Alaric moved.Not like a man running.But like a thought escaping before it could be caught.
He emerged from the cave in a blur, the cold air striking his face, grounding him… barely.
Without hesitation, he reached out.
"…Alexander."
Silence.
Again.
"…Alexander, respond."
Nothing.
A faint irritation crossed his expression.
"…Still training."
A pause.
"…Of all times…"
He exhaled slowly.
"…No other choice."
"…Orion. Do you hear me?"
A brief distortion.Then a voice answered.
"Alaric… what's happening?"
"I need you to connect me to the Right Hand."
A pause.Longer this time.
"…The Right Hand?"
"That won't be easy. You know how difficult it is to reach him."
Alaric's tone hardened.
"…Try anyway."
"…This is important."
Silence lingered after the connection weakened.
Alaric's thoughts deepened.
*A servant is a man who chooses to serve his master…*
*But a prisoner… serves no one.*
His gaze remained distant Sharp.
*Consider your personal affairs as secrets.*
*Never reveal more than the surface of who you are… even to those closest to you.*
A faint shadow crossed his expression.
*If you expose your depth your true self…*
*Even in its most innocent form…*
His jaw tightened slightly.
*They will use it against you.*
*At the time… and place… that benefits them most.*
He kept walking Following the faint trace of Jacob.
*The mind must govern what you say…*
*What you conceal…*
*What you show…*
*And what you bury.*
Suddenly A voice.
Not through Orion.
Not external.
Direct.
Commanding.
"Alaric."
He stopped instantly.
"Jacob has disappeared while you were retrieving the Black Seed."
His eyes narrowed.
"Wasn't he your responsibility?"
Alaric's voice remained calm Too calm.
"…Enough with the illusions."
A pause.
"…This is serious, Isaac."
Silence.
The name lingered.
**Isaac.**
The Right Hand.
"…And I'm no longer concerned with hiding identities."
A breath , Then.A shift.
"…Understood."
"Where is my brother?"
Alaric replied without hesitation.
"…Missing."
"…Have you contacted him?"
"You already know the answer."
"I don't contact him."
A pause.
"He chooses when to contact me."
Alaric's eyes darkened slightly.
"…When he does…"
"…tell him I need to speak with him."
A brief silence.
"…And send me the leader of the Hashashin."
Another pause.
"The Supreme Commander is unavailable."
"He is currently executing the elimination of James."
Alaric didn't react.
"However… I can send his commander."
"Hades."
A beat.
"…That will do."
The connection faded.
Alaric continued walking But his mind Was elsewhere.
*Society is nothing more than a masked sphere…*
*Where everyone hides their true self.*
A faint smirk , Cold.
*When you meet someone for the first time…*
*You are not meeting them…*
His eyes sharpened.
*You are meeting their performance.*
He stopped.
"…I need to think."
A pause.
"…What is that entity?"
His thoughts moved rapidly , Relentlessly.
*We know one thing…*
*It wasn't born with him.*
A breath.
*Jacob was different…*
*From the beginning.*
*Natural brilliance.*
*Unusual perception.*
*Instinct beyond his age.*
A pause.
*But then…*
His eyes narrowed further.
*The anomalies began early.*
*Shadows he could see…*
*Voices he could hear…*
A slow realization crept in.
*We thought it was the Dragon's spirit…*
*That's why we protected him…*
*From danger…*
*From the Devil's Party…*
A long silence., Then.
*But what if…*
His gaze froze Unblinking.
*We weren't protecting him from the devil…*
A whisper Barely audible.
*What if… we were protecting the devil itself?*
Alaric stood motionless.Completely still, Not blinking , Not shifting
Dressed in black trousers… black boots… and a crimson shirt.He looked like a statue carved from intention itself.
Then.Quietly
"No operational plan…"
"…can account for events beyond the initial clash with the enemy's core force."
He turned slightly.North.But his eyes Never left the same point.
"…You can come out now."
A pause.
"…You've been there for several minutes."
Silence., Then.A voice.
Calm.
Measured.
"…Impressive."
A figure emerged.
Tall.
Balanced.
Wrapped in long black garments , A mask concealing everything but his eyes.
"Even with my aura completely suppressed…"
"…and my breathing controlled…"
A step forward.
"…you still found me."
His gaze fixed on Alaric.
"…So this is Alaric Gracian."
Alaric finally shifted his eyes.Meeting his gaze directly.
Cold.
Precise.
"…I assume you're Hades."
Silence fell between them.
Heavy.
Two predators.
Measuring.
Waiting.
Somewhere far deeper Beyond reach., Beyond understanding , Something was still watching And this time It was no longer alone.