Chapter 395: Position

A few days had passed since then. The world continued to face a growing number of Rift appearances with each passing day. And alongside that, as if nature itself were attempting to maintain some semblance of balance, more and more awakened humans were emerging every day.

Foreign nations had already begun losing control over them, particularly those with fewer resources and insufficient surveillance personnel to identify, recruit, or contain the newly awakened.

As a result, people across the world had begun filming and uploading images and videos of individuals doing things that should have been impossible. Someone slicing a car cleanly in half with his bare hand. Another person stepping off the edge of a building and simply refusing to fall, as though gravity itself no longer applied to them.

Such incidents were impossible to dismiss as simple tricks. They were strange, undeniable, and becoming far too common.

The sleeping internet freaks who had spent years insisting that supernatural entities existed among humanity were now louder than ever. More importantly, they were no longer being dismissed outright. Their claims were gaining support, while questions directed at governments were multiplying by the hour.

The authorities had been working tirelessly to erase every trace of the Toddlers from the internet, even establishing a special unit under the World Government whose sole purpose was to track down and eliminate evidence of their existence.

But there was simply too much of it.

Too many recordings. Too many witnesses. Too many people displaying abilities that could not be explained away.

Keeping humanity away from the dark side of reality was becoming increasingly impossible.

....

"He envisioned it." Ethan spoke as he finished off the last ghoul, the creature’s body collapsing into itself as flames consumed it until nothing remained but blackened matter.

"Who envisioned what?" Hannah asked from the side. She had already dealt with her share of the ghouls, though, as usual, Layena and Clara had helped her finish them.

"It’s nothing. I just heard from a wise person that this whole farce of keeping everything discreet would be torn apart sooner rather than later." Ethan replied vaguely.

He had been specifically told not to praise Kyle, or even mention his name in front of others.

"Well, if anyone, Layena wouldn’t be in any awkward situation. Considering how little she goes outside." Hannah grinned before turning toward the girl. "Right, Layena?"

The response came a moment later.

The lavender-eyed girl simply nodded.

"Are you okay?" Clara asked, studying her. "You’ve been spacing out a lot lately."

Layena blinked and looked at her.

Am I?

She already knew the answer.

There was a reason her thoughts kept drifting away, one she had been deliberately refusing to acknowledge. Her conversation with Lord Klaus had affected her more deeply than she wanted to admit, and no matter how much she tried to push it aside, his words continued to linger somewhere in the back of her mind.

....

[Some days ago]

"Layena."

Layena froze the moment she heard her name.

There was no mistaking that voice.

She had no choice but to stop and turn around. "I apologize. I believed you were having a conversation with Lady Elena, sir."

Elena winced and glanced toward Klaus. "You told her to call you sir?"

Klaus’s expression remained unchanged. He hadn’t told Layena to address him that way. He knew exactly who had.

"Come closer," Klaus said.

Layena wordlessly stepped forward until she stood before him.

"How is your training going?"

Layena nodded. "It has been going well. My superiors have been very helpful."

Klaus fell silent for a moment.

He could hardly believe he was struggling to find words to speak to his own blood. Yet perhaps it had always been destined to be this way.

His guilt toward Maya had made him distance himself from Layena, treating her as though she were somehow responsible for the sins committed against her. He had known what she had endured. He had known exactly who had destroyed her childhood.

His own wife and daughter.

And despite knowing all of that, he had done nothing to save her.

"I don’t deserve your respect."

The words escaped him before he could stop them.

Layena’s lavender eyes remained quietly fixed on him.

"You don’t need to regard me as Sir," Klaus continued. "And the next time you come across me, or anyone from the Klaus family, you can simply ignore us. As the patriarch, I give you my word that no one will raise a finger against you, nor will anyone cause you any trouble over it."

Elena was slightly taken aback.

A promise from the patriarch of the Klaus family was not something that could be taken lightly. With those words, Layena had been given something she had never truly possessed before: the freedom to live without constantly looking over her shoulder.

In the future, no one like Ava could approach her and trifle with her without consequence.

Yet while such words should have brought relief, perhaps even happiness, Layena merely nodded softly and remained where she was.

Klaus lowered his head. The guilt in his eyes was impossible to conceal.

"You may leave, if you wish to."

He had deliberately added those last words.

If you wish to.

He wanted to know whether there was even the slightest part of her that wanted to remain there. With them.

With him.

But Layena simply offered both Klaus and Elena an elegant bow before turning around and walking away.

Elena could only watch her go, grief settling heavily in her eyes.

Klaus, meanwhile, could no longer bring himself to look at Layena’s retreating figure.

In the end, Layena returned to her usual life and treated the encounter as nothing more than a slightly unusual moment.

It changed nothing.

....

[Present Time]

"I am good," she replied with a small nod, unwilling to let them worry about her or ask any more questions.

She would rather keep the matter to herself.

Ethan did not allow the silence to linger for long.

"Since we’re finished here, let’s grab lunch and return to the base."

Clara looked surprised. "We’re having lunch together?"

Ethan nodded before gesturing toward the surrounding area. The damage control teams had already arrived, so there was no reason for them to remain.

Just as he was about to leave with the others, his phone vibrated.

Ethan glanced at the screen.

The moment he saw who had sent the message, he opened the chat without hesitation.

A single message awaited him from his Lord.

{13th Station, East Montclair. 10:30}

The corners of Ethan’s lips barely lifted.

But the excitement burning in his eyes was impossible to hide.

....

Around half past ten, Ethan reached the destination his Lord had given him.

The train station was still under reconstruction, but the work had been suspended following the recent incidents. With the area abandoned, there was no construction crew, no commuters, and hardly any sign of movement. The unfinished platforms and half-built structures stood in eerie silence, leaving the entire site feeling strangely detached from the rest of the city.

When Ethan arrived, however, he found that someone was already waiting.

He had expected Arthur to be here, but knowing that did little to improve his mood. The moment his eyes settled on the other man, a faint bitterness surfaced within him.

"I hope you have fulfilled your role until now," Ethan called out.

Arthur did not turn around immediately, but his reaction made it clear that he had been aware of Ethan’s arrival.

"I have," he calmly replied, deliberately withholding any further details.

Ethan folded his arms across his chest. "I hope you realize that your position will always remain beneath mine."

Arthur finally turned toward him, one brow rising.

"And who decided that? I have never heard the Lord declare anything of the sort."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

"I have served my Lord for longer than you. Unlike you, I have earned his trust. But not you."

Arthur crossed his arms as well, his expression remaining completely composed.

"Then I suppose I only need time. Because if strength and authority are what determine our positions, we both know who stands second."

A low growl escaped Ethan.

"What did you say? You think you’re better than me?"

Arthur’s expression did not change.

"It’s not a matter of opinion or debate."

His gaze settled firmly on Ethan.

"It’s a proven fact."

Ethan narrowed his eyes. Unless usual when nothing seemed to be capable enough to rile him up, this subject seemed to have a strong effect as he appeared on the verge of launching himself forward.

However, just then, "That’s new."

Without a word, both Arthur and Ethan fell to their knee and lowered their heads.

Kyle emerged from the shadows and said, "We can later decide about your positions. First, Arthur, I believe you came prepared."

And as if on cue, the space began to distort on their left.

Kyle has summoned them here to test Arthur’s strength. And...to meet a certain guest.