Axel nodded slowly. He understood. Maxen wasn't paying because he was generous—he was paying because he had to. After all, he had tried to kill Axel in front of the Whisper Syndicate.

"The Havoc Division's no joke, either," Vince chimed in. "They've got tons of powerful people. The organization might seem loose on the surface, but you don't wanna piss off the wrong one, brother."

Axel waved it off. It wasn't about the money. He just didn't like the idea of a ticking time bomb roaming around, waiting to explode. Maxen had already crossed a line.

"You're not thinking about killing him, are you?" Millers said, eyes widening.

Everyone around the table froze. All their gazes locked on Axel, waiting for his answer.

...What the hell was that reaction supposed to mean? "I mean," Axel said, spreading his hands innocently, "he might be planning to kill me. Just saying."

"So you're thinking of striking first?" Rosaline asked sharply.

Axel shrugged, totally casual. "Isn't that... normal?"

A heavy silence fell over the group. Vince and Rosaline exchanged a look, their expressions complicated.

"Axel," Rosaline said seriously, "you have to remember—we're the Whisper Syndicate. We're not some fucking assassin's guild."

"We have rules," Vince added, his tone grave.

Seeing their serious faces, Axel couldn't help but laugh. "Relax, relax," he said, hands up in surrender. "I'm just messing with you. Look how scared you guys got!"

Everyone froze for a second. Then Rosaline smacked him right in the forehead with a thwack. "Don't fuck around like that again, kid," she growled.

"Alright, alright! I give up! My bad!" Axel grinned, rubbing his forehead. "But seriously... what if he does try to kill me?"

Rosaline waved him off coolly. "Then he's a dead man," she said. "We'll have Phoenix protect you. If Maxen makes a move—"

Phoenix, standing nearby, chuckled darkly and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Axel laughed. "That's all I needed to hear! I feel safer already." Stretching his arms out, he stood up. "Gonna step outside for some fresh air."

The restaurant buzzed with noise and chatter as Axel turned, still wearing a faint smile, and slipped out the door. Waiters weaved through the crowded floor, trays in hand, while the guests laughed under the moody, shifting lights.

Outside, the smile slowly faded from Axel's face, replaced by a sharp, cold edge.

He knew he shouldn't have brought up that topic with his teammates in the Whisper Syndicate. After all, they weren't like him. Not really.

Axel walked to the end of the block, tucked into a dark corner, and stood there for a long moment, thinking. Finally, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

When the call connected, his voice was low and calm, magnetic even. "I need your help. Come to Ebonveil. I'll cover the airfare."

Back inside the restaurant, now that Axel was gone, the easy laughter around the table faded too. Rosaline tapped the rim of her glass with her nails, her eyes narrowed. "Well? What do you guys think?" she asked.

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The group fell quiet for a moment. Finally, Vince spoke up, his voice low.

"Axel's instincts are right," he said. "I looked into Maxen's background. The guy's got talent, but he's got a fucking temper too. He's been arrested three times for aggravated assault. Always bailed out, of course."

Vince leaned back slightly, frowning. "He's currently the vice president of the Havoc Division's Langford branch," he added.

The Havoc Division—massive, spread across the country—provided bounty missions, strength-advancement services, resource markets. To be a branch VP in a city like Langford? Maxen wasn't some small-time thug. He was dangerous.

"He'll probably make a move," Vince said grimly.

If Axel were stronger, maybe Maxen would swallow his pride. But Axel was younger, and right now? Much weaker. It'd be too damn easy for Maxen to kill him.

"No way he's that reckless," Kaia said around a lollipop, frowning. "He knows damn well that if he touches one of ours, he's dead meat."

Awakeners had special privileges. Hurting civilians? Pay some fines, post bail, walk free. But killing a member of the Whisper Syndicate? That was suicide.

Rosaline drummed her fingers on the table. "Don't forget," she said quietly, "Axel's next mission is a solo one. Separate from us."

"We'll only have about a week off before we take on new jobs. We can't sit around babysitting him forever," Vince added.

The group grew a little more tense. If Maxen were a wanted criminal, they could kill him without a second thought. But now?

"I just hope that bastard has enough brains not to get himself killed," Rosaline said coldly, remembering how Maxen had ambushed Axel during the last mission. "Also… Axel wasn't just joking around earlier."

Everyone went quiet again.

Phoenix scratched his head, looking a little awkward. "Our new kid's got some serious kill instinct," he said with a chuckle.

Rosaline snorted but didn't argue. Vince smiled faintly. "It's because of how he grew up," Vince said. "Give it time. You'll see—Axel's reliable. One of the best teammates you could ask for. But..."

Vince's smile faded a little. He exchanged a glance with Millers. "He had some worries in heart," Vince said. "Now that he's with us, it's on us to have his back."

Everyone nodded. Rosaline sat up straighter, taking charge. "Millers, Kaia—you two take Axel out to have some fun. Let him unwind a little."

Post-mission, it was tradition to blow off steam. Without it, even the best soldiers would eventually snap.

"Leave it to me," Millers grinned. "I'm the best at that kind of thing."

Rosaline raised an eyebrow sharply. "And you're not allowed to take him to those kinds of places."

Millers immediately looked wounded. "Come on, Rosaline! Give me a little credit! I only go to the respectable ones!"

Kaia snickered, pulling the lollipop from her mouth. "The places are respectable, sure. You? Not so much."

Laughing and arguing, Millers and Kaia grabbed their coats and headed out to track down Axel.

Meanwhile, Rosaline and Vince stayed behind at the table, sitting in silence. Both of them were thinking the same thing: Maxen was still a problem.

West Street in Ebonveil was the heart of the city's nightlife. By eleven o'clock at night, it was lit up so brightly it might as well have been daytime.

Even though the weather had turned colder, crowds of girls in trendy, skimpy outfits still gathered outside the bars and nightclubs. Their makeup was flawless, their skin pale and tight against the chill, but that didn't stop them from flooding into the clubs, laughing and posing under the neon glow.

Luxury cars lined the curbs, engines humming, with the occasional group of rich boys or wilderness hunters pulling up. They'd step out, girls draped on their arms, and head inside.

Ebonveil, being the closest border city to the northern plains, was a real hub for wealth and movement. And the money here? It showed.

"Come on, man, you gotta live a little!" Millers said, dragging Axel along between him and Kaia. "Trust me, follow me tonight and you'll be smiling so hard your damn face hurts!"

Reluctantly, Axel let himself be pulled into a place called Neon Sin, one of Ebonveil's top nightclubs.

He really hadn't wanted to come. If it were up to him, he'd be back in bed, asleep already.

Dune, the city where Axel grew up, didn't have anything remotely like this. In his eyes, places like Neon Sin were for rich assholes to burn cash.

Sure, Axel wasn't hurting for money anymore. But that instinct to avoid luxury still clung to him.

"You know, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have scored so big this time," Millers said, laughing as they headed inside. "Tonight's on me. If you see anyone you like, I'll help you get her number!"

They passed through security and into a long entrance tunnel. The bass from the music hit Axel like a punch, making his chest vibrate.

Lights strobed overhead in dizzy patterns as the club opened up in front of him.

Axel's first thought: Holy shit. There's way too many people here.

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