9. Axel

Axel is moved from a sensory-depriving cell to an opulent shower, where, delirious with bloodlust, he mistakes water for blood. Bree appears, amused and in control, urging him to clean up and join her. Axel struggles through basic tasks as the craving overrides pain, hunger, and focus.

Escorted by Mansel to a high balcony above the Underground, Axel ignores food and seizes small portions of blood provided by Julius. The scant relief sharpens his need. Bree speaks of the Underground’s history with Legacies and flatters, then undercuts, Axel’s sense of identity, positioning herself as a visionary who sees his potential.

When Julius brings a bleeding Fae, Axel lunges, but Bree crushes him to his knees by the throat, using his weakness to teach that bloodlust eclipses all else. She drinks from the Fae herself, forcing Axel to watch, then withdraws the temptation, leaving him desperate and compliant.

Probing his fixation, Bree coaxes a description of the woman Axel craves—black curls, warm skin, golden eyes, a taste like fire—then promises to find her. She assures Axel he won’t return to the dark and will receive what he needs, so long as he repays her when asked, tightening her leverage over him.