Talia finally spoke up after letting out a quiet breath. "Alright. I agree with you, Nyx. You all should retire for the day as soon as possible and unwind for a few hours before sleeping, letting you get mentally ready for tomorrow."

"But," Talia continued, lifting a finger to keep the attention, "before we wrap this up properly, I want to say something."

Her gaze swept across the table, lingering on faces both familiar and new. "We may only be eighth in the competition right now, but I, for one, am content with how today went. We kept every single member alive, that's already a great feat both Tessa and I are thrilled about. Furthermore, we gained a lot of levels across the board. Our alliance grew stronger in a single day, and our rookies showed real promise out there."

The change was immediate.

Several people straightened in their seats with quiet pride. Smiles flickered into existence, shoulders relaxing as murmurs of agreement passed between them. For most of those present, aside from Tessa's trio, this praise carried real weight. They were Runewoven members, and hearing their guild leader acknowledge their efforts meant more than rankings ever could.

Then Talia's eyes slid toward Kaiden, and her lips curled into a sly smile. "Furthermore… I get the feeling you have a plan. Isn't that right, Kaiden? You were far too nonchalant about the gap between New Dawn and us."

Kaiden met her look head-on and returned the expression without hesitation.

He was genuinely glad he'd met her. Both Talia and Tessa had been pleasant to work with so far, but where Tessa was sadly a bit restrained due to her guild's much more strained circumstances, Talia was accommodating in a way few guild leaders in her position would have been.

He had no doubts that many others would've acted far worse toward him and his team, especially after he demanded a big portion of the pie. Talia was sharp, pragmatic, and, most importantly, someone who understood that trusting Valhalla's Sinners was an investment worth making.

Kaiden nodded once. "All I can say is that I'm hopeful for the future."

Cryptic. Deliberately so.

Talia snorted softly and shook her head, clearly amused. She knew Kaiden well enough by now. He liked to keep his cards close, even from allies. "Of course you are," she said, smiling anyway. Then clapped her hands and said, "Alright, everyone. I'll get the veteran meeting started shortly. You're free to enjoy your night."

A few people perked up instantly.

"I managed to get electricity and internet distributed throughout the whole building," Talia added. "You can video call your loved ones, watch some movies, doom scroll social media..." The words 'doom scroll' felt alien on her tongue, as if she'd just learned the term today, best evidenced by her uncertain expression as she added gingerly, "Or whatever it is you youth like to waste your time with."

Many of her guild members giggled lightly.

Diaz's eyes lit up as if he'd just been handed a legendary drop. "Did you get my PlayStation working?"

Talia grinned at him without missing a beat. "Yours? It's guild property, dearest Diaz."

Diaz waved her off, already standing. "Nah, don't think so." He stretched lazily and started toward the exit. "Assassin's Creed time, baby."

"Tsk," Talia said, shaking her head. "I didn't conclude the meeting just yet…"

Diaz whistled cheerfully as he kept walking, utterly unfazed.

A few people snorted. Someone laughed outright. Talia herself chuckled, joined by several of her guild members as the lingering heaviness finally dispersed.

Just like that, the meeting came to an end.

…

The walk back to the private wing was quiet, yet spent in a good mood.

Aria snorted then, breaking the calm. "What a bitch…"

No clarification was needed.

Nyx let out a short laugh. "Did you see her face by the end of the meeting? She looked like she'd eaten a whole basket of lemons."

"Cunt can't get a win in," Luna added with open condescension, lips curling as she shoved her hands into her hoodie pockets. "I'd also have a constant ugly grimace on my mug if I were an eternal loser like her, despite having an OP class."

Calypso hummed thoughtfully, tail swaying behind her as she glanced back the way they'd come. "I don't know that woman, but she seems like a real piece of work."

The Valkyries exchanged grins at that.

"You're lucky," Luna said simply.

"Very," Nyx agreed.

The door to the private wing slid open, runes dissolving as they stepped inside, and just like that, the atmosphere shifted. Almost immediately, the girls began to scatter.

"I'm gonna… uh… check something in the bathroom," Luna said, already walking off.

"I need to reorganize my gear," Nyx added, tone casual but eyes avoiding his.

"I suddenly remembered I left something very important… somewhere," Aria said, turning stiffly and heading down the hall like a soldier on a mission.

Calypso smiled sweetly. "I'll be back soon," she whispered hotly right into Kaiden's ears, then vanished into one of the rooms.

Kaiden stood there for a moment, watching them disappear one by one.

"… Huh. How odd."

He shrugged, lost, deciding that whatever was happening was above his pay grade for the moment, and flopped down onto the sofa. The cushions sank under his weight as he leaned back, letting out a long breath and finally allowing himself to relax.

That was when the door slid open again.

Kaiden looked up just in time to see a girl step inside, carefully balancing a tray in both hands. His eyebrow rose on instinct.

Alexandra froze the moment she noticed his gaze on her body.

She was dressed in her abyssal maid uniform, dark fabric trimmed neatly, posture stiff and uncertain. On the tray sat a plate of freshly baked cookies and a warm drink with steam curling upward appetizingly. Her eyes flicked up to him, then away again, fingers tightening around the tray's edge.

Clearly, this poor girl was still heavily combating her fear of men. Being alone in a room with Kaiden, whom she knew was as trustworthy as a guardian angel, was still very hard for her.

Alexandra swallowed, then took a careful step forward. "Nyx… she said you might be staying here for a while, maybe a whole month. She didn't want to leave me alone in the dungeon for that long." Alexandra hesitated, then added quietly, "So she asked Vespera to help get me here."

She held the tray out with both hands. "I thought… I could help. I'll keep the place clean and warm, so you can come back to something nice. If you don't mind."

"You don't have to justify your presence to me. You're part of the gang." Kaiden smiled, slow and sincere, and accepted the tray. "Thank you, Alexandra."

Her face lit up instantly, relief washing over her as she nodded. "You're welcome!" she said, a little too fast, then turned and practically fled, footsteps light as she ran down the hall.

Kaiden watched her go, the smile lingering as he set the tray down on the table.

He wished, truly wished, that one day she wouldn't flinch around men anymore.

His hand tightened into a fist without him noticing.

Even after his humiliating defeat, Maximilian's shadow still clung to her. The damage he'd done ran deep, carved into her in ways time alone wouldn't easily fix. Kaiden could only hope that, wherever that bastard was now, his fellow inmates were making his life as miserable as possible.

Then he sighed.

That was unlikely. On death row, contact would be limited. Supervised. Controlled. Suffering would be measured, not personal.

Kaiden leaned back again, staring at the ceiling for a moment before closing his eyes.

At least here, in this place, Alexandra was safe.

And he would ensure to get strong enough so that not even a single trace of any sort of trauma may ever dare bear its fangs at this wonderful existence.

Having steeled his heart, he summoned his systemic interface, observing the gains of the day.

A content smile crept up his lips.

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