As the initial rush of excitement settled, Irina felt herself slowly return to her usual, more composed self. The fluttering in her chest faded, leaving behind a calm awareness. Her gaze shifted, and for the first time in a long while, she looked at Astron from a different perspective—not as the person she felt a growing attachment to, but as an Awakened, someone whose power had evolved in ways she hadn't expected.
'This… he really has grown…'
Her eyes traced over him with a calculating intensity, and she felt a pang of realization. Before, she could always sense the limits of his strength, and could somewhat grasp where he stood, even if his presence was a mystery.
Astron had always been someone who could cloak himself in silence, his aura faint yet steady, a shadow at times—someone who could slip away unnoticed. Yet, when he wanted to, he could be solid, an unyielding force even if his power hadn't matched his resolve.
