CHAPTER 64: EX 64. HYPOCRITE

Leon stood motionless in the center of the office, processing the offer Vanguard Rebecca had just thrown at him.

Join her base?

He hadn’t even opened his mouth yet when Rebecca cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Don’t worry," she said coolly, her piercing gaze locked on his. "You can give your answer after the ceremony."

Leon blinked. "Ceremony?"

Rebecca leaned against the edge of her desk, arms crossed.

"You heard me right. Have you already forgotten why you came to the capital already?."

Leon furrowed his brows. "I thought the demon attack canceled the event."

At that, Rebecca tilted her head and raised a brow. "Let me ask you something, Cadet. If you were out on the battlefield and suddenly something unexpected happened—something that wasn’t part of your plan—would you pack your things and say ’bye-bye’ to the war?"

Leon’s answer came immediately, instinctively. "No. I wouldn’t."

Rebecca’s eyes gleamed with sharp satisfaction. "Exactly. That’s why the Selection Ranking Ceremony will proceed. We’re training soldiers, Leon. Not quitters."

Leon sighed internally. As someone who had once lived on Earth, the entire idea rubbed against every grain of modern logic and safety protocol he’d once known. What kind of post-crisis protocol sends cadets to a ranking ceremony after a full-scale demon incursion?

But that was Earth logic. This was the Blue Planet. And here, the abnormal was the norm. Twisted as her reasoning sounded... it made sense.

Leon gave her a slight nod—just enough to show he understood, but not enough to accept anything outright. With that, he turned and exited the office, the heavy door clicking shut behind him.

He made his way down the hallway, mind still turning over everything.

But when he returned to the medical room...

His heart dropped.

"Elizabeth?" he said, voice suddenly sharp, all calm gone.

The bed was empty. The IV stand stood quietly in place, disconnected. The sheets were crumpled—but she was gone.

Gone.

His chest tightened. All at once, the room seemed too quiet, too still.

A ripple of fear surged through him like a cold tide.

****

Leon stood like a statue, staring at the empty hospital bed. His breath slowed, his hands curled into fists, and his eyes darkened with quiet fury.

Then he saw him—the healer.

The one responsible.

It took everything in Leon’s being not to draw his sword and end the man where he stood.

"How," Leon said in a low, dangerous voice, "the fuck would you let her go?"

The young healer flinched, visibly trembling. "I—I tried to stop her. I swear. But the order came from the higher ups. They said... we could let her leave if she insisted."

Leon’s clenched jaw twitched.

’Higher ups? What the hell do they have to do with Elizabeth?’

But before he could dive deeper into that spiraling thought, the door opened again.

An older healer stepped in—calm and composed—holding a small, neatly folded letter. "Cadet Leon Kael," he said gently, "this is for you. The young lady asked me to give it to you when you returned."

The younger healer was forgotten in an instant. Leon took the envelope, his hands far steadier than they felt. The second he saw the handwriting, he knew. He had seen it too many times before—on birthday notes, reminders, scraps passed during downtime. It was Elizabeth’s. Unmistakably hers.

He opened it.

---

Dear Leon,

I’m sorry for leaving again without telling you. I know you must be furious right now—and you have every right to be.

But what I have to do... it’s important.

If I had seen you one more time, I might have lost the courage to go through with it. That’s why I pretended to be asleep. I waited until you left, and then I slipped away.

Please don’t worry about me. I promise, I’m not running away from you—I’m running toward something I need to do.

And no matter where I am, no matter what I’m facing, I’ll always carry you in my heart.

So stay strong, Leon.

Because I will be too.

I love you.

— Elizabeth

---

Leon lowered the letter slowly, eyes fixed ahead, but seeing nothing.

His expression was unreadable and blank.

The paper in his hand trembled slightly—not from fear, but from the war between rage and helplessness quietly storming beneath the surface.

She was gone.

And this time, she hadn’t run from danger... she’d run toward it.

****

Leon sat in silence, alone in the dimly lit ward room. The once-busy space was now quiet, almost hollow, the faint hum of medical equipment the only sound. The old and young healer had long since left, sensing he needed time. Time to think. To process.

His elbows rested on his knees, the letter from Elizabeth still loosely held in one hand. For a while, he just stared at the floor, his thoughts spiraling in endless loops until—finally—he let out a breathless sigh.

"...Why am I being such a hypocrite?"

His voice was barely a whisper, more to himself than anyone else. He leaned back in the chair, eyes drifting to the ceiling, jaw clenched in guilt.

Ever since awakening his EX-rank talent, all he had done was lie to Elizabeth. Again and again. He had justified it each time. Told himself it was for her protection. That she didn’t need to know the full truth. That it was better this way.

But now?

Now he just felt like one of those toxic boyfriends he used to hear about back on Earth. The kind that would cheat on you and make it seem as if it was your fault.

And yet, even after all the secrets, all the half-truths... she still trusted him.

Still looked at him with those same open, steady eyes—the same eyes she had since they were children. No hesitation. No doubt.

Just faith.

Leon tightened his grip on the letter, the paper crumpling slightly in his palm.

He knew Elizabeth well enough to be sure that whatever she was doing, it wasn’t reckless for no reason. She had told him, how she was able to enhance her undead when fighting the demon, as he carried her across the arena.

It had to be connected.

"I should try to be understanding..." Leon muttered to himself, his tone softer now. "If she doesn’t want to tell me what’s going on, I’ll trust her judgment."

His eyes narrowed.

"...But if I find out it’s something dangerous... something that puts her at risk..."

He stood slowly, shadows cutting across his face as his aura simmered with a quiet intensity.

"Then I’ll crush it," he said coldly. "No matter what it is."