His phone?!
No.
Absolutely not.
He couldn't let Ivan touch it. That little device could reveal everything in an instant and ruin him.
Hidden inside were the pictures he had taken while disguised as a girl, ones he sent to Ivan.
Even if Ivan had no intention of digging through his gallery, Axel knew exactly why he wanted that phone. He wanted to call her.. the girl he had just talked about.. the one who had blocked him.
But that girl wasn't real. That girl was standing right Infront of him.
Just at that moment did Axel realize that there were too many cracks in his disguise, too many ways Ivan could piece things together, even without a face to compare.
"I... I want to speak to my parents. I was just about to call them right now," Axel blurted out suddenly, the words tumbling from his lips without thought. He was already edging back toward the door, desperate to put space between them. "Excuse me," he added, reaching for the handle.
But he never got the chance because a strong hand closed around his wrist, stopping him cold.
"I just need it for a sec..." Ivan began, but the words died on his tongue. He froze, his expression faltering, eyes widening as though he too felt the surge, the invisible current that flared between them.
The contact burned. Heat surged from that single point of touch, racing up Axel's arm, spreading through his body until it consumed every inch of him.
His breath stuttered, his knees weakened under the strange weight of it.
The moment stretched, thick with something Axel couldn't name, until he found the strength to rip his hand free, his voice breaking as he stammered, "What is wrong with you? I just told you I'm going to call my parents. I don't have to give it to you if I don't want to."
His chest heaved, words trembling with nerves he couldn't suppress. Ivan didn't answer. He just stared.. hard, as if he were trying to peel away Axel's layers and glimpse whatever truth was buried beneath.
Finally, Ivan spoke. "By any chance… do you have a sister called Chloe?"
The name hit Axel like a strike to the ribs.
Chloe.
The very name he had lied about. The fake identity he had created. Hearing it fall from Ivan's lips in that tone.. low, strained, too close to knowing,.. sent a wave of cold shock through him.
For a fleeting second he wondered if Ivan had already pieced it all together, if the dots between the two faces were finally connecting inside his mind.
But Axel forced calm into his voice, no matter how restless his body felt. "No," he said evenly. "I'm the first born and the last born. You won't rest until you know everything about me, will you? I told you, I'm not interested in making friends."
Ivan narrowed his eyes. "Why are you panicking right now?"
The question was a knife, slicing into Axel's composure. His throat tightened, pulse hammering in his ears. Could Ivan really tell? Could he see it in him so clearly?
As if reading his thoughts, Ivan continued, his voice rougher now. "I've been feeling it from you since the moment you walked into that office. And right now, I don't even know why I'm feeling things from you like it's any of my business! This whole..."
"Panicking?" Axel cut in quickly, desperate to take back control. "That comes with my health issue I talked about. And you… feeling it... it's not my business. I don't know why. You know yourself better, while I have no idea who you even are."
Silence fell, heavy and suffocating.
Ivan didn't argue. Instead, he turned away, walking slowly back to his bed. He sat down, elbows on his knees, rubbing his face with both palms.
For a long moment he stayed like that, bent under an invisible weight. His shoulders shifted, tense like he was trying to hold himself together but slowly fracturing beneath the strain.
And Axel saw it. He saw the cracks. The unraveling. The way Ivan looked like he was fighting a storm inside and barely holding the walls up around it.
The sight ached in Axel's chest. But even so, he slipped out the door.
The air felt thin, each inhale shallow as he tried to steady himself. His thoughts crashed into each other, jagged and relentless, refusing to slow down.
He didn't know what to tackle before the other...
Ivan could feel him. Not just see or hear... He could feel his emotions.
That could only mean one thing: a connection, a deep connection between.
And then there was the other truth. The lie. The fake relationship he had built brick by brick, the mask that had drawn Ivan in and now suffocated them both.
He knew it was driving Ivan to the edge, unraveling him piece by piece. And it was his fault he did that to him.
For a second he could not believe that Ivan actually fell in love as much.
How could they have fallen so completely for each other without ever meeting face-to-face? How had something born from a game grown so consuming?
He stumbled out of the dorm, his steps carrying him without thought. His feet dragged him toward what seemed like a tuition area, though he barely noticed the path. He needed distraction. But his mind wouldn't let go.
"What if Ivan is only consumed by this because he hasn't found his mate yet?" Axel muttered aloud, his voice hoarse. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands. "What if he's convinced that the online lover is his mate and now he won't let go?
What did I do?!"
The words echoed back at him, hollow and sharp.
Maybe there was only one way to stop this spiral. Maybe Ivan was right. Maybe Axel owed him a proper explanation as to why they had to end the relationship.
Closer.
Without allowing himself more time to hesitate, he pulled out his phone. His thumb hovered over the screen, he typed Ivan's number.. it burned in his memory like it had been carved there. He saved it then scrolled through, found the block list.
His hand shook as he tapped.
Unblock.