Chapter 428: Chapter 97.6 - Breaking Down

As I walked away from Irina, the night air felt cooler against my skin, a stark contrast to the warmth of her touch.

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the academy grounds. Each step I took felt like a start of a different road.

I couldn't help but replay the moments in my mind—the anger, the anguish, and then the unexpected tenderness.

Irina's words had cut through my defenses, forcing me to confront the emotions I had buried for so long. Her determination, her fiery spirit, had reached a part of me I had thought was long dead.

'You are a coward. A coward who is afraid of making any connections just because he is afraid to lose someone once again.'

Her accusation echoed in my mind, each word a painful truth I had been avoiding. She was right. I had been running away, hiding behind my walls of detachment and cold logic.

And somehow, I found myself giving up the defenses.