The silverware had barely settled when the butler entered.
He moved soundlessly, gloved hands folded before him, his face a mask of composure.Behind him, faint steam still drifted from the plates—the scent of cooked beastblood lingering in the still air.
"Lord Aurelian," he bowed. "The recall is complete. All A-rank Combatants have returned to base. Six stationed at the perimeter, three guarding the inner dome."
Aurelian did not look up from his plate.
"And the auxiliaries?"
"Twelve Psionics assigned, my lord—three healers, two enhancers, one purifier, the rest with Blessing or Focus traits.The S-rank Commander will have adequate support once the operation begins."
Garrick Vale gave a low grunt that sounded more like a growl.
"Adequate support? You make it sound like I need a leash."
The butler ignored him, tone precise.
"All preparations are complete. The expedition departs at dawn."
Aurelian finally looked up, silver eyes catching the light.
"The location."
"The Westlake Ruins, sir. Satellite scans reveal a pre-Cataclysm facility buried beneath the industrial sector.Designation: Project Helios."
"Helios," Aurelian repeated softly. "The mad dream of men who thought they could touch the sun."
He turned his glass slowly, watching crimson light fracture through it.
"Its purpose?"
"It belonged to the Grimm Family, my lord," the butler replied evenly."A once-celebrated scientific dynasty—geneticists, engineers, researchers of physical endurance.Long before the Cataclysm, before the first Esper ever awakened, they sought to push the human body beyond its limits.To survive radiation, hunger, and disease without any form of protection.Reports claimed partial success: enhanced strength, prolonged lifespan, heightened neural activity.Then came the Great Cataclysm. The Grimms vanished. The laboratory went dark.Many believe their extinction was born from what they created."
Aurelian's fingers paused on the stem of his glass.
"Then it seems," he murmured, "their failure will be our beginning."