him, walking away again, alone, with her as chains bound to his ankle that he snapped apart. You are a burden, Ayu. I am severing that burden.

Ayu's chest tightened, her fists trembling. No. She sent back an image of them training together, the way they pushed each other, the bond she thought they had. We're not—

But he cut her off, sending an image of her, weak, collapsing under pressure. Her slowing him down. His eyes met hers again, hard as steel. You'll only get in my way.

"Fuck you!" The words came out in Thai, a raw scream that broke through the images. "I hate you!" she shouted, her voice cracking with the force of it.

But even as she shouted, tears blurred her vision. Why am I crying?

Alonso's face didn't change. His gaze was locked, cold, distant. He sent one final image—him, alone, at the top of the Tower. You can't come with me, Ayu. We are not on the same level.

Her heart shattered.

A sob tore from her throat, and her knees buckled. She collapsed, her hands gripping the ground as her tears hit the dirt. She couldn't breathe. The sobs wracked her body, and she hated herself for it.

She wanted to hit him, to make him hurt the way she was hurting, but all she could do was cry. Why! Go up and kick him! He… he… it hurts. Why does it hurt so much!

I hate you… I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!

Through her blurred vision, she saw him turn away, his back to her. No words, no glance back. Just… walking away.

And she was left there, alone, sobbing, as the world watched in silence.

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