Lunar Legacy: Rise Of The Beastlord
Chapter 103: Friendly spar

Chapter 103: Friendly spar

The room froze.

Cassandra stood by the doorway, her chest gently rising and falling from her jog, her cheeks flushed with exertion—and something else. Her violet eyes were locked on the two of them, hands still clasped in a handshake.

"What deal?" she asked again, but her tone this time was lower, colder.

Penelope hesitated for a split second, then forced a calm smile as she stepped forward.

"Sweetheart, Jayden’s going to be your new bodyguard," she said softly, her voice laced with hopeful pride. "He accepted the offer. Isn’t that wonderful?"

Cassandra blinked once. Then again.

Silence.

Then she let out a short, sharp breath through her nose—something between a scoff and a laugh.

"You’re kidding, right?"

Penelope’s smile faltered. "No, I’m serious. I thought it was a good idea—"

"A good idea? Wait, how long have you been planning this?" Cassandra snapped, her voice rising. Her brows drew together, and her fists clenched at her sides. "Mum, I’ve told you countless times that I don’t want a damn bodyguard."

Jayden took a small step forward, concern dawning on his face. "Cassandra, I thought—"

"You thought what, Jayden?" she spun on him. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was sharp enough to cut glass. "That I’d be happy? That I’d throw myself into your arms like ’Yay! My friend’s babysitting me now’?"

Jayden’s lips parted to respond, but she didn’t give him the chance.

"You didn’t even say anything at the gate. You just let me stand there, smiling at you like an idiot while you were keeping this from me." Her voice cracked slightly at the end, and she immediately turned away, swallowing whatever emotion was fighting to come out.

Penelope stepped forward, worried. "Cassie, please. Listen to me—"

But Cassandra raised her hand. "No. No, I’m done listening. I’m tired of being treated like a child. You keep making decisions for me like I don’t exist, like I don’t have a voice."

Penelope’s eyes widened. "That’s not true. I did this for you. Because I care—"

"No, you did it because you don’t trust me." Cassandra’s voice was soft now, trembling. "You think I’m weak. You think I’ll break if you let me live my life. Well, sorry mum.. but I’m already broken."

That was it. Without waiting for a response, Cassandra turned on her heel and stormed up the stairs, her footsteps thundering against the marble floor. Her hair whipped behind her like a violet flame, and the echo of her slammed door rang like a slap through the room.

Silence fell like a curtain.

Penelope stood motionless, her shoulders visibly sinking, the air heavy around her. Her fingers tightened slightly around the teacup she hadn’t realized she’d still been holding. She turned away from the stairs, slowly lowering herself onto the couch as if her strength had been yanked out of her.

"I really thought she’d be excited," she whispered, more to herself than to Jayden. "She looked up to you. She... she smiled differently when you were around. I just wanted her to find her spark again..."

Jayden watched her for a moment. He could see it—the guilt blooming behind her eyes like stormclouds, the weight in her voice as she quietly sipped disappointment like bitter tea.

He walked over and crouched beside her seat, lowering himself to eye-level.

"Hey," he said gently. "You did what you thought was best. And I know you love her—you just want her to be safe. There’s nothing wrong with that."

Penelope gave a weak chuckle, brushing her hair behind her ear. "She thinks I don’t trust her."

"Then let me fix it," Jayden said, his voice firmer now, filled with quiet conviction. "She’s angry right now. Hurt. But I’ll talk to her. She might not trust the decision.. but i can get her to loosen up."

Penelope stared at him for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Thank you, Jayden."

He smiled. "We’ve got this. Okay?"

She nodded again, this time with a little more confidence. The same smile from before peeked through—tired, but grateful.

Jayden stood, cast one more glance at the stairs, and then turned toward the hallway, heading out of the house.

....

Jayden stood under the soft, golden haze of a streetlamp, a paper bag in hand as he stepped out of the small convenience store tucked at the edge of the neighborhood. The city was glowing in warm dusk—streets humming gently, leaves dancing in the breeze. And in his hands, wrapped in red foil and sealed with a ribbon, was a box of Belgian dark chocolate truffles.

He took a deep breath and headed back, his expression unreadable—but determined.

Back at the Isley estate, he moved quietly up the stairs and to Cassandra’s door. The house had quieted. He reached the door, rested his back gently against it, and exhaled.

"Cassie." His voice was soft, but it carried a weight of worry.

From inside came a sharp voice, brittle with emotion. "Leave me alone!"

Jayden didn’t flinch. He leaned his head gently against the door, still calm. "Cassie, please let me in. I know I screwed up. I know you don’t trust me right now. But I just wanna talk."

"I don’t." Her reply came cold, final. But beneath it... was pain.

Jayden sighed and glanced at the box in his hand. He raised his voice just slightly.

"Alright then. Guess I’ll just eat this entire box of chocolate by myself. Shame, really. I was gonna share."

There was a pause.

"What do you think I am... five?" she snapped. "I have tons of chocolate in my room. What makes yours so special?"

Jayden chuckled softly, tapping the box.

"Well, mine comes with an apology, a heartfelt confession, and a hint of desperation."

He leaned in again, his voice gentler.

"Look... you can shut the door on me. You can shut me out forever if that’s what you want. But just let me say one thing. One thing, and I’ll walk away, no questions."

There was silence behind the door.

He took that as permission.

"Is it really so bad... me being your bodyguard?" he said. "I mean, sure, you don’t like being protected. But for me... it’s not just some job. It’s a win."

A beat passed. Then, Cassandra finally spoke.

"A win?" she echoed, quieter now.

Jayden smiled. "Yeah. ’Cause I get to spend more time with a beautiful girl."

Silence.

And then a tiny shuffle. Something thumped softly.. like someone had bumped against the bedframe.

"That’s... lame," came her faint reply. But her voice had lost its edge.

Jayden leaned his shoulder into the door.

"Alright then. How about this... let’s make a deal." He smirked. "We’ll have a friendly spar. And if I win, you let me be your bodyguard. If I lose... you get to decide for yourself. No hard feelings."

There was a pause. A long one.

Jayden started to wonder if she’d fallen asleep.

Then—click.

The door creaked open.

And standing there was Cassandra, now wearing a hoodie over her top, hair slightly tousled, with a subtle blush on her cheeks—and a sly, confident smirk on her lips.

"You’re on."

She stepped out, arms crossed playfully. "But don’t expect me to go easy on you."

Jayden smiled, eyes lighting up. "Wouldn’t dream of it. So, do you have an arena we could use? The garden maybe?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I’ve got a better idea."

She turned on her heel and walked past him, her joggers swaying with each step, motioning for him to follow.

Jayden blinked. But he followed anyways.