Vale continued staring at Chimera, his eyes slowly narrowing.
The colossal wolf still hadn't blinked. Her gaze was locked directly onto the camera, and somehow, impossibly, Vale felt as though she were staring straight at him. The sensation crawled along his spine, unsettling in a way he couldn't quite explain.
Slowly, Chimera began to move.
Her massive body shifted as she crept forward with deliberate care, each step controlled, measured. The ground beneath her paws trembled faintly as she advanced until she stood directly beneath the camera itself.
The monitoring system adjusted automatically, the camera angling downward to keep her centered in frame.
For a long, breathless moment, nothing happened.
Then Chimera yawned.
A massive, lazy yawn, jaws stretching wide, fangs fully exposed, before she calmly lowered herself back down and curled into a resting position.
"…Huh," Callum said, the tension draining from his posture as a smile slowly returned to his face. "Looks like she's still tired."
Vale exhaled without realizing he'd been holding his breath.
Before anyone could speak again, a loud, familiar voice echoed from behind him.
"Callum?! Is that you? How've you been, man?!"
Vale startled and turned around.
A man strode toward them wearing a deep leather jacket, its surface worn but well-maintained. His skin was lightly tanned, his brown hair slightly messy, and his presence carried an easy confidence that filled the space around him.
Vale's eyes widened instantly.
'Caesar.'
Callum turned, already grinning broadly, his arm extending before the man had fully closed the distance.
"Caesar! Good to see you, my friend," Callum said warmly.
Their hands clasped in a firm handshake. The impact echoed through the room with surprising force.
"I see you cleared your fourth trial," Caesar said, his grin sharp with pride. "Nicely done."
Callum chuckled, amusement flickering across his face.
"Thanks. I heard your Project Hachi finally wrapped up."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Is it as good as you hoped?"
Caesar's eyes widened slightly before he broke into a short laugh.
"It's even better."
Vale noticed something strange behind Caesar, a faint shimmer in the air. As he looked closer, he realized it was a portal, glowing blue and humming softly with energy.
Curious, Vale stepped closer.
At the same time, someone else emerged from the portal.
A woman stepped through with unhurried grace.
She had long white hair that flowed all the way down her back, deep blue eyes accentuated by red lipstick, and wore an elegant blue dress that seemed to move as though it were alive. She didn't appear old, early thirties at most, but there was something about her presence that felt powerfull and vast.
Vale blinked.
He was certain he'd never met her before.
Caesar suddenly noticed him.
"Vale?!" he exclaimed, clearly shocked. "What the hell are you doing here, kid?!"
Vale flinched slightly and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, opening his mouth to respond,
but Callum beat him to it.
"Never mind that," Callum said easily. "He deserves to be here. I'm sure General Rikin will explain everything once the briefing starts."
His smile never wavered.
Caesar rubbed his chin, thinking it over. After a moment, he shrugged.
"Yeah… I guess that works for me."
Vale's attention drifted back to the elegant woman.
His eyes widened.
She was already looking at him.
Her gaze was curious, intent, but not hostile. Slowly, she approached him, circling once as she studied him from every angle. Vale stood stiffly, unsure how to react.
Then her eyes fell to his hands.
The small ravens perched there chirped softly.
A gentle smile formed on her face. She reached out and carefully stroked the birds, her touch light and reverent. The ravens responded immediately, relaxing beneath her fingers.
Vale tilted his head, curiosity overtaking his nervousness.
"Uh… sorry, miss," he said cautiously. "But who exactly are you?"
The woman looked up at him, momentarily startled. She straightened, her expression shifting as she studied his face more closely. After a brief pause, she sighed, softly, almost wistfully.
"Well, I suppose it makes sense that you wouldn't recognize me, Vale," she said.
Vale's brow furrowed.
'How does she know my name?'
She met his gaze directly.
"I'll introduce myself properly, then. My name is Levianthe, Rose of Growth. It is a pleasure to meet you again."
Vale froze.
His eyes widened, and memories came crashing back, roaring waves, an immense shadow beneath the sea, salvation snatched from the jaws of death.
"You," His voice faltered. "You were… the sea serpent."
Levianthe nodded, smiling gently.
Vale's mouth fell open. Slowly, he raised a trembling hand.
"Have you… always been able to transform into a human?"
"Yes," she answered simply.
Vale stood in stunned silence for a moment before bowing deeply.
"I'm so sorry," he said nervously. "I didn't know."
Levianthe laughed softly.
"Please, none of us enjoy being bowed to. Stand up."
Vale obeyed, straightening as the ravens continued to chirp quietly. Levianthe's gaze dropped to them once more.
"…Raven Visorians?" she asked, studying them with keen interest.
Vale nodded.
"I found them abandoned."
Levianthe sighed thoughtfully.
"Then their parents were likely afraid of them. A common occurrence with animalistic Visorians."
She straightened again, eyes bright.
"Still, their existence is remarkable. Would you mind if I ran some tests on them later?"
She smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry. I won't harm them. I'm a rather accomplished researcher."
Vale nodded slowly, still struggling to reconcile the idea of a colossal sea serpent being a scientist.
He glanced around. Caesar now stood by the monitor now, deeply focused on Chimera's image.
Vale turned back to Levianthe.
"Uh… sorry," he said hesitantly. "Do you know who else is coming to this meeting?"
Levianthe smiled warmly.
"Of course. Brother Tharion, Brother Fe, Sister Cleo, Senior Samuel, and Mother Rose."
Vale's eyes widened.
'So… they really do see us as family,' he thought.
Vale looked at her for a moment before she continued.
"Mister Wolfgang will likely be here as well," Levianthe said. "Though I cannot say for certain who else may attend."
Vale raised an eyebrow.
"Wolfgang?"
Levianthe nodded.
"Yes. Mister Wolfgang is the head of the Research Department within the G.V.O. He is currently the second smartest person on the planet, and the most accomplished researcher alive."
Vale stared at her, stunned. The name alone carried weight, but hearing those accomplishments spoken so casually was almost overwhelming.
"…Then," he said slowly, "who's the smartest?"
Levianthe blinked, surprised, then laughed softly.
"I would love to tell you," she said with a playful smile, "but unfortunately, I'm not permitted to reveal that information right now."
She turned her attention toward Caesar, who was still standing near the monitors, his gaze fixed intently on Chimera.
"If you'll excuse me," Levianthe continued, "I'd like to examine Chimera more closely. I hate to admit it, but her recent development has made me quite curious about what's causing it."
Vale smiled nervously.
'If only you knew,' he thought. He didn't understand the specifics of what he'd done, but he knew enough to realize that Chimera's rapid changes were his responsibility.
Levianthe offered him a polite nod before moving toward the monitors.
Moments later, Barbatos approached Vale once again. The massive man studied him with a thoughtful, almost unreadable expression.
"Nervous?" Barbatos asked.
Vale exhaled.
"…Yeah. Kinda."
Barbatos was silent for a moment.
"That's only natural," he said eventually.
He gestured toward a cluster of couches and chairs along the edge of the large room.
"Let's sit."
Vale nodded and followed. Barbatos settled into a large red chair, its size fitting his frame perfectly, while Vale took a seat on the couch beside it, close enough for conversation, but far enough to feel comfortable.
Barbatos leaned back, closing his pale eyes as he stared up at the ceiling.
"Apologies for that earlier incident," he said calmly. "Evelyn is… fiercely protective of her family."
Vale frowned slightly.
"I thought she was the one who told me the Rosemary family wasn't a real family at all."
Barbatos let out a low chuckle.
"In a way, she's not wrong."
He paused before continuing.
"Everyone within the Rosemary family is an orphan."
That caught Vale's full attention.
"Some of them," Barbatos went on, "Evelyn included, choose to treat it as a real family, because they never had one to begin with."
Understanding dawned on Vale. His eyes widened slightly as the pieces fell into place.
He glanced back toward the monitors. Evelyn stood there now, speaking with Levianthe, her sister. There was no anger in her expression anymore, only something lighter. Almost… warm.
Vale looked down at the floor, his emotions tangled.
"I see," he murmured.
A moment later, the elevator chimed again.
Vale's head snapped up, anticipation tightening his chest.
The doors slid open.
And when he saw who stepped out, his eyes widened, his expression shifting into something complicated, heavy with emotion he wasn't sure how to name.