The Arrival of Basil Burges: The Beast Under the Suit
The Dragon's powerful roar had faded, leaving behind a heavy silence and the acrid smell of sulfur and debris. Rose, utterly exhausted, had reverted to her human form amidst the overturned tables, her muscles still tight from the forced control her transformation had demanded. She still held the inert Maya tightly in her arms.
The quiet was broken only by the arrival of a new team. Leading them was Basil Burges, the Palladium's director. Dressed in a costly purple pinstripe suit, his neatly groomed brown hair contrasted sharply with the raw force Rose could sense barely hidden beneath his attire. The Were-Bear exuded the absolute authority of a beast who knew he didn't need to yell to be obeyed.
"Ladies and creatures, the Palladium apologizes for the inconvenience," Burges announced, his voice a deep, resonant rumble. "We will take care of the injured, and tonight's wagers will be refunded. The house always honors its debts."
Maria, the vampire, arrived behind John and George. Her gaze settled immediately on Burges, and her expression betrayed a silent, sharp question: "Is that Basil Burges?"
John (the Hunter), professional yet gruff, approached a Palladium guard, a massive, shell-shocked Troll.
"Quite the mess," John commented, folding his arms. "You can tell your boss that letting disguised demon killers roam isn't the best publicity. You should have a code, not holes in the ceiling."
The guard grunted, visibly uncomfortable. "That was a human, the guy in the trench coat. And he vanished like smoke. That's your problem, Hunter."
"No, that's our problem," John countered, flashing his badge. "We're cleaning up your mess. Just make sure everyone here forgets they saw a girl turn into a scaled fighter jet."
Burges, who had overheard the exchange, turned his attention to Rose, a self-satisfied smile playing on his lips.
"A dragon? Original. I like your style, little shapeshifter," he said, scanning her from head to toe. "Tell Octavia I'm looking forward to tomorrow night."
Maria took charge of Maya and Rose, escorting them quickly toward the HQ clinic, situated deep beneath the ancient ruins of Rome.
"Anger at HQ and the Medical Verdict"
A short time later, Rose was in the debriefing room, still shaking with fatigue. Octavia stormed in, her face etched with professional stress and pure exasperation.
"A damn Dragon!? Seriously, Rose!?" she snapped, her voice dry and sharp. "There was nothing discreet about that! I had to negotiate a debt with Burges to cover half a floor's destruction. It cost me dearly, Rose!"
"I know," Rose replied, her throat tight. "It was an emergency. I didn't think, I just needed everyone to shut up immediately; I wanted maximum impact."
Maria intervened: "She did what she could, Madam Sylva." "You're not seriously gonna defend her Maria!?" Octavia retorted, "Anyway i need to know what happened at the casino." She continued getting her composure back. "The Gambler... he whispered something to her, and she collapsed. She said he was her husband!" Rose answered uncertain of what she just said.
The Order's doctor, a gnome specialist, arrived with the diagnosis. "Physically, she's fine. But it was a hard shock for her mind" he confirmed gravely. "The amnesia she imposed on herself has been shattered. She requires absolute rest."
Octavia sat down heavily, rubbing her temples. "If I had lived as long as she has, I wouldn't remember all the men I dated either." She reminded them: "She has amnesia. Everything related to her past is locked tight. We'll have to wait until she wakes up for details. But for now, get some rest. You need it."
Rose nodded, exhaustion pulling at her eyelids. "Yeah... i'll do that."
Maria and Octavia (Aside)
As Rose headed toward the infirmary, Maria lowered her voice, addressing Octavia with deep concern.
"Madam Sylva, between us, you saw the size of that Dragon. How did she do it?"
Octavia shrugged. "Shapeshifters can only copy one species at a time, and only normal species like humans and bears. That's the core rule of their species, a genetic impossibility! A Dragon is supposed to be impossible for them to copy." Maria said. "True, as much as i know she's the only one who can be what she calls a 'Chimera.' She mixes the DNA to pull it off. At least that's what the captain Brice told me before they arrived."
Octavia sighed. "One thing at a time. The Dragon was the least of our problems."
"The Anchor of Love at Bloom Town Café"
Rose closed her eyes in the sterile light of the infirmary, desperately searching for the anchor of her humanity: Christian.
She remembered the start of their relationship, in their usual café in Bloom Town.
Maya was sipping her coffee, her gaze fixed on Rose's phone screen.
"Who is this Ccil who's texting you? You're missing an 'E' in the name, and I thought you dated men, not 'Ceciles'," Maya had asked, a hint of friendly mockery in her voice.
Rose smiled. RoB. The first syllable of her first name (Rose) and the first letter of her last name (Blib). Pronounced "Robbie," a rather masculine name.
"That's Christian," Rose confessed. "It's a game we have. He finds it funny to call me RoB like a code name it's a mix of my last name and my first name, so he can talk about me to his friends as if I were a guy. It's the perfect camouflage."
Maya chuckled. "And you call him Ccil?"
"It's my anchor," Rose replied, her expression turning serious. "When I'm in a situation where I might lose control... when the fear of becoming the beast is too strong... saying his nickname, Ccil, is the reminder that I have a human life, a life with him."
Maya looked at her, with unexpected wisdom in her ancient eyes. "You should tell him the truth, Rose. Before it's too late."
"I know," Rose had whispered.
"One Last Lie"
The warm memory faded. Rose opened her eyes. The time for "too late" had arrived.
She had to call him. She had to lie to him again, but she needed his voice—the sound of her "Ccil"—to cling to her last tether of normalcy.
She pulled out her phone. She hesitated for one final second, then dialed Christian's number.