“Enough games, Jack,” Reynald said, his voice authoritative as he stopped within a few distance in front of Jack. “You’re going to answer me this time.”Jack’s laugh echoed in the chamber, its sound sharp and hollow. “Answer? But I thought you liked riddles.” He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, taunting Reynald more. “Isn’t that why you came crawling back?”But Reynald knew better, so he ignored the bait.Charlie had given him a warning earlier, and he was planning to put it up in their entire conversation with Jack.However, he was aware that it could be challenging.“Card Elite wasn’t acting alone, and you’ve confirmed it to me before.”He pulled a folded report from his coat and tossed it in front of Jack.The papers slid across the stone floor until they stopped at Jack’s feet. “The ambush reports coordination point, signals routed through nodes far outside Colossia, which is something I’ve known recently,”Reynald gritted his teeth, doing his best to control his emotions.

The words hit harder than a blade. Reynald straightened, his jaw clenching. “You think I mean her harm?” His voice deepened, carrying both offense and defense. “Oliver, open your eyes. The battles we’ve fought, the enemies lurking in the dark, you know this world is preparing for something worse.”He looked at Anastasia, who suddenly hid behind Oliver. For some reason, she was afraid of him.“Your child could be the key to victory,” he added. “If you stand in the way, you endanger not only her, but everyone.”Oliver’s reply was steady, deadly calm. “She’s not a weapon. She’s my daughter,” Oliver replied, his tone steady yet deadly calm. “The day you start seeing her as anything else is the day you become no different from Jack and everyone else.”The comparison was like a knife, causing Reynald to stiffen.His hands clenched into fists as memories of Jack’s twisted experiments were pictured in his mind, remembering all the things they had gotten from the Card Elite.“Don’t compare

Jack lifted his head, a twisted grin tugging at his lips. Even bruised and pale, his eyes gleamed with insolence, wanting to taunt Reynald more.“Ah, so you’re planning to experiment with me, then.” His smirk widened. “But… Are you sure? Is this really for Colossia… or for the little grave you still visit at night?”The silence filled the room as Reynald didn’t answer.This time, he had the upper hand. That’s what he kept on telling himself.“You’re trying to anger me again,” It wasn’t a question, but a statement from Reynald. “Why? So you could read my mind again?”Upon hearing those words, the side of Jack’s lips rose.“Well, only if you let me,” Jack admitted as he clicked his tongue. “I wonder if you find any other valuable information. You know, you’re making my job easier for me.”Reynald didn’t answer him. Instead, he raised a small black case from the table.Slowly, he opened, revealing a device of sharp metal arcs and a glass core pulsing faintly with light.Recognition flic

For a long moment, Reynald’s hands remained clenched into fists on the desk while he pondered carefully.His nails buried into his skin until it hurt, but it grounded him. It pulled him away from the boiling rage that threatened to spill over, which could cause him to make decisions that he would regret later on.Reynald had given his warning, sworn that Zerenette’s death would not be forgotten, but Nicholas had only laughed, mocking, calm, and unshaken.‘He thinks Lakovia can be broken. He thinks I will bend,’ he thought. ‘But I won’t.’As he rose abruptly, the leather of the chair creaking behind him, Reynald looked at his reflection in the darkened window.“I am Reynald Lakovia,” he muttered, his voice laced with authority. “I am the ruler of Colossia, and I won’t let anyone just underestimate me like this.”At the same time, Reynald noticed how his face changed because of investigating further about this.The dark circles were too visible now, and his eyes burned with a fire he k

A young girl jogged toward them, wiping the dirt from her hands.She helped earlier in planting new crops, and she looked somewhat dirty because of the soil, but Oliver and Maria didn't mind it.“Set.” Maria smiled, then lightly messed with Set’s hair. “Oliver is here. Won’t you greet him?”Upon hearing those words, Set looked to the side and saw Oliver looking at her.“Hello there, Oliver,” she greeted, her lips curving in a wide smile.Oliver only nodded in response. “You’ve grown up. A few years ago, you were this tiny.”He even placed his hand, lower than his waist, as if saying that Set’s height is just like that.Set’s brows furrowed because of that. “I’m not that small!”“Yeah, you’re not,” Oliver answered, but the sarcasm was evident in his tone.“Tch,” Set snorted and rolled her eyes.Then, she looked at Maria, her expression lightening up.“I’ll just go to the storage for this, Maria,” she said, lifting her left hand, showing some of the crops she had already harvested. “I’m