Elsewhere
Not in a dark room.
under the open night sky, a man stood alone. His green eyes glowed faintly, reflecting the moonlight.
He seemed lost in thought, as if life itself had done him a grave injustice.
Behind him, Ross, the foster organization's leader, stood silently, waiting.
Footsteps approached.
"Sir Ross. I have brought the files," a man announced.
Ross turned and accepted the documents. The messenger gave a nod and disappeared into the shadows.
Ross handed the papers to Rio.
Rio scanned them carefully. "Hmm… interesting. So, Dream gave birth to a girl. Her name is Ines. So he… has been born. The curse should activate any moment now. Everything is proceeding perfectly, according to plan."
Behind the closed door, Eirene pressed her ear against the wood, straining to hear.
Dream… she gave birth? Ron has a child now? Eirene thought. Well… why should I care? I'm here to spy on Rio.
She tried to focus, but the conversation seemed to fade. Rio and Ross might have stopped talking, she realized.
Her eyes widened. That means they'll be leaving any second. I should go back.
She turned, but abruptly bumped into something — or someone.
She stumbled to the ground. "Sorry! I wasn't looking!"
When she looked up, her eyes widened.
"Leaving without saying goodbye," Rio said.
Fear tightened around her chest. "I… I didn't mean to spy on you," she stammered.
Yes. I'll just tell him I was passing by, heard voices, and got curious… nothing more, she thought, trembling.
"I know," Rio said calmly. "You were just passing by, heard voices, and decided to see who it was this late at night."
Eirene felt it — the bloodlust behind his gaze. The killing intent. It pressed into her like ice.
Then, he smiled. But the deadly edge never left his eyes.
"What I said… is not that important," he murmured.
Eirene blinked. When she opened her eyes again, Rio had vanished.
She stepped outside, the night air brushing her face. Her mind replayed the memory.
I remember the day Rio joined… she thought. He was just a manager. But when the other heads died, Ross raised him. Now… he's more than a man. He's a force.
Time to check on NACHIO, she decided.
In the next heartbeat, she was in front of NACHIO's headquarters. The receptionist's shoulders eased at her presence.
"Lily, is everything alright?" Eirene asked.
Lily's eyes widened. "Welcome, Madam," she whispered.
"You look… like something went well," Eirene observed.
"Carter came," Lily said.
Eirene's thoughts flicked back to Ross:
In a darkened room, nine chairs encircled a table. Eight Foster Heads sat silently. Ross stood before a projection, a stick in hand.
"Carter will soon visit NACHIO's headquarters. Let him take down NACHIO."
Back in the present,
Eirene nodded. "Then what happened?"
"I let him meet Manager Connor," Lily said quietly.
"You did well," Eirene replied, her eyes glinting. She turned and moved toward Connor's office, her steps deliberate and silent.
As she entered, Connor's head shot up. He stumbled to his knees.
"Madam… Fifth Head of Foster… welcome," he stammered.
"What happened with Carter?" she asked, her voice calm but sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.
Connor gulped. "He asked about why we have three leaders… about Locki and his wife."
"And what did you say?" she pressed, leaning slightly forward.
"I… I told him the previous leader's son made the policy… and I don't know about Locki's wife," Connor said, voice trembling.
Eirene's lips curved into a slow, chilling smile. "The one good thing Eric did," she said softly, "was alter your memory."
"What… ma'am?" Connor asked, confusion and fear twisting his features.
"Carter planted a voice recorder in your office… and a tracker on you," she said.
Meanwhile, Carter drove toward Jake's base, unaware of the storm brewing.
"We knew you'd come. You have something we want… the envelope," Eirene's voice crackled through the destroyed recorder, leaving only a faint echo.
Connor's eyes flared red, pupils stretching like molten fire. He stepped outside.
The air seemed to thicken around him. The sky darkened, clouds swirling unnaturally. Connor leapt, and in one terrifying motion, wings tore from his back, black as night. Four jagged horns sprouted from his skull, glowing faintly.
The ground beneath him trembled. The wind roared like a thousand voices. Shadows twisted unnaturally.
Connor's eyes — now burning like twin infernos — locked on the horizon. "The Dragon Sage is on his way,"
Eirene whispered. whispered.
The world seemed to hold its breath. Even the stars flickered as if afraid.