Kayden nodded. "I've actually started thinking about that."
Afterward, Henry was the first to step out of the carriage. George immediately turned to him and said firmly, "Stay where you are. Don't get out yet."
A few moments later, Henry returned with Hugo, both of them wearing somewhat tense expressions.
Henry stood still while Kayden continued staring ahead indifferently. In a calm, soothing voice, he attempted to ease the uneasy atmosphere.
"George, this is Hugo. You saw him earlier today. He'll help us get you home, all right?"
Hugo offered a faint smile before replying with a slight hint of coldness. "I don't mind… but there's a favor I'd like to ask."
Kayden raised an eyebrow curiously. "What is it?"
Hugo hesitated slightly, as though trying to conceal his excitement. "I want to see the weapons factory. Just walk around a little… and have a look."
George answered without hesitation. "You can do that. Kayden can take you whenever you like. And if you want to try out the weapons, we have the Hunters' Grounds. You can go there with Henry and Kayden."
Hugo laughed nervously, as though weighing a dream against the danger it might bring. "Good heavens! Are you encouraging me to abandon Lord Ayrton right now?"
Kayden replied with complete conviction, "You can leave him. It's fine."
Hugo muttered as he processed the situation. "All right… then let's get going."
Henry paused for a moment, watching them. Then Kayden spoke with a hint of concern and mild reproach. "Don't you think we're taking advantage of Hugo?"
Henry replied calmly, "We're not taking advantage of him. Hugo is a friend, and he's doing this of his own free will. Just look at him. He's nothing like that lunatic William."
Kayden quickly jumped to William's defense. "He's a lunatic, but he stopped his work for our sake. And he's nothing like that racist Isildar. I think he has a bright future ahead of him."
Henry chuckled softly. "Can you see the future, or are you just guessing?"
Kayden muttered, rubbing his forehead as a headache began to form. "That reminds me, we still haven't finished reading the journal. And Adam could come back at any moment, shouting and turning the whole place upside down. How annoying."
Colton, standing beside him, whispered in a calm but firm voice, "Just pretend you don't know him."
A few moments later, Hugo returned, looking positively thrilled.
"Your brother really does live in a luxurious house!"
As soon as Kayden and the others entered, Hugo headed straight for William and Fiona, sitting down beside them on the floor. A large map had been spread out before them.
Fiona prepared to project her influence over the scene, while William surrounded them with the support of his spiritual power.
And just as intended, a scene gradually began to take shape before their eyes.
The surroundings were shrouded in complete darkness, broken only by the cold light of the moon and a faint, distant glimmer.
Adam was lying on the ground, his entire face covered with a piece of cloth, concealing every feature.
Right beside him, a middle-aged woman was asleep, with a small child leaning against her.
William's sudden question broke through the tense silence.
"Did… did Adam get married? Is that woman his wife?"
Kayden answered quickly, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
"I don't think so. She looks considerably older. Perhaps he simply came across her and the child along the way… nothing more."
In the scene materializing before them, Adam's body suddenly trembled as though an electric current had surged through him.
William raised an eyebrow in surprise, prompting Kayden to add confidently, "He probably got startled in his sleep… Maybe he was having a bad dream."
William murmured thoughtfully, "Like falling?"
Kayden nodded in agreement.
However, Fiona interrupted their commentary with an irritated sigh. "I know you're all very intelligent, but I need your complete attention!"
Adam moved shortly afterward. He sat up, leaning against the trunk of a tree, drew his knees to his chest, and closed his eyes again, as though surrendering to exhaustion.
The others continued watching him in heavy silence, but his motionless features revealed nothing.
The silence was broken by Isildar, who was lazily resting his head against one hand.
"There's no work tomorrow, right?"
Ayrton answered, shifting his gaze toward William. "That's right. So let's keep the surveillance rather casual for now. It would be better to repeat the process in the morning rather than exhaust ourselves for no reason. What do you think, William?"
But before William could respond, Ayrton added in a low voice, "By the way… Charlotte has already gone to receive Hudson… and the disaster."
The words seemed to freeze in the air.
Colton immediately turned his face away, refusing to show any reaction or even acknowledge the two names.
The following morning, after gathering for a quick breakfast, William had recovered a considerable amount of his energy.
"Now… let's sit down again. We'll observe him once more."
It was clear that he would not accept any objections.
Before them, the little boy stood up, reached out, and gently patted Adam on the head.
Adam raised his head abruptly and looked at the child with exhausted eyes, as though awakening from a prolonged drowning.
Fiona gasped, unmistakable concern filling her voice. "He's in a terrible state!"
Ayrton immediately intervened, his voice stern and sharp. "Focus. He looks as though he's on the verge of death…"
And it certainly seemed that way. Adam was utterly exhausted, deep dark circles surrounding his eyes. His features were etched with fatigue, as though sleep had abandoned him for countless nights.
"What's wrong?" Adam asked in a faint, weary voice, as though even speaking required considerable effort.
The child answered immediately, his eyes sparkling with energy.
"Carlos… play with me!"
Adam exhaled slowly and raised his head slightly, as though searching for a way out of some invisible pressure.
"Elliot… you need to calm down. We have to move soon, and Mia has barely managed to fall asleep… You don't want to disturb her, do you?"
But the child stubbornly shook his head, a small smile spreading across his face.
"Then… just play with me for a little while."
A weary smile appeared on Adam's lips. He murmured almost inaudibly, "I… can't play. I can't even remember a suitable game."
Elliot skipped lightly around the tree trunk before asking in a playful tone, though his words pierced Adam's heart like a knife.
"Carlos… didn't you play with your parents? Or with your friends when you were little? And why don't you sleep well?"
He continued, "My mother told me that people who don't sleep are haunted by demons in their dreams… Do they chase you too?"
Adam's eyelid twitched for a moment. A distant shadow crossed his eyes, as though the boy had touched an old wound that had never healed.
Then he answered with a confused simplicity.
"I… yes, of course I played. But my memories… they're blurry. Come on… let's play tag."
He extended a hand toward the boy.
"Run, and I'll try to catch you."
He attempted to stand, but his body betrayed him.
His knees suddenly stiffened, his balance vanished, and he collapsed heavily to the ground. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his breaths short and sharp, as though the air were being forcibly ripped away from him.
Mia's eyes flew open in alarm. The sound of his fall had startled her awake. She stared at Adam with wide eyes before rushing toward him to support him.
"Carlos! Are you all right? What happened?"
His body was visibly convulsing, his breathing erratic, as though he were drowning in an airless void.
He muttered hoarsely, trying to sound reassuring. "Just… a cramp…"
But the trembling of his hands and the way he suppressed his groans betrayed how far he was from being all right.
Mia quickly glanced toward Elliot, her voice hurried, leaving no room for hesitation.
"He's exhausted… Come and help me!"
She carefully moved toward his legs, uncertain of what to do, and began gently massaging them. Her movements were slow and hesitant, yet filled with a sincere attempt to help him.
Adam remained tense, every muscle in his body rigid. His eyes were half-closed as he gasped for breath, struggling to reclaim what seemed to have slipped away.
"Calm down… Carlos. Listen to me… Breathe slowly, slowly…" Mia whispered, gently pressing a hand against his shoulder.
He stubbornly closed his eyes, trying to regain control, but the sensation of air remained distant and suffocating.
Then he leaned slightly toward her, his voice barely audible.
"Thank you."
Once Adam had calmed down a little, he spoke in a quiet voice.
"We're being watched…"
Isildar's voice trembled as he whispered, "He knows we're watching him…? He's practically dying, and yet he's still focused on whoever's observing him! What kind of man is this?"
Kayden covered his mouth with one hand, and William did the same. William was the first to speak, his voice caught somewhere between astonishment and amusement.
"Adam… is a fraud!"
Kayden groaned immediately, his voice sharp, as though trying to stop something unbearable.
"I feel like I'm watching something absolutely disgusting… Stop!"
Henry, sitting beside him, couldn't hold himself back. His eyes widened in astonishment, and a small laugh escaped his lips.
"This… this is incredible! Don't stop! Let's see how he keeps deceiving them."
Colton, meanwhile, remained the quietest and most focused of them all. He didn't take his eyes off the scene for even a moment, until he nudged Kayden with his elbow and whispered,
"Doesn't this look like television?"
Kayden replied with unwavering composure, "It does… but the difference is that we're being forced to watch this ugliness up close."
Mia tried to help him stand, draping his arm over her frail shoulder, though his body was far too heavy for her to support.
Then Adam suddenly fell silent as he watched him pull himself together, fighting the trembling, pressing his hands against the ground, and slowly getting back to his feet.
The entire sight — his ability to stand after everything — seemed like a small miracle in the midst of darkness.
Adam continued along the road with his group, remaining alert despite his exhaustion. Ayrton glanced around, carefully observing a few things, but made no comment.
Less than an hour passed before Isildar began fidgeting with obvious boredom.
"This is… boring. He's moving quickly, sure, but what's really slowing him down is the group of humans accompanying him."
Hugo scoffed. "And what do you expect him to do? Make them run like soldiers?"
Isildar chuckled lightly, then Henry asked in an irritated tone, "Why didn't he take the train? Is he simply trying to escape?"
William, however, was much calmer, his eyes fixed on a different part of the scene. He spoke in a low voice, unusually serious.
"Look at her face… She seems genuinely kind, beautiful in her own way. But she has no essence whatsoever… Just an ordinary human body, naturally growing older."
Everyone studied her features. Fine wrinkles formed around the corners of her lips when she smiled, faint lines crossed her forehead, her short hair was slightly disheveled, and her eyes were a warm shade of brown.
"She looks to be in her mid-forties, doesn't she?" Henry guessed.
"Let's stop for now… There's no need to exhaust ourselves."
William's command was firm. The moment he withdrew his support, Fiona ended the projection with an unmistakable sigh, her shoulders sinking as though she had endured more than she could bear.
William turned toward Hugo, looking openly displeased.
"So… how exactly did you fail to reach Adam? Was it really that difficult?"
Hugo hesitated for a moment before muttering in a low voice, "I think Lady Isabelle's theory is correct…"
William furrowed his brow before replying, "But that woman carries no spiritual essence whatsoever. And the child… he's incredibly adorable. Adam even carried him in his arms. He wouldn't do that so casually if this were merely an act."
He raised a hand in a decisive gesture, putting an end to the discussion.
"We'll resume surveillance tonight. That will be the last time."
Then he turned and walked away with steady steps, leaving the others behind. He calmly made his way toward the dining table and reached for some food as though nothing had happened.
That evening, they gathered once again.
Ayrton raised his hand and sharply ordered everyone to remain silent.
The scene began to materialize before them once more.
Adam was lying on the ground, his figure resembling a corpse left to grow cold. One hand was tucked beneath his head, the other resting over it, as though he were trying to curl into himself.