Chapter 31: INVESTIGATION AND INVESTIGATING?
While Hyun-woo and Stheno were enjoying their date that night, Ebonara was watching everything from the shadows. She had to fight hard to hold herself back from storming over, snatching him away, and crushing Stheno into the ground.
But she had made a promise.
Who cares about the promise? a dark voice whispered in her mind.
She ignored it. But when she saw the chef cooking for them at the restaurant, she decided to do something else.
The moment Hyun-woo and Stheno left the restaurant hand-in-hand, laughing and still stealing bites from the leftover Flaming Love Cakes, Ebonara stepped out from the shadows across the plaza.
She entered the restaurant and was quickly escorted past the counter into a hidden back office. This was one of the many safe houses belonging to Sylvara Veyne, one of the Inner Guardians of Eden’s Vault.
She belonged to a rare race called the Aevaryn. In all her years, Ebonara had never seen anyone quite like her—or seen her lose to anyone. Sylvara was a striking woman with pale white skin, long black hair, and sharp brown eyes. She had a cold, arrogant gaze that made most people feel like insects. Her chest was modest—barely noticeable, to be honest—but anyone stupid enough to mention it usually ended up getting a severe beating.
She was also one of the best trackers and information brokers in the world.
“Sylvara Veyne,” Ebonara greeted. “It’s been a while.”
Sylvara didn’t flinch. She set aside the chef's clothes she was holding and turned, meeting the Scorpion Queen’s gaze. A faint wave of warm flame aura rolled off her in response.
“Ebonara,” she said coolly. “You’re early. I thought your hunger wouldn't subside for another month or two?”
“Oh, don’t worry, it’s under control for now,” Ebonara replied, her tail flicking sharply. “But that’s not why I’m here.”
Sylvara raised an eyebrow, looking at her suspiciously. “Then what do you want?”
Ebonara’s eight gem-like eyes glowed faintly. “I was just here… because I wanted to meet you.”
Sylvara stared at her like she had grown a second head. In all the centuries she had known the Scorpion Queen, Ebonara had never once visited just to “meet” someone. This was very, very suspicious.
“Just say what you want,” Sylvara said flatly. “I don’t have time to amuse you right now.”
Instead of replying right away, Ebonara leaned forward over the desk. Her heavy breasts pressed against the counter as her eight gem-like eyes swirled violently between pink hearts and venomous crimson. The dark, hungry part of her was clawing to get out, and she was barely holding it back.
After staring at Sylvara for a long moment—long enough to see the annoyed twitch in the Aevaryn’s eye—Ebonara finally spoke.
“I need a file.”
Sylvara raised an eyebrow. “A file?”
“Everything,” Ebonara said, her voice low, sweet, and terrifyingly intense. “What he likes to eat. How he likes it seasoned. Whether he prefers his meat rare or medium. His favorite bath temperature. How he sleeps—does he like being held? Does he curl up or spread out? What makes him laugh. What makes him blush. What his mother is like. Who his father is. Everything you can find about him.”
Sylvara Veyne stared at her for a long moment.
“You’re serious,” she said, looking at Ebonara like she had gone crazy. “And you’re talking about that boy Mother mentioned. The one who was with Stheno earlier.”
He was the only man allowed inside Eden’s Vault since its creation. Honestly, Sylvara had planned to investigate him herself later. But if she could make some money out of it… all the better.
“What the hell did that boy do to make you like this?” Sylvara asked.
“Yes,” Ebonara replied ignoring the question. Her tail rose slightly, the green venom at the tip glistening dangerously. “And don’t even think about getting close to him.”
Sylvara’s expression hardened, though a hint of amusement danced in her eyes. She had known Ebonara for centuries as a cold, ruthless predator. This level of raw, possessive obsession was completely new.
“You’ve never asked for help like this before,” Sylvara noted. “Also, what do I get from getting close to that boy? He doesn’t even seem that powerful.”
Ebonara was glad this battle-crazed idiot couldn’t see his status. She was also glad Mother hadn’t told anyone about the punch. She would use that to her advantage.
“I’ve never had something worth keeping before,” Ebonara replied without hesitation. Her voice dropped into a dangerous purr. “He’s mine, Aevaryn. And I will learn every single detail that makes him happy. So start writing.”
Sylvara exhaled, but she still pulled out a crystal tablet. Her fingers danced across the surface as she began collecting data.
“Preliminary observations from tonight,” she said professionally. “Hyun-woo enjoyed the Thunder Boar bacon and nightshade onions. Clear preference for rich, savory, high-protein meals with a touch of sweetness at the end—the Flaming Love Cakes made his eyes light up. He has a sweet tooth but tries to act indifferent. Responded very positively to being fed by hand and feeding Stheno in return. Physical reactions noted…”
The moment Sylvara mentioned how Hyun-woo had reacted positively to being fed by Stheno, Ebonara’s grip on the counter tightened. Her reasoning was starting to slip.
The dark voice in Ebonara’s mind was screaming at her to kill Stheno right now. To rip that golden bitch apart and drag her cutie pie back where he belonged.
But before she could spiral any further, her phone rang.
It was Stheno calling her. The very woman she had just been plotting to kill.
Sylvara noticed Ebonara staring at the screen for far too long without moving. “What happened?” she asked.
Ebonara didn’t reply. Inside her head, her thoughts were spiraling. How dare she call me? How fucking dare she…
A warm hand suddenly rested on her shoulder. When she looked up, Sylvara was standing right in front of her, looking genuinely concerned.
“Hey… you okay?” Sylvara asked.
Ebonara exhaled slowly and forced herself to calm down. She didn’t explain what had just almost happened. Instead, she changed the subject. “Nothing. Just thinking about some things.”
Sylvara didn’t believe that, but she didn’t pursue the topic.
Without waiting for a reply, Ebonara answered the call.
“Stheno, if you’re calling to brag about stealing my cutie pie for the night, I swear I will—”
“It’s me, Ebo,” Hyun-woo’s warm voice came through the speaker.
Ebonara froze for a second. Then, a soft, relieved smile spread across her lips. She hadn’t expected it to be him, but she was so glad it was. The dark, violent voice in her head vanished instantly the moment she heard him.
The rest of the conversation shifted Ebonara's mood entirely, and she ultimately gave him her blessing for the night.
Also as payment for the information, Ebonara promised she would tell Sylvara exactly how she had gotten rid of her hunger.
Though, if Sylvara knew the exact details of Hyun-woo's 'Talent', she probably would slap herself for falling for it in the first place.
***********
Sergeant Nesta stood rigidly in the dimly lit command room deep within the Auxiliary Support Sector.
The walls were lined with glowing tactical screens and mana-crystal projectors. Her uniform felt tighter than usual, sweat already beading on the back of her neck.
She had reported in immediately after seeing him.
“—I swear it was him, ma’am. Hyun-woo. The same normie from our old unit. He was walking in the city of the forest area like it was nothing. And he was holding hands with Stheno. One of the Gorgon sisters. They looked… close.”
The three senior officers seated behind the reinforced desk stared at her in heavy silence. Colonel Valeria, a sharp-featured Ice Mage with silver-streaked hair, leaned forward first.
“Miraculously survived the desert drop,” she murmured. “And now he’s cozy with an Outer Guardian. Interesting.”
Nesta’s stomach twisted. She had hoped this would trigger a full investigation into his bullshit transfer. The clearly suicidal orders. The commander who had sent him to die over a single punch. She wanted justice for the kid.
Instead, Colonel Valeria tapped a command into her crystal pad. A new encrypted file appeared on the central holographic display.
“Effective immediately, Sergeant,” Valeria said coolly, “you will re-establish contact with Private Hyun-woo. Use your prior familiarity. You are to issue him a direct order under Morale Support Division protocols.”
Nesta blinked. “Ma’am?”
“You will instruct him to gather intelligence on the Guardians. Weaknesses. Habits. Power limitations. Personal vulnerabilities. Anything we can use. He is to submit regular encrypted reports. Tell him it’s a classified reconnaissance mission for the safety of the Vault.”
The words hit Nesta like a slap.
She stood frozen, mouth slightly open. “With all due respect, Colonel… he’s not even officially stationed here. He was dumped in the desert to die. And now you want him, a guy with no Talent, to spy on monsters like Stheno and Ebonara?”
One of the other officers, a stern-looking man with a Captain’s insignia, smiled thinly. “Exactly. He’s perfectly placed. Close enough to one of them to gain access. Disposable if things go wrong. And if he’s managed to survive and charm a Guardian… well, that makes him useful.”
Nesta’s fists clenched at her sides. This wasn’t an investigation into corruption. This was throwing Hyun-woo right back into the meat grinder—only deeper this time.
“With all due respect Sir,” she tried again, voice strained, “he looked… different. Stronger. The way he walked beside—”
“Which is precisely why this order is being given,” Valeria cut her off. “If he has some unknown ability or hidden Talent that lets him bypass Eden’s defenses, we need to know. And we need leverage over the Guardians. Do your duty, Sergeant.”
The dismissal was clear.
Nesta saluted stiffly, her mind racing. “Yes, ma’am.”
As she turned to leave the command room, a cold suspicion settled deep in her gut.
Something was very wrong here. The higher-ups weren’t surprised by Hyun-woo’s survival. They didn’t seem angry about the breach of protocol. They seemed… prepared.
Almost like they had expected something like this.
Or worse—like they had wanted a man inside the inner circle of the Guardians all along.
Nesta stepped out into the corridor, heart pounding. She leaned against the cold stone wall for a moment, exhaling shakily.
“Hyun-woo… what the hell did you get yourself into?” she whispered.
She didn’t know whether she was more worried about him… or about what the military truly wanted from the Guardians.
And for the first time in her career, Sergeant Nesta seriously considered whether following orders was the right thing to do.