Liora froze.
Ron? Is he involved in all of this?
Her mind replayed the image of the villa gate. The words carved into the metal were unmistakable.
R's House.
Her breath hitched. She ended the call abruptly, her fingers trembling before tightening into fists.
Meanwhile, Finian wasn't surprised.
He sighed heavily. "Why did I tell her about that mansion…" he muttered, pushing himself to his feet.
"This is it," Kai said, pointing toward the building.
Ron and Kai stood near the side entrance, keeping their distance.
"Why aren't we going in?" Ron asked.
Then his gaze shifted.
He spotted someone.
The same woman he had seen at Harper's wedding.
"Well," Kai replied awkwardly, "my work hours are over. I'm not allowed inside after that. And even if I could go in… I definitely can't take anyone with me."
Silence.
A few seconds passed.
"Ron?" Kai frowned. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
He turned.
Ron was gone.
Kai's brows furrowed.
"Hey. You."
A familiar female voice spoke from behind him.
Kai flinched and slowly turned.
"Yes, ma'am."
It was Seraphina Zayden.
"You're the cleaner here, if I'm not mistaken," she said calmly.
"Y-Yeah. That's me."
"Why are you here after work hours?"
"I was just passing by," Kai replied, sweat forming on his forehead.
She studied him carefully.
Then nodded. "Very well. But don't come near this place after hours again."
Kai swallowed. "Understood."
He walked away quickly and slipped into a nearby alley. Only when he was out of sight did he exhale in relief.
He peeked out slightly.
Where did Ron go?
"Hey."
Kai nearly jumped out of his skin.
Ron stood behind him.
"Damn it, you scared me!" Kai snapped. "Where were you?"
"I was with you the whole time," Ron replied calmly.
"What?"
"I saw her and turned invisible. I recognized her from the wedding."
"Oh," Kai muttered. "She's the daughter of Eclipse's leader."
Ron stiffened. "You're kidding."
"Nope."
"Damn it," Ron muttered. "She's already seen my face. If she connects the dots, she'll get suspicious."
"That would be… problematic," Kai said dryly.
Ron exhaled slowly. "We're changing the plan. Let's head back."
Kai nodded, and the two walked away.
From the top floor of the mansion, Kruex watched everything.
His eyes narrowed.
There was something… familiar about that presence.
That feeling…
Could he be connected to Dr. Thomas?
Back in their room, Finian was nowhere to be found.
"Where's Finian?" Kai asked.
"Probably exploring," Ron replied casually.
"What if he gets caught?"
Ron gave him a look. "Finian isn't weak."
"I know. But what if he's cornered?"
"If someone fights him," Ron said confidently, "they'll regret it."
Kai nodded, though uneasily.
"Let's wait for him," Ron continued. "I'll adjust the plan and run it by you both when he's back."
Kai sat on the couch and stared out the window. The sun dipped toward the horizon, painting the sky in deep orange.
Meanwhile, inside the main mansion—
Kruex stood before his daughter.
"Didn't you notice something unusual?" he asked.
"No. What happened?" Seraphina replied.
"I sensed someone."
"Who?"
"A man named Dr. Thomas. He is the reason for our advancements. Even this colony was given to me by him."
Seraphina's eyes widened.
"The research volume you studied?" Kruex continued. "It was written by Dr. Thomas."
"I thought it was Jake Jacobs' work."
Kruex scoffed lightly. "Jake Jacobs is intelligent, yes. But he is nowhere near Dr. Thomas's level."
He turned serious.
"Increase security. Especially on the top floor. And be careful."
Seraphina nodded and left.
Kruex walked into the library. He pulled a specific book.
The shelf shifted sideways.
A hidden passage revealed stairs descending into darkness.
He walked down.
Three glass containers stood in the chamber.
On the right: a file labeled Dr. Thomas – Research Volume.
On the left: a spear, radiating faint energy.
In the center: three glowing potions.
Kruex stared at them silently.
Midnight.
Guards patrolled the rooftop.
Suddenly—
A small capsule dropped near one of them.
The guard frowned and approached it. He crouched and touched it.
The capsule split open.
A metallic rope shot out, slicing through the air. It wrapped around the throats of the nearby guards and dragged them inside.
Within seconds, the capsule snapped shut and shrank again.
Silence returned.
A roof got attached to the metal fence on the roof, two figures ran on the rope towards the roof and landed, successfully, on the rooftop.
Two Women.
On one shirt was written Aex. [Ava]
On the other, Rena. [Liora]
Both held tapestry needles between their fingers.
Aex glanced toward the mansion.
"Let's move, Rena."