"Tonight might be even more important than bringing Adel under control."
Adam rubbed his temples, his thoughts heavy.
Tonight was going to be a big deal.
"So many hybrids in one place… there's bound to be a few hotheads who won't care about the mystique I've worked so hard to create—they'll come at me head-on."
Adam narrowed his eyes. "That's where presence comes in."
"I need to command the room the moment I walk in."
But Adam frowned. He didn't have many cards to play—other than the so-called Tear of God ritual, he only had Adel under his thumb.
And to make matters worse, he wasn't in the best shape right now. If anything unexpected happened, he wasn't sure he could handle it.
"What would actually intimidate hybrids like them?"
There were plenty of things hybrids feared: the Church, natural counters to their kind... But things that could instantly shut them all down?
"A corpse. Either the body of a hybrid, or a cleric."
Adam's gaze darkened. "Nothing commands silence like death."
"But attacking a cleric is risky. Even if I pulled it off, the Church would launch a full investigation. Not worth it."
"The easiest target... is Adel."
Adam rested his fingers on the window frame, staring out into the distance.
Adel let his guard down around him. The guy was still injured. If Adam wanted to take him out, it wouldn't be hard.
And while Adel had fallen into a cult-like devotion, Adam had already seen through him—he was sloppy and careless. If he ever snapped out of it, Adam's whole charade might come crashing down.
And honestly?
Adam didn't like him.
But killing Adel came with its own problems.
First, while it would absolutely intimidate the other hybrids, it would also sow doubt and distrust. Adam had promised Adel a ritual. If he turned around and killed him, it would destroy his credibility.
No one would ever truly trust him again.
Second, the others would see the writing on the wall. If he can betray one of us, he can betray any of us.
Fear might turn into rebellion—or worse, mass desertion.
Adam forced himself to look past personal feelings and weigh the pros and cons logically.
And with that, the idea of using Adel's corpse to establish dominance was scrapped.
"Still too few cards in hand."
He sighed. His weakness—his lack of actual power—was starting to catch up with him.
"Everything they think I am... it's all smoke and mirrors. That's why I need to protect the illusion."
Nearly everything Adam had done up to this point had been for the sake of maintaining his mystique.
For example, he hadn't told Adel to bring people in one by one—he'd told him to bring them all at once. That created the illusion that he didn't fear being outnumbered. It made him look powerful.
"Looking back... that was a mistake."
Adam reflected on it now. Adel had already taken the bait. At that point, there was no need to keep the act going.
Just like someone trapped in a scam who starts convincing themselves it's real—Adel had probably already bought into the fantasy of the Tear of God ritual.
"Chasing the perfect illusion only made things harder for myself."
Another lesson learned.
Adam turned and headed downstairs, his face still clouded with concern.
He told Aris and Maggie he needed to go for a walk to clear his head.
They agreed without hesitation—both still worried about their nephew.
Adam walked the streets, making his way toward the slums.
Now that he knew where he'd gone wrong, it was time to fix it.
"Track down Adel's movements, gain control over more hybrids in advance, and divide them into clear layers."
He already had a plan.
"Beneficiaries vs. outsiders."
Adam narrowed his eyes. "I can even pass on parts of the ritual—create a hierarchy among them using that alone."
"And to protect that hierarchy, the ones who've already benefited will naturally become my supporters."
"So if a hothead does try to stir things up, the clash won't be between me and him—it'll be between him and my loyalists."
Quietly, Adam made his way to the riverbank. From behind a tree, he dug out a hidden set of clothes and quickly changed before heading to his destination.
"According to Adel's notes, before returning to Roya, he'd spent several months wandering the forest. Then he reconnected with the other hybrids and came back to the city."
"Which means the hybrids he knows were also active in the forest at some point."
"It's highly likely they're either woodcutters or living in the slums."
The forest, while vast and sparsely populated, offered good cover for hybrid activity. But aside from trees, there wasn't much else there. Go too deep and you'd risk running into Roya's military patrols.
Which meant most hybrids weren't just camping out in the woods for fun. More likely, they were slum-dwellers who ventured into the forest when necessary.
"People from the slums really only have three paths in life: join a gang and live off others, find work in the city, or become a woodcutter."
The slums were originally formed by woodcutters. That area still had the highest concentration of them and supplied most of the South District's timber.
"As for gangs... their backers are usually nobles. Any new, unaffiliated gang would either be co-opted by a noble or crushed by the Church."
Adam recalled the black-smoke werewolf he'd seen at Baron Mansla's estate. That hybrid had probably been roped into the Baron's inner circle just like that.
"So yeah... woodcutters. That makes the most sense."
Most hybrids just wanted to lay low. Woodcutting was isolated, physical work with little interaction. Perfect for them.
Not everyone was like Adam—bold enough to infiltrate a church. Most hybrids were instinctively terrified of the Church.
"Man, the slums are way too crowded during the day."
No chance to change outfits unnoticed. Despite the filth, the sickly faces, the run-down buildings, the place was bustling—like any thriving market.
"How many carts does it take to transport timber, anyway?"
The slums were both a timber hub and a magnet for cheap labor. Roya was the most prosperous city in the region, and travelers from nearby towns often made the slums their first stop.
"Could be shipments from rural suppliers..."
But Adam's train of thought was cut off by a familiar scent.
Limping through the crowd, Adel was making his way home.
And if Adam's senses weren't sharp, he might have missed the two people quietly following him.
"Too risky to bring them all at once... so he's sneaking them in a few at a time. Smart."
In the slums, being overly cautious might seem pointless with so many people around. But one slip-up could mean death.
Adam didn't follow right away. He circled the area first, checking for other tails.
Once he was sure no one else was trailing Adel, he moved toward the house.
"Four... no, five distinct scents."
Adel had gathered at least five people in his home.
Adam didn't hesitate. He changed into his ritual garb quickly.
Adel's network was deeper than expected. Or maybe the hybrids of Roya were simply more connected than he'd realized.
If he waited until nightfall, there might be even more of them gathered—making it much harder to control the situation.
Adam took a deep breath, composing himself.
Then, without rushing, he walked toward the wooden cabin.
He didn't hide his presence at all. His deliberate footsteps made everyone inside go tense.
They looked to Adel as if asking: Did you invite someone else?
"I mentioned it to Jin... but he didn't accept."
Adel looked confused too.
Jin was the strongest hybrid he knew. Of course, he'd reached out to him first.
Jin had shown interest—but ultimately refused.
Had he changed his mind?
The door creaked open.
"Good day, everyone."
Adam stepped through the threshold, sunlight behind him forming a halo—his silhouette casting a long shadow into the room.
His calm voice flowed in like a tide.
The pressure that followed was impossible to describe—
And completely froze the hybrids where they stood.