Alex had been in this exact position once before.
Different place.
Same weight pressing down on his chest.
Back then, he had discovered Stan's power by accident. That single mistake had dragged him straight into the Dragon Roar's shadow. He had been given three choices, clear and cruel. Lose his memories. Join the clan. Or die.
Alex had chosen to join.
For Jimmy and Henry, though, there was no list of options laid out cleanly in front of them. Just one road. And it ended badly.
Caspian gave the order without raising his voice.
Jimmy and Henry froze.
The words took a second to sink in, and when they did, panic hit hard. Real panic. Their hands were bound tight behind them with a rope that felt wrong, heavy, like it wasn't just physical. They struggled anyway. Pulled. Twisted. Nothing gave.
It was useless.
The mage nodded once, calm and professional, already stepping forward to carry out Caspian's command.
"Wait…"
Alex's voice cut through the room.
Every head turned.
"You can't kill them," Alex said, forcing the words out.
Caspian paused. Just for a moment.
"You don't seriously expect me to let them walk away after what they've seen," Caspian said, his tone flat, dangerous in its calm.
"No," Alex replied quickly. "That's not what I mean."
He swallowed and pushed on.
"You don't have to kill them. You can wipe their memories. Erase everything about this place. Then let them go."
The room went quiet.
Caspian didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked at the mage.
The mage shook his head slowly.
"At my level, I can only force them to talk," the mage said calmly. "I can overload their brains if needed. That much is easy. But wiping memories is different."
He shook his head once.
"I can't selectively erase details. It's either everything, or nothing. And even that is beyond me."
Caspian turned his gaze to Alex.
"Unless you have another way to handle this," Caspian said, voice firm, "you're free to find someone else who can wipe their memories. But understand this clearly."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"They are not leaving this base with their memories intact. If that fails, then they die."
With that said, Caspian stepped back and turned away, leaving the problem behind like a dropped blade.
All eyes shifted to Alex.
"So," Tamsin said, folding his arms, "how do you want to deal with these two?"
Gwen didn't hesitate.
"Honestly, killing them is the cleanest option," she said bluntly. "One less headache waiting for you outside."
Alex exhaled slowly.
"Nah," he said. "They don't need to die. At least not now. If they do, I'll be in serious trouble."
Merrick raised a brow.
"So then what?" he asked.
"Mages who can erase memories are rare," Merrick added, thinking it through. "The ones who can do it properly are usually out on spy missions or busy cleaning the clan's tracks in business deals. Finding one who's free won't be easy."
Alex's lips curved slightly.
A small smirk.
The mage standing there couldn't do it. That much was clear. But Alex already knew someone who could. Someone with the right skill set. Someone dangerous enough to bend minds without breaking them.
'You're my only option,' Alex thought.
A familiar interface flickered to life.
[Contacting Saka]
---
Jimmy and Henry were still tied as they were moved into another section of the base. This area was familiar to Alex. It was where he trained most of the time. Where he stayed with the trio.
The place didn't feel like a completely separate world. The roof of the hall was open, wide and high, and what looked like sunlight poured down from above. It wasn't harsh or blinding. More like the soft glow of an evening sun, calm but strange.
Around the hall, patches of grass grew between cracked stone. Rocks of different sizes were scattered across the ground, some smooth, some jagged. It felt half natural, half artificial. Like someone tried to recreate the outside and stopped halfway.
The trio sat on one of the larger rocks nearby, relaxed but alert. Their eyes never fully left Jimmy and Henry.
Alex stood a short distance away, pacing back and forth. His steps were uneven. Slow. He stopped often, then started again, like his body hadn't fully recovered yet.
"Am I really not allowed to play with them?" Gwen said, her voice light. She giggled softly and brought her hands together, fingers flexing as if she was eager.
Alex stopped pacing and turned to her.
"No," he said flatly. "You'll kill them."
Gwen pouted.
"No… I promise to be gentle," she said, still smiling.
Alex shook his head once. Firm.
They weren't just waiting around. They were waiting for someone. Saka.
Alex had already sent the call. Even though Saka was in the middle of a mission, he had promised to come. That alone said how serious this was.
Jimmy and Henry heard every word. They were tied, helpless, and close enough to listen.
Henry let out a short, bitter laugh.
"Really?" he said, forcing his voice steady. "You… you really think you're a big deal now?"
His eyes locked onto Alex, anger mixing with fear.
"Yeah… plus you're with another clan now," Jimmy said, forcing a laugh. "Is this how you treat your family?"
Alex's hand tightened without him realizing it. His fingers curled into a fist, knuckles whitening. Jimmy and Henry both noticed. They went quiet for half a second.
"Once we get out of here," Henry added quickly, panic creeping into his voice, "we'll tell everyone what you're doing. Every single thing."
That was when Tamsin moved.
He jumped down from the rock he had been sitting on. His boots hit the ground with a dull thud. No rush. No hesitation. He walked toward Jimmy and Henry at a steady pace.
"You said they're assholes," Tamsin said, glancing at Alex. "You didn't mention they're also idiots."
He stopped right in front of them.
"Can't you see he's trying to save your lives?" Tamsin continued. His voice rose, sharp and cold. "You could've been killed back then. You should already be dead. The only reason you're still breathing is because of him."
His aura flared.
It hit Jimmy and Henry like a wall. Heavy. Crushing. Their bodies stiffened. Their hearts slammed against their ribs. They couldn't believe it. Someone their age—maybe even younger—had an aura this lethal.
Their mouths snapped shut.
"It doesn't matter," Gwen said calmly. "Their threats mean nothing. They won't even remember their own names when they leave."
"No."
Alex stepped forward. His voice cut through the moment.
"I only want the memory of what happened here wiped," he said. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Everyone turned to him.
Their looks were confused. Disbelieving. Almost annoyed.
For some reason, Alex still had a soft spot for them.
"Don't think I have a soft spot for them," Alex said flatly, like he could read the looks on their faces.
"If something serious happens to them right now, the clan will investigate," he continued. "And that puts me in a worse position than I already am. That's all."
Then he walked over to them.
He stopped right in front of Jimmy.
"You said I betrayed my family," Alex said, his voice calm. Too calm. "So tell me. How did they treat me? Is that how real families treat each other?"
Jimmy opened his mouth. Nothing came out.
Henry felt Tamsin's presence pressing down on him like a blade at his neck. His breathing turned uneven. Still, he clenched his teeth and forced himself to look at Alex.
"You… you were treated that way because you're weak," Henry spat. "You didn't have the strength to protect yourself. You deserved it."
Alex stared at him.
Just stared.
For a brief moment, he said nothing at all.
"I am weak," Alex muttered.
Then he smiled.
It wasn't warm. It wasn't friendly. It was sharp around the edges.
"So let me make you an offer," Alex said.
"I'll let you go. Your memories stay untouched. I won't let anyone here kill you."
Jimmy's eyes widened. Henry froze.
"But," Alex continued, his tone steady, "you'll fight me. With everything you have. All your qi. All your techniques."
He took another step forward.
"And I promise not to use my qi against you."
'He must be mad,' Jimmy and Henry thought at the same time.
It sounded insane. Like the words of someone who had finally snapped.
They weren't the only ones thinking that.
"Alex, have you lost your mind?" Tamsin asked.