Chapter 32: The truth ?
Inside the tent, a peculiar scene was unfolding. The seven people present listened in silence to the major’s speech. His words were encouraging and full of motivation. The only issue was that there was no one else in the room: the major was merely a mirage, a projection that the Calamity used to better control its pawns.
Iris, who had found herself invited to the meeting, felt only boredom, barely paying attention to what was being said. Over the past month, she had often found herself suspended between illusion and reality.
At first, she had nearly gone mad, forced to mimic the behavior of those who were parasitized, so as not to stand out and give away her plans to the Calamity, which she knew was watching for the slightest anomaly.
It wasn’t until she learned to use the power of her Soul’s Eyes on herself that she managed to preserve her sanity.
Carla, on the other hand—freed from the parasite’s illusion thanks to Iris—was still struggling to adjust to the scene unfolding before her. When she looked at her colleagues and the zeal burning in their eyes, she felt only greater gratitude toward Lady Iris.
The two were lost in thought until a proposal from Captain Grégoire snapped them back to attention.
"Major, we’ve received no reports from the team sent into the city to investigate. I fear they may have crossed paths with a Calamity. With your permission, I would like to go there personally to assess the situation and intervene if necessary."
Carla immediately went pale. She knew that Lady Iris’s brother was the one responsible for the disappearance of her colleague. When a team had been dispatched to investigate, Lady Iris had assured her there was no need to worry—her brother was not someone easily defeated. But if Captain Grégoire got involved, he wouldn’t stand a chance. Whatever his strength, he was merely an Initiate, while her brother was an Intermediate-rank Enforcer, with years of experience to his name.
She wanted to speak out at once to stop him, but before she could open her mouth, Iris gestured for her to remain silent.
Even without using her Eyes, she could easily guess what Carla was about to do.