“They’re down there,” Axel’s voice broke through the charged silence. Skye’s head snapped up, eyes locked on him.

  “What?”

  “The things you’re looking for... they’re right below us,” Axel explained, his voice tight but steady, as he pointed to the ground. As he did, his peripheral vision caught Wolfe’s reaction.

  For the first time since they’d arrived, Wolfe’s calm mask faltered. His eyes betrayed a moment of panic, quickly concealed but still visible to Axel.

  Nash and Cross, completely unaware of what Wolfe had been up to, shot Axel hostile glares.

  “Who the hell are you? What gives you the right to speak here? Which department are you with?” Nash barked, his voice full of angry.

  Skye didn’t even glance their way as he stepped forward. Axel had been right so many times before. Skye had no reason to doubt him now. But still… how the hell did Axel know this?

  “Trust me,” Axel muttered, his voice weak. He was drained, but the green lights—large and unmistakable—held his full attention. They were bigger than the ones that had shown up during the gang fights and the suicides, even larger than the awakened ones who’d killed themselves.

  And the most important detail? One of the green lights had appeared just after Axel entered the room, which meant the infected down there had *just* died.

  Wolfe, sensing the shift, regained his composure and stepped forward with a mocking smile.

  “Why, Captain Skye, still digging into my private property?” Wolfe sneered. “I’ve already told you. This is a safe house I set up in case of a beast tide from Dune. The place is surrounded by high-strength alloys. If you think there’s something hidden down there, well, by all means, dig.”

  Wolfe’s smile faded, replaced by a sharp, angry edge. “But if you and Mr. Vexler think I’m a criminal, then just arrest me already. There’s no need to keep showing up at my home every damn day causing a scene."

  "If everyone did this, nobody would be able to run a business. I’ve cooperated with the law enforcement bureau more than anyone else. I’m not the one causing the trouble here!” Wolfe’s words were laced with indignation, his tone angry and bitter.

  Nash and Cross, along with the other officials around him, tried to smooth things over, offering reassurances to Wolfe. Meanwhile, the law enforcement team fell silent. Skye could see it in their eyes—those who weren’t in the loop, who were just following orders, were starting to doubt. Hesitation spread like wildfire.

  But the real chaos came when reporters—more of them than Skye had expected—pushed their way into the room, cameras and microphones raised.

  “Excuse me, Captain Skye. I'm from Dune City News. I’ve heard that Wolfe, a prominent businessman, is being unfairly accused of ties to the infected. Is there any truth to this?”

  “I’m from Dune Evening News, and I’d like to ask…” Another reporter barged in, nearly shoving a microphone in Skye’s face.

  Skye turned toward Wolfe, his eyes narrowing. Wolfe was standing there, unaffected, lighting yet another cigar. His expression was cold and distant, with the faintest hint of a smug smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

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  In that moment, Skye realized there was nothing more he could do. As Wolfe had pointed out, the entire structure of the hotel was built with high-strength alloys. Even if there were infected people hidden below, it would take a full-scale operation to get to them. They’d need heavy equipment—something Skye hadn’t planned for.

  And as much as Skye hated to admit it, the risk of tonight's action was too great.

  In this situation, he no longer had room to persist. Wolfe had won again for now.

  Axel let out a small sigh. With the evidence they had gathered, while it wasn’t going to be easy for Wolfe to wriggle free, he still had some breathing room.

  But for Skye, Freya, and the others? They were in a bad mess of a situation.

  Axel’s eyes drifted down to the two green lights, just a few meters beneath the floor. He felt a twinge of regret. If he could just get his hands on those lights, turn them into crystals... the boost to his Force would be massive.

  Just then, a calm, almost soothing voice broke through the tension.

  “Since you’re so sure of yourselves, and with so many witnesses here today, I’ll help clear up the confusion. I’ll also help Mr. Wolfe clear his name.”

  The voice wasn’t loud, but it carried through the room, clear and soft as if he was speaking directly in each person’s ear.

  Everyone turned toward the source of the voice. The man who spoke was handsome, with a clean-cut look and the kind of easy smile that could light up a room. He appeared to be in his early thirties.

  Skye glanced at Vexler. The older man, who had been caught up in the mess earlier, looked stunned for a moment, but then Skye noticed a glimmer of something like joy behind his eyes. This was Vince—the quiet guy Vexler had brought along, who had always kept a low profile.

  "Who the hell are you?" Cross snapped, clearly irritated. “This situation’s already been dealt with. Just leave.”

  Deputy Director Cross finally thought he could step up. It was his chance to make a show of authority. He tried to show his goodwill to Wolfe by barking orders.

  “I’m not an outsider.” Vince said smoothly, walking over with a smile. He pulled out his ID and flashed it in front of Cross. The motion was quick, so only Cross got a good look at it.

  Nash, who had been trying to figure out just what was going on, squinted his eyes. He assumed this young man might be from one of the government departments. With the way he was associated with Vexler, that had to be the case. His frown deepened. "I don’t care what department you’re from, listen up—"

  “Mr. Nash...”

  Cross’s voice interrupted Nash’s words, cutting through the room like a blade. Nash blinked in confusion, turning to face Cross. The usual smooth, almost obsequious smile that Cross wore was gone. In its place was an expression of genuine panic—sweat beaded on his forehead, and his lips had gone ashen.

  None of the others in the room understood what was going on, but it was clear that something was very wrong.

  Wolfe’s frown deepened, but he didn’t take Cross’s reaction too seriously. After all, whether it was some special investigator or a talented law enforcement agent, they were all standing on a one-meter-thick plate of high-strength alloy. As long as they had enough time, any evidence would be destroyed.

  “Please clear the area,” Vince said politely, though there was a sudden air of authority about him. He gestured for the reporters to back away, and they complied, stepping aside.

  "Axel, you mean down here?" Vince asked, his tone calm, but there was a spark of curiosity in his voice. All eyes in the room were now on Axel.

  Axel felt a strange intuition hit him: Vince knew. He knew me had awakened.

  "Yes, here," Axel said, pointing to the spot where the two balls of light hovered beneath them.

  At that, Wolfe’s calm exterior finally cracked. The two fingers holding his cigar trembled slightly. His eyes narrowed, staring at Axel with a mixture of disbelief and raw anger. A deadly, murderous intent flared in his chest.

  How does he know?!

  Vince didn’t give Wolfe a chance to react. “Alright, everyone needs to move back a bit again,” he said, his voice firm and commanding now.

  He drew a sleek, black rapier from behind his back, its surface smooth and pristine—no ornate patterns or decorations, just a clean, efficient weapon. As soon as Vince gripped the sword in his right hand, the entire room seemed to shift.

  The air around Vince grew heavy, and his calm, almost friendly demeanor shifted into something darker. His face, still handsome, was now set with a sharp, focused intensity. With a swift, fluid motion, he made four slashes through the air toward the spot Axel had indicated, cutting through the atmosphere like slicing through butter.