Suddenly, the mystery behind Kallen’s disappearance made far more sense. A boy vanishing under the noses of multiple Saints with not a single clue, had never made any sense.
And now, a disturbing pattern was erging.
"I think I might know sothing..." Hamada murmured after a pause.
"...He reminds of Luther. Their auras... they feel the sa."
"Luther?" Selene asked, her brow furrowing.
Hamada gave her a slow, knowing look.
"I think Callista sensed it too. That might explain why she reacted the way she did," he added with a wry smile.
Odd, that he could smile. But they let him... He was a man... and more than that, a Saint. If this was how he chose to mask his grief, as well as his... sha, so be it.
His guess was quite far-fetched, perhaps even desperate, but the others couldn’t deny it outright.
At least three of them, aside from Sixtus, the old foggie among them, felt a kernel of truth in his words.
Although not as close enough as he did, they too... knew Luther.
However, Azarel was lost in his own thoughts.
’Luther...? No... He reminds more of Lucien. What the hell is going on...?’ he frowned.
----
Luiz streaked through the skies, speed-blitzing the air with the ship at full throttle.
It would take him roughly ten minutes to cross the distance from the sea that acted as Xenith-Ash border, to Crimson City nestled deep in the heart of Xenith.
He could go faster on his own... if he pushed himself to his limits, used every skill and burst of dynamis, but by the ti he crossed that distance, he’d be completely spent.
Only Saints could traverse such a vast range in seconds... and not even break a sweat.
Tension coiled in his chest as the ship soared forward, the hum of its engines drowned out by the urgency in his mind.
Then, a transmission ca through.
"It failed. The Valgorians have already made their stance..."
"Although I’m not sure if it’s just to get under our skin, Thalos Avalon did suggest they might have Kallen...
Silas’ voice ca through, sharp and quite monotonous.
A pause followed, before he continued
"We’re already heading back to the border. It is imperative the attack is launched now, because I believe we’re being followed. We’re safe, you don’t need to worry about us." The transmission ended.
Luiz sat in silence, deliberating.
Launching an attack on Ash while Hamada, his father-in-law was away, felt wrong.
The plan had always been to strike if the "negotiations" failed, even with Hamada present. But now that he was absent, it felt like a betrayal. A calculated exploitation of the fact that no Saint currently protected Ash.
But... What if they really had Kallen?
That thought gripped him harder than all the rest. His fists clenched, and his heart beat loud in his ears.
However, he felt a sudden jolt of revolt coming from deep within his soul. How was he still hesitating? This was his son!
He took a breath, hardened his expression, and began punching in the command to authorize the assault, when another transmission ca through.
Silas again.
"And before you start worrying about falling out with Saint Hamada... this is a battle between Fourth Ascension ascendents and below."
"There’s nothing to hold against us as there are no Saints involved. They have their own Fourth Ascension forces. If they can’t defend against us, they have only themselves to bla."
Luiz couldn’t help but let out a small, wry smile.
Once again, Silas had read him like an open book. But he didn’t mind. Silas had always done that. And more often than not, it had saved him from hesitation.
Still... This ti, Luiz felt Silas hadn’t even needed to say anything.
He wasn’t a fool, and he knew what needed to be done. The fact that he even hesitated at all, made him feel stupid.
He took a deep breath, and hit send on the command ge already punched.
[LAUNCH ATTACK!]
---
Large ships moved stealthily through the air, having received direct command from Luiz.
Marcus wore an expressionless visage, while Karrie still seed out of it. She was better now though... more wistful and somber than lost in thought unlike before.
As they flew overhead, smaller ships sward around them, cutting through the atmosphere at high speeds.
"Snap out of it," Marcus said without even glancing at her.
Karrie shot him a cold look but said nothing.
She shook her head and sighed. He didn’t understand her situation—he couldn’t, really.
"It’s no big deal," Marcus continued. "So what if he left? The fact that you can still get this attached at your level... that you let sentint chain your mind, baffles ."
His words were biting, but this ti, she couldn’t even muster the will to respond.
When she didn’t take the bait, Marcus gritted his teeth.
"Cat got your tongue? Can’t even mount a defense? Just proves I’m right... Not like I’m ever wrong anyway." He glanced at her side profile and, seeing her still distant expression, snickered.
"Tch... Now I’m starting to believe your Will was poisoned by his," he muttered.
"You dare?!" she suddenly snarled.
"Did I hit a nerve?" Marcus scoffed. "Heavens, who knew I’d be so right."
"I dare you to say that again!" she bellowed, her aura flaring, barely contained.
He eyed her with disdain. "Or what? What exactly could you do? Your mind’s clearly been enslaved."
Karrie saw red. A dagger appeared in her hand, and without hesitation, she ramd it into his chest. Blood spattered across both of them.
"You don’t know anything!" she scread. "Lucien has no control over , no one does! No one can! But for all your so-called intelligence, you can’t even see the full picture. Are you that stupid? Or blind?!"
"Can’t you see Lucien is the most likely suspect behind Kallen’s disappearance?!"
That was what had been haunting her. Lucien was too cunning—his thoughts unreadable. It was what drew her to him, even made her marry him despite Luiz’s disapproval. But that sa mysterious nature... it sotis scared her.
More and more, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Lucien was up to sothing—sothing insidious. Considering how he’d treated Kallen, both in the light and the way he talked about him behind close doors, she feared she’d always known.
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