Even though Agi had survived Fata's attack at the edge of the Nirwana Core Forest, he couldn't dodge the punch Wils Dingzu landed squarely across his face. Blood burst from his broken nose. Agi groaned but refused to fall, forcing his body upright under the rigid military discipline carved into him long before he became Rhona Dingzu’s bodyguard.

  Unfortunately, resilience meant nothing to a man consumed by rage.

  Wils struck him again.

  And again.

  Each blow grew heavier, fueled by the unbearable truth that his only daughter was likely trapped inside the Nirwana Core Forest.

  A day earlier, Yoh Tylman — a liaison for their hidden partner — had delivered the results of the operation.

  The infiltration had succeeded.

  A jeep rigged with explosives had been sent straight into the Core Forest, its time bomb deployed exactly as planned.

  It was, by every operational standard, a flawless mission.

  The deaths of the hired men were irrelevant.

  Yoh mentioned only in passing that his subordinates had smuggled an unidentified girl into the vehicle shortly before detonation. He knew this because observers had been positioned at a safe distance.

  Wils had laughed when he heard it.

  Never once suspecting the “unidentified girl” was his own daughter.

  Wils Dingzu stood over Agi’s battered, sprawled body, chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. Even at the brink of unconsciousness, the man who had devoted his life to the President’s family did not scream. Only a broken whimper escaped him.

  The restraint irritated Wils more than any cry for mercy would have.

  At last, the fury drained from his limbs. He staggered backward and collapsed onto the sofa, slowly unclenching his bloodstained fists.

  Beating Agi solved nothing.

  But doing nothing felt worse.

  ?A knock came at the door. Wils didn't want to speak. The image of the jeep that might have blown his daughter to pieces still haunted his mind. But the knocking persisted. Finally, annoyed, Wils ordered his aide to enter.

  ?An aide in a suit and black tie walked in, accompanied by a man with a gaunt face and thin sideburns. Wils Dingzu recognized him immediately: the tall, thin man with glasses was Yoh Tylman. Zuno's right-hand man. The person he was currently collaborating with.

  ?"I know you might be busy, but we need to talk, sir," Yoh said, glancing at Agi on the floor. He quickly turned to the aide. "Get this man out of here..."

  ?The aide glanced at Wils, who seemed indifferent. Seeing his boss's lack of objection, the aide dragged Agi out of the room. Yoh closed the door, adjusted his tie, and sat in the chair opposite Wils, staring at the motionless man.

  ?"I’ve heard what happened to the Young Miss, sir," he said, adjusting his glasses.

  ?Wils glared at him sharply. "This is all because you hired thugs for such an important mission!"

  ?Yoh took a breath to calm his racing heart. Wils hadn't objected to the plan before. But he knew that arguing back wouldn't make the hulking man in front of him understand.

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  ?"Listen, sir. Based on the reports I received, the bomb in the jeep was set to detonate after the time bomb was ejected. That means there's a high probability Miss Rhona was thrown from the vehicle before it exploded."

  ?"So you're saying Rhona survived the explosion but was captured by the Cygnus?"

  ?Yoh felt like he was sitting on a hot seat. He shifted uncomfortably.

  ?"I'm certain they haven't killed her... or at least, not yet. Intruders usually end up in prison, on the gallows… or simply executed."

  ?Wils’ eyes bulged. "What exactly are you trying to say, huh?! Trying to scare me?"

  ?"No, sir. I think it’s time you spoke with President Davos Ardion. Considering your status, he won't sit idly by."

  ?Wils fell into deep thought. Davos Ardion, the President of Nirwana, knew of his arrival on the island but had declined any special welcome. Wils had claimed his visit wasn't a state affair, merely to attend an upcoming auction. They had even avoided discussing the incident at Cygnus Park.

  ?Moreover, the topic of Cygnus never came up between them. The Nirwana government actively covered up Cygnus's existence as one of the country's highest powers. Wils himself had only obtained that information from highly classified sources.

  If he revealed that his daughter might be there — coincidentally during an attack on the Core Forest — Davos would suspect his involvement immediately.

  But specificity was unnecessary.

  There were always ways to catch a fish without getting his hands dirty.

  Finally, Wils ordered his aide to arrange a meeting with President Davos Ardion as soon as possible.

  Yoh didn't leave yet. He wanted to outline their next steps. Wils Dingzu wasn't a man who just wanted results; he demanded details of every plan and accurate reports afterward.

  ?"Mr. Zuno plans to incapacitate the nine Cygnus members one by one," Yoh explained.

  ?He sat next to a monitor in Wils's office, displaying several photos.

  ?"We have data on four of them. First is Regawa." Yoh showed Regawa’s photo. "Born in Mavis. As you know, Mavis isn't a country that discriminates against the Anex."

  ?"Yeah. Just a developing country with no honor. Go on..."

  ?"His parents decided to return to Nirwana Island when Regawa was five. But their ship sank. Only Regawa survived, eventually ending up in an orphanage here. He's 27 now, listed as a deputy manager at BLNN."

  ?"Enough about his biography. You want to capture him? We won't succeed by just grabbing one. They'll endure torture until death."

  ?"Please be patient, sir. I'm not finished." Yoh switched the photo to Sev. "This is Sev, 20 years old. A BLNN staff member. From Blue Village. His father was a farm laborer who died when Sev was 18. He has a brother who travels a lot. Not particularly important. But Sev and two other Cygnus members are from Blue Village."

  ?"Who else?"

  ?"Cyan..."

  ?Wils stared at the photo of Cyan, taken candidly as the youth walked down some stairs. Wils recognized the BLNN building background. The wind blew Cyan's long hair, revealing a cyan-colored earring. A pyramid-shaped blue-green diamond. Wils was sure he had seen it before. He knew it was a rare diamond, not a sapphire.

  ?An old story surfaced in his mind. A tale of an ancient painting depicting a woman with a similar single blue earring. Wils quickly dismissed the thought. Maybe they just a resemblance. Besides, what he had seen was a painting, not a photograph.

  ?"This youth is our target because he has a younger sister studying in South Nirwana City."

  ?Wils laughed dryly. "Your plan is so simple. Hostage-taking to catch the brother."

  ?"As long as a simple plan is effective, we'll use it. The last one is Winn Ardion."

  ?Wils paused, looking at Winn’s photo. The youth had tanned skin and green eyes. He looked remarkably like Davos Ardion. He remembered Agi’s report that this man had saved Rhona from Vida Scoot.

  ?"Yes, you must see the resemblance. Winn Ardion is President Davos's nephew. Winn grew up in Blue Village. His guardian is Cyan's mother. I believe they live together in Blue Village."

  ?Wils leaned back in his chair. "So, is that all you have planned?"

  ?Instead of disappointment, Yoh heard mockery in Wils' tone.

  ?"There is one more," Yoh said, adjusting his glasses which were already perfectly placed.

  ?Wils was surprised by the fifth face. He knew this pale, chubby youth. His green eyes looked sunken due to prominent brow ridges. His round face held a childish smile. Perhaps because of his incredibly pale skin, his father had named him Polar.

  ?"Polar Ardion? He's a Cygnus too?"

  ?"Sir, you can kill me if this boy is ever a Cygnus member," Yoh said. "He is the son of Davos Ardion."

  ?"I know that!" Wils snapped. "I really will kill you if you're showing me this photo as a joke!"

  ?Yoh winced slightly and fixed his tie again. "This is Mr. Zuno's plan involving… well, Miss Rhona directly."

  Wils froze.

  For the first time that night, something colder than anger crept into his chest.

  “A marriage,” Yoh continued carefully, “between Miss Rhona and Polar Ardion will be the key to securing our objective.”

  The words did not register at once.

  Then they did.

  Wils felt his heartbeat quicken — not with grief this time, but with the unmistakable pulse of opportunity.