The Apocalyptic Queen's Werewolf Journey Chapter 520: Pure Instinct

Thora lowered her gaze. It was a book.

It was the same book she had been reading when she first met Adrian—the one that had sparked their first conversation.

"Thank you." She accepted it and nodded politely.

After Valen finished speaking, he had nothing more to add.

Thora gave a salute and left the office.

Only after stepping outside the building did she stop and open the book in her hands.

She flipped through it casually, precisely opening to the page marked by a leaf bookmark. Strangely, the leaf seemed almost alive. It wouldn't wither or crumble.

Her thoughts drifted back to the library a month ago.

Thora had been searching the shelves for a book when her attention was drawn to Adrian by the window. She had never seen him so focused on something before and couldn't help but feel curious.

"Are you making a specimen?" she had asked.

"You could say that," Adrian replied calmly. As he spoke, he used tweezers to lift the leaf. Under the sunlight streaming through the window, the leaf became nearly transparent.

"Did you know? If you look at something from a different angle, you'll always discover things you couldn't see before."

Thora had withdrawn her gaze and responded flatly, "Maybe."

After that, they hadn't spoken again. She had quietly gone back to finding her book.

Now, returning to the present, Thora held the bookmark and raised it toward the sunlight.

A line of small words appeared clearly on the leaf. "What I said will always stand. For you."

Thora placed the bookmark back into the book. Her expression remained calm, betraying no emotion.

She tucked the book into her coat and walked in another direction.

Valen stood by the window and happened to catch sight of Thora's figure as she walked away. He tapped lightly against the desk.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was curious. Where would Adrian and Thora's future lead? A man like Adrian had been willing to stay for her for half a year. Could he really let go now?

In a place filled with the strongest of the strong, the bonds formed at the very top of the pyramid often had little to do with love. Maybe it was more like, "I was searching, and you just happened to exist." Or maybe it was mutual respect, an unspoken pull that made them want to draw closer.

In the end, the more extraordinary a person was, the only thing that could truly bind them together was each other's unique presence.

Adrian, Thora...

Valen shook his head. Whatever. He was just a teacher during their academy years. Why was he worrying about that?

...

When Thora found Tristan, he was standing outside a room with a troubled look.

"Boss, ever since this kid came back, he's locked himself in there. He won't talk to anyone, won't listen to anything, and refuses to eat! We had no choice but to knock him out and put him on nutrient IVs. With how skinny he's become, he would have collapsed from malnutrition by now."

Tristan frowned, glancing at the small boy slumped over the desk inside the room. "He was already in bad shape to begin with—severe malnutrition, mentally exhausted too. If this keeps up, he won't make it."

There was a trace of worry in his voice. No matter what, it was still a life. It was hard not to care.

"I understand. Go take care of your stuff," Thora said with a nod.

Tristan let out a quiet sigh. "Call me if you need anything, Boss." Then he turned and left.

Thora pushed the door open. It creaked, and a strip of light cut into the dim room

The child who had been slumped over the desk slowly lifted his head, blinking sleepily. Through his hazy vision, he saw a figure walking toward him.

He quickly rubbed his eyes. When he realized it was Thora, he jumped off the chair and rushed forward.

"Sir!"

Thora had barely stepped inside when a small pair of arms wrapped around her legs.

The grip was so light that she could easily shake him off with the slightest movement. But she didn't.

She looked down at Elmer and gently patted his head. Her cool voice softened more than usual. "What's wrong? I heard you wanted to see me."

Elmer tilted his head up, staring at her. His face was pale, his features sunken, his body so thin that it was almost just skin and bones. A child who should have looked delicate and bright now resembled a refugee.

He couldn't really explain why he wanted to see her.

After being torn away from everything familiar, the only thing that gave him any sense of security was the person who made him feel safe.

Children were the most sensitive and the most pure.

All he knew was that Thora made him feel steady and protected, like pure instinct.