Gyros let out a sharp breath and walked to his desk. He pulled out a small round device, a smooth black button with faint silver runes carved around the edges.
Without saying anything to Romothese, he placed it on the desk and pressed down.
A soft hum filled the room.
Lines of light spread outward like ripples on water, forming a vertical projection in the air above the desk. It flickered for a moment, stabilizing as the signal traveled across the world.
Romothese stood stiff, fixing his clothes, trying to make himself look less shaken than he truly was.
The projection clicked once, then connected.
Lana’s figure appeared in front of them. Her eyes swept across Gyros and Romothese, and even through the projection, both demons straightened their backs like children caught misbehaving.
"Report," she said, voice cold and direct.
Gyros bowed his head. "Lady Lana... the mission failed."
Romothese kept his gaze low, waiting for her judgement.
"Explain," she ordered.
And Gyros began recounting everything that had unfolded—Orobas awakening, Romothese appearing behind him, the unknown interference, the fallen Phantom, and the mess that followed.
Lana listened in complete silence. Not a single flicker of emotion crossed her face.
When they finished, she closed her eyes for a brief second, thinking.
Her eyes opened again, sharp as blades.
"Someone from Dragos," she said.
Gyros and Romothese exchanged stunned looks.
Lana continued, tone firm.
"There are spies inside our family. One of them warned the Bloodreavers, or someone else entirely. Our entire clan has been breached. It does not make sense otherwise how they knew "our plan."
Romothese swallowed hard. "What should we do?"
"Stop your plan," she said. "Return home. Search your family from top to bottom."
Gyros hesitated. "And how do we present Romothese’s innocence to Orobas? He’s ready to attack their family."
Lana’s expression did not change.
"You don’t need to prove anything," she replied. "You are the Envoy. Exert your authority. If any Bloodreaver questions you..."
She paused.
"...kill them."
Gyros bowed. Romothese nodded with a trembling breath, trying his best to look composed even though the fear in his eyes was obvious.
Lana’s voice sharpened.
"But are you certain Primus was the one who killed the Phantom?"
Both demons nodded without hesitation.
"Yes," Gyros said. "We saw his flames. His sword. The explosive final attack, it was definitely his doing."
Romothese added, "And his human friend assisted him too. They were far stronger than expected."
Lana leaned back slightly.
"Strange," she murmured. "Primus was always talented, but never talented enough to kill someone ranked above him. What is going on here?"
Gyros hesitated. He looked at Romothese once, then back at the projection.
"My lady..." he said carefully, "is it possible that the one interfering... is working with Primus? Someone guiding him, helping him grow stronger? Maybe Primus already knows about your plans as well."
Lana went silent.
A long, heavy silence where even Romothese held his breath.
Then she finally spoke.
"For that to happen... the only possibility is that our plans were known from the beginning." Her tone deepened. "And by beginning, I mean the day we dealt with Primus. Someone must have helped him escape. Someone must have guided him afterward. That would explain why his strength jumped so fast."
Her expression darkened further.
"I always knew that man would become a problem. Even after everything we did... he still becomes a thorn in my plans."
She let out a long exhale, then her eyes narrowed again, sharper than before.
"Enough. What’s done is done. We focus on what comes next. First, clean the traces. Make sure no evidence can be connected back to us."
Gyros bowed his head. "Yes, my lady."
"Second," Lana continued, "Grandfather, deal with the spies in the family. All of them. Tonight. Before they have the chance to run."
Romothese stiffened but nodded quickly.
"And lastly..." Lana’s tone dropped. "Since this plan has failed, we move to Plan B."
My eyes narrowed.
There was a Plan B?
Gyros’s reaction confirmed it. His head snapped up in panic.
"My lady, Plan B will put too much risk on us. If we push too early—"
Romothese interrupted, confused and anxious.
"What is Plan B?"
Lana’s gaze bored into the two of them.
"You don’t need to worry, Grandfather. I will take care of it personally."
And with that, she ended the call.
The projection flickered once and died, leaving only silence.
Romothese immediately turned to Gyros.
"What is Plan B?"
Gyros rubbed his face, exhausted. "Only Lady Lana and I know the details. And for now, it’s better if it stays that way."
Romothese let out a sharp scoff and turned around, irritation written all over his face.
"I will go and deal with things on my end. You keep your Plan B to yourself," he muttered. Then he walked out of the room without waiting for a reply, heading straight toward the portal.
Gyros watched him leave, his shoulders slumping the moment the old man left. He dropped into his chair, elbows on the desk, both hands covering his face. His expression was tight, frustration, and exhaustion all mixed together.
He had no idea I was watching him from only a few steps away.
I smiled faintly, because Romothese had walked right into the next step of my plan.
I reached out through the bond.
’Knight. Take the old man to the cave.’
Knight’s response came instantly.
’You are sure?’
’Yes,’ I replied. ’Romothese has fulfilled his role. Bring him to the cave, we’ll interrogate him properly.’
Knight paused before answering. ’But he doesn’t know anything about Plan B. I don’t think he’ll be of much use.’
’True,’ I admitted, watching Gyros slump even lower in his chair. ’We’ll get Plan B directly from the Gyros later. But Gyros isn’t completely useless. He still has value... for now.’
Knight’s tone shifted, accepting my decision.
’Fine.’
A faint ripple of space flickered on the far side of the room as Knight silently emerged behind Romothese.
And then he vanished again, taking the Del Rey ancestor with him straight to the cave.