Chapter 180: The News About Zeke (1)

Aisha had barely finished eating when Nykos finally pushed his chair back and stood.

The meal had been quieter than she expected. Amar and Vince had returned only long enough to collect some stuff they had forgotten to take with them before quickly leaving again, while Nykos had stayed behind with her.

He had eaten more than she expected, although he had spent nearly as much time watching her as he had the food in front of him.

The quiet clink of the dishes settling on the table was the only sound between them for a moment, and Aisha could still feel his attention on her even when she kept her eyes lowered.

Now that the plates had been cleared away, Nykos picked up his coat from the back of the chair and slipped it on. His movements remained unhurried, even though he had clearly already decided to leave.

Aisha glanced up from the table. "You’re going somewhere?"

Nykos adjusted the collar of his coat before looking at her. His silver hair was still slightly disheveled from everything that had happened earlier, yet somehow, it only made him look more relaxed.

"I have something to take care of," he said, one hand settling against the front of his coat.

She studied him for a moment. "How long will it take?"

A faint smile touched Nykos’s lips. "Are you asking because you want me to stay?"

Aisha frowned at the question, although the amusement in his eyes made it obvious that he already knew what kind of answer he would get.

"I’m asking because I don’t know whether I should let you in later," she replied, gathering one of the utensils from the table.

Nykos slipped one hand into his pocket and stepped closer to her. "That depends. If you keep cooking like that, I may find a reason to come back sooner."

Aisha gave him an unimpressed look as she reached for another utensil. "You should come back because there are still people after you and this is the safest place, not because you want another meal."

"Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive." The amusement remained in Nykos’s voice as he watched her.

Aisha almost rolled her eyes, but the corner of her lips moved before she could stop it. She quickly looked away and began gathering the remaining utensils from the table.

Nykos noticed the small reaction, but he didn’t comment on it.

She had spent enough time around him to recognize that look now, even if she refused to acknowledge how easily he could make her feel noticed without saying much at all.

Instead, he reached out and briefly caught her wrist before she could carry the dishes away. His touch was light, yet it was enough to stop her movement.

"Don’t overdo it," he said, his voice quieter now.

Aisha looked down at his hand and then back at him. "I’m washing dishes, not fighting another contaminated beast."

"That isn’t what I’m worried about." His teasing expression faded, leaving something more serious in its place.

Aisha’s eyes met his for a second longer before she finally nodded. "I’ll rest."

Nykos held her gaze for another moment before releasing her wrist.

"Good." His eyes lingered on her face as he took in the faint tiredness she had been trying to hide. "I’ll see you later."

Aisha nodded again.

Nykos turned and headed toward the door.

She watched him leave without saying anything else, listening as his footsteps gradually disappeared down the corridor. A moment later, the front door opened and then closed behind him.

Only then did Aisha realize that she had been standing there, still watching the empty doorway.

Aisha shook off the thought and returned her attention to the table.

Nykos leaving should have made the house feel quieter.

Instead, something about the silence suddenly felt strangely unfamiliar.

Perhaps she had simply grown used to having people around her.

With that thought, she continued cleaning until the kitchen was finally in order. Once she finished, she returned to the living room and sat down on the sofa, stretching her legs out in front of her.

Her body still hadn’t completely recovered.

The weakness from the previous night had not disappeared, and there was still a dull pressure behind her eyes whenever she moved too quickly. Even now, a faint soreness remained around her chest, reminding her of how violently her body had reacted after she had overused her abilities.

The thought of another night of pushing herself until her body gave out left a faint uneasiness in her stomach, and she knew that ignoring the warning signs would only make things worse.

Aisha leaned back against the sofa and closed her eyes for a moment.

She needed to be more careful.

That much was obvious.

She couldn’t keep relying on the fact that her powers were stronger than expected without first understanding what those powers were doing to her body.

She had learned long ago that strange changes in her body were rarely harmless, especially when they appeared after using abilities she still barely understood.

A faint stir came from within her chest.

Aisha’s expression softened slightly.

Nibbles was still asleep.

She could sense the little creature curled inside the transparent bubble, barely moving. Its presence was faint, almost like a quiet warmth resting beneath her consciousness.

Aisha didn’t disturb it.

Instead, she opened her eyes and turned on her terminal. It had been out of power since she had entered the contaminated zone.

Several notifications were waiting on the screen.

Most of them were useless.

There were messages from the academy, system notifications, automated advertisements, and a reminder about her student schedule.

She scrolled through them without much interest until one headline caught her attention.

Her finger stopped over the holographic screen.

An image attached to the news alert in the academy forum was partially visible beneath the title.

Aisha stared at it for a moment before opening the report.

The screen immediately expanded into a full news article.

[ASSOCIATION ADMIRAL ZEKE VALAERION INJURED DURING CONTAMINATED-ZONE OPERATION]