Chapter 173

Chapter 173: Chapter 173

Amelia carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed, wincing slightly as her feet touched the floor.

She looked at him, her brows drawing together. "What did you find out?"

Caleb hesitated. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, glancing briefly at Enzo before returning his attention to Amelia.

"I’m not sure how to explain it without making it sound absurd," he admitted. "There’s something I want to confirm with you, but I’d prefer to discuss it privately."

Reid’s arm tightened around Amelia’s waist.

"Privately?" he repeated, giving Caleb a suspicious look. "Why? Is this some kind of secret that the rest of us aren’t allowed to hear?"

"Whatever you need to say to her, you can say it in front of all of us."

Caleb’s expression tightened, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he looked directly at Amelia, waiting for her decision.

"It’s fine," she assured Caleb. "Go ahead. You can tell me."

Caleb nodded, though he remained standing near the doorway.

"May I come in?"

Enzo stared at him for a moment before stepping aside. He gestured toward one of the chairs without saying anything, his expression making it clear that Caleb’s presence was being tolerated rather than welcomed.

Caleb walked inside and sat down.

Amelia settled sideways against the pillows, watching him expectantly.

"All right," she said. "We’re listening."

Caleb took a breath.

"No matter how carefully we try to restrain these subjects, they die almost immediately after being captured. We’ve tried different methods, changed our approach, and examined everything we could, but we still haven’t figured out how it happens."

Enzo folded his arms across his chest. "We already know that much. What have you found that we don’t?"

"The higher recruits brought back new information." Caleb paused. "According to them, these subjects are under some kind of powerful dark curse. It’s designed to force them to die the moment they’re captured."

Amelia’s expression changed.

"They believe the curse causes them to be reborn after death."

"Reborn?"

The word seemed to hang in the room long after he had spoken it.

You don’t mean...

"How did the higher recruits obtain this information?" Enzo interrupted her thoughts.

Caleb shook his head. "I don’t know the details. They only shared what they’d discovered with me, and they want to explain the rest to Amelia themselves."

Reid’s eyes narrowed further. "Why Amelia?"

"Because they already know what happened during our mission," Caleb replied. "They know about the things we encountered. And apparently, they’ve noticed that several details point toward Amelia."

He paused, studying her reaction. "They suspect she has some kind of connection to the underworld."

She carefully rose from the bed. Her legs felt a little unsteady after spending so long lying down, but she steadied herself against the mattress.

Caleb stood immediately.

"I will go."

"Are you sure you’re ready to go? You’re still tired."

"I’m fine." Amelia glanced at him, then looked toward the three brothers. "I want to clear up their suspicions, and I want to get an edge of what the underworld is actually planning."

She paused, rubbing her thumb against her palm as she thought through what Caleb had told them.

"And honestly, I’ve never considered that possibility before. If these subjects really are being forced to die and then reborn, then there might be a connection to me."

Dean rose. "Then we’ll come with you."

Enzo nodded. "He’s right. You’re not going alone."

She gave them a reassuring look. "I am not going to be interogatted like some criminal, and i got this. Trust me."

She toward Caleb. "All right. Let’s go. I want to hear what they have to say."

Caleb nodded and led the way to the door. Amelia followed him, leaving the three brothers behind.

The moment the door closed, Dean turned toward Enzo and Reid.

"Can we at least spy on them? I want to know who these higher recruits actually are and why they want to speak to Amelia alone. I trust Amelia, but i don’t trust these people that i have never met before."

"That’s a reasonable suggestion," Reid said, already moving toward the door.

Enzo gave them both a look. "We’re not spying on Amelia."

"Of course not," Reid replied innocently. "We’re simply going to make sure the area is secure."

Dean nodded. "And observe the higher recruits from a safe distance."

Enzo stared at them.

"You two are terrible liars."

"Yet you’re still coming with us," Reid pointed out.

Before Enzo could answer, a strange pressure swept through the room.

It was subtle at first, like a restless presence stirring somewhere deep inside them. Then it grew stronger, brushing against their instincts and sending an unmistakable warning through the bond they shared with their divine beasts.

All three brothers fell silent.

"Well, that’s interesting."

"My beast is restless." Reid pressed a hand against his chest. "And he doesn’t seem particularly happy."

Dean’s expression grew serious as he felt the same disturbance.

"Mine too."

"Looks like our beast doesn’t like strangers one bit. I’d better get there before he decides to start devouring people."

They left the room together, abandoning their plans to spy on Amelia for the moment. Their destination was the section of the Moonfist military grounds where their beasts were being kept.

__

Amelia walked beside Caleb through the quiet corridors. Neither of them spoke at first. The further they went from the brothers’ room, the heavier the silence felt.

Caleb finally broke it.

"Do you think you’re somehow connected to the Underworld?" His tone was thoughtful, almost puzzled. "Your entire life was spent in Blacksmith Territory. Nowhere else. The more information I gather about you, the more confused I become. The conclusion forming in my head makes sense... and yet it feels impossible."

Amelia glanced at him. "What’s the conclusion in your head?"

He stopped walking directly in front of her.

"I think you were reborn. And somehow... you still carry the memories of your past lives."

Amelia’s expression didn’t change much. "That’s really straight to the point."

"So you truly have regained your memories after all. I knew it."

Something shifted. The voice that answered her was no longer the same. It dropped lower, colder, carrying an edge that didn’t belong to Caleb at all.

Only then did the figure turn.

Caleb’s face looked back at her, but the eyes were wrong—chilling, sharp, and completely foreign. A thin smile touched his lips.

Amelia’s body went still. "You’re not Caleb."

"How did you guess?"