Chapter 131.4 - Alden Evergreen

"But still….I am quite curious."

Alden turned to Maya, his sharp blue eyes softening just a touch, though the intensity of his curiosity remained. "Aside from the challenges you two have faced together, Maya... what makes him different from others?" His tone was calmer now, but the underlying seriousness in his words couldn't be ignored.

Maya hesitated for a moment, her thoughts racing. This was the question she had anticipated but had hoped to avoid for just a little longer. Alden wasn't simply asking out of curiosity—he wanted to understand the depth of her connection to Astron, to see beyond the surface.

She glanced at Astron, who remained composed, quietly watching the exchange unfold. He wasn't one to offer much unless asked directly, always calculating, always careful. That was one of the many things she admired about him. It was also one of the things that made him difficult to explain to her brother.