Alina!!
For the tiniest fraction of a second, Aden's calm collapsed. It didn't show—merely a flicker, a stiffening at the corner of his mouth—but Leon caught it. And in that moment, the untouchable knight, the perfection of calm, showed something vulnerable beneath. A shadow of doubt.
Nova leaned in marginally, her voice cautious, as if reluctant to disrupt the tension between them. "Leon… what do you mean by 'mask'?"
He didn't reply to her. His eyes remained fixed on Aden—unflinching, analyzing every breath, every spasm, as if he was reconstructing a truth long hidden.
"Your denial," Leon stated softly, his tone calm but electric, "it seems contrived. As if a person is telling themselves they still hold to a part that is already breaking down.
Aden's jaw flexed. A hint of strain crept into his words. "I don't know what you're implying, Victorious Leon. But your mind seems to wander far from the negotiation."
