Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 785  Chapter 182.1 - Let's have a talk

Astron's gaze settled on Seraphina, his sharp purple eyes unwavering and unreadable. The corridor was silent, save for the faint hum of distant voices and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Seraphina stood a few steps away, her silver hair cascading down her back like liquid moonlight, her expression a mix of amusement and intrigue. 
"We need to talk," she said, her voice calm yet laced with an undercurrent of authority. 
Astron didn't respond immediately. His eyes briefly scanned her face, noting the faint, confident smirk playing on her lips. Then, in a tone as neutral as the cold stone walls around them, he asked, "Why?" 
The single word hung in the air between them, simple yet laden with meaning. 
Seraphina's smile deepened slightly. She tilted her head, studying him as if he were a puzzle she couldn't quite piece together. 
It was the same response he had given her the last time they spoke. Back then, she had approached him with a proposition—one that most people would have jumped at for the sheer opportunity to be in her favor. But his reaction had been the same: indifferent, detached. 
'Why?' 
Normally, people clamored for her attention. They would spend days, sometimes weeks, arranging meetings with her. Gifts, letters, subtle favors—such was the norm for someone of her standing. She was Seraphina Frostborne, heir to one of the strongest magic families, the Frostborne lineage, known for its dominion over ice and precision in spellcraft. Her rank in the academy was high, her reputation impeccable. 
But this guy… 
Astron Natusalune wasn't like anyone else. 
No reverence, no flattery. Just that single, disarming question, as if her lineage and rank were mere trivialities. 
"You have a way of making things far less complicated than they should be," she finally said, stepping closer, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. "But since you insist…" 
Her silver eyes locked onto his, unblinking. "Because you intrigue me, Astron." 
He raised an eyebrow, his expression still unreadable. "Is that all?" 
Seraphina let o