The laughter and light banter faded as Oliver's expression hardened again. He stepped closer to Arthur, lowering his voice so the surrounding chatter wouldn't drown him out.
"Arthur… what have you found so far out there?"
Arthur's casual smile dimmed. His gaze grew sharp, his voice carrying the weight of the blood he had seen. "It's the Black Hand Organization. They're here in force. Several groups, spread across the island, hunting cadets even as we speak." His jaw clenched. "On my way here, I passed more than a few corpses… students butchered like animals. I've already taken down multiple cells of them myself, but…" He shook his head, eyes narrowing. "There's no end to them. For every group I cut down, there's another waiting."
The fire crackled in the silence that followed. Emily's face went pale as she clutched at Arthur's sleeve, while Noah's expression sharpened, eyes flashing with a predator's light.
