“Yes, the portal has been destroyed,” Max said. “You… you are truly amazing, Max,” Tsahik praised him. He looked genuinely impressed. After the portal collapsed and left behind a silent stretch of empty land, Aurora’s body stirred slowly in Max’s arms. Her brows knitted together, her breathing changed, and then her eyelids fluttered before slowly opening. Her vision was still blurred, and the golden light of the afternoon felt too bright for her eyes. “Max…” her voice was soft, almost inaudible. Max stopped immediately. He lowered his head, and the tension that had been etched on his face instantly softened. With great care, he lowered Aurora onto the soft grass, making sure her back rested comfortably. His hand brushed through her hair again and again, gentle and cautious, as if he feared that even the slightest rough touch might hurt her. He kissed Aurora’s forehead. Once. Twice. Then he kissed her hair again, his breathing still heavy even though his face looked calm. “Are yo

Jale and Tina, two senior pianists who had been the pride of the university for the past three years, felt their world slowly falling apart. The stage that had always belonged to them was now taken by a junior. “She has only been here for a few months,” Tina said, her voice restrained but full of emotion. Jale only clenched his fist. “And now every event chooses her. As if we never existed.” Aurora did not truly understand the change in attitude around her. She only felt that the campus hallways had grown colder, and the smiles that were once sincere now felt forced. Still, she chose to focus on her practice, on music, the only thing that always gave her peace. She did not know that every step upward she took only pushed others deeper into jealousy. At home, Max watched everything in silence. He did not say much, but his instincts were never truly relaxed. One night, when Aurora came home with a tired yet satisfied face, Max greeted her. “You were amazing today,” he said as he p

The city park that afternoon was in a strange state. It could not be called crowded, but it was not truly quiet either.Some visitors were walking leisurely. There was an elderly couple sitting while feeding birds, a few small children running in the distance, and a middle aged man reading a newspaper on a park bench.The wind blew gently, carrying the scent of wet grass and lake water.Max and Aurora walked side by side along the stone path that cut through the park.Aurora looked much more relaxed than before. Her face was bright, her steps light, as if the world was being kind to her that day.Max walked beside her calmly, one hand occasionally touching Aurora’s back in a protective way.They eventually sat on a long wooden bench. In front of them, the lake stretched wide, its surface sparkling under the sunlight. Several swans swam slowly across the water, creating small ripples that soothed the eyes.Aurora took a deep breath. “This place feels really nice,” she said softly. “I f

Hearing Max’s calm yet cutting words, the three men reacted at once. Hamong’s face turned red, his jaw tightening as he held back his anger.“Hey!” he snapped as he stepped forward. “How dare you talk to us like that!”Hamong’s hand was already clenched into a fist, the muscles in his arm tense, clearly ready to hit Max right then and there. But before he could move any farther, a hand grabbed his arm.“Hamong,” Gerald whispered quickly and sharply. “Stop.”Hamong turned to him with annoyance. “What?”Gerald leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “This is a public place. Too many eyes. If you attack now, people will get suspicious. We did not come here to cause trouble.”Hamong let out a low growl, his breathing heavy. For a few seconds, he seemed to think it over, then finally dropped his hand roughly. “Damn it,” he muttered. “Fine.”The situation fell silent again for a moment. Max stood casually in front of them, one hand holding a plastic bag filled with ice cream, the other stil

Gerald unconsciously stepped back and hid behind Hamong’s body. His face was pale, cold sweat running down his temples. His eyes never left Max, who stood calmly beside Amor’s unconscious body, as if the big man was not a threat, when in fact he was the opposite.“Look at him,” Gerald whispered with a trembling voice. “You saw it yourself, right? He moved like lightning. He knew exactly where Amor hid the injection sedative. That cannot be a coincidence.”Hamong clenched his jaw. His chest rose and fell, caught between anger and the fear slowly creeping into him. “Shut up,” he hissed. “We are members of the Assassin Academy. We cannot be afraid of a lowly driver.”But even though his words sounded confident, his eyes could not hide his unease. His gaze followed every movement Max made, alert, as if one moment of carelessness could mean their necks snapping without warning.Max bent down, grabbed the collar of Amor’s hoodie, and dragged the man’s body toward the two of them. The sound