Leon followed the officer through the mansion's corridors. The ornate hallways gradually changed as they walked—fewer decorations, more security checkpoints. They passed areas Leon hadn't seen before, sections clearly off-limits to guests.

  After several minutes, they exited the mansion entirely through a side door. Leon's confusion grew. Where were they going?

  The officer led him down a path that curved around the building. Ahead was a gate—heavy, reinforced, clearly designed for security rather than aesthetics. The officer stopped at a scanner, leaning forward to let it read his retinas.

  The gate opened with a soft hiss.

  Beyond it was a staircase leading down. Underground.

  Leon hesitated, then followed.

  The descent took longer than he expected. But when they reached the bottom, Leon stopped, genuinely surprised.

  The underground facility was massive. The mansion above, as grand as it had been, was small compared to this. Polished floors stretched in multiple directions. High ceilings. Modern lighting that made everything feel open despite being underground. And security—armed guards at every junction, monitoring stations visible through reinforced glass.

  They walked through corridors that branched into conference rooms, offices, what looked like command centers. Everything was pristine, efficient, heavily monitored.

  Finally, they reached the innermost section. The officer stopped at a large door.

  "I'm not permitted beyond here," he said simply.

  The door opened. Emilia stepped out.

  "Thank you," she told the officer, dismissing him with a nod. She turned to Leon. "Lady Iris is waiting inside."

  Leon's throat felt dry. He nodded.

  Emilia led him through the door into a room that was somehow both functional and beautiful. A long table dominated the center. Floor-to-ceiling windows—though they must have been screens or some kind of display, this far underground—showed a peaceful garden view. Soft lighting. Everything carefully designed.

  Iris sat at the far end of the table, reading a document. She didn't look up immediately.

  Emilia gestured to a chair. Leon sat. Then Emilia left, the door closing softly behind her.

  Silence.

  Leon kept his eyes down, hands in his lap. The tension was suffocating.

  Finally, Iris set down the document. "Are you hurt?"

  The question caught him off guard. "No. No, I'm fine."

  "Good."

  "But I—I hurt someone. I killed—"

  "Don't overthink it," Iris interrupted. Her tone was matter-of-fact. "You delivered a punishment on my behalf."

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  Leon looked up at her, confused.

  "Nothing said or done in that mansion is hidden from me," Iris continued. "If you hadn't acted, and I'd learned of Lucas's words through other means, I would have erased the Clomen family entirely. Their entire corporate group. That would have affected countless households—employees, dependents, connected businesses. You prevented that outcome."

  She met his eyes directly. "You eliminated a single person who needed to be eliminated. If anything, you saved many lives. Don't feel guilty about removing someone like that."

  Leon wanted to believe she was just saying this to ease his conscience. They'd been friends once, when they were kids. Maybe she was trying to help him cope.

  But her eyes were completely serious. Her tone held no comfort, just statement of fact.

  She meant every word.

  "I wanted to speak with you about something else," Iris said, shifting topics smoothly. "If you are still blaming yourself over what happened, you can just think of it like a punishment."

  Leon waited.

  "I'm formally ending the connection we had as children. That friendship is over now. Things have changed too much." She paused. "This is the last Remeria family event you'll be invited to. You'll continue receiving financial support until you're sixteen, as your grandfather requested. After that, you're on your own."

  Each word landed with finality.

  "We'll meet once more—to register the marriage, honoring the promise our grandfathers made. That's it. I may contact you if necessary. You can reach me through Emilia in case of emergency. Otherwise, there's no reason for communication."

  Leon's chest felt tight. He'd known this might happen eventually. The distance between them had been growing for years. But hearing it stated so clearly, so definitively—

  "Do you have anything you want to say?" Iris asked.

  Leon shook his head. "No."

  "Then you may leave." Iris paused, then added, "One more thing."

  She nodded at Emilia, who had been standing quietly near the door. Emilia approached with a small box, opening it to reveal a simple bracelet—dark beads on a thin cord, understated but well-made.

  Emilia handed it to Leon.

  "Happy birthday," Iris said.

  Leon looked down at the bracelet, then back at her. Today. He'd completely forgotten. He was fourteen now.

  Two years and six months younger than her.

  "Thank you," he managed. "And... thank you for everything."

  Iris nodded once.

  Emilia gestured toward the door. Leon stood, slipping the bracelet into his pocket, and followed her out.

  The walk back through the facility passed in a blur. Emilia's professional courtesy. The guards at checkpoints. The long staircase back up to ground level. Officers taking over to guide him back to his accommodations.

  His vision kept blurring. He blinked, realizing there were tears.

  Right. That's closure then.

  He kept walking, one foot in front of the other, wiping his eyes when the officers weren't looking directly at him.

  At least now he knew where things stood. No more wondering. No more hoping things might somehow go back to how they were.

  Just... done.

  Leon woke up with tears on his face.

  He sat up quickly, disoriented. His dorm room. Morning light through the window.

  Another dream. Same memory, different parts. Two days in a row now.

  He wiped his face and checked his phone. 7:15 AM. Noah's bed was empty—probably at breakfast or morning practice.

  Leon got up and washed his face. The dream lingered, but he pushed it aside. That was six years ago. Different time, different circumstances. No point dwelling on it now.

  He got dressed and looked toward his old suitcase. Inside, mixed with some old papers and documents, was the small box with the bracelet. He'd kept it all these years but never worn it. In the past, looking at it had always brought back memories of that entire day so he had been avoiding it. And over time had almost forgotten about it. Until today he saw it again in his dream.

  Leon took the box out of his case and picked up the bracelet. The beads were still intact, the cord showing minimal wear. Simple, well-made. He turned it over in his hands a few times, then slipped it onto his wrist.

  Why not. It was just a bracelet.

  He headed down to the cafeteria. A few students were already there eating. Leon grabbed food and sat with some D4 students he recognized from classes.

  "You see the tournament announcement?" one of them asked.

  "What tournament?"

  "Check the group chat. They're doing some kind of competition thing. Details are supposed to come out this week."

  Leon pulled out his phone and scrolled through the messages. People were discussing it, speculating about what kind of tournament it would be, whether they'd participate.

  He read through it while eating, then put his phone away. Classes started in an hour. He had readings to finish.