Aiden followed Leon through the wide, stone corridors of the estate, his eyes darting from side to side as whispers filled the air.
“Is that the new recruit?”
“Why did they even accept him?”
“He doesn’t look like much…”
Aiden clenched his fists but kept walking, pretending not to hear them. He had been dealing with this kind of treatment his entire life—being overlooked, underestimated. It wasn’t new.
Leon, walking ahead, gnced at him. “Don’t pay attention to them,” he said casually.
“I’m not,” Aiden muttered.
Leon raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment further.
Truthfully, Aiden wasn’t paying full attention to anything—not to the whispers, not to the hallways they passed, not even to Leon’s words. His mind was still stuck on the fact that he was actually here. That he had actually been accepted.
A Protector.
He had been chasing this dream for years, yet now that he was here, it felt… unreal.
Aiden was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice Leon slowing down.
Until he walked straight into a wall.
With a dull thud, he stumbled back, rubbing his forehead. He blinked in confusion before turning to Leon, who was standing beside him with his arms crossed, an amused smirk on his face.
“You were daydreaming,” Leon said.
Aiden’s face heated up. “I—No, I wasn’t.”
Leon tilted his head. “Really? So you just like walking into walls for fun?”
Aiden sighed. “…Fine. Maybe a little.”
Leon chuckled and continued walking. Aiden followed, still rubbing his forehead.
As they moved through the estate, other Protectors passed by them. Unlike before, they weren’t whispering—they were bowing their heads slightly as they walked past Leon, showing a level of respect Aiden hadn’t seen before.
That’s when he realized something.
Leon wasn’t just a strong fighter—he was important.
“…Leon,” Aiden started hesitantly, “why is everyone greeting you like that?”
Leon gnced at him, then smirked. “Didn’t I tell you? I have the highest rank in the estate. I’m in the top five strongest Protectors.”
