Icard rushed back home later that day after spotting scorch marks from afar.
His eyes widened the moment he saw them.
It had to be Eric.
"What happened?!" he shouted, running inside.
Everyone was gathered in the living room where Eric lay on the floor.
Icard hurried to his side, immediately recognizing the state he was in. Parts of Eric's body were blackened, his shirt torn open, heat still radiating faintly from his skin.
'What the hell? Was the opponent too strong?' Icard thought to himself.
Eric's breathing was ragged and uneven, but he was conscious. Just extremely weak.
"Someone attacked us," Alia said.
Icard's expression darkened at once and his jaw tightened as his gaze sharpened.
The attacker was still unconscious, restrained heavily in the basement with layers of reinforced metal. Those were Reya's work.
Icard went to look at him once. And the moment he did, understanding settled in.
