The room was still bathed in that almost unreal golden light.
Sunrays streamed through the immense glass windows and settled upon the white walls, giving the entire place an almost sacred appearance. Flowers of every color grew in long planters lined along the walls, spreading a delicate fragrance that should have soothed any visitor.
But not Aeryn.
The silence was so deep that she could almost hear the beating of her own heart.
Yet despite the peaceful atmosphere, she could never truly relax here.
Because standing before her was Aurelius Valemot.
And that man...
Even standing still...
Gave the impression that he could crush someone with a single glance.
Seated near a low table, Aurelius silently observed the garden beyond the windows. His face appeared serene, almost kind.
But Aeryn had known him long enough to understand that appearances could never be trusted.
Since the first years after joining the organization, she had learned one simple truth.
Aurelius's calmness was infinitely more terrifying than anyone else's anger.
People shouted when they lost control.
Aurelius...
Never needed to shout.
His blue eyes slowly settled on her.
"You're here to deliver your report?"
His voice was calm. Gentle, even.
Yet Aeryn felt her shoulders tense.
"Yes."
A brief silence followed.
Then Aurelius tilted his head slightly.
"Are you alright?"
Aeryn blinked.
"...What?"
That question was the last thing she had expected.
For a moment, she even wondered if she had misheard him.
Aurelius glanced toward the flowers by the window.
"You've just returned from a dangerous mission. I'd like to know whether one of my finest officers is doing well."
Aeryn remained silent.
Then answered awkwardly,
"Uh... yes."
"I see."
Aurelius slowly closed his eyes.
"Yet the vibrations coming from your body are restless. You are not as calm as usual."
Aeryn felt her breath catch.
Again.
It was always like this with him.
Sometimes she felt as though he could perceive emotions more clearly than thoughts themselves.
As if every heartbeat, every hesitation, every lie became visible the moment he looked at her.
Aurelius slowly rose to his feet.
He picked up a long dark robe resting on a nearby chair and draped it over himself before beginning to walk across the room.
The sound of his footsteps echoed softly through the silence.
"I'm listening."
Aeryn took a deep breath.
Then regained her composure.
"My mission was to gather evidence against the traitors of the neighboring kingdom."
Aurelius continued walking without interrupting her.
"We infiltrated several suspicious facilities. We interrogated numerous intermediaries. We recovered a large number of documents."
She paused briefly.
"As a result... we found no concrete evidence."
Aurelius's expression did not change.
"Continue."
"However, we discovered the existence of a secret prison."
This time, he slowed slightly.
"A prison?"
"Yes. A massive underground complex. Hundreds of prisoners were being held there."
The memories flashed through her mind.
The cells.
The chains.
The screams.
The smell of blood.
Even after their victory, those images still haunted her.
"We also encountered the Basilisk that served as its guardian."
Silence returned.
Even Aurelius had stopped moving.
Then he asked calmly,
"An A-Rank Calamity?"
"Yes."
"And yet you're still alive."
"Barely."
A faint smile appeared on Aurelius's face.
"I expected no less."
Aeryn continued.
"But we ultimately eliminated the Basilisk."
"I see."
Then:
"And after that?"
Aeryn hesitated.
One second.
Then two.
Before answering,
"The Draconic Core... found a vessel."
This time, Aurelius slowly turned toward her.
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"This vessel is responsible for the Basilisk's death?"
"Yes."
"Interesting."
Aeryn felt a subtle pressure spread throughout the room.
As though the air itself had become heavier.
"This boy possesses considerable potential."
"A boy?"
"Yes."
Aurelius remained silent for several seconds.
Then a faint smile appeared.
Not a smile of joy.
Rather the smile of a man who had just discovered an unexpected piece on a chessboard.
"I understand now why certain people were so determined to keep you within this organization."
His eyes settled on her once more.
"You are brilliant, Aeryn."
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"Thank you, sir."
Then immediately returned to a professional tone.
"End of report."
She offered a respectful bow.
Then began to turn away.
But immediately...
Aurelius's voice echoed behind her.
"I can tell you have something else to say."
Aeryn froze.
Her entire body stiffened.
That feeling returned again.
That strange sensation that his presence filled the very space around him.
As though leaving the room without revealing everything was impossible.
As though something silently refused to let her go.
Even the open door behind her suddenly felt impossibly distant.
She took a deep breath.
Then spoke.
"During the mission... we located Marcellus."
The silence instantly became heavier.
The flowers no longer moved.
Even the wind seemed to vanish.
"He was the one running the prison."
Aurelius showed no visible reaction.
Not outwardly.
But something had changed.
Aeryn sensed it immediately.
A tiny shift in the atmosphere.
A disturbance so subtle that most people would never have noticed.
"And..."
She hesitated.
"He helped us defeat the Basilisk."
This time, Aurelius fully rose from his seat.
A simple movement.
Natural.
Yet enough to make Aeryn's heart beat faster.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
His gaze seemed lost somewhere within distant memories.
Then finally:
"Thank you for the information."
His voice had become perfectly calm once more.
"You may leave."
Aeryn immediately bowed.
"As you command."
Then she quickly exited the room.
The door slowly closed behind her.
Silence returned.
Aurelius remained motionless.
For a long time.
A very long time.
Then he slowly turned his eyes toward the flowers by the window.
But their beauty no longer had any effect.
His fingers tightened slightly.
Very slightly.
Enough to snap the stem of the flower he was holding.
"Marcellus..."
The name echoed through the room.
Like an old wound reopening.
His gaze grew colder.
Darker.
"After all this time..."
For the first time in years...
A genuine tension appeared on his face.
---
Far away.
In a forgotten land beyond the great trade routes.
A ruined building stood alone amidst a barren landscape.
The wind whistled through the broken stones.
Inside, a dimly lit room rested in silence.
Marcellus sat upon a massive rock.
The upper half of his body was covered in bloodstained bandages.
Every movement seemed to cost him considerable effort.
Yet his eyes remained perfectly clear.
Calm.
Almost too calm for someone who had fought an A-Rank Calamity only days earlier.
Slowly, he tightened the bindings around his injured arm.
Then a voice broke the silence.
"So you really helped them kill the Basilisk."
Lucien had entered the room.
Marcellus did not answer.
He simply continued adjusting his bandages.
Lucien sighed.
"You know word of this will reach him."
"I know."
"Then why do it?"
This time, Marcellus stopped.
His gaze drifted toward the ruined ceiling.
"Because it was necessary."
"Necessary?"
"The Basilisk had to die."
Lucien crossed his arms.
"Did you tell him?"
The silence lasted several seconds.
Then Marcellus finally replied.
"I know exactly what it will cost me if I speak."
His fingers tightened around the cloth.
"But I have to see him in a few hours."
Lucien frowned.
"You really plan on standing before him after all these years?"
A faint smile appeared on Marcellus's face.
Tired.
But sincere.
"I don't have a choice anymore."
"And what exactly do you plan to do?"
Marcellus slowly raised his eyes.
A strange determination shone within them.
The determination of a man who had already accepted the consequences of his actions.
"Don't worry."
He finished tightening his bandage.
Then rose to his feet despite the pain.
"I know how to handle it."
Silence returned.
But this time...
It was no longer peaceful.
Somewhere far away, two men were preparing to meet once again.
And if the monsters had already begun to move...
The men hiding behind them seemed far more dangerous.