Chapter 4 [ I take my comment back . This is the strongest female Ive ever seen ! ] [Shes so cute , but damn , shes fierce ! ] The males in the restaurant stayed frozen in place , unsure of what to do . Astraea , meanwhile , yelped in pain when Nyx gripped her wrist . Nyx released her , but Astraea wasnt done yet . She glared at Nyx and tried to kick her . 69 % Nyx dodged effortlessly . Astraeas foot swung through empty air , throwing her off balance , and she tumbled forward in a very ungraceful heap . By now , the livestreams viewership had skyrocketed , far surpassing the usual numbers for top streamers . The streamer , torn between fear and greed , kept filming despite the chaos . More viewers were drawn in by the commotion . What they saw completely surprised them . [ Am I hallucinating , or are two females really fighting ?! ] [ Thats not a fight . Its called self defense . ] [ But wasnt Astraea trying to hit Zayne first ? ] Zayne was a male , and in this society , males were at the bottom of the food chain . If a female hit a male , he had to take it . If he dared fight back , hed be slapped with assault charges and spend at least ten years in prison . Astraea , furious after her double humiliation , finally remembered she wasnt alone . She turned to her companions and shouted , Youre just gonna sit there and watch me get bullied ?! They were two secondary consorts Astraea had just taken , a pair of brothers . The two of them seemed awkward now and hesitated . As Astraeas consorts , they were supposed to defend her , to fight for her honor . But the person standing opposite Astraea was another female , a more petite and delicate female who radiated an air of vulnerability . Even if they were willing to risk the consequences of hitting a female , they couldnt bring themselves to raise a hand against Nyx . She looked too fragile , like she might break if they even tried . Seeing their hesitation , Astraea took a shaky breath and burst into tears . Nyx blinked , caught completely off guard . Honestly , this was the easiest fight shed ever been in . Shed never seen someone so high maintenance , so full of temper , and yet so utterly harmless . After a moments hesitation , Nyx pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it over to Astraea . It was one shed sewn herself with a little sunflower embroidered in the corner . Astraea snatched it without a word and wiped her face , glaring at Nyx between sniffles . Her pride was in shreds . 1/3 12:27 Sat , Feb 8 BBB . Chapter 4 Through her tears , Astraeas voice trembled with indignation . Unbelievable ! You hit me for a male ?! 69 % To Astraca , this was absurd . Females were meant to be above everything . Males , no matter their rank or status , were beneath them . And yet , that strange female sided with a male and humiliated her . Nyx raised a finger , her voice steady and firm . First of all , I didnt hit you . I just stopped you from hitting him . Second , everyone deserves dignity , and it has nothing to do with their gender . You feel humiliated because I stopped you , but how do you think Zayne wouldve felt if you slapped him in front of all these people ? Does he not deserve respect ? And third … Nyxs gaze turned sharp . To me , youre just a stranger . But Zayne is my family . If you try to hurt him in front . of me , of course Im going to protect him . Astraca froze , staring at Nyx . This small , delicate female had spoken with a confidence and presence that left her completely stunned . The livestream chat went wild , and the viewers went crazy . [ WHO IS SHE ?! I need her name ! ] [ Shes amazing ! Im obsessed !!! ] [ Of course Im going to protect him . Someone put that on repeat for me , please ! ] [ She says males deserve respect . Im so moved . ] [ I want her to call me family . I want her to protect me too . ] [ By the Beast God above , I swear Ill follow her in my lifetime . No other female will ever compare to her . ] The livestream chat was exploding with comments . Viewers practically wanted to crawl through their screens to confess their love to this incredible female . Meanwhile , Theon got a message from a friend . Only then did he know the livestream had a massive audience . His sharp eyes scanned the crowd and locked onto the streamer . He immediately gave that guy a cold , warning glare . Theon exchanged a quick glance with Zayne , and they both made the decision to get Nyx out of here . As they escorted her away , Astraea was now back with her consorts . She clutched the handkerchief tightly , staring at Nyxs retreating figure . For once , she didnt throw another tantrum . Inside the spacecraft , Zayne took the seat to Nyxs left . His gaze lingered on her profile , unable to look away . The image of her standing in front of him , shielding him , and those words she said to defend him replayed in his mind on an endless loop . His heart pounded relentlessly , like a drumbeat that refused to pause . Nyx could feel the weight of his stare , but she pretended not to notice . By nature , she was introverted , and now that the adrenaline had worn off , embarrassment started to creep in . At the restaurant , she acted on impulse , letting her emotions take over . But now , sitting quietly in the spacecraft , all she could think about was how over the top she must have looked . Her toes curled in her shoes as the awkwardness consumed her . After a few minutes of this unbearable tension , she finally couldnt hold back . She turned to Zayne and blurted , Why are you staring at me like that ? 9/3 12:27 Sat , red o Chapter 4 DD ] Zayne was silent for a moment . Then , instead of answering , he said something completely unexpected , Im an orphan . I grew up on H973 a Desolate Planet . After he struggled to leave that planet , he had never talked about his past with anyone . Nyx was the very first person to make him open his heart . Zayne continued , Desolate Planet is a place where resources have dried up . Most people leave if they can , but those who stay behind only face chaos . Crime , violence , and death are everywhere . Theres no future , no hope . Nyx tried to picture it . It was probably like some of Earths most dangerous regions , where even tourists risked losing their organs if they werent careful . Thats incredible , she said , her voice full of genuine admiration . You made it out of a place like that and became so excellent . Coming from a tough background herself , Nyx understood how much intelligence , determination , and sheer grit it took to claw ones way out of that kind of life . Hearing her compliment , Zayne smiled . It wasnt his usual polite , distant smile . This was different warmer and softer . His gold rimmed glasses , normally a shield that kept others from seeing the real him , couldnt hide the emotion in his eyes . It was like winter thawing into spring . For years , Zayne had carried the weight of his past alone . Hed fought tooth and nail to rise above it , enduring countless hardships and sneers from people who looked down on his origins . He had seen the ugliest sides of humanity , yet he never let it break him . Even though he treated females with the respect society demanded , deep down , he refused to submit to someone like Astraea . He wouldnt let himself be trampled on or used as a pawn in some petty power game . That was why he rejected Astraea and sought refuge in the military , choosing solitude over a life he couldnt respect . At first , his feelings toward Nyx were simple : he liked her and wanted to protect her . Agreeing to be her guardian hadnt been about romance or long term plans . But now , things were changing . For the first time , Zayne found himself wanting more . He wanted to stay by Nyxs side forever . Nyx , meanwhile , was growing increasingly nervous under his intense gaze . She thought , Hes not about to confess his feelings , is he ? Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!