When she spoke again, her voice was strained but controlled. "I'm not leaving."

Jax tilted his head curiously. "And why is that?"

"Because..." She glanced at Seris, then back at Jax. "Because I'm worried about Seris! Someone needs to watch over her! Make sure you don't do anything... inappropriate!"

Jax's expression went completely flat. "Inappropriate? Me?"

"Yes, you!" Astrid's confidence returned with a vengeance. "You're a known predator and I have seen it through my own eyes!"

She made a smug face, crossing her arms triumphantly.

"But your magic failed miserably in front of me. That's why you're treating me this way. I've known your tricks from the beginning, and that's exactly why you're pushing me aside."

Seris stepped forward awkwardly. "Astrid, I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine—"

"No!" Astrid grabbed her hands desperately. "I won't leave you alone with this... this..."

She struggled to find an insult that wouldn't trigger Jax's wrath again.

"This... Professor!"

Jax slow-clapped mockingly, his applause echoing across the training grounds.

"Your vocabulary is truly impressive today. Really expanding your horizons."

Astrid ignored his sarcasm and turned back to Seris with wild eyes.

"Seris, you don't know him! He can hunt you while you're vulnerable! Or worse, imagine him leaving you with a baby!"

Her face went bright red as she realized what she'd just said, but she didn't stop there. The floodgates had opened.

"And worse would be—what if he's done the same with your mother?! Do you know what that would mean?! What would happen in the kingdom?!"

Jax stiffened immediately.

'I need to shut her mouth before she destroys my image so badly in front of Seris that it can't be fixed when the baby of mine eventually—'

But Seris spoke first, her eyes conveying a clear message of 'what the hell was that cringe.'

"What are you spouting, Astrid? That's total nonsense and you know it." Her voice was flat with disbelief. "And you know me. I will split him in half even before he has any thoughts of that type."

Astrid's wild accusations deflected, she turned back to Jax with her chin raised defiantly.

"I'm staying. To watch over Seris. That's final."

Jax stared at her for a long moment. The gears in his head visibly turning.

Then understanding dawned on his face.

"Oh. Oh, I see."

His smile turned absolutely devilish. The kind of smile that made people regret being born.

"You want to join my team too, don't you?"

Astrid's entire body went rigid as if struck by lightning.

"W-WHAT?! NO! Absolutely not! I would rather die than—"

"You're using Seris as an excuse." Jax stepped closer, his grin widening with each word. "You want to be part of this team, but your massive ego won't let you admit it."

"That's ridiculous!"

"Is it? Then leave."

"I... I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because of Seris!"

"Seris is fine. She's a grown woman who can make her own decisions. She doesn't need a babysitter."

Astrid's eye twitched violently.

Jax sighed with exaggerated drama, as if explaining something to a particularly slow child.

"Fine. Let me make this simple."

He held up one finger.

"Option one: You admit you want to join and I'll consider it."

He held up a second finger.

"Option two: You keep lying to yourself, and I'll keep mocking you until you either leave or die of embarrassment. Your choice."

Astrid's fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white.

"I. Don't. Want. To. Join."

"Then leave."

"I won't!"

"Then join."

"Never!"

"Then why are you still here?"

"BECAUSE—"

She stopped. Her mouth opened and closed several times like a fish gasping for air.

No words came out.

Jax waited patiently, that infuriating smirk never leaving his face.

Roxana watched the exchange with growing confusion. "What exactly is happening here?"

Elira answered without a shred of emotion. "The Professor is bullying a student. Standard procedure, apparently."

"Should I intervene?"

"I wouldn't recommend it." The vampire twirled her umbrella lazily. "And why would you? It's really entertaining. This is exactly what I signed up for."

Astrid finally found her voice. It was smaller now. Almost vulnerable.

"I... I just want to make sure Seris doesn't get hurt." Her tone had lost all its earlier fire. "She's my only real friend at this academy. If something happens to her because of you..."

Her voice trailed off into silence.

For a moment, just a brief moment something flickered in Jax's eyes. Something almost human.

Then it was gone.

"Rejected."

Astrid's head snapped up. "What?"

"I said rejected. You're not joining my team."

"But—"

"You're a liability." His voice was cold now. Professional. "Your emotions are unstable. You can't control your temper. You attack your allies when you're frustrated."

He stepped closer until they were face to face.

"And most importantly, you don't actually want to help us win. You want to protect your friend from me. Those are two very different motivations."

Astrid stared at him, speechless.

"In a tournament like this, I need people who trust me. Or at least people who can pretend to trust me convincingly."

He glanced at Elira.

"Even this one here joined because she wanted a challenge. That's a motivation I can work with."

He turned back to Astrid. His eyes hardened.

"But you? You'd sabotage our strategies the moment you disagreed with them. You'd second-guess every decision I make. You'd create division in the team when we need unity most."

His voice dropped lower.

"I don't need that. We don't need that."

The training ground fell completely silent. Even the wind seemed to stop.

Astrid's lips trembled. Whether from anger or something else entirely, it was impossible to tell.

"Fine." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I get it."

She turned and started walking away. Each step heavier than the last.

Seris called out desperately. "Astrid, wait—"

"It's fine, Seris." Astrid didn't look back. Her voice was hollow. "He's right. I'd just get in the way."

Her footsteps grew distant until she disappeared from view entirely.

Jax watched her leave, his expression completely unreadable. A mask that revealed nothing of what lay beneath.

Roxana approached him quietly, her voice soft.

"That was harsh, Professor."

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