Rhona didn’t waste a second.

  The moment her feet hit the floor, she lunged—a desperate kick aimed straight at Winn’s head.

  With a movement that looked almost lazy, Winn stepped aside. He dodged it as casually as someone avoiding a puddle.

  "Winn Ardion! You killed Vida!" Rhona screamed, her voice raw with fury.

  Unwilling to stop, she threw a wild, untrained punch. Winn didn’t dodge this time. He caught her wrist mid-air—and began shaking it enthusiastically, as if they were greeting each other at a formal gala.

  "Ah, I’m delighted you wanted to thank me for saving your life, Miss," Winn said with a nauseatingly playful smile.

  "Forgive me if I startled you earlier. My self-control can be… unreliable."

  Rhona winced, trying to wrench her hand free. But Winn’s grip was iron.

  "Come on, guys. Why are we bullying a girl?" Winn said, turning to his comrades. "Especially when she’s the daughter of the Yodanian President. Surely you recognized her?"

  With a violent jerk, Rhona finally tore her hand free. She stood there, chest heaving, eyes darting between them.

  "Now that I see her in person, she does resemble Rhona Dingzu," Sev commented, resting his chin on his hand as he studied her. "But the one on TV looks much prettier, don’t you think?"

  Rhona shot a sharp glare at the metrosexual youth. She felt like an object under appraisal—examined by vultures.

  "This is bad," Regawa said, his voice dropping. "Does this mean the President of Yodania himself is targeting our Golden Forest?"

  "No! This is just a coincidence!" Rhona snapped.

  But her voice was nothing against stone. They ignored her, their attention fixed on Winn, waiting for the real explanation.

  "Looking at her background, this girl has been her father’s instrument since childhood," Winn began, reciting her history as if reading from an official file. "She’s the shadow strategist—doing whatever it takes to secure his political power."

  "Nonsense!" Rhona’s voice trembled. She had helped her father, yes—but for his approval, not for power. This man spoke as if he had lived inside her mind.

  "Then why is she here on Nirwana Island?" Regawa pressed.

  Winn placed a finger against his lips, wearing a mock-conspiratorial expression.

  "Shhh… state secret. I only know because I was personally involved." Everyone leaned in.

  "Rhona Dingzu planned to elope with her boyfriend, Vida Sinclair. Unfortunately, her lover was only after her life. His real name was Vida Scoot—the son of the scientist who died after being arrested by the Yodanian government."

  "Whoa!" Sev blurted.

  The room seemed to tilt. Cold and heat swept through Rhona at once as her most private wounds were dissected like gossip over breakfast. She looked at Winn. He gave her a small, innocent smile.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  "Stop it!" Rhona roared.

  If she ever escaped, she would dig up every one of Winn Ardion’s secrets and reduce them to ash.

  "Why?" Winn asked, his face suddenly turning grave. "It doesn’t feel good to hear your secrets in someone else’s mouth, does it?"

  Rhona froze. The color drained from her face. But the seriousness vanished just as quickly, replaced by a mocking chuckle.

  "My mistake, my mistake… let’s keep it between us. A secret." He mimed locking his lips.

  Rhona felt hollow. They knew who she was. And they held every advantage.

  "Still," Regawa said, "this could be the President’s strategy—using his own daughter as a spy."

  "No! I was used by those men in the jeep!" Rhona protested. "Please, let me go. I promise I won’t tell anyone about you."

  She decided to play her last card—their identities.

  "I won’t tell anyone that Cygnus isn’t what people imagine. That there’s Winn—a famous model who isn’t even Anex—"

  Winn raised a hand. "Wait, you forgot something. It should be: Winn Ardion, the handsome famous model. You left out ‘handsome,’ Miss."

  Rhona nearly choked. Sev and Regawa burst into laughter, while Farezu frowned in confusion. Ignoring Winn, Rhona turned to Sev.

  "Sev. A metrosexual obsessed with red—even wearing red contact lenses."

  Sev flinched, scratching his head awkwardly.

  "Farezu, the sweet-faced kid. And that tall, quiet man over there," she pointed at Fata. "And you, Regawa—who looks like you belong in a rock band."

  "Aren’t you afraid your knowledge might lead you straight to the grave, Miss?" Regawa asked coldly.

  "No!" Rhona shouted. "You have my secrets, so I have yours. I’ll stay silent—including the fact that there’s a woman among the Cygnus."

  She pointed toward the figure standing in the shadows near the door.

  Regawa burst into booming laughter. "You really do have a big mouth. We have no women in our ranks. And you… you just insulted Cyan."

  Rhona blinked. "Oh. My apologies. I couldn’t see clearly."

  "Should I slap Cyan for you?" Winn asked lightly, glancing at the long-haired youth with a wicked grin.

  "No need… he’s not that dangerous," Sev chuckled.

  They moved away from the dipan, heading toward the door.

  Cyan stepped closer. Now she could see him clearly—soft features, almost beautiful, framed by shaggy red hair. A scarf hung loosely around his neck. One by one, the others left, and a suffocating silence settled over the hut.

  "I don’t think Cyan will blame me if we leave…" Regawa murmured as his voice faded.

  Now Rhona was alone with the only one who radiated something truly dangerous.

  Cyan stepped forward.

  Rhona retreated until her back struck the edge of the dipan.

  At this distance, she saw it clearly: his face was soft—almost delicate—but his breathing was uneven, ragged. Not calm. Not controlled.

  "What do you want?!" Rhona’s voice shook.

  Without warning, Cyan seized her shoulder and spun her violently. She collapsed to her knees, disoriented, and only realized what was happening when he yanked her hair upward.

  SCHING!

  A blade of blue light flashed into existence. In one swift motion, it sliced through her hair.

  Strands of blonde fell around her like dead leaves.

  "I don’t like being called a woman," Cyan hissed.

  His voice was low and unmistakably male.

  "If you were a man, I would have killed you."

  He shoved her backward onto the dipan and leaned over her, pinning her down.

  In that suffocating closeness, she smelled it again—that strange scent that had comforted her before. Moss. Sap. Wildflowers. But now his eyes held something else: something wild. Unstable. Almost feral.

  How is he any different from the men in the jeep?

  Tears blurred her vision. The safety she had felt earlier twisted into betrayal.

  THWACK!

  Her fist connected with his face.

  The impact seemed to snap him back to himself. Cyan recoiled immediately, scrambling away as if only then realizing the impropriety of his position.

  "You Anex bastard!" Rhona spat. "Savage! People were right—you have no morals!"

  Cyan’s gaze turned glacial.

  The bruise on his cheek darkened, but his emotions went still. He didn’t respond to the insult. With mechanical precision, he picked up his fallen scarf and tossed it toward her.

  "Noble Yodanian," he said flatly, the sarcasm cutting deep. "You’d better stay inside this hut if you value your life."

  He turned away.

  His footsteps made no sound as he left the shack, leaving Rhona alone—shivering in a nest of her own severed hair.