Armada took a shaky breath.
"You asked about Larvae…" A bitter smile touched her lips. "It wasn't some secret cult or assassin network. It was our family's future surrounding Red sandalwood. We spent decades building smuggling routes, bribing officials, and setting up hidden warehouses across kingdoms. It was dangerous. It was illegal. But it made us rich beyond reason."
Her smile slowly faded.
"Then everything collapsed."
Kiara stayed silent, letting her speak.
"Two people destroyed it," Armada continued, her voice growing quieter. "Zion. And Lucian. Because of them, we lost our power, and our business..."
Her fingers curled tightly against the ropes.
"When I learned who is behind Zion… I was taken aback. Kiara of Nexus, the existence that not even the Emperor dared to offend. How can we eliminate someone like you? So I decided… if I couldn't destroy you, then I'd destroy the people connected to you."
She let out a quiet, hollow laugh.
