Slowly, but steadily, Jimmy and Henry were starting to come around.
By the time their vision cleared, a lot of clan members had already gathered around them, forming a loose circle.
Their hands were tied behind their backs.
They were seated on the cold floor, backs close, leaning slightly into each other for balance.
"There is nothing to worry about," Theron said calmly, his voice firm as it carried across the room.
"You can all get back to your businesses. This is just a minor issue."
As he spoke, he sent out another command through the system, one meant to calm the base and cancel the alert.
The tension in the air eased a little.
There were murmurs.
Curious whispers.
A few suspicious stares aimed at Jimmy and Henry.
Eventually, with one last look and reluctant steps, the clan members began to disperse, returning to their duties.
Meanwhile, cutting through what remained of the crowd, a single man walked forward.
"Theron… what's going on?" Caspian asked as he approached, his sharp eyes scanning the scene.
Theron's face hardened at once.
The calm mask dropped.
"It's no minor issue," Theron said flatly.
Caspian stopped beside him.
"Somehow," Theron continued, "someone managed to get into the base."
Caspian's gaze shifted to the two boys sitting on the floor.
Their clothes were damp.
Their expressions were pale and shaken.
"That's bad," Caspian muttered.
Then he exhaled and wiped sweat from his forehead.
"It's a good thing Peter wasn't around," he said quietly.
With that, Caspian started walking toward Henry and Jimmy, his steps slow, deliberate, and anything but friendly.
"Who are you people?" Caspian demanded, his voice low and sharp.
"What clan do you belong to, and how did you get here?"
As he spoke, his aura leaked out without restraint.
The pressure of a Stage 6 warrior washed over the room like a heavy tide.
Henry and Jimmy trembled at once.
Their knees shook.
Their breathing turned uneven.
Fear locked their throats.
Neither of them could force out a single word.
At that moment, footsteps echoed from behind.
Tamsin, Merrick, and Gwen arrived together.
"Is that it?" Gwen said, her brows knitting slightly as she looked at the scene.
Her tone carried clear disappointment as her eyes settled on the two restrained young men.
"All this over just them?"
With the trio's arrival, Caspian slowly pulled back his qi.
The crushing pressure lifted, but the fear remained etched on Henry and Jimmy's faces.
"Take them to one of the researchers," Caspian said, his voice cold and decisive.
"Get someone with a water ability. Make them talk."
He glanced toward the trio as he gave the order.
Immediately, Tamsin and Merrick stepped forward.
In one smooth motion, each grabbed one of the boys and lifted them off the ground as if they weighed nothing.
Jimmy and Henry tried to resist.
They struggled.
They kicked.
It was useless.
In Tamsin and Merrick's grip, they felt completely powerless.
Just as they were about to leave the room, the door swung open once more.
Alex stumbled in, his steps unsteady, his breathing still rough.
His body looked drained, but his eyes were sharp.
"Oh," Gwen said, turning toward him.
"Look at that. You managed to make it here."
Alex didn't answer her.
His gaze was locked on the two people being carried away.
His pupils narrowed.
"You…"
Then, more clearly, he pointed at them.
"You two."
His voice carried disbelief—and something darker.
"What are you doing here?" Alex asked.
On the other hand, Jimmy and Henry had also noticed Alex.
"Alex…!" Jimmy blurted out, his voice sharp with shock.
At that reaction alone, Tamsin and Merrick paused—then released them.
Both Jimmy and Henry hit the ground hard.
A heavy thud echoed as their bodies struck the floor.
For normal people, it would have been brutal.
For warriors, it was just pain and bruised pride.
"You know these two?" Caspian asked, his eyes shifting to Alex.
Alex hesitated.
Just for a moment.
He had suspected it already.
The sudden alarm.
The intrusion warning.
That was why he had forced himself to move earlier, dragging his drained body out of the training hall. He needed to see it with his own eyes.
Now that he had.
'So it really was me,' he thought.
He still didn't understand how they managed it—but the cause was clear.
"I do," Alex said finally.
"They're members of the clan I joined."
"What…?" Caspian muttered.
Theron's expression hardened instantly.
"What are they doing here?" Theron demanded.
"Is that clan trying to pick a fight with us?"
"No," Alex replied at once.
As he spoke, the dull ache in his body faded further, adrenaline pushing it away.
"These two are assholes," Alex said bluntly.
"Whatever brought them here, it was their own doing. Not the clan's."
The words landed heavy.
Jimmy and Henry lay there in silence, stunned.
They didn't understand what was happening anymore.
They didn't understand Alex's relationship with these people.
And they definitely didn't like being called assholes in front of everyone.
But liking it didn't matter.
Right now, they couldn't do a single thing about it.
"How about I ask the important question?" Caspian said, his tone sharp and controlled.
He turned his gaze to Alex.
"How did they get here?" he asked.
Then, without pausing, he added,
"Did you use the device the way I told you to?"
The questions came fast. One after another.
Alex felt a knot tighten in his chest.
He had a suspicion.
A strong one.
But he didn't say anything yet.
Caspian had personally instructed him on how to use the gate device—the one that allowed instant access to the base. He had been clear about it too. Very clear.
Place it somewhere no one would snoop.
Somewhere private.
Somewhere ignored.
Most of the time, a bathroom was perfect. That part wasn't wrong.
The difference was how it was used.
Unlike the coffee shop, which used a toilet as a fixed gate, Alex had used his bathtub instead.
Before Alex could answer, the door opened again.
A slim man walked in, dressed in a neat suit like a businessman pulled straight out of a meeting. His steps were quick, his expression focused. It was obvious he had been in the middle of something when the alert went out.
He was a clan member.
One with the same branch of abilities as Saka.
Mental control.
He moved without hesitation. One hand went to Jimmy's head. The other pressed against Henry's forehead. Both boys stiffened instantly.
The man looked up at Caspian.
"Ask the questions, sir," he said calmly.
Caspian stepped forward and looked down at Jimmy and Henry.
He started simple.
Names.
Affiliation.
Basic intent.
Jimmy and Henry answered every question without resistance, their voices flat, their eyes unfocused.
The truth was coming out now. Whether they liked it or not.
Then the questions shifted.
No more warm-ups.
No more basics.
Caspian went straight to the point—why they were here, and how they had reached the base in the first place.
Henry answered first.
Jimmy confirmed every detail right after.
Question.
Answer.
Confirmation.
Over and over.
By the time it was done, Caspian had the full picture laid out cleanly in his head. No gaps. No guesses.
"So they came all the way down here because you beat them in a fight," Gwen murmured, clicking her tongue.
She looked at Jimmy and Henry again.
"They really are assholes," she added flatly.
Caspian straightened and stepped back. Even with the truth out, his gaze shifted to Alex.
He didn't let it slide.
"This still falls on you," Caspian said, voice steady but firm. "If you had hidden the device somewhere they couldn't snoop around, we wouldn't be here."
Alex didn't argue.
There was nothing to argue.
Caspian then turned to the mage.
"Kill them," he said.
"And make it painless."
The order landed heavy in the room.