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Axel ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply. "How will Annie even react when I step in... Man, this system is crapping things up."

He reached for his keys, intending to quietly let himself in, but then he heard a small clatter from inside the house. His hand paused mid-air. Someone was definitely in there. He lowered his hand, deciding it was better not to sneak in. Instead, he knocked on the door and waited, his stomach knotting with the anticipation of the upcoming confrontation.

The door swung open with a force that startled him, and there stood Annie, her face a storm of emotions. Her eyes met his, and in an instant, her expression morphed from relief to anger, her brows furrowing, her lips twisting into a scowl.

"Where the hell did you disappear to again?" she yelled, her voice carrying a sharp edge. "I thought you ran away or something!"

Axel opened his mouth to respond, but the words stuck in his throat. He could feel the heat of her anger, and no excuse he came up with was going to cool it down. Annie stepped back, leaving the door wide open as she stormed into the house. He followed her in, slowly shutting the door behind him, unsure of what to say.

"I\'m really sorry, Sis," he said quietly, his voice barely audible. "I had very urgent business to attend to, and if I didn\'t... things would\'ve gotten bad."

Annie spun around to face him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "So disappearing for a month wasn\'t enough for your \'business,\' huh? You asshole! You literally died that day, Axel! I saw you die on the news!" Her voice cracked with emotion as she emphasized the last word.

Axel froze, guilt washing over him. His chest tightened painfully as he watched the tears welling up in his sister\'s eyes. He had never meant to hurt her like this, and seeing the pain on her face made him feel as though he\'d been punched in the gut.

His mind screamed for him to tell her the truth, to let her in on what was really happening, but just as he opened his mouth, Velerium\'s voice echoed in his head.

"Don\'t tell her the truth, Axel," the voice warned, its tone commanding.

Axel hesitated, swallowing hard. He wanted to explain everything, but Velerium was right—telling Annie the truth would put her in even more danger. He had to protect her, even if it meant lying.

"I\'m sorry, Annie," Axel began, forcing himself to speak. "I\'m really not supposed to tell you this, but the reason I\'ve been gone is because... I was being tested."

Annie\'s expression shifted to confusion. "Tested? What the hell does that mean? You hate hospitals and needles. How am I supposed to believe that?"

Axel\'s heart raced. He needed to expand on the lie, fast. He straightened his posture and met her gaze directly, trying to project sincerity. This was a trick he had used often in his previous life—establish eye contact, show seriousness, and the other person would start doubting their own disbelief.

"I didn\'t want to worry you," Axel continued, his voice softening. "The ability to resurrect... it freaked out the Hunter\'s Association. They thought it was dangerous, so they needed to run tests to make sure I wasn\'t a threat to anyone around me. I didn\'t want to put you in danger, which is why I kept it all to myself."

The lie was almost painful to say, but he layered his words with as much fake sympathy as he could muster. He knew Annie had a soft heart, and if he played the protective older brother card, she might let her guard down.

Annie stared at him for a long moment, her anger fading into uncertainty. "I didn\'t know," she said quietly, looking down at her feet. "I\'m sorry, Big Bro... I didn\'t know you were going through all that."

Axel forced a small smile, feeling a pang of guilt for deceiving her. "It\'s okay, Sis. I didn\'t want you to worry. Everything\'s fine now, though."

"Will you be staying?" Annie asked, her voice sounding small. "Or do you have more tests?"

"I\'ll stay for now," Axel assured her, though the uncertainty of his own words gnawed at him. "And I\'ll pay for you to get into college again. I might even go back to being a hunter."

Annie\'s eyes lit up with excitement. "That\'s great! I\'m glad you\'re finally getting back into it. But don\'t you want to retake the test and increase your rank? You\'d make more money and have fewer dangerous jobs."

Axel shook his head. "No thanks. I\'m not pushing my luck."

"But it\'s not like you can die," she teased, a playful smile creeping onto her face.

"Yeah, but that doesn\'t mean I don\'t feel pain," Axel shot back, half-joking. "And I haven\'t exactly tested how much I can withstand."

Their lighthearted exchange was cut short by a sudden interruption. A voice, soft yet commanding, echoed from the kitchen.

"Axel Teras, wasn\'t it?"

Axel\'s blood ran cold. He immediately turned his gaze from Annie toward the kitchen, his muscles tensing as his instincts flared. There, standing by the counter, was a stranger—a woman, no taller than a child but with the hardened features of an adult. She was a dwarf, her fair skin contrasting with her long, green hair that fell in waves down her back.

She wore a hooded jacket, dark trousers, and had the casual look of a college student, but Axel knew better.

He stepped in front of Annie protectively, his hand inching toward his dagger. "Who are you?" Axel demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

The dwarf woman tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "I\'m not here to fight you, Axel. I\'m here to deliver a message."

Axel\'s heart pounded in his chest. He had no idea how this woman had found him, but his instincts screamed that she was connected to the Fatek General or something even worse.

"I\'m asking you again," Axel growled, his body tensing. "Who the hell are you?"

***Author\'s note***

Still behind just give days left for the contest to end and I\'m still in need of a castle