Elsewhere, at midnight in Venua. The streetlights were dim, and the air was damp after the evening rain. Aurora ran in haste, her breath uneven. She had just managed to escape from Max’s mansion. All the guards who were usually strict were, for some reason, fast asleep that night, as if an invisible force had put them under. Even Zoza, who was usually always near the mansion, was nowhere to be seen. Aurora seized that chance. She ran, though she did not know where to go. Her steps carried her along the wet sidewalk, her nightgown fluttering in the night breeze. Her heart was filled with a turmoil of emotions she could not explain. “Why do I have to stay there?” she thought, biting her lip. “I am nobody. Max should not waste his time and energy on me.” Memories of Max spun in her mind. How he had saved her, given her a luxurious place to live, and even planned to enroll her in a music university. It was all too much. “Why is he so kind to me?” she whispered, her voice hoarse wit

Max listened with a serious gaze, his brow deeply furrowed. This was the first time he had heard about this matter so clearly. He raised his hand, signaling everyone in the room to be silent. “I am hearing about this for the first time,” he said, his voice heavy. “What kind of organization are you talking about? And how can this be considered an obligation? Explain it to me in detail.” The room fell completely silent. Some faces went pale, some lowered their eyes, and a few stared at Max cautiously. From the back row, an old man slowly stood up. His hair was white, but his eyes burned with fanatical certainty. He was Mr. Homus. “Chairman Max,” he said, emphasizing every word. “This is not new. For a hundred years, our ancestors, the founders of business empires in Vesula, have made agreements.” “It is a tradition passed down through generations. We did not create it, we only inherited it,” he continued. Max stared at him sharply. “Agreements with whom?” “With the unseen