Chapter 7
Inside the interrogation room, the atmosphere felt heavy as Louise and Scander sat across from each other, their eyes locked in a silent. Neither of them moved, and the tension between them made the air feel tight.
Scander was the first to speak, his tone calm but slightly mocking. "Kid, if you're going to keep staring at me like that, you might as well start asking your questions."
Louise didn't react immediately. Instead, she slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She opened it carefully, her eyes scanning the contents.
'So this is what Tyron wanted me to ask…'
Her expression changed just slightly, becoming more focused, more serious.
'He really wants direct answers. No holding back.'
She folded the paper again and placed it on the table.
"Alright," she said calmly. "I'll keep this simple. I only have two questions."
Scander leaned back slightly, letting out a quiet breath. "Two questions, huh? Then I hope they're worth answering."
Louise didn't waste time.
"What is the Hunters' goal?"
For a brief moment, Scander said nothing. Then he suddenly laughed, the sound echoing slightly in the enclosed room.
"You're more straightforward than I expected," he said. "Fine, I'll answer."
His expression shifted, becoming more serious.
"The Hunters exist to eliminate threats. Anyone who stands against them becomes a target, and that includes all of you."
Louise's eyes narrowed slightly.
"They won't stop," Scander continued. "You call yourselves the Dominator, but to them, you're nothing more than obstacles that need to be removed. Right now, they're already looking for a way to wipe out every supernatural user in the world."
Louise's hand tightened on the table, though her voice remained steady. "Why? What's the reason behind that?"
Scander looked at her directly.
"Because you're interfering with something important," he said.
"With what?" she asked.
Scander paused for a second before answering.
"The Pinnacle of All."
The name alone made the atmosphere even heavier.
Louise leaned forward slightly. "Explain."
"It's a weapon," Scander said. "A project they've been working on for years. Once it's complete, it will have the power to eliminate anything they consider a threat."
Louise's expression hardened.
"And we're that threat."
"Yes," Scander replied without hesitation.
A brief silence followed, but this time it carried more weight. Louise processed the information quickly, her mind already moving ahead.
'So that's their end goal… eliminate all supernatural users and remove anything that stands in their way.'
She let out a small breath.
"So you're saying we're the problem," she said. "That we're the ones interfering with them."
Scander shrugged slightly.
"That's how they see it," he replied. "Whether you agree or not doesn't matter."
Louise stared at him for a moment, then continued.
"Second question. What is the real secret behind the Hunters?"
This time, Scander answered immediately.
"I don't know."
Louise's expression darkened as she stood up and stepped closer to him.
"You were one of the Rulers," she said, her voice colder now. "And you're telling me you don't know anything?"
Scander met her gaze without hesitation.
"I'm telling you the truth," he replied. "Only the number one knows everything, and even then, no one knows who actually created the Hunters."
Louise stayed silent, waiting for more.
"One time, I tried to find out," Scander continued. "I asked my fellow Hunters who the creator was."
He let out a quiet breath, as if remembering something unpleasant.
"They didn't answer. Instead, they pointed their weapons at me."
That made Louise pause.
"I understood what that meant," he added. "So I stopped asking. Not long after that, I retired."
He looked at her directly.
"If you want the truth, you'll have to uncover it yourself. That's all I can tell you."
Outside the room, I stood quietly, listening through the recording device. Every word Scander said echoed clearly in my ears, and the more I listened, the heavier my thoughts became.
'A weapon that can wipe out all supernatural users…'
'And we're the target.'
I exhaled slowly.
'We can't let that happen.'
Without wasting another second, I pushed myself off the wall and walked toward the interrogation room. I opened the door and stepped inside, both of them turning to look at me.
"Scander," I said, walking closer, "where exactly is this Pinnacle of All located?"
He looked at me calmly.
"As far as I know, it's in Moscow," he replied. "But I can't guarantee it's still there. The Hunters move things around when necessary."
I nodded slightly.
"And what does it look like?"
Scander thought for a moment before answering.
"It's not something you can just walk up to," he said. "The weapon itself is positioned in space. From what I've seen, it's designed to fire a beam capable of erasing anything it targets."
Louise crossed her arms.
"So it's basically a satellite weapon."
"Yes," Scander replied. "At least, that's what it looked like in its early stages. It wasn't fully completed when I last saw it."
I stayed silent for a moment, processing everything.
'If they finish that weapon… we won't stand a chance.'
I looked at him again.
"…Thanks for the information."
Then my tone shifted slightly.
"But you're not going anywhere."
Scander didn't seem surprised.
"…I figured," he said. "Just make sure my family is safe."
I nodded.
"We'll handle it."
Louise led him out of the interrogation room and into another part of the base. The room we prepared for him was simple but comfortable, more like a small living space than a prison.
"This will be your place for now," Louise said. "You'll stay here while we figure things out."
She gestured around the room.
"There's food, water, and equipment if you want to train. Just don't try anything stupid."
Scander looked around quietly, then nodded once.
"…Better than I expected."
Louise then turned to me.
"Tyron."
I stepped forward, my gaze fixed on Scander.
There was a brief pause, but the tension between us had changed.
"…One more thing," I said.
He raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
I extended my hand toward him.
"Join us."
For a moment, he didn't move. He simply looked at my hand, then at my face, as if trying to understand whether I was serious or not.
Then he laughed.
"You're really asking a former Hunter to join you?"
"Yes," I replied without hesitation.
He studied me for a second longer before letting out a quiet sigh.
"…Fine," he said. "I'll help you."
He reached out and grabbed my hand, completing the handshake.
At that moment, things changed.
We didn't just gain information.
We gained someone who once stood at the top.
Gregory Scander was now on our side.