Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 688

Chapter 688 154.1 - Morning

The warmth of the sun filtered through the heavy drapes of Irina's room, casting soft golden hues over the sprawling expanse of her bed. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, the haze of sleep lingering in her mind. For a moment, she simply lay there, her body sinking into the plush mattress, her senses attuned to the unfamiliar stillness of the morning.

"The sun's up, she thought, blinking slowly as she turned her head toward the window. The soft light streaming in confirmed what her drowsy mind had already noted. It was late-far later than she usually allowed herself to wake, especially here, at the

Emberheart Mansion.

Her chest tightened slightly at the realization, a flicker of uncase rising. Normally, her mornings were rigid, dictated by an unspoken schedule her mother ensured she followed. Early training, meetings, appearances-it was all part of being the Emberheart heir. She was used to waking before the sun, her body conditioned to a life of constant expectations.

But now? The morning stretched before her, silent and undisturbed.

Irina shifted slightly, her eyes scanning the empty expanse of her bed. It was massive, fit for the heir of one of the most powerful families, but also coldly empty-just as it always was. And yet, something felt different. The solitude of her mornings, normally oppressive, felt softer somehow, less suffocating.

Her hand drifted to the space beside her, brushing against the untouched sheets. She frowned slightly, the memories of last night beginning to seep back into her thoughts. The intensity of the spar, the closeness, the quiet vulnerability they'd shared-it all came rushing back, leaving her heart racing as if she were still caught in that moment. "Ah...."

The realization hit her like a thunderclap.

Irina sat frozen, her hand still resting on the empty space beside her, her face rapidly reddening as fragments of last night's events played back in her mind with crystal clarity. The intensity of the spar, the closeness afterward, the boldness of her words- her actions.

"Ah..." she whispered, her voice barely audible as the weight of her behavior settled on her shoulders. Her lips parted, her breath quickening as the memory of her declaration echoed in her mind.

"You... you are going to sleep here today."

Her face burned, her hands flying up to cover her cheeks as the words reverberated like a gong inside her head. What had she been thinking? Had she even been thinking at all?

"I basically offered to sleep with him..." she muttered to herself, her voice trembling with disbelief. "What was I even doing?"

Her mind spiraled, replaying the moment she had spoken with such determination, as though she'd planned it out. But she hadn't planned it-hadn't even truly thought it through. She had acted on impulse, driven by emotion, exhaustion, and something far deeper than she cared to name.

For some reason, her actions last night felt like the reckless abandon of someone drunk, someone who had abandoned all sense of logic. But now, in the bright light of morning, the logical part of her-the one that had been conspicuously absent the night before-had returned with a vengeance.

'I basically told him to stay with me,' she thought, her heart pounding as her fingers clutched the edge of the blanket. And not just stay. I meant...

Her mind faltered, her cheeks growing impossibly hotter as the implications fully hit her. Did I really mean that? On one hand, she wasn't entirely opposed to the idea-not with him, not anymore. But on the other...

"That wasn't what I meant," she whispered, as if saying it aloud might somehow absolve her. Her hands tightened into fists, gripping the sheets as her chest heaved. "I didn't mean it like that."

Her thoughts tumbled further into chaos, and an alarming question began to creep into her mind. One that she didn't want to ask, but couldn't ignore.

"Did we... really do it?" The words slipped from her lips before she could stop them, her voice barely above a whisper. Her memory was hazy, scattered by the haze of exhaustion and emotion. She couldn't remember anything specific-no vivid images, no sensations that confirmed or denied the thought.

But the fact that she couldn't remember made her chest tighten even more.

'Did that guy take advantage of me... and then leave?' The thought struck her, a wave of indignation and panic flooding her chest. But it was quickly followed by doubt. Astron wasn't like that. Was he?