Kael's grin faded, his expression turning serious as he leaned against Clara's car.
"First of all, this mission, you've got it wrong," he said, his voice solemn.
"This wasn't just a mission. It was an entrance test—for REAPER. To see if you two could work as a team, if you were A-class material, if REAPER could even form a team with just you both. And you proved it."
Freya's blue eyes narrowed, her mind replaying the chaos of the tunnel.
"But you killed the queen," she said, her voice sharp with confusion. "Weren't we supposed to kill the queen? Wasn't our mission to clear the sewers of rats?"
Rhea nodded, her amber eyes glinting with the same question, her body still but her mind racing.
Kael shook his head, a faint smile returning. "You killed the queen—the breeding one. I took out her mother, the big one with the crown. She was past menopause, couldn't breed anymore. Your mission was to kill the queen and fall back if you couldn't fight. You did exactly that. You passed."
