Radit sighed and raised a hand weakly. "I was the first person he brought into this. But even now, I don't know the full picture. I just follow because I trust him… and, well, the pay is good too."
Felicia shot him a sharp look. "So that's why you doubt him? After everything he's done to keep us alive?"
Raphael, still with arms crossed, now looked at Felicia directly. "Felicia… do you know why your strength is far beyond that of normal people?"
Felicia blinked, stunned. The question struck her like a sudden blow. She had always assumed her strength was simply something she was born with.
I... don't know," she replied softly. "I've always been like this since I was little, but I never thought much about it."
Raphael drew a long breath. "Exactly. A strange book that grants power, someone like you, a world changing as if by magic... We've seen things that make no sense. And all of it makes me wonder, Is this world really what we think it is?"
Felicia bit her lip, her resolve wavering. She wanted to defend Kaivan, but Raphael's words struck too close to the truth.
Ethan, still seated with a cigarette between his fingers, finally spoke. "There's definitely something bigger than us," he murmured, blowing out a thin stream of smoke. His gaze shifted to Felicia. "We've witnessed things we can't explain. This world is far from simple."
Radit, usually the most carefree among them, looked unusually grim. "Honestly? Talking about this kinda freaks me out," he muttered, rubbing his neck. "What if we're not just victims... what if we're part of something way bigger? Something we can't even control?"
Raphael stepped forward, placing himself in the center of the room. "If that's the case, then it's time we ask Kaivan directly." His voice was firm. "We need to know what's really going on."
Felicia clenched her fists. This was no longer about trust, it was about finding the truth.
Ethan flicked his cigarette into the ashtray and crushed it. "If we want to survive, we need to understand what we're up against. And Kaivan is the only one who can explain it."
Silence fell over them. Even the air seemed to hold its breath. They all knew the next step could change everything, either strengthen what remained, or shatter it.
Radit sat beside Raphael, nodding slowly. His eyes wavered with uncertainty, his hands tightening on his knees. Raphael stayed still beside him, arms crossed, gaze sharp as he scanned the room.
Near the window, Ethan stood bathed in moonlight. His silhouette was rigid, jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the darkness outside as though searching for an answer.
"We need to talk to the others," Raphael said at last, his tone heavy. "Staying quiet will only make things worse."
Radit rose. "Alright. Let's gather everyone."
They moved quickly. Frans, Isabel, Zinnia, and Thivi were summoned to the living room. The fireplace crackled softly, casting warm golden light across the space. The faint scent of burning wood mixed with the cold night air, a fragile warmth beneath the tension tightening their chests.
Zinnia, her long violet hair cascading over her shoulders, sat at the end of the sofa. One leg crossed over the other, she observed everyone calmly, though there was a quiet sharpness in her eyes. Frans stood near the fireplace, hands in his pockets, jaw tense.
Thivi, dressed in casual clothes that still accentuated her charm, looked restless. She bit her lip, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. Beside her, Isabel appeared calmer, though her eyes remained cautious, absorbing every detail.
Raphael stepped into the center. "We need to talk about Kaivan," he began, his voice steady yet cutting. "There's too much we don't know."
Thivi straightened. "Why are you questioning Kaivan? He's a good person. He helped me." Her voice was soft, but confusion flickered in her eyes.
Radit leaned on the sofa, rubbing his face. "We're not saying he's bad. But that doesn't mean we should follow him blindly."
Raphael swept his gaze across the room. "Have any of you ever asked why Kaivan chose us? Or realized there's supposed to be one more person? The one mentioned by the Tome Omnicent?"
A heavy stillness filled the room. Their eyes crossed one another, searching for certainty in the haze of confusion.
Frans was the first to speak. "So we really don't know anything? Kaivan has never explained everything to us."
Ethan nodded. "That's exactly why we need to ask him directly."
Zinnia straightened her back, her eyes narrowing. "And if his answer doesn't satisfy us?"
Radit turned to her. "Then we'll decide our own path."
His words hung in the air, carrying a weight everyone could feel. Raphael looked at each of their faces in turn.
"Tonight, we find Kaivan. We ask him everything. No more secrets."
They nodded one by one. In the quiet that followed, they all knew, tonight would decide everything. After this, nothing would ever be the same.
In a room swallowed by darkness, Kaivan awoke. Only the faint silhouettes of furniture were visible, lit by a thin ray of moonlight slipping through the window. Silence pressed heavily around him, broken only by the gentle ticking of the wall clock.