Chapter 194: Among us

Nivara strode into the laboratory like someone who had been moving fast and had simply decided to stop doing that right here.

Her long silver-white hair swayed behind her. Her crimson eyes found Zeus before she had fully crossed the room and they stayed there with the specific intensity of someone who has been worried for a while and has now decided to express that as displeasure.

She grabbed him by the face before he could say anything.

“What in the world happened to you?!”

She turned his head from side to side examining him. “I heard something had happened so I came running. And now I find you here missing an entire arm!”

Zeus stared at her with complete calm.

Then he raised his artificial right arm.

“You heard correctly.”

Nivara’s expression darkened immediately. She released his face and pointed at the artificial limb. “How could you be so reckless?! And who could have done something like this that you couldn’t even regenerate it?!”

“Leave it, Nivara.” His tone was even. “I’m tired of thinking about it.”

She clicked her tongue and folded her arms.

Zeus leaned back and let the silence settle for a moment. Then something occurred to him.

“By the way. Weren’t you supposed to be searching for the Typhon Core?”

Nivara’s irritation vanished instantly. She smiled. “Oh, that? I found it.”

Zeus went still.

For the first time since she had walked in his composure actually slipped. “Already?”

“Yes. It was hidden quite deep but finding it wasn’t particularly difficult. I retrieved it, handed it to Planner, and came straight here.”

Zeus stared at her.

Then he let out a quiet breath. “Well. That’s one less problem.”

His gaze drifted to the table where the Fulgarion Core rested. Two Cores secured now. The Helion Core was still out of reach but progress had been made.

Nivara’s expression shifted. “Speaking of which. I heard your mission to retrieve the Helion Core failed. You ambushed the humans.”

“I was close.” A hint of irritation touched his voice for a fraction of a second. “Everything was going according to plan. The humans were exactly where I needed them and the Core was practically within reach. Then that little ant appeared.”

He paused. Glanced at the artificial arm. A faint humorless smile crossed his face. “I suppose I can no longer call him that.”

Nivara studied him for a moment. Then she waved her hand. “Fine. You’ve done enough for now. Get some rest. I’ll go retrieve the Helion Core myself.”

She turned toward the door.

Then stopped.

“Oh. One more thing.” She looked back over her shoulder. “Did you see that girl while you were there?”

Zeus shook his head. “She wasn’t present during the battle.”

He leaned back. “She’s still gathering information among the humans. Planner would know more about her current situation.”

Nivara nodded.

“She also reported something important,” Zeus continued. “A particular group of humans we need to be careful around. Isabella. Darius. Nicholas. Theodore. Luna.” He looked at her directly. “And several other Spires. According to her report we should avoid underestimating them. If an opportunity presents itself we should eliminate them before they become a greater threat.”

Nivara considered this. Then gave a small nod. “Understood. Tell our elder brother or Father about the situation as well.”

“I will.”

She stepped into the corridor.

“And Zeus.”

He looked up.

“Try not to lose your other arm.”

The doors began to close.

Zeus looked at the empty doorway.

“What a considerate sister.”

He flexed the fingers of the artificial hand. The delay was still there but smaller than before.

His eyes narrowed.

____

Astern Kingdom

“What?! He was a Vampire Prince?!”

Several voices broke out at once around the meeting room.

Aurelia sat beside Darius, her mind elsewhere and completely detached from the meeting unfolding around her. Arvendis stood faithfully at her side.

Darius stood at the head of the table with two fingers pressed against his temple. “Yes. If my information is correct his name is Zeus.” He sighed. “But that only raises more questions. Someone of his position wouldn’t personally enter a battlefield like that without a reason. There must have been a specific objective.”

Emilia raised her hand slightly. “I think I know what it was.”

Every head in the room turned toward her. Nicholas blinked. “You know why he came?”

“Not completely,” she said. “But I heard him mention something called the Helion Core several times during the battle.”

Roselle’s expression changed. “The Helion Core.” Her eyes widened as the pieces connected. “That makes sense.” She turned toward Darius. “Headmaster, remember when Vincent played as a professor for years to steal the Core? He had been sent by the vampires. And if it weren’t for Alden, we might never have recovered it.”

Alden stood beside Nicholas, his mind distracted by a completely different worry.

Darius nodded slowly. “I remember.”

“Then Zeus must have been after the same thing. That explains why he attacked the Central Sector and why he went after Leon. He needed the Helion Core.”

Claire had been listening quietly. “And when he must’ve held Leon captive to exchange him for the Core.”

The room went silent.

The weight of that settled over everyone again and nobody rushed to fill the quiet.

Then Isabella spoke. “That explains why Zeus came.” Calm voice. Troubled expression. “It doesn’t explain how he got there.”

Darius turned toward her.

Isabella folded her arms. “The Central Sector was supposed to be secure. The defensive arrangements and the routes into it were discussed during that gathering. A limited number of people knew the details.” Her eyes narrowed. “Yet Zeus bypassed three-way defensive forces and entered directly.”

Theodore frowned slowly. “Now that you mention it…”

Luna leaned back in her chair. “He didn’t seem to be wandering either. He knew exactly where to go.”

“Exactly,” Isabella said. She placed both hands on the table. “Strength alone doesn’t explain the precision of his attack. Someone had to know those details beforehand.”

Nicholas’s expression hardened. “You’re saying someone leaked our plans.”

“I’m saying we can’t rule it out.”

Darius lowered his hand from his temple. His face had gone grave. “You think there’s a traitor among us.”