The crowd went dead quiet, not a single sound could be heard... Except for the snickering sounds made by Seth, credit had to be given to him, it really was growing harder to keep a straight face. People began to whisper. “What?!”“You mean… it really was fake?!”Eyes darted from Gabriel's gaze, even the security men straightened up, everyone was as tense as they could be. Except, of course, for Seth who popped another candied grape into his mouth and watched the man's arrival.Master Gabriel’s gaze slid to him sharply."You," he said smoothly. "You’ve been quite the... entertainer tonight."Seth raised an eyebrow, staring the man down, popped another candy in his mouth then looked away from Mr. Gabriel with disinterest."I try," Seth said, voice casual. "Some of us were born to be beautiful, others to be funny. I’m both, tragically."The guests gasped loudly, someone actually dropped their glass of wine, even the floor staff nearly passed out. But Mr. Gabriel didn’t react. He wasn’t

The chaos eventually cooled into a satisfied silence. Guests sat again in their seats, fanning themselves with leftover catalogs, whispering with renewed energy like they'd just witnessed such a life altering moment in the history of the Velkor City.Mr. Gabriel was gone, order had returned. And Seth, a mysterious man with more wit than he looked stood at the heart of it all, completely unscratched, unbothered, and somehow even more interesting.And when they approached him, wanting to learn of his identity, perhaps his sponsor, that’s when Seth dropped another lie.“Oh, I’m just an archaeology student,” he said with a shrug, standing beside Rose as if she was his guide to the event, which in fact, she was.“Bit of a hobbyist, really. Watched too many antique documentaries and got obsessed with spotting forgeries.”He added a bashful smile for good measure. A kind warmly smile that disenchanted them all. After all, Seth was without a doubt a handsome man. Perhaps one of the most hands

The Tyrel Family estate was lit up like a divine palace. Red lights shone gently in the vast expanse of the Banquet Hall, long silk banners swept across the marble pillars, and the scent of lotus wine mixed with roasted duck drifted in every direction. This was no simple party, this was Mr. Mason Tyrel's birthday banquet. And every important soul in Velkor City was present.Rennard stood at the center of the banquet hall like he owned it.No, worse, like the entire hall had been built just for this moment. He adjusted the emerald clasp on his luxurious white robes, and gave a warm smile.“Mr. Mason Tyrel,” he began, his voice full of honey."It is an honor few are worthy of, to celebrate the birthday of a man so respected, his shadow alone brings dignity to an entire city.”The crowd clapped politely. A few smiled, while most rolled their eyes behind their cups.Rennard didn’t notice, of course. He was too busy gesturing toward the two servants that walked forward, carefully holding a

Seth's eyes darted back to Rose and then to General Cane, he smirked wickedly while he observed her body language, she couldn't stop staring at General Cane and yet she tried looking away, not wanting anyone to notice this.He then turned his attention to General Cane, he was tall, with broad shoulders, dressed in a crisp military uniform, medals shining as they hung in a row on his chest. He walked like a man who had never lost a battle and never planned to.General Cane.Seth narrowed his eyes slightly. So this was the legend, the hero of the border wars, the man who allegedly survived five assassination attempts in one year and disrupted three coups in three states all by himself. And judging from the way Rose looked at him from across the room with her eyes guarded, but also vulnerable, he was something more.'Interesting...'Rose's expression shifted the moment her gaze caught Seth’s. She stiffened, mouthed something that sounded like 'behave yourself' then quickly turned away.S

The Tyrel estate was quiet when Seth stepped outside. His hands, deep in his pockets, and he looked every bit the picture of idle boredom, but his brain was already spinning gears too fast for most to follow. Rose’s outburst. General Cane’s suspicion. The increasing tension around Velkor City. It all smelled like something was about to break.And it didn’t help that his comm link buzzed in his pocket like a very rude wasp.He clicked the receiver into his ear without breaking his stride. “Talk.”“Good evening Boss, unfortunately, I may have got bad news.” Lucas said with a tight voice. “Our informant’s gone dark and it is not looking pretty.”That woke Seth up at the sound of that.“Where?”“Lumina,” Lucas said. “Just outside the eastern border checkpoint. The man on the operation made his last report three hours ago. Since then, nothing. No pings, no comms. Not even a post, it's like he just vanished.”Seth’s jaw clenched. “You think he was compromised?”“There’s no other explanation