Lucian stepped forward with a steady breath. The pendant hung cold on his neck, but his mind was sharp.
"We should expose him now," Lucian said. "If we wait, he'll escape."
Eurukus looked down at him for a moment. His expression shifted. A faint smile. A bit of disbelief. Then a nod.
"You're right," he said. "You really think ahead. General Fürtwald must've trained you well."
Lucian didn't react, but Eurukus kept thinking.
He remembered the old days clearly. When he first joined Fürtwald's command, he was just another young soldier with more muscle than skill.
He recalled walking behind Fürtwald through muddy fields, watching how the General observed everything without saying much.
He remembered eating around campfires with him and their childhood friend, laughing before battles, then fighting side by side when dawn came.
Those memories passed through his mind like quick flashes.
Fürtwald always knew how to prepare someone.
Now this kid was showing the same signs.
Eurukus turned to his three knights and raised his voice.
"Tharion. Kael. Jerrik. Prepare to move."
The three stiffened instantly.
"Yes, Commander!"
Their armor clinked as they stepped forward. Quentin Rupert stood a few steps ahead of them, pretending to stay calm, but his fingers twitched.
His eyes glanced from Lucian to Eurukus.
"What… what are you doing?" Quentin asked.
Lucian watched him shake. His face was pale. Sweat rolled down his forehead.
Eurukus took a single step closer.
"You're under suspicion," he said plainly. "We're taking you to Mayor Mavis."
Quentin tried to smile, but it faltered halfway.
He took a small step back.
"Suspicion? That sounds serious, Commander Eurukus. I assure you—"
"Save it," Eurukus cut in. "If you're innocent, it'll be clear soon enough."
Tharion moved behind Quentin. Kael and Jerrik closed in from both sides.
Quentin's jaw clenched.
His eyes flicked toward Lucian, sharp and cold for a second.
Lucian met his stare without moving.
Quentin swallowed.
"Fine," he said. "Lead the way."
But his trembling hands told the truth.
Quentin walked between the knights, keeping his posture rigid. He smiled faintly, like nothing was wrong, but his eyes darted briefly to Lucian now and then.
"So, Commander Eurukus," he began smoothly, "where exactly are we heading? I trust this isn't a social call."
Eurukus didn't answer immediately. He studied Quentin carefully, his steps deliberate. Then he spoke.
"You were muttering about experiments," Eurukus said, voice low but firm. "Care to explain that?"
Quentin froze mid-step, his smile twitching. "Experiments? I don't… I don't know what you mean," he said, keeping his voice calm but sharp.
His eyes cut toward Lucian. He knew someone had heard something.
Lucian's stomach twisted. Shit.
He hadn't actually heard Quentin mutter anything. He had only made it up to get Eurukus' attention. I messed up. This could backfire.
Quentin's gaze lingered on him for a long, tense moment, and Lucian felt the weight of it.
There was a flicker of recognition but Quentin didn't make a move. He just tilted his head, cold and measured, and let the silence stretch.
Eurukus didn't look away either. "Do you really expect me to believe that?" he asked, each word deliberate.
Quentin's hand tightened slightly on the strap of his bag. "Believe what you will," he said softly. "But I assure you, Commander… I handle my affairs carefully."
Lucian's thoughts raced. He needed to keep calm, keep Eurukus focused, and hope Quentin's act of composure didn't unravel before they reached the mayor.
The night air was cool as they walked through the quiet streets of Gravenheim.
Lucian's mind wandered briefly, thinking of his mother, Herschel, resting safely at home. She doesn't know what's going on here. I need to fix this fast.
Finally, the heavy doors of the mayor's office loomed ahead.
Quentin's steps slowed just slightly, but he still carried himself with that unnervingly calm demeanor.
Eurukus opened the door, and they stepped inside.
The office was quiet, lit by a single lamp on the desk. And then Lucian saw a girl sitting there, her white hair tied neatly.
So, she's Fise. He felt his heart skip.
Quentin's gaze flicked toward her, unreadable, while Eurukus moved behind them, hand lightly on the documents he had retrieved.
Lucian stayed silent, observing the scene, feeling the tension in the room.
They each took their seats.
Fise sat gracefully, though her eyes darted curiously between the adults and the boy.
Lucian's mind raced.
This was the girl Quentin had mentioned, the one tied to the experiments. Everything's connected now, perhaps not all, but most.
Eurukus leaned back slightly, his eyes focusing on Lucian for a brief second, signaling him to stay alert.
Quentin folded his hands calmly on his lap, but there was a subtle sharpness in his gaze, almost as if he were calculating everyone.
Lucian clenched his fists beneath the table, his thoughts steadying.
Tonight, everything depended on what he and Eurukus could uncover.
Eurukus stiffened, his hand tightening slightly around the stack of documents.
"Give me those documents Quentin was carrying," Eurukus said firmly.
Quentin's hand twitched for a fraction of a second, but he simply lifted the papers and handed them over, maintaining that unnervingly calm expression.
Before Eurukus could examine them, the mayor cleared his throat, adjusting his posture behind the desk. "Actually… I authorized Quentin to handle those. It was part of a plan I set in motion. There's nothing suspicious here."
Lucian's brow furrowed, and even Eurukus blinked once in disbelief. Quentin exhaled, letting a small smile tug at the corner of his lips, relieved.
"But the initials…" Eurukus began, pointing to one of the entries.
The mayor waved a hand dismissively. "I checked it. It doesn't correspond to anything concerning. You're reading too much into it."
Eurukus' jaw tightened. What the hell is going on? He glanced at Lucian, who felt his stomach twist.
Quentin Rupert leaned back slightly in his chair, still smiling faintly, as if nothing could touch him.
Eurukus' mind raced, piecing together the tension in the room. Everything screamed that Quentin was hiding something, but the mayor's words tried to smooth over the cracks.
He's clearly suspicious, Lucian thought, tightening his fists under the table.
Lucian grabbed the stack of documents carefully, flipping through them page by page.
From the surface, everything seemed normal with pages 1 through 50 neatly numbered, margins aligned, and the handwriting consistent.
Yet, as he skimmed, something felt… off. The weight of the pages seemed lighter than it should be.
The words didn't flow the way they should. Some entries were too vague, others oddly abrupt. Something's missing, or someone edited this.
He frowned, glancing at Eurukus. The commander leaned closer, examining the documents over Lucian's shoulder.
"Give it back," the mayor said, his voice calm but firm, as if sensing their suspicion.
Lucian hesitated, letting his eyes scan the pages again. Something in the layout, the breaks between the entries, didn't feel right.
The first page, then, wait a second…
Eurukus' eyes widened suddenly. "Wait!" he said sharply.
Lucian froze, following the commander's gaze. Eurukus flipped back to the beginning and frowned. "Page 1… and then it jumps to page 4. Where are pages 2 and 3?"
The mayor's brows knitted. "I said, give it back!"
Lucian held the stack of documents closer, eyes narrowing.
Then it hit him. It wasn't that pages were missing, they were stuck together. The edges of some sheets were fused, hiding the intervening pages.
What should have been page 2 and 3 were physically attached to the next sheet, leaving only pages 1 and 4 visible.
He flipped through carefully, testing the edges.
Sure enough, tiny gaps revealed the hidden pages pressed between others. His pulse quickened. They didn't just remove pages… someone concealed them on purpose.
Eurukus leaned over, his brows furrowed. "I see it too," he murmured.
"They intentionally stuck certain pages together. That means the pages we can't see, the ones in between, contain the real information. The experiments… something they don't want anyone else to find."
Lucian's mind raced, connecting the dots too. "If they skipped every two pages like this… then the pages we can't see are like secret numbers or codes. Whoever made this planned it carefully. They knew someone might check, so they hid the crucial documents between normal ones."
Eurukus' voice lowered, tense. "Exactly. It's deliberate. Whoever did this made sure only the observant could notice. It's a trap, or at least… a safeguard to protect the experiments' details."
Lucian exhaled slowly, thinking about the implications. Whoever crafted this wanted secrecy above all else.
And now that he and Eurukus had noticed the pattern, they held the key to uncovering it.
But then, Eurukus noticed something odd about the mayor's actions earlier.
Eurukus' eyes narrowed as he studied Mayor Mavis. "Wait a second," he muttered, voice low. "Why did you defend him so quickly earlier? Why were you covering for Quentin Rupert?"
Mayor Mavis blinked, pretending calm. "Covering for him? I don't know what you're talking about, Eurukus."
Lucian shifted slightly, sensing the tension. Something's off. Why would he be so quick to defend Quentin earlier?
Eurukus stepped closer, voice hardening. "Don't play games. That man is suspicious, and you just vouched for him without hesitation. Are you a traitor too?"
The mayor chuckled softly, but there was a hint of unease in his eyes. "A traitor? Me? You're overthinking this. I just know Quentin. That's all."
Lucian's jaw tightened. He's lying. That much is clear.
Eurukus leaned in more, his tone sharper. "You're lying. There's more going on here than you're letting on. Don't think we don't notice your hesitation."
Mayor Mavis raised his hands slightly, smiling again, calmer this time. "Eurukus, and you… you're seeing shadows in daylight. I have no reason to lie. Everything I said about Quentin is true. You're jumping to conclusions."
Lucian exchanged a glance with Eurukus, his instincts screaming. This isn't normal.
The room was tense, filled with the low hum of suspicion.
Mayor Mavis leaned forward. "Eurukus, you're overthinking. There's nothing unusual here. I have no reason to hide anything—"
Suddenly, Quentin's voice cut through the air, like a maniac.
"NO! YOU'RE LYING! MAYOR MAVIS IS A TRAITOR TOO!"
Everyone froze. Lucian's eyes widened. Eurukus stiffened. Even Fise and the three knights stared in disbelief.
Quentin stepped forward.
"I'M TELLING YOU! HE'S BEEN HELPING ME ALL ALONG! WE'VE BEEN RUNNING THESE EXPERIMENTS WITH CHILDREN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! HE'S PART OF IT!"
Mayor Mavis recoiled slightly. "Quentin, calm down. This is nonsense!"
"NONSENSE? NO! YOU THINK I CARE WHAT YOU THINK ANYMORE? IT DOESN'T MATTER! HE'S A TRAITOR, AND I'M DONE HIDING IT!"
Eurukus took a step forward. "Quentin, settle down. You're making this worse for yourself."
Quentin ignored him entirely. "AND SOMEONE FROM OUR ORGANIZATION WILL COME AND SAVE US BOTH! YOU CAN'T STOP IT!"
Mayor Mavis' calm mask cracked, his voice trembling slightly. "There is no one! There is nothing! You're imagining things!"
Quentin's grin was terrifying.
"I DON'T CARE! I'M DONE WITH LIES! THE TRUTH WILL BE SEEN!"