Chapter 69: Between Signatures And Shadows

The morning dissolved into a blur of quarterly reports and acquisition proposals.

Cyrus signed documents without reading them, his pen moving in sharp, mechanical strokes across contract after contract.

The familiar rhythm of corporate efficiency should have been soothing, but it felt hollow.

"The Shanghai acquisition requires your final approval," Isabelle said, placing another folder on his desk.

He signed it.

"Security wants to discuss the new containment protocols."

Another signature.

"The board meeting has been moved to Thursday."

Cyrus barely looked up from the papers.

Isabelle stood perfectly still, watching him with those calculating ice-blue eyes.

"Sir," Isabelle’s voice carried the slightest edge of concern. "Perhaps you should take lunch?"

Cyrus didn’t look up from the acquisition reports.

"I’m fine."

The lie tasted bitter.

Isabelle placed another folder on his desk, but this time she remained standing, her posture even more rigid than usual.

"Madam Xiu will arrive shortly," she said. "Her assistant confirmed the appointment fifteen minutes ago."

Cyrus nodded without looking up from the contracts.

"The usual conference room?"

"She requested your private office." Isabelle’s voice carried a note of disapproval.

"I’ve prepared tea service, though I suspect she’ll decline refreshments as always."

Twenty minutes later, Madam Xiu swept into his office with her characteristic grace, jade-green skin shimmering under the fluorescent lights.

Her golden eyes surveyed the space with practiced assessment before settling on Cyrus.

"Mr. Drakhal." She inclined her head. "I trust you have good news regarding our arrangement."

Cyrus retrieved the Midnight Chalice from his desk drawer, placing it carefully on the polished surface between them.

The silver surface gleamed, ancient power humming through the air.

Madam Xiu’s expression shifted to one of genuine appreciation as she examined the artifact without touching it.

"Remarkable. Your reputation for reliability remains well-deserved." Her golden gaze lifted to meet his.

"Though I notice you didn’t seem to bring your assistant this time. How unfortunate; I found him quite... perceptive."

Cyrus ignored the pointed observation about Kane’s absence, his focus narrowing to what mattered.

"The screaming shard."

He slid the Midnight Chalice across the polished surface toward her.

"Our arrangement is complete."

Madam Xiu’s golden eyes flicked between Cyrus and the chalice, her jade-green fingers hovering above the silver surface without quite touching it.

"Curious," she murmured, tilting her head. "The chalice hums with recent use. Soul-binding properties have been activated within days."

Her gaze sharpened on Cyrus.

"The terms of our agreement didn’t specify the chalice remain unused." Cyrus’s expression remained stone-cold.

"Indeed they did not. You continue to surprise me, Mr. Drakhal." A soft laugh escaped Madam Xiu’s lips.

From the jade box beside her chair, she retrieved the screaming shard, its violet light pulsing through the crystal lattice.

"Handle with appropriate caution," Madam Xiu warned, extending the shard toward Cyrus.

Cyrus accepted the shard, his fingers closing around the crystal. For a moment, crimson energy flickered beneath his skin before settling.

"It has always been a pleasure working with you, Mr. Drakhal," Madam Xiu said, rising from her chair. The jade box containing the chalice disappeared into the folds of her silk robes.

"I will return when there are more artifacts that require your particular... attention."

She paused at the door, golden eyes glinting with amusement.

"Give my regards to your assistant when you see him next."

The door closed with a soft click, leaving Cyrus alone with the screaming shard.

He turned the violet crystal between his fingers, watching light refract through its jagged edges. The shard pulsed once, then settled into dormancy.

Kane had wanted this. The fox had been tracking similar fragments, investigating the trafficking ring that had nearly killed him.

This piece could provide answers—maybe even lead to whoever had ransacked Kane’s apartment.

Cyrus reached for his phone, thumb hovering over Kane’s contact.

Got the shard you were looking for.

He deleted the message before sending it.

Cyrus found himself standing in the doorway of Kane’s office—the space that had never quite belonged to the fox spirit but had somehow become his anyway.

The desk sat pristine and empty, cleared of the scattered research notes and coffee cups that had marked Kane’s brief occupation.

Even the chair was pushed in properly, eliminating any trace of the fox’s chaotic energy.

Cyrus stepped inside, his footsteps muffled by the carpet. Kane’s scent had already begun to fade.

He’d expected Kane to ask about the shard eventually.

To text or call, demanding updates on the artifact they’d worked so hard to earn.

But Kane’s silence stretched on, as complete as the empty office.

Maybe the shard didn’t matter to Kane as much as Cyrus had assumed. Maybe nothing here had mattered.

Just like himself.

Cyrus turned on his heel, stalking back to his own office, where Isabelle waited with her usual perfect posture.

"The shard requires high-security containment," he said, placing the violet crystal on his desk.

"Vault Seven. High end spirit artifact protocols."

Isabelle’s ice-blue eyes flicked to the shard, then back to his face.

"Of course, sir." She retrieved a containment case from the supply cabinet. "Shall I log it under any particular classification?"

"Evidence," Cyrus said flatly. "From the trafficking investigation."

The sun had long since disappeared behind the city skyline when Cyrus finally looked up from his computer screen.

His stomach twisted with an unfamiliar hunger—sharp and insistent.

Dragons could go weeks without food, surviving on ambient energy and willpower alone.

He’d done it countless times before Kane arrived, working through days and nights without pause.

But now his body seemed to expect the rhythm Kane had introduced. Breakfast together.

Lunch breaks. Evening meals that stretched longer than necessary because the fox kept talking.

Cyrus pushed back from his desk, the leather chair creaking in the silence.

Kane was probably at the Bureau by now, filing reports and catching up on cases he’d missed during their partnership.

Maybe grabbing dinner with that smug snake Ginsei, laughing about something ridiculous.

Maybe Kane had already forgotten about their time together.

The thought shouldn’t have bothered him.

Cyrus found himself reaching for his car keys before he’d consciously decided to leave.

The BSA headquarters wasn’t far from Veyr Corp, just a quick drive across the city.

He could stop by. Check if Kane needed anything. Make sure the fox was adjusting well to his freedom.

Professional courtesy. Nothing more.