"Who’s Caius?!" Narg asked, the confusion in his voice cutting through the room as he tried to make sense of what the fox had just said.

Ariel didn’t bother answering him.

Instead, she simply turned and walked off with that same careless stride, as if the question didn’t deserve a response, as if the only reaction that mattered had already been given. And it had—mine. The moment I froze, she knew I recognized the name, and that was enough for her.

Narg’s jaw tightened, irritation flashing across his face at the blatant disregard, his fingers curling slightly like he was holding himself back from snapping at her retreating figure. The silence she left behind only made it worse.

Before he could say anything else, Gork spoke up.

"It’s the name of the head of the Crimson Bastion clan."

His tone wasn’t uncertain. If anything, there was a weight to it, like he understood exactly what that name carried.

"Crimson Bastion?" Flogga repeated, her brows drawing together as she tried to place it.

"The clan where the chief got the garnets," Gork continued, his voice steady as he filled in the gap, and then—slowly—he turned toward me.

Waiting.

Looking for confirmation.

Looking for answers.

But I wasn’t there. Not really.

My thoughts had already spiraled the moment I heard that name, dragging me somewhere else entirely.

Caius... was coming here?

How did he bounce back so fast?

And more importantly, how did he find me?

That question hit harder, settling deep in my chest as something cold began to take shape.

I hadn’t exactly been careless, but I hadn’t been paranoid either. I moved by warping, and I didn’t leave obvious trails behind, and yet...he’d somehow managed to track me?

Was there something on me that I missed?

Or was it something else entirely?

My mind started running through possibilities.

And then came the question that mattered most.

How many goblins was he bringing with him?

A small unit?

A strike team?

Or...

His entire force.

My gaze drifted slightly, unfocused, as I tried to map it out in my head, tried to picture how this would play out if it turned into a fight.

If they came straight here, that was one thing.

But if they didn’t...If they split.

If they circled.

If they chose a different point of attack instead of walking into the front like idiots...

How do I deal with that?

How do I respond to something I can’t predict?

"Chief!"

Zarah’s voice cut through the noise in my head, sharp enough to pull me back before I could sink any deeper into it. I blinked, the tension in my thoughts snapping loose as I came back to the room, and the first thing I noticed was the way everyone was looking at me—confusion, concern, and something else beneath it, something heavier.

Waiting.

What was I doing?

I let out a slow breath, steadying myself as I pushed the noise aside. The questions running through my head didn’t matter right now. Speculation wouldn’t change anything. What mattered was what was in front of me, what was coming, and how I chose to deal with it.

And more importantly, I wasn’t walking into this blind. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Caius had lost his innate skill, and that changed things.

"I’ll go meet him," I said, rising to my feet in one smooth motion, my decision settling in as naturally as if it had always been there. Then I turned slightly, my gaze locking onto Narg. "Alert the clan and get them ready. Just in case. There’s a chance we’re not dealing with a small group."

A pause.

Then I added, more grounded this time, "We could be facing an entire army."

"I’m coming with you," Zarah said immediately, stepping forward before I could take another step toward the door.

I stopped.

For a brief moment, I didn’t say anything, just looked at her, already knowing where this was going and why she was insisting. That part didn’t need words.

But that didn’t mean I’d agree.

"No..." I said finally, my tone firm, leaving no room for misinterpretation. "I need you here."

She frowned slightly, but I continued before she could argue.

"If this turns into a full-scale attack, we can’t afford to have all our strength in one place. If they hit us from another angle, if they split their forces, I need someone who can hold the line on the ground."

My eyes stayed on hers, making sure she understood what I wasn’t saying outright.

"I need my strongest goblin here."

Zarah didn’t respond immediately.

I could see it in her expression, the resistance, the instinct to push back, to refuse and stand beside me. She wanted to be there, in the middle of it, where things actually happened, with me.

But this wasn’t about that.

After a moment, she exhaled quietly and gave a small nod. It wasn’t eager, and it definitely wasn’t satisfied, but it was enough.

She understood.

Even if she didn’t like it.

And right now, that was all I needed.

I warped, space folding in on itself for a brief instant before settling again as I appeared right in front of Ariel. I didn’t bother scanning the surroundings or easing into it—I already knew what I needed, and chasing after a vague direction wasn’t going to cut it. Not with him involved.

"What do you want?" Ariel snapped, her tone sharp the moment she saw me.

She looked annoyed, more than usual, like my presence alone was enough to irritate her. But that didn’t matter. Not now.

All I needed was an answer.

"At what exact location did you spot them?" I asked, my voice steady, direct.

She frowned, clearly not liking the way I pressed her.

"I told you all I know."

That wasn’t good enough.

I stepped closer, the distance between us closing as my aura stirred without restraint, pressing outward in a way that made the air feel heavier. I didn’t raise my voice, but the intent behind it sharpened.

"I don’t have time for this," I said, low and controlled.

For a moment, she held my gaze, tension flickering across her expression as if she was weighing whether to push back or not. Then she let out a small, annoyed huff.

"East," she said at last.

That was enough.

I didn’t wait for anything else. The moment the word left her mouth, I moved—space twisting again as I warped in that direction without hesitation.

There was no time to waste.

More than anyone here, I understood exactly how dangerous Caius was. Losing his innate skill wasn’t necessarily going to make him harmless—it just meant he’d approach things differently, and if anything, that made him harder to predict.

He didn’t need overwhelming power to be a problem.

All he needed was time.

And I couldn’t afford to give him that.