That made my eyes narrow just a fraction.

And an important question came to mind.

"Tell me...how did you find this place?" I asked, keeping my gaze fixed on him.

"By tracking remnants of my energy that had been left on you," he said, nodding slightly toward the goblin beside him. "Veyra here has a strong sense for energy signatures. One of the traits of her innate skill allows her to follow the scent of a person’s energy over long distances."

I went still for a second, turning that over in my head.

So that was possible.

Tracking something as intangible as energy... not just sensing it, but following it like a trail.

Then that raised a more immediate concern.

Did she track mine?

"I know what you’re thinking," Caius added before I could say anything, his tone calm, almost casual. "But she wasn’t able to pick up your energy."

That made me pause.

Really?

"But she had my energy scent on her, and it transferred to you the moment I cast my domain," Caius explained, his tone even, like he was laying out something obvious. "It’s faint now, barely noticeable, but still enough for Veyra to follow. That’s how we found you."

What the hell?

For a brief moment, I just stared at him, letting that sink in as the implications settled deeper than I liked. It wasn’t just about strength anymore—this was the kind of ability that ignored distance, ignored terrain, ignored anything that would normally buy you time. It meant that once you were marked, even indirectly, you could be traced.

And that...

That was a problem.

So what was I supposed to do in that situation? Clean it off? Get rid of whatever residue lingered after something like that? The thought felt almost stupid the moment it formed, because how exactly did someone "wash off" energy?

I exhaled slowly, more out of irritation than anything else.

"None of the goblins under Raghul have an ability that can do that," Caius continued, as if answering a question I hadn’t asked out loud. "But he has other methods. And it’s only a matter of time before one of them works."

Troublesome.

That was the simplest way to put it, and even that felt like an understatement. I had stirred this up myself, that much I could admit, but it didn’t make it any less irritating to deal with.

Couldn’t I catch a break for once?

"He has no intention of attacking the other candidates," Caius went on, his voice steady, measured, as he laid it out piece by piece. "That would spread his forces too thin, and the risk of failure would be too high. So instead of targeting others, he’s chosen the more reliable option—taking back what originally belonged to the clan."

The garnets.

Of course.

I didn’t say anything, but my expression must have shifted slightly, because Caius continued without pause.

"Having us here gives you an advantage," he said, his gaze locking onto mine again. "We know Raghul—how he thinks, the kind of strength he relies on, the tools he uses and the ones he prefers to hold back. More importantly... we know how to counter them."

There was no denying it—having them here would be a massive advantage.

They had more experience than my goblins did, and beyond that, there was a level of control in how they handled their innate skills that didn’t come from talent alone but from time, from repeated use, from understanding the limits and pushing past them. Add to that the kind of awareness they showed in how they spoke, how they assessed situations, and it was clear they weren’t just fighters—they were thinkers.

The kind of people who would matter in something like the King’s Games.

And yet...

Even with all that laid out in front of me, something didn’t sit right.

I understood why Caius wanted to align himself with me—he had seen enough to recognize potential, and from what I’d gathered, he wasn’t the type to follow someone he didn’t deem worthy. That part, I could accept.

But this?

This level of insistence... the way he pushed for it, the way he spoke as if this decision mattered more than it should...

It didn’t feel like it was just about me.

There was something else tied to it. Something personal.

So I asked.

"Why do you truly want to work under me?"

Caius didn’t answer immediately, but when he did, his voice carried a weight that hadn’t been there before.

"For a chance to return home."

I frowned slightly, repeating the words to make sure I hadn’t misheard.

"A chance to return home?"

I let it hang there, giving him room to explain, because that could mean a lot of things depending on how you looked at it.

Caius met my gaze without wavering.

"One of the benefits of winning the King’s Games is the ability to traverse dimensions," he said, his tone steady, but deliberate, like he had thought this through long before now. "With that... there is a possibility of returning to where we came from. Is there not?"

I went quiet for a second after that.

So I wasn’t the only one who had considered that possibility.

"And why would you want to return home?" I then asked.

And Caius didn’t answer right away. He held my gaze for a brief second, as if weighing how much to say, then gave a simple response.

"I have a family I need to get back to."

Family. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The word sat heavier than I expected.

I had one too... but the difference was clear the moment the thought crossed my mind. I had no intention of going back, and even entertaining the idea of it left a dull, draining weight in my chest—something I had no interest in unpacking right now.

But Caius...

This wasn’t the same for him.

There was no hesitation in the way he said it, no conflict behind it. If anything, it was the most certain he had sounded since this conversation began, and that alone told me how much it meant to him.

Family wasn’t just a reason.

It was the reason.

And that made things complicated.

Because someone driven by something like that... someone who anchored themselves to a goal that deeply... they didn’t bend easily. If my path ever crossed against that goal, if my decisions stood in the way of what he wanted, then there was a real possibility that everything we had just discussed would mean nothing.

That he’d turn.

But at the same time...

It also meant he would commit fully, without hesitation, as long as our interests aligned. Someone like that wouldn’t hold back, wouldn’t second-guess themselves in the middle of a fight or a decision.

So it could go either way.

I watched him for a moment longer, turning that over in my head, when suddenly—

Caius dropped to his knees.

The motion was deliberate, controlled, not rushed or forced, and after a brief pause, the others followed.

One by one.

Kharos moved more slowly than the rest, his posture stiff, like he didn’t fully agree with it, while Drel took his time as well, the tension in his shoulders clear even as he lowered himself.

But in the end...They all knelt.

So what do you say, Eli?" Caius asked, his voice steady despite the position he was in. "Are you willing to accept us?"

I didn’t answer immediately.

This wasn’t...