The word struck Junyu harder than any punch.
His faint smile vanished instantly.
"Parents…?"
His voice trembled.
"What are you trying to tell me? WHAT?"
Aurex held his gaze.
"Lacod Junyu… I am connected to your parents."
For a heartbeat, the world stopped.
Junyu's breath caught in his throat.
"How?"
He stepped forward.
"How are you connected to them?"
His fists clenched.
"No games. Answer me!"
Aurex sighed quietly.
"I will answer everything. But first, tell me this—what do you know about your parents?"
Junyu looked away.
"Nothing."
The storm outside seemed louder now.
"I don't know my mother."
His jaw tightened.
"And my father…"
His voice turned bitter.
"I was told he was a demon."
Aurex gave a faint, unreadable smile.
"So that is the story you were given."
Junyu's eyes widened.
"You know the truth, don't you?"
He moved closer until they were only a few steps apart.
"Please."
For the first time, the proud captain sounded like a child searching for his family.
"My whole life I've wanted to know who they were. Tell me."
Aurex's expression softened.
"You are a good boy, Junyu. That is exactly why I wished to keep you away from this."
Junyu shook his head.
"No more circles. No riddles. Tell me everything directly."
Aurex nodded slowly.
"Very well."
He reached for a crystal wine cup resting on the table.
"Let me begin from the start."
Junyu's eyes instinctively scanned the room.
Several cups.
A half-empty bottle of wine.
A silver tray.
His thoughts raced.
The waitress delivered wine nearby… so Aurex wasn't the target?
A cold realization crept into his mind.
Then who was supposed to drink it?
He looked toward the door.
I need to warn the others.
But the answer about his parents was finally within reach.
He could not move.
Aurex lifted the cup.
"Your mother," he said softly, "was the most beautiful woman in the world at that time."
Lightning flashed across the windows, illuminating his face in white light.
Junyu leaned forward.
"Her name—what was her name?"
Aurex opened his mouth to continue.
Suddenly he stopped.
The cup trembled in his hand.
A strange sound escaped his throat.
Aurex's eyes widened.
He grabbed his neck.
The crystal cup shattered against the floor.
"Aurex?"
Junyu rushed toward him.
Aurex staggered backward, knocking over a chair. Veins darkened beneath his skin, spreading from his throat across his face like ink.
His lips turned deep purple.
The same color as the liquid in Junyu's vial.
Junyu's heart froze.
"No…"
Aurex tried to speak, but only a choking gasp came out.
His golden eyes flooded red.
He clawed at his throat desperately, fingers digging into his own skin until blood appeared beneath his nails.
"AUREX!"
Junyu caught him before he hit the ground.
Aurex convulsed violently.
Foam mixed with dark blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
His chest heaved once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
The room fell deathly still.
Rain continued tapping against the windows.
Junyu stared down at the ruler in his arms.
The man who had ruled kingdoms moments ago now lay limp and cold, his eyes fixed lifelessly toward the ceiling.
Junyu's hands shook.
"No… no, no, no…"
He pressed a hand against Aurex's chest.
Nothing.
No heartbeat.
Junyu stumbled back, horror flooding his face.
"Aurex? Get up!"
Silence answered him.
Then—
Footsteps.
Many of them.
Running.
Fast.
Junyu turned toward the door.
A shadow stopped outside the chamber.
The handle began to move.
And from the corridor, a voice whispered:
"Too late."