Shin opened the folder slowly, the sound of rustling paper loud in the tense silence. His fingers trembled slightly, betraying the storm brewing within as his eyes scanned the topmost documents: surveillance reports, intercepted communications, and detailed transcripts.
There were several shots of his family speaking with his father and mother in various remote locations. Some were taken at night, others in secluded forest clearings, all timestamped across several years with coordinates in obscure provinces.
Each photo captured moments that felt intrusive and sacred at the same time. Shin's hands tightened around the folder as a cold numbness began spreading through his chest.
Then came the second series. This time, the images showed King Tristan and Queen Mariam.
But these weren't ceremonial appearances or images shared in court records. They were caught in candid meetings, dressed in unmarked robes, their expressions stern as they conversed with hooded figures just beyond the borders of Laginaple.
Shin's jaw clenched. His nails bit into the folder's edge.
These weren't just rumors. These were real. Confirmed.
Each photograph carried a silent weight, a creeping horror that made his stomach twist. With every flip of the page, it felt like his breath grew shorter.
Then, one particular image made his hands still. It was grainy, likely taken from a distance, but unmistakable in detail.
One of the hooded figures had extended a hand toward King Tristan. Just beneath the shifting cloak's sleeve was a familiar mark—an insignia Shin knew too well.
The symbol of the Hi Okami Clan. The room fell into an unnatural silence as Shin stared.
Something deep and primal inside him stirred. The folder trembled in his grip, the paper now quivering with the pressure of his fingers.
The floor beneath him groaned, and dust shook loose from the ceiling. Crimson and gold light erupted from his body, veins glowing like magma under his skin.
The raw power of his ancient bloodline surged to the surface, wild and uncontained. Scrolls fell from nearby shelves.
The walls moaned as if under strain. A vase nearby exploded into shards as the pressure spiked.
Laverna moved without hesitation. She stepped forward, her own instincts momentarily overcome by concern.
She grabbed his hand with both of hers, grounding him with sheer presence.
"Shin. Look at me. Breathe."
Her voice was strong, calm, and real, cutting through the fury in Shin's heart. His wild, bi-colored eyes, glowing with fury and grief, locked onto hers.
Laverna didn't look away. She didn't flinch.
Her hands remained warm and firm, a lifeline to the present. Slowly, the glow receded.
The tremor in the floor died down. Scrolls rolled to a stop, and silence reclaimed the space.
Shin exhaled, ragged and shaky, his hands still trembling. The power that had nearly exploded from him was now simmering beneath the surface.
He closed his eyes, opening them again as it returned to normal. He turned to Davis, his voice low and edged with restrained wrath.
"Start talking. Now."
Davis, who had braced himself against the table during the quake, gave a solemn nod. "I will tell you in detail. But not here. Not outside this very room. This place isn't safe. Walls have ears, even inside the Guild."
Shin didn't speak. His gaze dropped to the image that had shattered his composure.
The insignia burned in his memory. The betrayal was no longer a suspicion.
It was true. The connections between the Crown and his family's demise were more than rumor—they were deliberate.
He shut the folder slowly, his face unreadable, but his aura still coiled like a waiting storm. Whatever Davis had to say next would shape what Shin would do.
Beside him, Laverna hadn't let go. Her hand remained on his.
There was fear still lingering in her chest—not of Shin, but for him. She had never seen him like that before.
Dangerous, divine, broken. But there was something else too, unspoken and buried under her calm expression.
Desire. That same deadly power made him terrifying, but also impossibly compelling.
Whatever was coming, they would face it together. And Shin, who had seen proof of betrayal and treason in the highest order, was ready to burn down everything in his path if it meant uncovering the truth.
An awkward silence filled the room. Shin broke it with his meditative breathing, trying to calm himself down.
He sighed before speaking, his voice still visibly shaken. "So, the threat is larger than any of us thought."
Davis nodded grimly. "Far larger. And what you two found..."
He shook his head. "It's... It's as if everything is tied to all of this. I don't know how, but I know it's part of a larger plan. Or prophecy. Or curse. Take your pick."
Laverna stepped forward, her jaw tight. "How much do you know, Davis? Be straight with us."
He met her gaze. "Enough to know ancient bloodlines don't just resurface. And ruins older than recorded history don't sink back into the earth unless something forces them to."
The air grew colder, heavier. "I trust you both," Davis continued.
"Which is why I need to ask this—plain and simple. Are you prepared to leave behind the mission board? The contracts? The coin? And take on something greater, something that may never be seen or thanked?"
Shin didn't hesitate. "We've already crossed that line."
Davis's expression didn't change, but the tension in his shoulders shifted, ever so slightly. "Then prepare yourselves. The Guild will give you everything you need—resources, connections, silence. But what's coming… will test every part of you. Mind. Body. Loyalty."
Laverna and Shin stood tall, side by side. The Guild Master gave one final nod.
"Laginaple, hell, even the whole world will fall if we don't act. And now, it seems, you're part of something that might be able to stop it."
The silence that followed wasn't empty. It was filled with the heavy weight of fate pressing down, urging them forward.
Outside, the wind howled faintly against the windows, as if the world itself was listening. Davis looked at them with determination, already putting his faith, hope, and trust in these two, especially Shin, who is mainly tied to all of this.
"It's a good thing my dear sister still gives me privacy. Well, rather, I don't want her to know."
With Shin and Laverna's vision, sensing the aura of the room, it's clear that there are runes in place. Of course, as the Guild Master, he has to be transparent with the Imperial Crown, but some things are left unsaid, like this situation right now.
"Before I turn off the runes I've placed in this room, I will send you the coordinates of a place where we can talk privately, without prying eyes. I will tell you everything once there."
Shin pondered, remembering what the Imperial Crown awarded them. "How about if we talk where the Lichtenstein estate was? Since you know, it was awarded to us along with our newly acquired noble status. Not a bad idea, right?"
Davis' eyes widened. He nodded and did a facepalm.
"You're right! Why didn't I think of that sooner?"
Davis smiled and said to them, "Since the people felt the tremors, we don't have much time talking about this subject."
Shin and Laverna nodded. Then Davis said, "Remember, this conversation never happened."
As if on cue, the Guild Master did a character change, reverting to his strong, authoritative self. The door swung open, and several guild guardsmen stormed the room.
They felt the sudden tremor from the Guild Hall, sending a bit of panic to the people within the building. The Guild Master's eyebrow lifted, and he asked, "What's all this then? Why are you all bursting into my room without my permission?"
The guardsmen stood at attention and saluted. "We're sorry, sir! We thought you were in trouble as we felt the tremors in the Guild Hall."
Davis's brows furrowed as if angry. "I didn't feel anything! Don't barge into my office without my permission. Get out!"
The guardsmen saluted once more before they marched out of the room. Shin and Laverna looked at the Guild Master and nodded to him.
He nodded back as he dismissed them. Throughout the interaction, Shin detected no lies from the Guild Master.
It seems that he has something more than meets the eye. Shin and Laverna headed back to the Lucky Sturgeon, reconvening with Yuri, Grant, and Misha to report that they're well, but not telling what they've uncovered.
With newfound knowledge, Shin knew what steps he'd take. And Laverna would be there to follow and support him.