Through a strange twist of coincidence, Alex had come to know Saka more than most members of the clan.
The Dragon Roar clan was massive. Too large, really. Faces blurred together fast if you weren't careful. To fix that, the Pendragon System issued every member a unique ID. Through the system map, members could locate, identify, and track each other at will. Clean. Efficient. No confusion.
That was how Alex first noticed Saka.
And later, when things got messy—really messy—Saka had stepped in and helped him clean it up without asking too many questions. No lectures. No judgment. Just results.
That was why, when Caspian told Alex to call in a favor from another clan member, Alex didn't hesitate. He already knew who he wanted.
Saka had arrived right on time.
Henry lay knocked out on the ground, unmoving. Jimmy, on the other hand, was still barely on his feet, swaying as he tried not to collapse. His breathing was rough. His eyes unfocused.
Saka took one look at the scene and raised a brow.
Before he could speak, Merrick pointed straight at him.
"It's you," Merrick said flatly.
Saka blinked. "Me?"
"You were the one who gathered that fake information about the Vornshade Clan," Merrick said, his tone sharp.
At that, the mood shifted.
Gwen, Tamsin, and Merrick all turned their attention to Saka at the same time. No smiles. No warmth. Just cold stares.
For a moment, it didn't feel friendly at all.
Saka lifted both hands slowly. "Come on," he said with a tired sigh. "That was a one-time mistake."
He straightened his suit and adjusted his sleeves like this was a board meeting, not a potential execution.
"I was evaluated. Cleared. Officially confirmed as an error," Saka added. "Trust me—if it wasn't, I wouldn't even be standing here right now."
He paused, then glanced at Alex.
"So," Saka said calmly, "who's the unlucky one this time?"
The tension in the air eased, just a little. Not gone—but no longer sharp enough to cut skin.
"We could have been killed that day on the Vornshade Clan's territory," Tamsin said, his voice low and steady.
"Vornshade?" Jimmy muttered.
His brows pulled together.
'What are these people talking about?'
That was when Saka's attention shifted. His gaze slid from Jimmy to Henry, who was still laid out cold on the ground. One look was all it took.
Saka hummed softly. "Seems like you've captured the remaining members of the Vornshade Clan."
The words landed heavy.
Tamsin's fist clenched instantly. "What are you saying?" he snapped.
Before the tension could spike again, Alex stepped forward.
"Hold on," Alex said quickly. "You can't kill them."
Tamsin turned on him. "But they're part of the Vornshade Clan," he said, then paused mid-sentence.
His eyes narrowed.
"What kind of clan did you join?" Tamsin asked, suspicion creeping into his tone. For a split second, it sounded like he thought Alex had walked straight into something rotten.
Alex didn't flinch.
"The clan I joined is nothing like the Vornshade Clan," he said firmly. "These two weren't born into it. They were brought in. Recruited."
He took a breath, steadying himself.
"Now can we focus on why we're really here?" Alex added.
Jimmy had heard enough.
The pieces clicked together in his head, fast and ugly. The name. The reactions. The fear he was feeling now that had nothing to do with injuries.
His chest tightened.
'This is their base,' Jimmy realized. 'The people who wiped out the Vornshade Clan.'
Cold ran down his spine.
If that truth had come out earlier… he didn't even want to imagine what would have happened.
While Jimmy was still processing it all, Alex walked over to him, stopping just a step away.
"Don't resist. Don't make this harder than it needs to be," Alex muttered as he stepped closer.
Jimmy didn't move.
He watched Alex approach, his breathing uneven, then swallowed hard.
"Thank you," Jimmy said quietly.
The words surprised everyone—especially Alex.
"We don't deserve your mercy," Jimmy continued. "You fought for our lives. More than once."
That wasn't what Alex expected to hear.
The arrogance Jimmy usually wore was gone. No mockery. No bite. Just raw honesty.
Alex froze for half a second.
Then his jaw tightened.
He clenched his fist and stared straight into Jimmy's eyes.
"I'm not doing this for you," Alex said flatly. "And it's not out of kindness either."
His fist moved.
Bang.
The punch landed clean on Jimmy's face, snapping his head sideways. Jimmy crashed to the ground, knocked out cold before he even felt the pain.
Alex stepped aside without another word.
That was Saka's cue.
He walked forward calmly, almost casually, and flicked open a small canister of water. The liquid poured out, then stopped mid-air. With a smooth motion, Saka lifted it, shaping it into a floating sphere that hovered around Jimmy's head.
The water obeyed him perfectly.
"Now," Saka said, glancing at Alex, "tell me what you want done."
His tone was light, but the power behind it wasn't.
"If you ask me," Saka added with a faint grin, "I've got options."
The water shifted slightly, responding to his will.
"I can turn them into imbeciles. Make them lose their minds. Or I can force a command—something permanent. They won't say a word about you."
He paused, letting that sink in.
"But they'll still know who you are."
The choice was now fully in Alex's hands.
"Just clean the memory of this place," Alex said.
His voice was calm, but his shoulders were tight.
Saka was about to do exactly that when someone spoke up.
"You know," Merrick said, stepping in, "if you only wipe the memory of what happened here, then to them, it'll be like they never found you at all. Like they never even attacked you."
He lifted a finger, making his point clear.
"And that means both of them would still come after you. Sooner or later."
That landed.
Alex didn't like the idea of Jimmy or Henry showing up again. Not because he feared them—but because the next time might come when he was suppressing his power. Or worse, when he wasn't ready.
That was the real problem.
He turned slightly. "What do you think he should do?" Alex asked.
Merrick didn't hesitate.
"You said this fight with that Jimmy guy happened today," he said. "Then I'd say wipe today's memory. Clean and simple."
It made sense. Too much sense.
Still, Alex felt uneasy.
Before he could say it, Tamsin cut in.
"It's not your right to worry about what happens after," Tamsin said bluntly. "Whatever confusion they wake up with—that's on them."
Alex nodded slowly.
He was still worried. If Jimmy and Henry lost everything from today, they might forget things that mattered. Things that would raise questions later.
But he was tired of this.
"Fine…" Alex said at last.
He exhaled. "I just want things to go back to normal. And I want these two to stop bothering me."
That was the line in the sand.
Saka smiled faintly.
He pushed the hovering water forward. It touched Jimmy's forehead, then sank in smoothly, disappearing as if it had been swallowed by his skin.
The process had begun.
"I'm glad you added that last part," Saka said. "Because there's something else I had in mind."
He didn't stop moving. His hand stayed hovering above Jimmy's head, fingers slow and precise.
"Have you ever heard of muscle memory?" Saka asked.
Alex frowned slightly. "Muscle memory?"
"I'll wipe their memory," Saka said calmly, "but I'll transfer part of the fear they felt here into their muscle memory instead."
His hand dipped lower, the motion smooth.
"The scary part," he added. "The helpless part."
Alex's eyes narrowed. "What would that do?"
Before Saka could answer, Merrick spoke.
"It'll make them naturally afraid of you," Merrick said. "Not logically. Instinctively. They won't even know why—but they won't want to attack you."
Saka shot Merrick a brief, cold look. Sharp. A warning.
Like: Don't steal my lines.
Still, he nodded.
"He's right," Saka said. "That's exactly what it does."
His hand continued its slow movement over Jimmy's head, the water sinking deeper, responding to his control.
"But it won't always work," Merrick said, not backing down.
That made Saka pause for half a breath.
"Why?" Alex asked.
"It's simple," Merrick said. "Not everyone runs from fear."
He folded his arms.
"Some people face it. And if these two are anything like that, then you might end up with more trouble than before."
Saka didn't respond.
He finished his work on Jimmy and stepped over to Henry. Same process. Same controlled movements. No wasted effort.
When he was done, he straightened and let his hand fall to his side.
"Now that I'm finished here," Saka said, "you'll have to figure out how to take them back to your clan base."
He glanced at the two unconscious bodies.
"That part," he added dryly, "is not my problem."