Frostfire Legacy

Tina's mounting position was weak, unlike her usual MMA-level pins. Aster could still move both hands, even his legs, so if he wanted to, he could slip out.

"Tina..."

However, he didn't—or rather, he was unable to react fast enough and ended up getting caught in Tina's pace. The sound of rustling filled his ears, as Tina quickly pulled her top off. Only a thin, black, plain strapless bra remained, hiding her chest.

After throwing her top to the side, her hand moved, reaching for the strap on her back, but then, Aster returned to his senses. He reached for her hands, stopping them in place.

The sudden movement shook the tent, causing the small nightlamp hanging on the apex to crash down and break. However, neither of the two paid attention to it, even if their visibility was limited.

"What are you doing?" Aster asked her, a faint frown appearing on his lips.

The light from the campfire outside added shadows over Tina's face, hiding her expression. However, the dangerous glow in her eyes didn't disappear.

"Isn't it obvious...?" Tina's voice, flat and emotionless, rang in the silent tent. "I want your mark—I want your seed. That way, I'll be yours, and you'll only be mine."

"..."

Although he did guess, he still felt taken aback hearing it from the person herself. Aster thought hard and deep, before shaking his head gently. "Sorry, Tina... I can't do that." He uttered with slight disgust. "I can't be yours right now."

Tina was possessive, one who would definitely not share what was hers with anyone else. However, Aster still had the duty he received from Magnus, meaning, belonging to Tina would only complicate things. He didn't want to hurt her in that way.

He knew a time like this would come sooner or later, but the timing couldn't get any worse. His mind was already tired, and he got another headache thanks to Tina's actions and words!

Tina's body stiffened from the rejection. Her gaze flickered as her breathing started turning ragged.

"No..." She shook her head in denial, forcing her arm free from Aster's grasp. "NO!" She shouted, before grabbing the neck of Aster's shirt and...

*RIIIIIIP!*

Tore it apart.

Aster's well-toned chest, down to his abs, was exposed completely, shiny with sweat from the faint light coming from outside. A faint trace of red could be seen, a mark of her nails scraping over his skin.

"Why? Why won't you choose me, darling?!" Tina groaned. "I love you, and only you. Why don't you understand and accept my feelings?!"

*BAM!* *BAM!*

Tina's hands landed on top of his chest, slamming down like a hammer. "I love you this much! There's no way darling can refuse me!"

"... Sorry."

But despite Tina's outburst, tears rolling down like a waterfall down the corner of her eyes, Aster kept the same expression, the same frown, and the unchanging pitying gaze. His voice echoed with regret and blame, as if wondering why this had to happen right now.

Tina's words got stuck in her throat, as she slowly lurched forward, planting her face against Aster's chest. "UUUAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH...!" As if she just lost her parents, she wailed as loud as she could.

Liz, who was cooking, bit her lips while listening to the heartbreaking weeping. Kali turned to look at the sky, her face solemn, while whispering lightly "Vixen..." with slight pity. But Cassy, who was directly related to the current situation, could only burrow her face against her pillow, trying to drown out the guilt and noise together.

"Again, because of me..." She whispered, muffled, but in a pained voice.

That night, Tina cried nonstop, and Aster just let her be, crying against his chest. He didn't touch her at all, even after she passed out crying.

He gritted his teeth hard, feeling like a scumbag after breaking Tina's heart. However, this was the lesser evil, compared to accepting her advance and then disappointing her later on.

His mind was tired, but thanks to the events that happened, he wasn't feeling sleepy at all. After carefully pushing her off him, he left the tent and walked away.

Liz and Kali only watched Aster's back fade into the darkness. They didn't bother to reach out or stop him, knowing that he needed some time alone. However, they didn't know that this casual gesture of giving him space would then lead to tragedy later.

---

Aster walked pointlessly, without a destination in mind. All he wanted to do was cool down his head and stop thinking about complicated matters—like relationships and such.

Before he realized it, he was already standing at the top of a tall hill. The view was impeccable, with the stars glowing gently over the entire 16th floor. If the hill was a few dozen meters taller, then it might be possible for him to see the portal leading to the next floor.

He sat down on the grassy top, staring at the sky, blanking out his mind. The cool night breeze, carrying the faint scent of burning fuel from the camp, slowly calmed down his tensed nerves.

"What do I do..."

Without a doubt, it would be awkward for him to see Tina tomorrow. He could only wish that Liz and Kali did a follow-up after him, but the chances of that working on Tina were quite abysmal.

"Really... What should I do?" Aster sighed, lying down on the grassy hill.

He knew that his choice was the best for the both of them, but still, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for hurting her.

'Would the result change if I strongly rejected her a lot earlier?' He wondered.

However, even without thinking, he knew that regardless if the timing was right or wrong, Tina would still end up hurt. Thinking about things he couldn't change would just stress him even more, so he just closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath.

By the time he returned to the camp, which was around four in the morning, everything was already too late.

"Aster! You're finally here!" Liz called to him as soon as she saw him, panic written all over her face.

Feeling a sense of foreboding, Aster asked back. "What's wrong?"

"Cassy and Tina! Both of them went missing!"