Axel sneered at Maeve, then shifted his gaze to Starlight, who stood frozen by the door.
A quiet chuckle left his lips.
"Are you really going to walk out, Starlight?"
He clapped his hands once, almost lazily, then gestured toward the others in the room.
"You said it yourself, you are just a girl from New Jersey. Meanwhile, we are household names.
So tell me, if you walk out that door, what do you think happens next? Do you think you expose me and destroy all of us? Or do you quietly disappear, hoping no one notices?"
His tone turned colder.
"No. The moment you walk out, you lose everything.
We are the authority here. One voice against many, who do you think people will believe?"
He waved a hand dismissively.
"You think rejecting me makes you righteous? That it keeps you pure?
Wrong. The story that gets told will not be yours. It will be ours.
You will be painted as the one who crossed the line. Every one of them will back it up."
He pointed at her, his eyes sharp.
"Your mother will hear it. Your friends will hear it. Everything you worked for will collapse, and whatever future you imagined will disappear with it."
Axel let out a short laugh and clapped again, slow and mocking.
"You worked hard to get here. You are one step away.
All it takes is a simple choice, and everything falls into place. Fame, recognition, pride for your family.
Refuse, and you lose all of it."
He leaned back slightly, gesturing around the room again.
"One person against a group. That is the reality."
His voice dropped.
"So think carefully. Are you opening that door and throwing away your past and future… or are you staying right where you belong?"
Tears streamed down Starlight's face. Her hand trembled on the doorknob, but she could not bring herself to move.
Maeve stepped forward again, unable to stay silent.
"Axel… if this is what you want, then I will take her place. Just let her go. She does not understand any of this yet…"
"I told you to stop."
Axel cut her off sharply and shoved her away.
Maeve hit the ground and pushed herself back up, her expression filled with frustration and helplessness as she looked at Starlight.
At that moment, Translucent stood up and hurried over to the door.
"That is enough," he snapped, grabbing Starlight's arm. "Stop acting like this. Just do what you are told."
"No… please…"
She struggled weakly, but he dragged her forward anyway.
"Do not test your luck," Translucent continued, his voice tense. "You have no idea who you are dealing with."
He forced her down in front of Axel.
Starlight collapsed to her knees, her vision blurred with tears.
Translucent stepped back, glancing at Axel with a strained, eager expression, as if waiting for approval.
Axel said nothing.
Starlight's hands trembled as she raised them slightly, her breathing uneven, her composure completely shattered.
Then, just as her hands moved closer, Axel reached out and stopped her.
He lightly held her wrist.
"You disappoint me, Starlight."
She froze.
"I… I do not know what to do… please, I…"
Axel released her hand and gave her shoulder a brief pat.
"That is not the problem."
She looked up at him, stunned.
"This is not some villain's hideout," he continued. "This is The Seven's meeting room.
Everyone here is supposed to be a hero."
His gaze swept across the room, lingering briefly on Translucent, who stiffened under it.
Axel looked back at Starlight.
"This was your first lesson."
He spoke evenly now.
"If you cannot stand your ground when something is wrong, then what right do you have to call yourself a hero?
If even you give in, what do you expect from the people who look up to you?"
Starlight's breathing hitched.
"What you faced just now is nothing special. Things like this happen everywhere, all the time.
If you cannot face something like this, then what happens when it matters more?"
He rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Heroes are not defined by power. They are defined by what they refuse to accept."
Her eyes shook as she processed his words.
"If everyone chooses the easy way out, then everything collapses. Not just individuals, but the system itself."
He gave her shoulder a light pat.
"So tell me, should you really be proud of giving in?"
"I… I am sorry…"
She broke down completely, covering her face as she cried.
"I was scared… I am sorry…"
Axel exhaled quietly, then gave her back a brief pat.
"It is your first day. You are not expected to get everything right."
He gestured toward Maeve.
"Maeve, help her."
Maeve stepped forward immediately and pulled Starlight into her arms.
Axel watched for a moment, then shifted his attention elsewhere.
"I do not remember asking for anyone to improvise," he said.
His eyes locked onto Translucent.
The man's face went pale, his breathing uneven.
"I… I was just trying to help…"
"Did I ask for help?"
Axel's voice cut through him.
Silence filled the room.
"You are out of The Seven," Axel continued coldly. "Go bring A-Train."
Translucent froze.
"Please, just give me another chance, I…"
"Get out."
There was no room for argument.
Axel kicked him aside without hesitation.
Translucent steadied himself, his expression hollow, then turned and left the room without another word.
The door closed behind him, leaving the room in heavy silence.