“Gina, Eli, and Kevin—you’re the fastest in the group,” Natasha said, keeping a close eye on the dissolving remains of the Umbrals. Her voice was low, but the urgency was unmistakable. “I want you to take the lead and get ahead of us. Gina can inform Tony about the situation and about Norvella. Eli and Kevin, you go to Lucius. Kevin, tell him everything we’ve learned.”

  The three of them nodded immediately. They knew every minute mattered. Without wasting another word, they disappeared into the darkness of the forest, their pace set toward the distant glow of the Hellfire Walls.

  Bj?rn watched the three men go, his heavy sword already back in its sheath. “Why the rush?” he asked, his voice a low rumble.

  Natasha turned to face him with a look that allowed no argument. “Brittania is rotten with corruption from the inside out. Lucius is the key to change, and we need to reach him before the Royals realize what he knows.”

  Benny, who had already sheathed his knife, turned toward Bj?rn. “Bj?rn, you came here looking for someone named Miller. Why exactly?”

  Bj?rn looked at Thomas, who was watching with hopeful but anxious eyes.

  “My father once met a man named Rick Miller outside the island of Brittania,” Bj?rn began. “They exchanged information. And eventually, they discovered a solution against the demons.”

  Thomas looked up in surprise. A spark of hope flickered in his eyes, as if the crushing weight of their endless battle against demons had lifted from his shoulders for just a moment.

  “My father did not survive the journey back to Norvella,” Bj?rn continued, his expression hardening. “And Rick Miller disappeared as well.” He sighed, the air heavy and cold.

  “But there is one thing we know for certain,” Bj?rn said, looking at each of them in turn, creating a heavy silence around the group.

  “You defeat demons with Angels. And there are Angels in Brittania.”

  While the shocking revelation about Angels and Miller overwhelmed those who remained behind, Eli and Kevin were already racing against time.

  They reached the edge of District Earth, heading straight toward the Research Team Headquarters and Lucius.

  Kevin was breathing hard. “There, Eli—we’re almost there!”

  Eli’s eyes sharpened and he quickened his pace.

  But just before they could reach the entrance of the headquarters, several soldiers of the Royal Guard suddenly stepped into their path, completely blocking the street.

  At the front of the formation stood a mysterious woman dressed in white robes. Her face was covered; only her eyes were visible. Beside her stood an imposing young man in a Royal Guard uniform.

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  The young man spoke, his voice sharp with arrogance. “Well, well. What’s the hurry?”

  “We’re from the Research Team,” Kevin answered immediately. “Let us pass.”

  The man raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Research Team? Then you can come with us instead. I don’t trust you one bit.”

  Without further warning, he drew his sword. Bystanders in the narrow street recoiled and watched from a distance. This was no ordinary dispute.

  Kevin looked visibly frustrated and drew his own sword, the blade catching the dim light.

  Eli scanned the situation instantly.

  Six ordinary soldiers—and the two strange figures at the front. He immediately realized that the young man, despite his age, was already a formidable opponent. But the mysterious woman in white seemed even more dangerous, a silent threat.

  Eli made his decision instantly.

  “Kevin, you have the information. Run to Lucius! I’ll hold them off!”

  “You’ll never survive that!” Kevin shouted, already raising his sword into a fighting stance.

  “I don’t have to defeat them,” Eli replied, drawing his dagger. “I just need to buy time.”

  Kevin gave Eli a firm nod, reading the seriousness of the situation in his leader’s eyes.

  Eli immediately rushed forward, launching his attack toward the imposing young man. Meanwhile Kevin tried to run around the group, heading straight for the entrance of the headquarters.

  But in the blink of an eye, the woman in white stood before him.

  She hadn’t moved—she was simply there.

  Her fist struck Kevin in the stomach. The punch looked subtle, almost effortless, but the impact hit his vital organs with devastating force.

  Kevin was thrown several meters backward and instantly spat blood. The speed and power were inhuman.

  Eli saw it from the corner of his eye and immediately leapt toward the woman to attack her, breaking off his confrontation with the young man to protect Kevin.

  “Hey! You’re fighting me!” the young man shouted furiously.

  He swung his sword with astonishing precision toward Eli’s back, his voice dripping with pure royal arrogance.

  “No one simply walks away from me—I am Derek Ashford!”

  Eli’s heart froze.

  Ashford.

  Celia’s brother.

  The young man hissed, “My family will soon inherit the throne!”

  Derek’s sword swung toward Eli’s back—but before it could reach him, the strike was deflected by another blade. The swords scraped against each other with a harsh metallic shriek.

  Derek looked up, and his expression instantly twisted into a storm of fury and disbelief.

  Standing before him was none other than Celia—his younger sister.

  “Derek, you have no business here!” she said, her breathing heavy but her voice firm.

  The other six Royal Guard soldiers moved to step in as reinforcements, but suddenly they were called back.

  “I order you to withdraw! That includes you as well, Derek and Selma!”

  The voice was soft, surprisingly friendly—yet carried undeniable authority.

  It was Rico, who had just stepped around the corner together with Lucius, the leader of the Research Team.

  The woman in white robes—now known as Selma—remained completely still.

  “I do not take orders from you, Rico,” she said coldly.

  “Vice-captain… what are you doing here?” Derek replied, his anger now mixed with confusion.

  “As you can see, I already have him,” Rico said, gesturing toward Lucius. “Lucius, the leader of the Research Team. I will personally bring him to Marcus, along with these other three Research Team members.”

  He pointed toward Eli, the bleeding Kevin, and Celia.

  Selma did not respond with words.

  In a single motion, she leapt upward and vanished across the rooftops.

  “Selma… Marcus’s loyal hound,” Rico muttered, watching the place where she disappeared. “She’ll go inform him immediately.”

  Under Rico’s command, the group of prisoners—Lucius, Celia, Eli, and Kevin—arrived in District Water.

  The air here was more humid, and the buildings were more imposing and elegant than the decaying chaos of District Earth.

  Rico led them to a cell in one of the older complexes and ordered them to wait.

  “I’ll fetch Marcus,” he said curtly.

  All four of them sat there, their hands locked in steel shackles, chained to a cold stone bench.

  Kevin was pale from Selma’s blow, but his gaze remained tense.

  Kevin whispered, his voice hoarse with pain. “Lucius… Natasha is on her way with the people from Norvella. But us being imprisoned here… is that really the plan?”

  Lucius, chained but unmoved, answered calmly and firmly.

  “Thank you, Kevin. Don’t worry.”

  There was a strange calm in his voice, as if everything was unfolding exactly as intended.

  The heavy iron door of the cell slammed open.

  Marcus stepped inside, his long shadow falling across the prisoners. His presence was intimidating and unmistakably regal; he seemed to fill the entire cell with his authority.

  “Lucius,” he boomed, his voice rumbling with triumph.

  “At last I’ve caught you, you sneaky rat!”