Alexander's POV
I remained standing in the middle of the boardroom long after Raziel had left.
The weathered envelope rested quietly in my hand while countless thoughts fought for my attention. Fifteen years had passed since we last saw each other and somehow our reunion had left me with far more questions than answers.
He was alive, he was connected to the Five Foes and he knew something about my mother.
And for reasons I still didn't understand, he had chosen now of all times to return. Nothing about it felt natural.
Slowly, I slipped the envelope into my breast pocket before making my way toward the door.
The entire third floor remained eerily silent as I walked back toward the elevator. My thoughts were unusually chaotic and for the first time in a very long while, I found myself unable to make sense of everything that had happened within the boardroom.
The soft chime of the elevator sounded moments later and the doors slid open before me. I stepped inside alone. My reflection stared back at me from the polished walls of the elevator and for a brief moment, I almost laughed at myself.
It has been twenty years of unanswered questions, and countless disappointments have taught me never to place my trust in coincidences. Yet within the span of a single afternoon, I had discovered that my childhood friend was alive and left with a letter written by the mother I had spent most of my life searching for.
The elevator descended quietly while my fingers unconsciously brushed against my breast pocket once more. Somehow, the envelope felt far heavier than paper ever should.
The elevator doors opened once again and I stepped out into the lobby. I ignored the curious gazes around me and headed directly toward the entrance. Charles Silver Birch was nowhere to be seen.
The cool afternoon breeze greeted me the moment I stepped outside the building.
Sebastian immediately made his way toward me the moment he noticed my expression.
"Master."
I gave a slight nod before entering the vehicle. Sebastian followed closely behind me before shutting the door quietly.
The atmosphere inside the car felt strangely heavy. For several moments, neither of us spoke. Then Sebastian finally broke the silence.
"What happened inside?"
My eyes remained fixed outside the window.
"He gave me a letter."
Sebastian frowned slightly.
"A letter?"
Without another word, I removed the envelope from my breast pocket and handed it over to him.
His expression immediately became suspicious the moment he took it from me.
"And that's all?"
"No."
"Then?"
I looked toward him quietly.
"That wasn't a request, Sebastian."
He immediately understood what I meant and wisely chose not to ask further questions. Several moments passed before his eyes returned to the weathered envelope resting in his hand.
"Do you trust him?"
"No", I said immediately. "Not completely."
Sebastian nodded slowly. Somehow, that answer was far more terrifying than if I had simply said no.
"Master, doesn't everything feel too convenient?" he asked quietly. "Raziel appears immediately after Seraphina's exposure and asks for a private meeting only to hand you a letter from your mother. I don't believe in coincidences."
"Neither do I."
His expression darkened slightly.
"Do you think he's lying?"
"..."
I kept quiet because I didn't know the answer. If this had happened yesterday, I would've immediately dismissed everything Raziel had said. Yet after seeing him again today, I realized something that unsettled me greatly.
Raziel had changed, but the boy I knew still existed somewhere beneath the calm expression he wore before the rest of the world.
Sebastian remained quiet for several moments before speaking again.
"Are you going to open the letter, Master?"
My gaze fell upon the envelope resting in his hands before I slowly looked away.
"I haven't decided yet."
Twenty years ago, I would've opened it without hesitation. Today, I wasn't so certain.
There was simply too much happening at once. The Five Foes, Raziel's return, Seraphina's betrayal and a letter supposedly written by my mother. It all felt as though invisible threads were slowly being pulled together before my eyes.
The silence inside the vehicle returned once more. Outside the tinted windows, the city continued moving peacefully as though nothing had changed.
Suddenly, my fingers unconsciously brushed against my breast pocket once again before Raziel's final warning quietly resurfaced within my mind.
"The person you love the most may become the price."
I slowly closed my eyes. Whether his warning was genuine or merely another move in a game, there was one thing I wasn't willing to gamble on.
Elena.
Slowly, I opened my eyes once more.
"Sebastian."
"Yes, Master?"
"Increase Elena's security."
Surprise briefly flashed across his face.
"Did something happen?"
My gaze remained fixed on the passing scenery outside.
"Double the guards around her ward."
"..."
I didn't know whether Raziel was my enemy or my ally. I didn't know whether his warning was genuine or deceitful.
But uncertainty had never been an excuse for carelessness. If there was even the slightest possibility that Elena could become involved in whatever storm was approaching, then I would eliminate that possibility before it had the chance to reach her.
Sebastian remained silent for several moments before nodding.
"Understood."
The atmosphere inside the vehicle became quiet once more.
There were too many questions without answers and far too many things happening beyond my understanding.
But one thing remained certain. Elena's safety would always come first.
Slowly, I lifted my gaze toward Sebastian.
"Change our destination."
"Master?"
"Silent Hill Private Hospital."
Without another word, I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes.
If danger truly existed, then I would rather stand before it myself than allow it to reach Elena.