The weight of Raphael’s declaration settled over the war room like a storm cloud—heavy, electric, suffocating. No one spoke. The low hum of machinery and the flickering glow of holograms were the only signs that time hadn’t frozen completely.

  Then—

  “Tch.”

  The sharp scoff cut through the silence like a blade.

  Alexander pushed himself up from his seat, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve with an air of detached boredom. His movements were slow, deliberate—meant to irritate.

  “This is a waste of my time.”

  All eyes snapped to him.

  Aiden’s gaze darkened, Elijah leaned forward as if ready to argue, but it was Raphael who spoke first.

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  Alexander paused near the door, turning just enough to glance over his shoulder. A smirk tugged at his lips, but his eyes held nothing but disinterest.

  “Do I look like I’m joking?”

  The amusement in his voice made Raphael’s irritation spike. “This isn’t some low-level op, Alex. The syndicate isn’t just a pack of street thugs. If they’re experimenting on rift energy, we could be walking into something far worse than we’ve seen before.”

  Alexander shrugged. “And? Still beneath me.”

  The casual dismissal sent a ripple of tension through the room. Elijah exhaled through his nose. Violet folded her arms, unimpressed. Victor shook his head, muttering something under his breath.

  “I don’t like repeating myself,” Alexander continued. “Find someone else to babysit the syndicate. I’ve got better things to do.”

  Raphael’s expression darkened. “You arrogant—”

  But Alexander was already leaving, his squad following without hesitation. The door slid shut with a quiet hiss.

  The silence left in his wake was razor-sharp.

  Violet was the first to break it, letting out a slow breath. “Well, that was predictable.”

  Victor ran a hand through his hair. “We don’t need him.”

  “We’ll handle it,” Aiden said, his voice steady, resolute.

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  Raphael sighed, rubbing his temples. “Yeah, yeah. Just irritating to watch him be so damn smug.”

  Victor gave a half-smirk. “Let it go. You know how he is. If it doesn’t entertain him, he’s out.”

  A beat passed before Violet shifted her focus to Zane. “Speaking of handling things.”

  Zane blinked as she stepped closer, her sharp gaze pinning him in place.

  “You’re still bouncing between melee and ranged, aren’t you?”

  Zane hesitated before nodding. “Yeah. Why?”

  Violet sighed. “You’re good, but you’re splitting your focus too much. You’re holding yourself back. If you want to maximize your potential, commit to melee. Stop clinging to old habits.”

  Zane frowned, but before he could respond, Victor clapped a hand on his shoulder. “She’s right. You’ve got the instincts for close combat. Stop hesitating.”

  Zane scoffed, but it lacked bite. “You guys always this pushy?”

  “Only when we’re right,” Violet said with a smirk before turning toward the door. “Speaking of, we’ve got our own mission. Try not to get into too much trouble while we’re gone.”

  Victor gave a lazy wave. “See you when we see you.”

  As they left, the tension in the room finally began to ease.

  But Rei wasn’t at ease.

  He exhaled slowly, trying to ground himself. His mind was still spinning—from the mission details, from Alex’s arrogance, from the sheer weight of everything pressing down on him.

  He needed air.

  He turned toward the door—but before he could leave, a quiet voice stopped him.

  “…Dad?”

  Rei froze mid-step.

  Daisy stood near the corner of the room, her usual reserved demeanor intact, but something softer flickered in her golden eyes.

  Raphael’s sharp expression dulled into something gentler. “Hey, kid.”

  A pause. Daisy shifted her weight, hesitating.

  “…You didn’t tell me you’d be here.”

  Raphael rubbed the back of his neck. “Didn’t think I had to.” A grin tugged at his lips. “You keeping out of trouble?”

  Daisy rolled her eyes. “No promises.”

  Raphael chuckled. Then—before she could retreat into silence—he reached out, ruffling her hair. “You’re doing good, Daisy. I’m proud of you.”

  Her eyes widened slightly before she looked away, muttering, “You’re annoying.”

  But Rei caught the small smile tugging at her lips.

  The moment passed, and Daisy stepped aside, letting Rei finally slip out of the war room.

  The hallway felt colder than before.

  His mind was a storm—thoughts of the mission, of Aiden’s resolve, of the way everything seemed to spiral faster than he could keep up with. He barely noticed his surroundings as he walked, lost in his own head.

  Until—

  Thud—

  He collided with someone.

  “Oi, watch where you’re going,” a voice snapped, irritated.

  Rei blinked, glancing up. A group of Espers stood before him, their gazes sharp, unimpressed—like wolves sizing up an easy target.

  One of them paused, then smirked.

  “Oh. You’re the new guy in Aiden’s squad, aren’t you?”

  Rei’s stomach clenched.

  The guy chuckled, shaking his head. “Man, I almost feel bad for you. Stuck with them?”

  Rei frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Oh, you don’t know?” The smirk widened. “You guys are a joke.”

  Something simmered beneath Rei’s skin.

  “Zane? A failed prodigy. What a waste.”

  Rei’s jaw tightened.

  “Andrei? A lazy genius who never lives up to his potential. Daisy? A coddled shut-in. Oliver? A cowardly nerd. Elissa? A naive rich girl playing hero. Casper? A graceless nobody. And Tessa?” A chuckle. “Thinks she’s tough just because she’s got a fancy sword.”

  Rei’s fists clenched.

  “And Aiden?” The smirk turned cruel. “Oh, you don’t know? He’s a murderer.”

  The words hit like a slap.

  Something inside Rei snapped.

  Before he could think, before he could stop himself—he moved.

  His fist slammed into the guy’s jaw.

  A sharp grunt. Stumbling footsteps.

  Then—chaos.

  They lunged. Hands grabbed at him, shoving, striking. Rei twisted, dodged, countered—his body moving on instinct.

  But he wasn’t just fighting them.

  He was fighting the doubt clawing at his chest.

  They were wrong.

  They had to be wrong.

  Then—

  “Enough.”

  Raphael’s voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

  The air shifted. The group froze.

  Raphael stepped forward, golden eyes burning with quiet authority.

  “Stand. Down.”

  The Espers hesitated, then backed off, muttering curses under their breath.

  Rei’s breath came fast, uneven. His fists still trembled.

  Raphael turned to him, eyes sharp but unreadable.

  “Calm down,” he ordered. “And forget whatever they said.” A pause. Then, quieter, “Don’t worry. They’ll be disciplined.”

  Rei swallowed hard. The anger didn’t vanish—it just settled, coiling tight in his chest.

  Raphael studied him for a long moment before exhaling. “Come on. The others are waiting.”

  Rei hesitated, his thoughts still spinning.

  But in the end, he forced himself to move, to follow.

  Even as the words still echoed in his mind.

  He’s a murderer.