Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 1015

"Then they'll find out what happens when they corner someone under the Emberheart name."

Hearing that….

Sylvie couldn't help it.

The corner of her lips twitched, then lifted—just a little, but more than enough to soften the lines of worry still lingering in her expression. It wasn't a laugh, and it wasn't out of relief either. It was something quieter. Something steadier.

"…Thank you," she said.

Irina glanced sideways at her, surprised by the sincerity in Sylvie's voice. A beat passed.

Then—with a deliberate slowness, almost as if she wasn't sure what possessed her to do it—Irina raised her hand and gave Sylvie's head a quick, slightly awkward pat. Her fingers brushed lightly through her silvery hair, once, then withdrew before it became anything too sentimental.

She twitched the corner of her mouth—somewhere between a smirk and a shrug.

"Don't mention it," she said.

The moment lingered for just a breath longer, before Layla broke it with a stretch and a groan. "Alright, that's enough emotional drama for one afternoon. I'm heading to the dorms before I get sucked into another surprise lecture."

Jasmine snorted. "Better than getting sucked into another surprise duel. Those are worse."

"Speak for yourself," Layla said, already turning away with a lazy wave. "I've tanked worse than your jokes."

Jasmine rolled her eyes and followed after her. "Please, your shield's got more cracks than your sarcasm."

Astron paused for a moment, his gaze flicking once more to Sylvie. He didn't say anything—but gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.

Then he, too, turned and walked off without fanfare.

And just like that, the group began to disperse—one by one, their footsteps fading down different paths, leaving Sylvie standing alone for a moment in the quiet, golden-lit corridor.

She stood there a while longer, eyes half-lidded, hands folded in front of her.

It wasn't over.

But she wasn't alone.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

*****

The evening deepened as the last colors of sunset faded into quiet indigo. The academy's lanterns had begun to flicker awake, dotting the walkways with soft golden pools of light. Most students had already returned to their dorms—either too exhausted from the trials or too burdened by the looming pressure of final evaluations to linger long in open courtyards.

Astron and Irina walked side by side in silence. Their footsteps fell in sync, neither fast nor slow, just steady. The air was quiet enough to hear the soft sweep of leaves rustling overhead.

Irina's gaze remained forward for a while. But then, with a side glance, she broke the silence.

"What do you think?"

Astron didn't look at her, but she saw the faint shift in his expression—the way his eyes narrowed slightly, thoughtful.

He didn't ask what she meant. He didn't need to.

"Sylvie."

Irina's words trailed into the dusk like the last curl of smoke from a burned-out flame—casual in tone, but not in weight.

"I always felt like you treated Sylvie a little differently than the other girls."

Astron's gaze didn't shift, but the rhythm of his footsteps faltered ever so slightly—so subtle it might've been missed by anyone else. But Irina noticed. She always did.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice quiet, unreadable.

"I mean..." she continued, her eyes still fixed forward, "you don't usually pay that much attention to students. Especially not those with low rank. Not unless they're standing in your way or offering you something specific."

Silence again. Astron didn't answer, but the weight of his quiet was no longer neutral.