Kiana carried the trash bag, grumbling, "What's with all the secrecy?" as she reluctantly stepped into the elevator.
After the apartment door closed, the atmosphere in the living room instantly became somewhat heavy.
Mei nervously wrung her fingers, her gaze flitting between Kael and Sirin, and quietly asked, "Mr. Kael... was that note really just a prank?"
Kael turned around, the deliberate ease on his face gone, replaced by a quiet seriousness.
He didn't answer Mei immediately, but instead looked at Sirin: "Sirin, what do you think?"
A cold glint flickered in Sirin's golden eyes. She walked to the window, carefully scrutinizing the street outside, and said in a cold tone, "Printed font, untraceable source. The 'snake' reference is too vague, but it's definitely not a common prank. Brother, is it a warning, or... something else?"
Kael took out the crumpled note from his pocket, unfolded it again, and his fingertip traced the cold words.
"It's not Siegfried's style. If he discovered danger, he would directly use the Kaslana Family's secret code, or a more direct method to contact me."
He mused, "'Snake'... In my memory, there's an ancient and dangerous organization whose symbol is a 'snake'. Not Anti-Entropy, but... 'World Serpent'."
"World Serpent?" Sirin furrowed her brows, clearly unfamiliar with the name.
Although she had been an S-Rank Valkyrie for a while, she mostly dealt with obvious opponents of Schicksal, knowing little about organizations lurking in the shadows of history.
Mei, even more bewildered, shook her head.
Kael's eyes became profound, as if he was seeing the distant past through the air in front of him.
"Their movements are secretive, their power deeply entrenched, and we don't even know when it appeared. Bishop Otto once said that the World Serpent is a 'kindred' more dangerous than Honkai Beasts."
"But this note is a clear signal; we've been targeted. From today on, everyone must be vigilant."
Just then, the sound of the apartment door lock turning was heard; Kiana had returned after taking out the trash.
She pushed the door open, sensed the unusual atmosphere in the room, and her relaxed expression also faded. She blinked her blue eyes: "What's wrong? Why do you all look like that? Was that note really problematic?"
Kael quickly put away the note, and the reassuring, slightly relaxed smile returned to his face: "Nothing, just discussing what to eat for dinner. Is the trash taken out?"
"It's taken out..."
Kiana was half-convinced and half-doubtful. She walked in front of Kael, looked up at him, her eyes filled with persistence, "Kael, don't try to fool me. I'm not a child anymore. Tell me if anything's wrong; I can help!"
Looking at her clear and stubborn blue eyes, Kael sighed inwardly.
He knew that although Kiana was usually carefree, she had keen intuition and, deep down, the stubbornness and sense of responsibility characteristic of the Kaslana Family.
Sirin spoke coldly from the side: "What's the use of telling her? What can she do besides cause trouble?"
"Hey! Don't look down on me!"
Kiana immediately flared up like a lit firecracker, turning to glare at Sirin, "This Young Miss is very powerful!"
"Oh? Like 'powerful enough to blow up the kitchen' powerful?" Sirin retorted.
"You!"
"Alright."
Kael held back the bristling Kiana, his gaze sweeping over the three people present, his tone calm but with undeniable authority, "Listen, no matter what happens, I'm here. What you need to do is live your lives as usual. But if you find any suspicious person or thing, tell me immediately, understand?"
His gaze finally rested on Kiana. Kiana met his eyes for a few seconds, saw the seriousness and concern in his gaze, and her defiant attitude slowly subsided. She pouted and nodded: "...Got it."
"Good."
Kael ruffled her hair, "Go play, or read a book. Don't always think about running outside."
Kiana: So comfortable (⁎⁍̴̛͂▿⁍̴̛͂⁎)*✲ﾟ*
After comforting the girls, Kael, using the excuse that he needed to organize academy work materials, returned to his bedroom.
Closing the door, the calm on his face instantly faded, replaced by deep solemnity.
He opened the specialized terminal again, this time not to check the map, but to directly connect to Bishop Otto's encrypted channel. During the brief wait for the connection, he unconsciously stroked the cold edge of the terminal.
Otto... if the World Serpent was involved, things were far beyond what he could handle alone.
The light screen lit up, and Otto's figure appeared.
She seemed to be in a laboratory filled with various precise instruments and cultivation tanks, wearing a white lab coat and sterile gloves. Her emerald eyes appeared particularly deep under the cold white lights of the lab.
"Kael?"
Otto raised her eyebrows in surprise when she saw him, then a playful curve appeared at the corner of her lips, "What a rare guest, contacting me twice in one day? It seems Changkong City's 'daily life' is even more exciting than I imagined."
Her sharp gaze caught the solemnity between Kael's brows, and her tone became a little more serious: "Trouble?"
"Your Grace."
Kael didn't exchange pleasantries and cut straight to the chase, "I just found this at the apartment door."
He scanned and transmitted the warning note.
Otto looked at the text displayed on the light screen, her smile gradually faded, and her eyes sharpened. "Beware of the 'snake'..." She murmured, her fingertip gently tapping in the air, seemingly retrieving data, "Anonymous print, untraceable by conventional means. This wording... 'World Serpent'?"
"I suspect so too."
Kael said in a deep voice, "Siegfried also appeared nearby today. I'm not sure if there's a connection between the two."
"World Serpent..." Otto repeated the name, a flicker of extremely complex emotion in her emerald eyes: concern, apprehension, and even a hint of... inexplicable excitement?
"They've been dormant for so long, are they finally active again? And their target is the area you're in..."
She looked at Kael, her eyes becoming unusually serious: "Kael, the World Serpent is different from Anti-Entropy and other overt opponents. They hide in the shadows of history, act without scruples, and will sacrifice anything for their so-called 'great cause'. If it really is them, your situation will be very dangerous."
"I know."
Kael nodded, "I need to know more about their recent activities and their possible targets."
Otto pondered for a moment, her fingers rapidly operating in the air: "I will have the intelligence department fully investigate any clues about the World Serpent in the Far East. As for their target..."
She paused, her gaze falling on Kael's face, "It's not surprising that K423 has something they're interested in. But what concerns me more is why they would send you a warning in this way? This doesn't fit the World Serpent's usual style. It's more like... they're testing, or perhaps, reminding you?"
"Reminding me?" Kael frowned.
"Just a guess."
Otto waved her hand, "Regardless, Kael, your safety is paramount. If necessary, I can immediately send people to escort you out of Changkong City."
"Not needed yet."
Kael rejected her suggestion, his eyes firm, "I want to know their purpose. And, here..."
He paused, not finishing his sentence, but the meaning was clear: there were people he needed to protect here.
Otto looked at his determined eyes and sighed softly. The sigh carried a hint of helplessness, indulgence, and a very subtle trace of melancholy.
"You're still the same... once you decide to protect something, you become more stubborn than anyone."
She leaned closer to the light screen, as if wanting to be closer to Kael, her emerald eyes looking deeply at him: "Alright, I respect your decision. But promise me, Kael, don't overexert yourself. The World Serpent's waters are deep, much deeper than you imagine. Stay in constant contact, and if the situation gets out of control, evacuate immediately. This is an order, and also... my request."
Her tone at the end carried a rare, almost soft plea.
Kael looked at Otto's eyes on the screen, which seemed to see through everything yet held genuine worry, and his heart stirred slightly. He nodded: "I will."
Ending the communication, Kael leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
Even Otto took it so seriously; it seemed the appearance of the World Serpent meant a true storm was about to arrive.
He walked to the window. Night had fallen, and Changkong City's neon lights were on as usual, outlining the city's silhouette. But in Kael's eyes, beneath this prosperous night scene, an invisible undercurrent seemed to be surging.
"World Serpent..."
He muttered softly, "What exactly do you want to do?"
Just then, the bedroom door was knocked again.
"Brother, dinner's ready." It was Sirin's voice.
Kael composed himself, opening the door. Sirin stood at the doorway, with no intention of leaving. She looked at Kael and quietly asked, "Brother, is it... a very troublesome matter?"
Kael saw the undisguised worry in her eyes, and his heart softened. He nodded: "Yes, a bit troublesome. But don't worry, I can handle it."
Sirin stepped forward, gently hugged his waist, buried her face in his chest, and murmured, "No matter how troublesome, I'll be with Brother."
Feeling the girl's dependence and determination in his arms, the heavy feeling brought by the World Serpent in Kael's heart seemed to be somewhat dispelled.
He gently hugged her back and patted her back.
"Good, together."
The atmosphere at dinner was a bit more silent than at noon.
Kiana seemed still preoccupied with the note, eating distractedly.
Mei was even more troubled, barely touching her chopsticks.
Only Sirin ate calmly, but her gaze occasionally swept over Kael, with silent support.
After dinner, Kael, using the excuse that he needed to quietly handle work, returned to his bedroom.
He needed to formulate a plan, one that could protect Kiana and Mei, and also deal with potential threats from the World Serpent and even Siegfried.
He sat at his desk, spread out a blank sheet of paper, and began to write down key points: strengthen apartment security, monitor the surrounding environment, ascertain Siegfried's intentions, investigate clues about the World Serpent... The night grew deeper.
When Kael put down his pen and rubbed his somewhat throbbing temples, outside the window, all was silent.
He stood up, ready to wash up and rest.
As he passed the living room, he noticed someone still sitting on the sofa.
It was Kiana.
She wasn't reading comics or playing games as usual, but was hugging the giant Haxxor Bunny doll, curled up in the corner of the sofa, her chin resting on the doll's soft head, staring blankly at the night view outside the window.
Her silver hair glowed softly in the moonlight, and those blue eyes, always full of vitality, were now filled with confusion and a hint of imperceptible unease.
Kael's footsteps paused.
"Kiana?" He called softly.
Kiana suddenly snapped back, raising her head like a startled small animal. Seeing it was Kael, she sighed in relief, then awkwardly lowered her head again, covering half her face with the doll: "...Kael."
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Kael walked to the sofa and sat down.
"...Can't sleep."
Kiana whispered, her fingers unconsciously picking at the doll's fur, "Kael... Does that note today mean... bad guys are targeting us?"
Kael looked at her like this and understood that this girl wasn't as carefree as she appeared.
She sensed danger; she was scared.
He reached out and gently placed his hand on her head, ruffling her soft silver hair, his tone gentle and firm: "Perhaps. But it's okay, I'm here."
Kiana looked up, her blue eyes exceptionally bright in the dark. She looked at Kael, hesitated, and then quietly asked, "Kael... you... you'll protect me, right? Just like you protect Sirin?"
Her voice carried a hint of uncertainty, a hint of longing, and a hint of dependence that she herself didn't fully understand.
Kael looked at the pure trust and hope in her eyes, and the softest part of his heart was touched.
He nodded, giving an incredibly solemn promise:
"Yes, I will protect you. Definitely."
Upon hearing these words, Kiana's eyes instantly lit up, as if all her confusion and unease had been dispelled.
She hugged the Haxxor Bunny doll tightly, a relieved and slightly foolish smile appearing on her face:
"Mm! I believe you, Kael!"
Seeing her smile bloom again, Kael also smiled, and ruffled her hair once more: "Alright, go to sleep quickly, you have school tomorrow."
"Got it!" Kiana hugged the doll, jumped off the sofa, and ran back to her room with light steps.