After the long discussion with President William, Max and Elder Liam stepped out of the office together. The heavy doors closed behind them, and the muffled bustle of the Hunter Association's great hall met their ears once more.
They walked side by side down the marble-floored corridor until they reached a quieter corner of the vast tower, a place where only a few passing members moved in silence. There, Max stopped and turned to Elder Liam. Without a word, he extended his hand. In his palm, a faint glow shimmered to life—something small, crystalline, yet pulsing gently as though it carried a fragment of his very existence.
Elder Liam's brows furrowed. He reached out, and the instant his fingers brushed against it, he felt the unmistakable weight of soul energy within. His eyes sharpened as he looked at Max. "This… is your soul essence?" His tone carried both confusion and a trace of disbelief. "Why would you give me something so vital?"
