Inside Freya's Office
Five people stood before Freya's desk, waiting for her orders. The atmosphere in the room was tense and serious. She had never summoned them personally before; all commands usually came through Veyrath, the leader of the Order.
Freya herself was not present yet. They had been told to arrive ready to depart, but for now, only Ravina was there, organizing some papers on the desk. Soon, her gaze shifted back to the five of them.
Velra, the poor girl, was the most restless. She squirmed like a worm in discomfort, nervously fiddling with her white hair. Ravina, who had paused her work, noticed her unease and smiled, finding it oddly cute.
– Freya is already on her way!
– Please, bear with it for a little longer.
Everyone nodded in unison.
– Yes, Secretary Ravina. – 5x
Silence returned to the room until Sevran broke the awkward stillness.
Cough! Cough! – Sevran raised a hand to his mouth and cleared his throat.
– Secretary Ravina, if you don't mind… could you tell us why we were summoned here?
Ravina, who had gone back to sorting the documents, turned her attention to them again.
– I don't know the exact reason, but it's related to your leader, Ev—, Cough! Cough! – Ravina coughed, realizing she had almost said something she shouldn't. – I mean, Veyrath!
Everyone noticed she had nearly slipped and spoken his real name. In the minds of most of them, thoughts began to churn as they tried to piece together the identity of their leader. Over the past few months, he had rarely attended meetings. Whenever he was absent, Luneth would meet with him privately, deliver all reports, and receive new orders and information.
During those months, Luneth had also kept an eye on Umbra, as Veyrath had requested. To be honest, she hadn't noticed much that seemed suspicious. The only thing that bothered her slightly were some interactions Umbra had with questionable individuals. At first, she dismissed them as coincidences—until those interactions became more frequent.
A dangerous theory formed in her mind. One she needed to treat with caution.
Suddenly, the office door opened, and Freya entered, her expression solemn as she looked at everyone before turning her attention to her friend.
– You can say their leader's real name. He allowed it. – Freya said casually, as if it were nothing important.
Ravina looked at her in disbelief. Evo was meticulous in everything he did; revealing his identity didn't seem like something he would normally allow. But then, she remembered something—something that shattered all those thoughts.
She remembered that painful journey with Freya and the Goddess, when everything Evo had gone through was revealed. His interactions with the other members… a deep sense of respect and trust had formed among the six of them.
– How ironic… that their trust bloomed at the very moment one of the members betrayed him. – she thought bitterly.
Her expression darkened as memories resurfaced. First came the image of Evo torturing Talier for his betrayal. That scene had wounded both her and Freya deeply—not because of Talier, but because of Evo. They had felt all the rage and disappointment burning inside him. That betrayal had shaken him to his core.
Ravina clenched her fists as another memory from that hell resurfaced.
– Kalistro… – she growled silently, spitting out the man's name in her thoughts.
Her irritation caused the temperature in the room to rise. Her scorching presence began to fill the space.
The members felt unbearable heat beneath their cloaks.
– What hellish heat… – Kaelith muttered, tugging at his clothes, trying to pull them away from his body.
Freya, standing behind her friend, understood immediately what was going through Ravina's mind. She was furious as well—but now, more than ever, they needed to remain calm.
– Ravina, calm down! – Freya shouted her name, snapping her out of her trance.
Realizing she had been unconsciously releasing her presence, Ravina quickly adjusted her posture, as if nothing had happened.
– Sorry, I got a bit carried away. – she apologized, her voice lacking even a trace of guilt.
Throughout the room, the sound of relieved sighs echoed. Freya looked at her friend, then walked to her desk and stood facing everyone.
Kaelith couldn't hold back his curiosity.
– Director, you said the leader allowed us to know his identity… is that true? – he tilted his head slightly, skepticism clear in his voice.
Seeing his doubtful expression, Freya nodded with a smile.
– Yes. He told me personally that if Ravina and I wished, we could call him by his real name in front of you.
– If this were another time, I would find such behavior suspicious, but… after everything that happened, I understand it as natural. – she murmured to herself.
Now everyone was curious—everyone except two people in the room who already knew the truth: Silentia and Luneth.
Silentia had discovered his identity during a dungeon expedition, where she coincidentally encountered Evo while they were on the same mission. As for Luneth, Evo himself had told her during one of her report deliveries. Despite being close friends with Freya and Ravina, she had never asked about his identity. Her trust in them was unshakable.
It could be said she had been rather surprised… and flustered.
Yes, even she didn't understand why her heart had raced so wildly as she looked at that young man, standing before her without a mask, gazing at her directly. She couldn't comprehend how a woman as old as herself could act like a shy girl in his presence. She had even worried that her behavior might make him uncomfortable—but what happened instead left her stunned.
He had simply smiled at her reaction and said:
"Cute."
Back in the present—
Seeing their reactions, Freya chuckled softly, an idea forming in her mind that earned her a slightly malicious smile.
– Very well, I'll tell you. – Everyone smiled in anticipation… until Freya crushed their hopes.
– But only if you succeed in the mission. – she said with an ironic grin, watching their masked faces twist in frustration.
She did this to increase their chances of success.
Though she didn't show it outwardly, deep down she was worried about Evo. Months had passed since they last interacted after that day. Only when he departed for the Elven Continent had they spoken again. She missed that bastard terribly.
Her heart longed to be near him, especially after learning about his feelings. But guilt prevented her from seeking him out—not after how badly she had treated him. And after that day, he had been throwing himself into missions as if his life depended on it, like a moth drawn to flames in search of power.
She understood his mindset—but she wanted him to take it easier. He was already in the intermediate apprentice class, nearing its peak. That alone was extraordinary, considering he was only fifteen years old.
Evo didn't know this, but Freya had been monitoring his growth closely. She had many ways to do so. Even from afar, she never lacked methods to keep track of him.
– Alright, I'll explain everything about the mission now! – she called, drawing everyone's attention.
Luneth raised her hand, wanting to speak.
– Before we continue, could you tell me why Umbra isn't here with us? – she asked, narrowing her eyes as she carefully studied Freya and Ravina's expressions.
Both women scowled when they heard that name.
Luneth's question had a second intention. She wanted to analyze their reactions, searching for confirmation of Evo's request from months ago. Seeing their obvious displeasure, she pressed further, already halfway to an answer.
– Is Umbra not here because you both suspect him as well? – she asked carefully, without outright accusing him.
Freya and Ravina exchanged a glance. They understood that Evo had already made his move regarding the traitor. The others looked between Luneth and the two women, curiosity growing. Umbra's absence had indeed struck them as strange.
Freya let out a long sigh and gave a bitter smile.
– We don't suspect him… – Luneth felt a flicker of relief, but it quickly turned into a nightmare.
– We are certain. – Freya stated coldly.
Luneth froze, disbelief gripping her. She tried to speak, but Freya stopped her.
– He will tell you personally. So wait. – she said before Luneth could say anything.
– Now, back to the matter at hand. We'll give you all the information you need before departure.
And so, Freya began preparing them for the mission, providing every necessary detail.
Back on the Elven Continent
Evo stood among the students, waiting for instructions on what they would do next. He was beside Instructor Elizabeth, who occasionally glanced at him. Evo, wanting to tease her a little, poked at her with playful remarks and a goofy smile.
She blushed and quickly turned her attention back to the elves in front of them.
Deciding to give the poor woman some peace… for now, Evo shifted his focus to the surroundings, a place that had already carved itself into a corner of his heart. He loved it there. If he could, he would stay forever.
But his attention was drawn to a noble elf approaching and stopping beside the captain of the elven knights. The noble leaned in and whispered something into the captain's ear. The knight nodded, then turned his gaze toward Evo.
Gulp! – Evo swallowed hard as the elf stared at him intensely, but he held his posture and met the gaze.
– Did I do something wrong? – he wondered internally.
– No! Impossible! – he shook his head.
It made no sense to him.
– I just arrived here with everyone else. There's no way I did anything.
– It's just my imagination. – he smiled awkwardly and looked away.
The knight then addressed everyone who waited in silence.
– Our guests, please follow this knight. He will guide you to your accommodations during your stay. Enjoy everything the Elven Continent has to offer.
Everyone began to move, following the knight toward another area.
– Miss Elizabeth, the Empress wishes to speak with you. – he said, sounding somewhat resigned.
He wanted to show her proper respect, but he couldn't expose her true identity. With a heavy heart, this was the only way.
Seeing this, Evo understood that they were also keeping her identity secret. He simply shrugged—it wasn't his concern—and started to follow the others.
Then, abruptly, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
Turning his head stiffly, Evo saw the captain of the elven knights gripping his shoulder firmly.
– Strong… – Evo thought, feeling the pressure.
The elf smiled kindly—but that smile never reached Evo's eyes.
Elizabeth, standing beside him, was just as surprised as Evo by the elf's actions.
– Can I help you with something, Captain? – Evo tilted his head slightly, meeting the elf's gaze.
The elf nodded slowly.
– The Empress wishes to speak with you as well. – he said clearly, making sure Evo understood.
All Evo could do was let out a tiny squeak, boiling with rage inside.
– Shit.