"Jun Takara... you're a piece of scum, you know that?"
Elvina's voice echoed off the cold stone walls as she stepped into the dimly lit cell. Chains rattled slightly as Jun looked up, his violet hair falling messily over his eyes. He didn't meet her gaze.
"...Please. Just leave me alone."
"Leave you alone?" Elvina scoffed, pacing with fury. "You took a human life."
Jun said nothing. He only stared at the floor as if trying to disappear into it.
"Did you even know the kind of man Haruto was?" she asked sharply, her voice laced with bitter pride. "He was loyal. Honest. A man of his word. Especially to Rander."
"I... I met him once," Jun mumbled. "That's all."
Elvina stopped right in front of him, her glare like daggers. "You'll rot in this cell for the rest of your days," she whispered, gripping his face for a second before turning away.
She didn't look back.
The corridor outside was quiet, the air oddly still. Elvina paused at a wide window overlooking the gardens. The colours danced under the sunlight, but her eyes didn't reflect their beauty.
Hands gently touched her shoulders from behind.
"Rander...?"
She jumped slightly before relaxing.
"I used to watch you two play out there," Rander said, his voice calm. "You and Haruto. Just kids... like flowers before the storm."
"Thanks for the reminder," Elvina muttered with a dry tone.
"I know this is hard," Rander continued, trying to soften the air between them. "But justice has been served. Now it's Lunaris we need to worry about."
Before she could respond, a voice rang down the corridor.
"Rander!"
A woman with long crimson hair and emerald eyes approached, her presence commanding. It was Fae — graceful, sharp, and impossible to ignore.
"Fae? Shouldn't you be with the council?" Rander asked with a smirk.
"As should you," she replied, arching a brow.
They walked in stride, but the air quickly grew tense.
"Some of the council... aren't so sure this was the right call," Fae said. "Not with so little evidence."
Rander's steps slowed. His expression darkened.
"We had the bullet. That should be enough. Only Jun had access to that type of ammunition."
"Was anyone else aware of that access?" Fae asked casually, though her eyes sparkled with challenge.
Rander hesitated.
"...Quinn. Quinn Rome knew."
"The traitor?" Fae stopped in her tracks. "You're saying he knew one of your best men had access to a murder weapon?"
"..."
"Sounds like the perfect setup to me," she continued. "Frame Jun. Sow distrust. And weaken the Fallen Liberators from within."
"...You're jumping the gun a little, don't you think?" Rander replied nervously.
"And you threw a teenager in a cell without enough proof. Isn't that the same thing?"
Silence.
Rander sighed.
"Fine. He stays in custody... until Quinn's involvement is confirmed. But I want the Liberators informed. They need some peace of mind. If not for Jun, then for morale."
Fae nodded and vanished behind the heavy council doors.
Elsewhere... in the high halls of Lunaris...
"I'm telling you, it was child's play."
Quinn grinned like a fox as he swirled a glass of wine in hand. Amara sat nearby, arms crossed, expression tight with unease. Aragon buried himself in paperwork. Zane was tucked in the corner, flipping through a worn leather-bound diary — an artefact tied to the origin of magic.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Quinn," Zane murmured without looking up.
"I agree," Amara added, voice firm. "Are you sure no one saw you at the warehouse?"
"For the hundredth time — yes. Relax, will you? I'm not that reckless," Quinn chuckled, dropping onto a lavish couch.
Aragon stood up slowly.
"Everyone out," he said coldly. "Quinn. Stay."
The room emptied. Zane slipped the real diary into his coat pocket — leaving a fake one behind on the desk.
Once alone, Aragon stepped toward Quinn, his tone colder than steel.
"You do understand what happens if you get caught?"
"Relax. Jun's out of the picture. Isn't that what we wanted?" Quinn replied with a shrug, lighting a cigar.
Aragon snatched it from his mouth, took a long drag, then spoke low.
"You don't get it. We're walking a razor's edge."
Quinn sighed and leaned back.
"Look, we have leverage. Zane's still with us. Ren's little brother. That's gotta count for something, right?"
"Keep your voice down!" Aragon snapped, scanning the room.
"If Zane finds out what you've kept from him..." he muttered.
Quinn chuckled darkly.
"He was only five when you 'saved' him from the fire. The one Ren allegedly started."
A long pause.
"...You and I both know what really happened," Quinn continued. "The deal Ren's father made to save his wife… The scientists who thought they created a cure but instead unleashed something unnatural."
"Fallen Magic," Aragon finished grimly. "And this diary… is all that remains of that lab after the explosion."
"Too bad they never figured out how to undo what they made," Quinn muttered.
"...When Ren's father saw the glow in his son's eyes... he knew he created something dangerous."
Quinn stood.
"And that's why he started the fire... to kill Ren Tanaka."
"And Van saved him," Aragon added, voice hollow.
Silence blanketed the room.
Aragon extended his hand.
"What we said in this room—"
"—Stays in this room," Quinn said with a smirk,