A grand chamber.
Circular.
No windows.
Eight figures seated around a round obsidian table.
The lights were off.
Only a single beam from above illuminated the center , casting their bodies into long, distorted shadows along the walls.
Faces hidden. Voices clear.
"So the murderer is an ability user," one of them said calmly.
A pause.
"That explains how they managed to escape," another responded.
A third voice, sharper, irritated,
"Escape is not the issue."
Silence tightened.
"They managed to record the Chancellor in bed with that woman. That is the issue."
The word Chancellor lingered like poison.
"If that video is published," someone else murmured, "the system will collapse."
Not shouted.
Stated.
Like a weather forecast.
A finger tapped lightly against the table.
"That is not the only complication."
The room shifted slightly.
"The man involved… has been identified."
A breath.
"As Kal."
The air thickened.
One of the figures leaned forward.
"Isn't that the brat from that kingdom? The one who stole the Blessing?"
"That's correct."
A quiet curse slipped from someone's mouth.
"If we murder him, we risk political friction with the kingdom."
"And if we don't," another countered softly, "we risk internal collapse."
The shadows on the wall seemed to lean inward.
"We cannot hand him over either," someone added. "What guarantee do we have that they won't blackmail us with the footage?"
A long silence followed.
Strategic silence.
Measured.
Then,a colder voice emerged from the darkness.
"Send our Iron hounds ."
No emotion.
"They eliminate the targets."
A slight shift in posture around the table.
"And after that," the voice continued smoothly, "we leak selective information. Frame them entirely. Murder. Espionage. Political sabotage."
A faint, humorless chuckle.
"Neither will we be targeted. Nor will we be in bad terms with the world."
Another voice responded immediately.
"You're right."
A second one followed.
"That is the cleanest solution."
Heads nodded.
One by one.
The decision had been made.
In darkness.
With perfect calm.
...
A door slammed open.
Kal stepped inside the kitchen.
Breathing hard.
Sweat at his temples.
Clare was there.
Earlier than expected.
Standing by the thermal plate.
Steam rising from a pan.
The scent of garlic and herbs filled the small space.
She didn't look alarmed.
She turned slightly, holding a wooden spoon.
"Why are you breathing heavily?" she asked calmly, then moved to sit at the dining chair. "Did something happen?"
Kal closed the door behind him.
Locked it.
"We are in trouble."
Clare rested her cheek lightly on her palm.
"The video we took," he continued. "The one where we caught that man cheating."
She blinked once.
"What's wrong with that?"
Kal swallowed.
"The cheater is the Chancellor of this place."
The spoon stopped moving.
Just slightly.
"They must be searching for us right now," Kal said. "By all means possible."
His voice dropped.
"This isn't just a scandal. It's political execution."
He stepped closer.
"What should we do?"
The room grew quiet.
Only the soft simmer of food on the thermal plate filled the space.
Clare quietly stared at him.
No panic. No rush.
"That's trouble," she said.
Kal opened his arms in frustration.
"Shouldn't we escape?"
"We can't."
"Why not?"
"Because," she replied evenly, "there must already be tight security around the city and the borders. If they even catch a glimpse of us, we'll be surrounded from every direction."
Kal ran a hand through his hair.
"Then what should we do?"
"We stay put," she said. "For some time."
He frowned.
"They don't know where we are. Not yet. First, they'll track our movements. Check every camera. Trace every transaction."
She leaned back slightly.
"And then they'll send their lap dogs to eliminate us."
Kal's heart dropped.
"Why them? Don't you think they'll surround us with the military?"
"That's not an option."
"Why?"
She looked at him carefully.
"Because you hold important information. The kingdom wants it. Not only the kingdom. Everyone wants it."
She stood up slowly.
"If they kill you openly, they make enemies of half the world."
She stepped closer.
"And if they don't kill you… there's always a chance you reveal everything and they lose power."
Silence.
"In this situation," she asked softly, "what do you think the best option is?"
Kal's mind raced.
He paced.
Snapped his fingers unconsciously. Tapped his foot.
Then,he remembered the engineer.
The framing. The clean execution.
"They'll use someone unofficial," he muttered. "An unknown. Someone expendable."
His eyes widened slightly.
"They'll make it look like a random killing… and blame everything on him."
Clare's lips curved faintly.
"That's right."
"So they won't use the official army."
"No."
"We have to stay put," he concluded quietly.
"For now."
He swallowed.
"And if we get caught?"
Clare walked back to the thermal plate.
The aroma of garlic filled the air again.
She smiled.
"That's when you come in."
Kal blinked.
"Me?"
She put the lid.
...
Near the broken bridge.
The man with long green hair still stood among the chaos.
Hands in pockets. Eyes scanning.
Emergency lights flickered across his face.
The clock on the tower struck four.
"Where is he?" he muttered.
His wristwatch vibrated.
A small voice came through.
"Did you find anything?"
"No. Not yet. I think he escaped. Smart bastard must've seen all the cameras and reporters and dipped."
"Come back," the voice ordered. "I'll use the city cameras to trace him."
"Fine."
He turned to leave.
Then,he paused.
Near the barricade.
The taxi driver.
The green-haired man's gaze sharpened.
He remembered the news footage.
The driver running behind Kal.
A small smile appeared.
Interesting.
He adjusted his coat.
And slowly walked toward the taxi driver.
The taxi driver walked toward the parking area, talking through his watch.
"Yes, yes, I'm coming," he said, smiling.
From the other end, a tiny excited voice burst through.
"Daddy! Did you get the cake? The one with the animals? You promised!"
He laughed softly. "Of course I did. A beautiful one. With flowers. And a little animal on top."
"Don't be late!" she insisted. "Mama said we can't cut it without you!"
In the background, his wife's voice joined in.
"Drive safely," she said warmly. "She has been waiting since morning. She even wore the pink dress you like."
He leaned against his car, heart swelling.
"Is that so?"
"She keeps asking what time it is," his wife teased. "And I… I'm just excited to see you walk in with that proud face."
He smiled wider.
"I'll be there in few minutes."
"Come fast," his daughter whispered dramatically.
He chuckled. "yes, my princess."
He opened the car door.
And collided into someone.
"Hey, watch what you're doing, man!" he snapped.
The green-haired man stepped back.
"Sorry," he said politely.
And walked away.
The driver didn't notice the tiny cut across his wrist.
Barely visible.
Barely there.
He got into his car.
Started the engine.
The city noise faded behind him as he drove, humming an old birthday song under his breath.
He was really happy.
For once, work hadn't ruined the day.
Then,a voice.
From inside.
Soft.
Close.
"Quite a cute daughter and beautiful wife you have there, buddy."
His hands froze on the steering wheel.
The car swerved slightly before he corrected it.
"W-Who's there?" he gasped. "What the hell?"
Silence.
Then a faint chuckle.
"Relax. I'm right here."
His breath quickened.
"Stay away from my family," he whispered urgently. "You hear me? Stay away from them!"
The voice laughed softly.
"If you really want to keep them safe… tell me what you know about the person you were chasing in front of the bridge."
His stomach dropped.
"What do you want from him?" he asked shakily.
"Just answer."
He swallowed.
I shouldn't have chased him. I knew something was off.
"I don't know who he is," he said quickly. "I thought he was one of my passengers. That's why I approached him. But he wasn't."
"Why did you think that?"
"Because…" he hesitated. "When he was sitting with his girlfriend… for a moment I thought his appearance changed. I saw green eyes. Black hair. It looked like him. So I went after him out of curiosity."
The voice paused.
"Where did you drop them?"
"Toward the east," he replied. "Near the old hospital side."
Silence.
Long.
Heavy.
Then.
"Thank you," the voice said gently.
"And here is your reward."
The driver blinked.
"What?"
But nothing else came.
The car kept moving.
Normal.
The streetlights passed one by one.
He reached his house.
Parked in front.
Inside the house, warm yellow lights glowed through the curtains.
On the doorstep,his daughter stood bouncing in excitement, pink dress swaying.
His wife beside her, smiling with that familiar softness.
They waited.
And waited.
The engine was stopped.
But the door didn't open.
The wife frowned playfully.
"He must be planning a surprise," she said lightly. "Why don't you open the door, princess?"
The little girl giggled.
"Daddy always does this!"
She ran toward the car.
"Daddy!" she called sweetly, tapping the window. "Come out! I'm ready!"
No response.
She reached for the handle.
"Daddy, I'm opening!"
The door creaked open.
Her smile froze.
"Daddy?"
His body leaned slightly against the seat.
Eyes open.
Unmoving.
A thin trail of blood ran from his nose.
The cake box sat untouched on the passenger seat.
The little fondant deer visible through the plastic window.
"Daddy?"
Her voice trembled.
Then,a scream.
Sharp.
Piercing.
It tore through the quiet street.
The wife rushed forward.
"What happened? Why are you screaming..."
She saw him.
Her hands flew to her mouth.
"No… no… no…"
She shook him desperately.
"Wake up. Please wake up. You promised."
Her voice broke.
"You promised you'd come home."
The little girl stood frozen, tears streaming silently.
"Mama… why is Daddy sleeping like that?"
The cake slipped from the passenger seat and fell to the ground.
The tiny deer cracked in half.
No answer came.
Only the echo of a birthday song still faintly playing from the car's digital screen.