The Superior Rebirth: A Hero's Awakening

Order: Extermination

Now, time flowed. Flowed backwards. Back to a moment before everything that transpired with Xavier and his fight against a mysterious man named Haruki.

The scene opened within the Lantern Society at midnight. Jasmine, Misaki, Jason, and the rest of Xavier's friends stood gathered, all visibly distressed and deeply worried.

Adam sat calmly at the center, listening with sharp, calculating eyes as their concerns filled the room.

"Xavier and Miss Anastasia have gone missing all of a sudden!" Jason said, his voice uneasy. "And we don't know where they went!"

Adam frowned, startled by the news. "What do you mean they just suddenly went missing? They could've gone out for a walk."

But Jasmine cut in firmly. "That's possible—but take into account, Sir Adam, that it's midnight. Who goes for a walk at such a time? Without leaving any sort of note to inform someone?"

Jupiter nodded. "We came all the way to London just to find Xavier. As he and Miss Anastasia disappeared late at night, without telling a single family member. It's normal to worry when something similar is happening again with us right now."

Adam remained silent for a moment. He turned his gaze to Victoria, who stood beside him. His expression was calm, but concern flickered beneath the surface—as if asking her, silently, for her thoughts.

Victoria looked back, her eyes shadowed with fatigue. Black rings clung beneath them from sleepless nights—nights haunted by guilt. She hadn't slept since the moment Xavier discovered the truth: Teslaine was the daughter of Percival, his father's murderer—his uncle.

Teslaine's words echoed in her mind like a curse. "You're just as cruel as him... you're just as cruel."

The guilt gnawed at her. She regretted hiding the truth from Teslaine—letting the girl admire a devil in disguise. And worse, she regretted how it shattered Xavier and Teslaine's bond.

Her voice came out soft, almost weary. "I understand your concern. But we shouldn't jump to conclusions because of a sudden disappearance."

"They could just be out... trying to clear their minds. A walk. Together. They seemed close."

A brief silence followed until Emily spoke up. "You could be right. Maybe we're just overthinking things. They might've gone to cool off... after what happened in your apartment, Miss Victoria."

"Yeah... I guess you're right," Jack replied, nodding, though his eyes still betrayed his worry.

"Me too," Sophie and Aria added quietly.

Misaki then cut in with a firmer tone. "We could all be right. But you can't ignore what we saw. The rage, the pain in Xavier's eyes. That wasn't something you can just brush off."

Elowen nodded. Her voice trembled. "I'm with Misaki. I've never seen Xavier like that. He looked... broken. His eyes were full of so much pain. It was unbearable."

"We all saw it," Jupiter added, his voice low. "His presence... it was terrifying."

Again, silence returned. But their thoughts, without needing to be said aloud, circled the same name: Xavier. Every one of them was genuinely, deeply worried.

Jasmine sat near a small table, her fingers resting lightly against the wood. Her thoughts refused to settle.

Ever since news broke that the third grandchild of the Ivanovich family had gone missing—vanishing from the estate—her heart hadn't stopped racing. Not like before. This time it felt different. Deeper.

It wasn't the same concern she had felt in the past. It was strange. A sensation that burned inside her chest, sharp and restless.

She didn't understand what it meant yet. But one thing was certain: