Lily’s smile was faint as she did her best to comfort Leo. He was far too gentle for his own good. He was kind and caring, being there when they needed him.
Now it was their time to be there for him. Adam was the next one to approach, and reaching out he turned off the water.
Adam’s hand lingered on the knob for a moment as the water slowed to a stop. The sudden silence felt heavy in the air, broken only by the sound of their breathing.
"Enough," Adam said quietly, his voice calm but firm. "You’ll freeze if you keep this up."
Leo didn’t look at him, his shoulders still hunched as the cold clung to him. Without the water, the chill in his soaked clothes seemed sharper, almost biting.
Adam crouched in front of him, meeting his eyes with a steady gaze. "We can’t change what happened. But we can carry it together. You’re not alone in this."
Luna shifted slightly, still holding Leo close as if refusing to give him the chance to slip away from her warmth. Rachel’s hand remained on his shoulder, solid and unwavering. Lily’s expression softened, her earlier words still hanging in the air.
Slowly, as if each movement weighed him down, Leo nodded. He wasn’t sure if he believed them yet, but for the first time since the memories had hit him, he felt the faintest thread of something that wasn’t despair.
"Besides. I’m pretty sure that each of us had at least one fucked up thing happen to us while we were apart."
Luna glanced back at Adam with a questioning glare. He floated a wry but tired smile as he shrugged back at her.
"Yeah. Lily killed people apparently. Like a lot. Could smell it from outside her house honestly."
Lily narrowed her own gaze at him as if to ask was that part really necessary to say.
"While I became acting CEO of Samael Pharmaceuticals....As in the company is mine...for now."
Everyone but Greg’s eyes went wide in shock. After the incident with Elise, everyone was made aware of Adam’s goal. Him becoming CEO was pretty much the exact opposite of his goal.
Luna’s eyes went wide, her mouth opening slightly in disbelief. "Wait, what? You’re the CEO now?"
Lily’s gaze sharpened, her voice low and incredulous. "You... took over Samael Pharmaceuticals?"
Rachel stared at Adam, shock plain on her face. "That’s... unexpected. Especially after everything with Elise."
Adam gave a tired shrug, a bitter smile touching his lips. "Yeah. Life’s full of surprises. Doesn’t always go the way we plan. But right now I can do more to help people the way I am now, right?"
Leo’s brow furrowed, trying to process the revelation along with the rest of them. The weight in his chest shifted again, this time with confusion and some gratitude.
Was it because of him that Adam had shown some kind of change? He who wanted nothing more than to destroy his family’ company was now willing to use it to help people.
Leo blinked slowly, the news settling in like a strange new weight. The man who had once carried nothing but rage and bitterness toward his family now stood before them as their unexpected leader.
Luna swallowed hard, still trying to wrap her mind around the change. "I never thought I’d see the day."
Adam shrugged again with a small smirk this time.
"Don’t get used to this. Im only the one who passes final decisions now. All plans going forward though will be settled by our fearless leader though."
Leo blinked, a tired smile tugging at the corner of his lips despite the heaviness in his chest. Luna let out a soft laugh, the tension in the room easing just a little.
Rachel raised an eyebrow, clearly intent on easing the tension further "Oh? You’ve been a CEO for all of 5 minutes and you are already looking to pawn off your work onto others?"
"Damn Straight I am!"
Adam chuckled, the sound rough but genuine. "Look, someone’s got to keep this train moving, and I’m trusting Leo to steer it." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝕟𝕖𝕥
Leo shifted uncomfortably but didn’t protest. The others exchanged glances, the weight of their shared burdens suddenly feeling a little lighter with this unexpected moment of levity.
Luna smiled softly, still holding Leo close. "Well, boss, we’ve got your back."
Leo noticed that despite Luna’s soft smile, she felt incredibly awkward about calling him ’Boss’ and so did he. It just felt wrong.
Rachel nodded in agreement. "No matter what comes next, we face it together."
Leo let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. For the first time in days, a small spark of hope flickered inside him. Maybe, just maybe, they could all heal—together.
Just as he was about to stand up, 4 concurrent chimes rang out.
[Player Leo has reached 20% with the Following Zodiac Bonds: Rabbit, Tiger, Snake, Monkey.]
[As a result, Additional Buffs and Skills shall be applied.]
[By reaching 20% Bond with 4 of the 12 Zodiacs. An additional Bonus shall be activated]
[Bonus Applied: Authority of Negation]
Leo froze as the chimes echoed through the room, their clear tones cutting through the lingering tension. His heart skipped a beat, the words flashing before his eyes like a message from fate itself.
He glanced at the others, their expressions a mix of curiosity and cautious hope.
Rachel’s eyes sparkled with interest. "Authority of Negation... sounds powerful."
Adam’s gaze sharpened. "Bonus skills now of all times? Something big might happen soon."
Leo swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the moment settle over him once again. The others were counting on him, and now the system itself was marking him as someone who had grown beyond the rest.
He met Luna’s steady gaze, then Lily’s calm one. They all waited, silently offering their support.
Leo finally nodded, a quiet determination rising inside him thanks to the support of his friends
"Then let’s see where this goes."