Chapter 204: Humans, Hints, And Heartstrings

Cyrus’s crimson eyes narrowed, his voice sharp with controlled alarm.

"What do you mean the Whispering Shard was stolen?"

Kane winced, realizing in his rush to connect dots, he’d forgotten this crucial detail.

"Right. So, funny story—well, not funny—but I discovered it missing from BSA Evidence Lockup B-7 yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Cyrus’s tone carried the dangerous edge Kane recognized from boardroom negotiations. "And you’re telling me now?"

"I got distracted with the draconic parchment and bedtime stories," Kane defended, though he knew it sounded weak. "But listen, I had a theory."

He gestured at the vault door behind them.

"The BSA lockup had intact seals, undisturbed wards, and perfect security signatures—just like your penthouse when Elias’s men took me. I thought he was using a spirit with molecular phasing abilities, like what happened to Rina accidentally."

Cyrus’s expression remained dangerously calm, waiting.

"But now?" Kane’s voice dropped. "What if Elias didn’t use a spirit at all? What if he used humans?"

"Humans," Cyrus repeated flatly.

"Think about it. Every security system we have—yours, the BSA’s, even this vault—they’re designed to detect and repel spirit energy. Magical signatures, supernatural manipulation, essence tampering." Kane’s amber eyes gleamed behind his glasses.

"But a human? With the right technology and the right synthetic compounds extracted from those shards? They’d be invisible to every ward we have."

Cyrus’s jaw tightened, crimson light flickering in his eyes as the implications settled.

"It’s not beyond Elias to collaborate with humans," he admitted, his voice measured.

"He built Moonfall Industries on mortal contracts and human innovation. He’s always believed spirits relied too heavily on inherent power and neglected technological advancement."

Kane shifted the dragon egg case to his other arm, watching Cyrus’s expression darken.

"But experimenting on them?" Cyrus continued, crimson eyes distant. "Augmenting human physiology with synthetic shard compounds? That crosses a line even he—"

He stopped himself.

Kane caught the hesitation.

"Even he what?"

"I was going to say it crosses a line he wouldn’t cross." Cyrus’s laugh held no humor.

"But I watched him transform spirits into weapons. I saw what he did to you in that laboratory."

The dragon egg pulsed faintly through its case, responding to the tension between them.

"If Elias believes augmented humans serve his grand vision of ’evolution,’" Cyrus said slowly, "he wouldn’t hesitate. Morality never constrained his ambition. Only results matter."

Kane’s tails threatened to emerge beneath his glamour.

"Then we need to find out who he’s recruited."

Cyrus studied Kane’s flushed expression, finding it far too entertaining to resist.

"I have an idea who Elias might have recruited," he said, his voice carrying a teasing lilt Kane rarely heard. "Your good friend Bob, perhaps?"

"Bob’s not my—" Kane’s cheeks burned crimson beneath his glamour, amber eyes widening behind his glasses. "We’re not that close. I haven’t even contacted him since the pier incident."

Cyrus’s crimson eyes glinted with amusement.

"Speaking of things we forgot to mention to each other..."

"Don’t," Kane warned, recognizing that particular tone.

"Bob is actually Whisper."

Kane’s mouth fell open, the dragon egg case nearly slipping from his grip.

"Whisper? The underground informant Mochi mentioned? The one who—"

"Fed you information about the Mercy Fragment, yes." Cyrus’s expression sobered. "The same person who’s been dealing in artifact fragments through black market channels for years."

Kane’s mind raced, connecting dots with frightening clarity.

Bob’s convenient presence on the Silver Mermaid. The perfectly-timed "discovery" of Bernard’s private files. The snow globe message leading them to St. Aveline’s.

"That manipulative little—" Kane’s tails threatened to emerge. "He played us from the start."

"Played you," Cyrus corrected gently. "I suspected Bob’s involvement from the start. But you seemed quite charmed by his golden retriever act."

"I was not charmed."

"Your blushing suggests otherwise."

"I’m not blushing," Kane protested, shifting the dragon egg case between his arms. "It’s just hot down here. All these wards and containment fields—"

"Of course." Cyrus’s tone dripped with mock sincerity. "The temperature. Not to mention young Holloway’s sunny disposition and those earnest blue eyes."

"You’re ridiculous."

"And you’re transparent." Cyrus turned toward the vault exit, crimson light flickering across the security panels as he initiated the locking sequence. "Though for the record, I’m not jealous."

Kane snorted.

"Sure you’re not."

"I’m simply observing facts." The massive door sealed with a resonant thud, crystalline locks engaging.

"Bob manipulated you. You responded favorably to his charms. I find the situation... mildly irritating."

"Mildly irritating," Kane repeated, following Cyrus into the service corridor. "That’s dragon-speak for jealous."

Cyrus didn’t dignify that with a response, leading them back toward the secure elevator. His silence spoke volumes.

The lift ascended smoothly, the digital display counting floors as they rose from Veyr Corp’s subterranean depths.

Kane watched Cyrus’s reflection in the polished doors—jaw tight, crimson eyes distant.

Definitely jealous.

Kane shifted the dragon egg case, then leaned up and pressed a kiss to Cyrus’s cheek.

"Stop sulking."

Cyrus’s jaw unclenched fractionally, though his crimson eyes remained fixed on the ascending floor numbers.

Kane replayed his interactions with Bob—the earnest fumbling at the pool bar, the genuine distress about his father’s business, and the pier meeting where Bob handed over those files.

Something nagged at him.

Bob’s performance would have been flawless if it was entirely an act. Too flawless, almost.

The self-deprecating humor, the visible discomfort discussing Bernard’s shady dealings, and the way his hands trembled slightly when revealing Moonfall Industries purchased the Mercy Fragment.

"What if Bob’s not working with Elias?" Kane said slowly.

Cyrus glanced at him.

"He gave you information that led directly into Elias’s trap."

"But he also gave us real intel." Kane frowned. "Why betray Elias by showing me his father’s private files? Why risk exposing the whole operation?"

The elevator chimed, doors sliding open to Cyrus’s office level.

"Unless," Kane continued, "Bob has his own agenda. Something separate from both Bernard and Elias."

Cyrus’s expression darkened.

"That possibility concerns me even more."

Kane’s mind churned through possibilities—Bernard’s artifact trafficking network, Elias’s experiments, Bob’s convenient betrayals. What connected them all?

The answer came to him with sudden clarity.

"The Eternal God Crystal," Kane said. "What did the parchment actually say? You stopped mid-sentence at dinner."

Cyrus’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t walk away this time.