Chapter 211: Take care

Once the three men left, the atmosphere naturally became much lighter.

While Cyrus didn’t strike Kyle as the type to make his presence felt despite his position and the authority he carried, his presence had still been uncomfortable.

Kyle had to choose his words carefully because there was far too much at stake. He didn’t want to lay all his cards on the table for the government to see.

Just like Charlie, whose skills were registered and accessible to countless people, his own trump cards would be completely exposed. In battle, every move, strength, and advantage would already be anticipated.

Kyle couldn’t allow that.

Veronica had repeatedly warned him that people possessing more than one magical skill were the rarest of the rare.

If the central authority ever discovered that he possessed an ability capable of assessing anyone’s stats, he would be treated like a golden bird in a gilded cage. God knew how they might use him... or perhaps they would simply lock him away because of how dangerous such an ability could be.

"Kyle," Blake was the first to break the silence. "...sorry to tell you this, but that man never met Veronica."

Kyle’s jaw dropped.

"Whaaa?"

Amanda frowned. "Then... he lied?"

"Most likely." Blake nodded. "I checked on Veronica about an hour ago, and she wasn’t in any condition to hold a conversation. There’s a very good chance Cyrus lied just to back you into a corner."

"..."

Kyle fell silent.

Should he have used God’s Eye back then to see whether Cyrus was lying?

Then again, the man had worn such a confident mask that Kyle doubted God’s Eye would have helped much in the first place.

"Guh. This is so messed up."

Planting a hand over his face, he sank back into the pillow.

After a moment, Layena spoke in a hesitant voice.

"Kyle... then is it true? Did you really fight a Special-grade and survive?"

Kyle let out a long sigh and shifted his gaze from Layena to Blake.

He trusted everyone in this room.

But this was a completely different matter.

The truth carried consequences, and once spoken, it could never be taken back.

After a brief moment of thought, he gave a small nod.

"Yeah."

Blake studied his brother’s expression for a moment before speaking.

"Are you not comfortable telling us what really happened?"

He could sense the hesitation in Kyle’s voice. The fact that he was still holding back even after Cyrus had left said more than enough about how deeply the incident had affected him.

Kyle raised a hand and covered his eyes, unwilling to meet anyone’s gaze.

"Please... don’t misunderstand me, but I want to talk to Veronica first."

Blake and Amanda exchanged a glance. The concern in their eyes mirrored one another perfectly.

Layena looked no less worried.

Yet none of them pressed him for answers.

None of them questioned him.

"If that’s what you want," Amanda said gently.

Reaching over, she lowered the hand covering his eyes and softly added, "...then don’t talk about it. Just rest."

Kyle looked at her, his eyes carrying a tangle of emotions he couldn’t quite put into words.

Out of everyone in the room, Amanda was the person closest to him.

At least, that was what he told himself.

She simply knew more about him than anyone else. More about his powers and the secrets he carried.

And yet, despite that, he still found himself reluctant to tell her everything before speaking with Veronica.

Why?

Did a part of him still want to keep God’s Eye hidden, even from Amanda?

Or was it something else?

The uncertainty frustrated him.

For some reason, he couldn’t find an answer.

’I need a few hours to sort out my thoughts.’

Maybe he was simply overthinking things. Too much had happened in a single morning, and everything had moved at a relentless pace.

Blake let out a sigh.

"Your uncle and aunt will be coming tomorrow morning to check on you. Is that okay with you?"

Kyle groaned.

"Let me guess. Mom and Dad are coming too?"

That immediately caught Layena’s attention.

She had heard from Kyle that he didn’t get along with his parents, but she hadn’t realized the situation was this strained.

Blake crossed his arms.

"Don’t worry. I’ll be there with them. Just pretend you’re too exhausted to talk much."

Kyle released a weary sigh before nodding.

"Understood. Well, are you heading back now?"

One of Blake’s brows rose.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"I-I can do that."

Amanda’s voice came out a little more timidly than she intended.

She wasn’t accustomed to speaking so boldly in front of Blake. In her eyes, he was Kyle’s closest guardian, and his opinion carried weight.

If he refused to let her stay...

She honestly didn’t know what she would do.

Blake removed his glasses and pulled a small cloth from his breast pocket.

As he began cleaning the lenses, he looked at Amanda.

"Have you talked to your parents? I can’t allow you to stay here tonight unless you’ve told them the real reason."

Amanda’s heart tightened.

Kyle and she had never officially declared their relationship to their families.

Even now, the nature of their bond remained something unspoken.

Suddenly, she wasn’t quite sure how to answer.

That brief moment of hesitation gave someone else the opportunity to speak.

"If you can’t... I can stay here with him."

Layena’s lips curved ever so slightly, a faint trace of hope visible on her face.

"I am staying."

Amanda’s response came immediately.

"I’ll call my father and let him know. I promise, brother."

There was no hesitation in her voice now.

Let another girl spend the entire night beside her boyfriend?

Yeah, over her dead body.

Kyle offered a wry smile before turning to Layena.

"Are you really okay staying out this late? You were discharged only recently too."

The opportunity she had glimpsed was already slipping away, and Layena’s shoulders drooped slightly.

In a quieter voice, she replied,

"I’ve been sleeping a lot these past few days, so I’m actually very awake... and honestly, I’m bored at my new house."

Kyle chuckled softly.

"Then..."

Without drawing attention to it, he gently squeezed Amanda’s hand beneath the blanket, silently asking her not to interrupt.

"...you can stay a little longer. But only if you promise me you’ll take a taxi home. I know you’re strong, but I’d still feel better that way."

The corners of Layena’s lips twitched upward once more.

"Okay."

The answer came easily.

Layena was happy.

A simple promise to stay a little longer was enough to brighten her mood.

For the first time since entering the room, the lingering gloom around her seemed to fade.

While Layena smiled, Amanda shot Kyle a glare.

This was supposed to be her time with him.

Caught between amusement and helplessness, Kyle could only offer an awkward grin in return.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, the elder Astortia found himself dearly missing a cup of coffee.

The unfolding coming-of-age drama would have paired wonderfully with one.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t linger much longer.

His phone had already rung seven times, all from the same person.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Blake slipped his phone back into his hand.

"My phone will be on the whole time, so call me if you need anything, okay?"

Kyle nodded before telling him,

"Drive safe."

Blake simply waved a hand and headed toward the door.

Halfway out of the ward, he took a moment. Gathering his patience, he finally picked the call.

"What?" he said flatly. "Why do you keep calling?"

{You’re asking me that? Your uncle and aunt are here. They’ve been asking about you all day.}

Blake paused outside the room and glanced back through the doorway.

"You do know Kyle is hospitalized, right?" The information was delivered by himself this morning after Blake returned from the working site.

He knew there was no purpose behind it but hoped that at least the news of Kyle would make them hesitate in pestering him to return.

{There you go again. We’re visiting him tomorrow, so stop treating him like a child and come home already.}

A sarcastic smile tugged at Blake’s lips.

"Yeah. Clearly I’m missing something far more important."

Without waiting for a response, he ended the call.

For a brief moment, he stood there in silence.

His gaze drifted back toward the room.

Through the partially opened door, he could see Kyle talking with Amanda and Layena.

The sight eased some of the tension in his chest.

Yet not all of it.

’I just hope whatever you’re hiding doesn’t end up becoming a burden you can’t carry alone, brother.’

Shaking his head, Blake turned away and walked down the corridor.

Some things never change.

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thank you for reading. His hesitation regarding his powers and all, it all has a meaning. Well, not too deep.

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