Meanwhile... (at the office)

   The action now takes place in Rex’s office at the police headquarters, some time before the action from the previous chapter. The atmosphere was heavy despite the comforting aroma of coffee. Rex placed a steaming cup in front of Zephyra and sat across from her, his expression a mixture of weariness and gravity.

   Zephyra leaned back in her chair, cupping her coffee. “Then let’s get to the point. Why did you bring me here, old man?”

   Rex took a sip of his coffee, his gaze steady. “About two months ago, you reported an attack in the woods in your territory. Mercenaries targeted a beastmen village, massacred its inhabitants, and kidnapped many of the survivors.”

   Zephyra nodded, her expression darkening. “I remember. One of them survived, and you took him for interrogation along with the artifacts they used.”

   Rex sighed. “Hard to call him a ‘survivor,’ considering his state. It’s a miracle that he was still alive at this point.”

   Zephyra shrugged. “I already told you. They were attacked by an Emerald Bear. It’s a miracle even one made it out alive.”

   “Right...” Rex's skeptical look lingered but he didn’t press further. "By the way, we still cannot find their vehicle—"

   “So, did he finally wake up? Did you get any info from him?” Zephyra interrupted, making sure that they change the topic.

   Rex was curious for a second as to why did she not want to talk about that, but then he just shook his head. 

   “Not quite... and he’s unlikely to wake up again.”

   Zephyra’s eyes narrowed. “Murdered?”

   “Unfortunately.” Rex placed a tablet on the desk and swiped to a photo from the hospital room. The image was gruesome—limbs severed, the body butchered into grotesque pieces. Blood painted the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling.

   Zephyra grimaced. “Looks like a scene straight out of a horror movie.”

   Rex set the tablet down. “That’s not even the worst part. I called you here, because I knew you would be curious about this part.”

   He swiped to another photo, this one focused on a message smeared in blood on the wall. The words sent a chill through the room: “To my dear Heracles.”

   Zephyra stared at the inscription, her sharp eyes narrowing. But it wasn’t the ominous phrase that caught her attention—it was the symbol scrawled next to it. A familiar emblem of a cursive “U” overlaid on a “G.”

   Her grip on the coffee cup tightened, and a dark gleam sparked in her eyes. The same symbol had been on the documents she’d retrieved from the facility. Something boiled inside her, the fury she’d thought she’d buried bubbling to the surface.

   Zephyra laughed, her tone edged with dramatic tension. “Turns out Sora was right. It’s not over, yet.”

   Her fingers drummed on the desk as she composed herself, then she added, “Did the autopsy find anything?”

   Rex leaned back, his face a mask of frustration. “Professional job. Zero traces of mana in the wounds, meaning the victim wasn’t cut with a spell. Which is hard to believe, considering the precision of those cuts. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

   Zephyra tapped her fingers thoughtfully. “There’s another possibility. The victim could’ve been killed with active mana.”

   Rex frowned. “Active mana?”

   She nodded. “I’ve heard of a certain cult of assassins who specialize in this technique. They’re trained from childhood to control mana with such precision that they can use it as a physical weapon. The control is so advanced, they can eliminate any trace of mana on their victims’ wounds.”

   Rex’s voice was heavy with suspicion. “So they were hired by 'them'?”

   “Definitely. But the content of the message confuses me. Heracles... Just who is it about? I would have assumed that it is about me or Sora but...”

   Rex, his brow furrowed, leaned forward. “I read the files you sent me. And one thing I can tell you for sure: as the chief of police in the Vermillion area, you have our full support.”

   Zephyra gave a faint smile. “Thanks, really appreciate that.”

   “Huh… that’s unexpected.” Rex raised a brow, clearly taken aback. 

   "What? Something wrong?"

   "No, it's just... usually you would say something like 'I can handle it myself ' or something like that."  

   She smirked faintly over the rim of her coffee. “What can I say? People change.”

   Rex studied her for a moment before letting out a knowing hum. “You’ve changed a little, since you met Sora.”

   "Well..."

   Zephyra’s expression softened just slightly, though her words were matter-of-fact. 

   “He might be a brat, who shows no respect to people older than him, and doesn’t really care about his own safety… but he’s a good boy.”

   “I see—” 

   He stopped mid-sentence, his head tilting slightly as if something caught his attention.

   Zephyra frowned. “What?”

   “There’s... something there.” Rex’s sharp gaze locked onto the far wall of the office, where a faint shimmer blended into the background. He walked toward it cautiously, his fingers brushing against the surface. “What the hell...?”

   Zephyra stood, her eyes narrowing as she joined him. Her expression darkened when she recognized the object.

   “A bug.” Her voice was low, almost amused. “Someone was listening to what we were talking about.”

   Rex recoiled in disbelief. “Is it possible for that organization to break into the police headquarters?! And into my office?!”

   Zephyra’s lips curved into a sardonic smile, a dry chuckle escaping her. “That nosy kid. Not bad, pretty good, even. I’ll deal with him when he gets back.”

   Rex blinked, realization dawning. A small, amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched Zephyra. He didn’t say anything outright, but the knowing glint in his eyes was enough to make her suspicious.

   “What?” Zephyra asked, her tone sharp.

   “Nothing,” Rex replied, shaking his head slightly, though the amusement in his expression lingered. “It’s just... his behavior reminds me of someone.”

   Zephyra’s face scrunched into indignation. “Let me remind you that stalking was Lucian’s specialty.”

   Rex gave her a knowing look. “And yet, after becoming his assistant, you started sneaking next-gen bugs and attaching them all over the police station. Remember that?”

   "That was—"

   *buzz* *buzz*

   Zephyra tried to retort but was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. She held up a finger to silence Rex, then answered the call. “Hi, Luna. Is something wrong?”

   Zephyra listened carefully, her expression shifting as she nodded occasionally. At one point, she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

   When the call ended, Zephyra pocketed her phone, took a deep breath, and smiled tightly. 

   “I will kill that brat.”