The sky was a heavy gray, clouds hanging low over the cemetery. Not a single voice broke the silence except the rustle of wind through the rows of black-clad figures.
The coffin lowered slowly—Elior’s coffin. Black wood, no flowers, no inscription. Hydra stood at the front, eyes locked on the rope slipping through the hands of the gravekeepers. No tears. Just the set jaw of a man who had made a decision.
Basilisk and Pegasus stood side by side, heads bowed, the weight of their grief as visible as the damp earth beneath their feet.
When the final spade of dirt fell, Hydra turned. “We’re done here,” he said, voice low but edged like steel. “Now… we move.”
They left the cemetery as one.126Please respect copyright.PENANA39a8FMK01G
Ravenfall—Avni, Sayaka, Raiden, Erik, Lev, Saira, Dev, Ishaan, and Veer—closed around Luce like an unbreakable ring. Amber and Azure followed in silence, their steps matching his.
Luce’s destination was clear to all of them: the secret chamber of COMA.
The chamber was buried beneath the League Hall, an ancient vault of black steel and guarded gates. Two Phantoms moved to block the entrance.
“You don’t have clearance,” one began—
Leviathan slammed him into the wall before he could finish. Raiden swept the other’s legs out, and Sayaka planted a boot in his gut hard enough to leave him coughing on the floor.
The massive doors swung open under Luce’s shove.
Inside, a round table of black glass reflected the grim faces of the League heads. COMA members lined the walls—some startled, some already reaching for weapons.
Luce didn’t stop at the threshold. He strode straight into the center, eyes blazing.
“You fucking bastards!” His voice ricocheted through the chamber. “I don’t care about COMA or Valgrave, I don’t care about your secrets—” His fist slammed onto the table, rattling cups and datapads. “—but I have good friends. I never wanted anything to happen to them. And look. Elior… Eli… how she died.”
No one moved.
“I don’t care what game you’re playing,” he growled, voice dropping into something far more dangerous. “But I want revenge.”
Elda Korugane, Apex Head of COMA, rose slowly. “Calm down, Lu—”
“Calm down?!” Luce’s shout tore through the room like a blade. “How the fuck am I supposed to calm down?!”
His voice was raw now, rage cutting it open. “I need every file you have. Every fucking scrap about this. And tell me—who killed Yuriko and Rokuro?”
Amber and Azure exchanged a glance. Then Azure stepped forward. “…We did.”
The room went still.
Luce’s expression shifted—not to disbelief, but to something sharper, more dangerous. “You?” His tone was ice.
Amber nodded once. “We investigated them. Found proof. We submitted the files to COMA.”
Azure’s eyes locked with Luce’s. “They have it.”
Luce’s knuckles whitened against the table. “Then I want those files. Now.”
Elda’s voice was steady but cold. “They’re in the secret archives. You know the code.”
Luce said nothing—just turned on his heel.
The rest of Ravenfall followed, their silence heavier than the chaos they left in their wake.
Outside the chamber, the tension cracked.
Sayaka moved to Luce’s side, her voice soft but firm. “Luce, calm down. Don’t waste your energy.” She kissed him lightly, grounding him for a moment.
Then her eyes sharpened. “Think. We’re Shades. Who could have kidnapped Elior? Unless there’s a spy.”
Lev’s brow furrowed. “Only three people we’ve been close to lately—Amber, Azure… and Valken.”
Avni’s voice cut through. “It’s not Amber. It’s not Azure. That leaves Valken.”
Erik’s fists clenched. “Then let’s find that bastard and end this.”
But Saira shook her head. “Luce… what if they’re preparing to open the archives? You’re the only one who can access them.”
Ishaan was quiet, for once, the weight of loss killing his usual spark. Veer stood beside him, silent, shoulders tense. The two of them looked like they’d been hollowed out.
Luce finally drew in a slow breath. “…Alright. We’ll plan. We’ll get what we need. Then we’ll make them pay.”
Morning light filtered through thin clouds as Ravenfall walked toward the quiet hill where Elior was buried.
Basilisk and Pegasus were already there, standing like sentinels before the fresh grave. Neither spoke when Ravenfall approached.
Hydra stepped forward, standing between them, his gaze fixed on the stone marker.
Nobody said a word.
One by one, the group closed in—Leviathan’s hand on Hydra’s shoulder, Valkyrie leaning into him, Cerberus brushing his arm, Wyvern and Kraken standing in silent guard, Nymph resting her palm against the coffin’s edge, Sphinx at his side, Phoenix and Griffin finally stepping forward.
They hugged. No speeches. No promises aloud.
But the vow was there, unspoken, burning in all of them: Whoever took Elior from them would pay.
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