“Leave” Vaedra’s tone left no room for argument. Lucien gave a polite nod, but with slow steps. As if reluctant to go.

Vaedra’s hazel eyes, sharp as cut steel, locked onto him. No warmth or curiosity—nothing but cold scrutiny. “All the names you gave me…” She tapped a rhythmic beat on her temple. “Useless.”

Caelan felt his fingers go cold, stomach dropping. He kept his face solid, betraying nothing. “In what way?”

She tossed a tablet onto the table. He picked it up and forced his breathing to stay even as he skimmed through the files. The names he gave her. Of the lower ranked members of the Cult of Kharatos. The ones responsible for the initial conflicts of the first game.

Dead. Missing. Vanished into the void.

All within days of Vaedra’s first move.

Caelan set the tablet down. He met her gaze, searching for any trace of emotion.

Nothing.

“It seems the enemy knows we are after them.” His words came out controlled, level. Couldn’t afford to show his inner turmoil.

She tapped at the temple in a constant rhythm. “Seems that way, yes.”

She knew something. Or suspected it. Unclear which could be worse.

“And you think I had something to do with it.”

Leopold groaned at that. “Why can’t our life be easy just for fucking once?”

Vaedra leaned back in her chair, not relaxed—waiting. Calculated, measured.

Caelan’s eyes flicked to her hips. Shortswords. One for each hand. She didn’t prepare for a fight—she expected one.

“My work is to think all possibilities.” Despite the casual tone, it felt like she pointed a load gun at his head.

His retort came into the form of the claim he had no motive to do so. Why provide false intel when a simple question from the headmaster would caught any lie? Didn’t sound very smart in his opinion. All spoken with a calculated indifference.

Vaedra’s response? To claim him not being in handcuffs had to do with the lack of logic. Before she pointed he hadn’t provided his side of the bargain.

“Fine.” Caelan forced his voice to not tremble. “I can give you more names. Big ones, the type that can’t disappear so easy.”

No change in demeanor from her. “Why didn’t you give those earlier?”

“So that you could provide I had an ‘accident’? No thanks.” The words hung between them. A subtle test. See if she reacts. See if she twitches.

Nothing.

“Fine,” she said at last. “Give me the names. But I suggest you exercise… caution.”

Not a threat. A warning.

Once dismissed, his mind raced with possibilities. Could a mole hide among the Executors?

Nothing in the game suggested that, but they only became relevant later. When Kai Garnier got to his second year.

Could his knowledge have holes?

If so… how big? And how many more blunders would it take for her to lose patience?

A sharp voice cut through his thoughts.

“HEY!” Leopold. Yelling at his ear for the better part of a minute. “What’s going on? I thought you were supposed to know your shit?”

A sting to his side. “Not now, Leopold.”

“Look, maybe things aren’t the same as…”

“I said NOT NOW!”

The words came out harder than intended. His footsteps quickened, as if putting distance between him and his own thoughts.

For once, Leopold didn’t argue. Caelan didn’t know if he should feel relief or worry.