Dinner ended terribly.
The air in the house felt heavy, almost suffocating.
Neither of Viola's tenants lingered in the dining area for long.
Ezekiel postponed the discussion about their plans.
Viola agreed with him and told him that she will take care of the papers in the living room.
Ezekiel bowed to her expressing his gratitude.
---
After finishing the dishes quietly, he excused himself and headed to his room without looking back.
Upstairs, Elizabeth rushed toward her room as if she were fleeing a battlefield. She slammed the door shut with such force that the entire house echoed with a loud bang.
And just like that, Viola was left alone.
Again.
She stood in the middle of the living room, staring at the empty spaces that had just been occupied minutes ago. A faint sigh escaped her lips.
She wasn't sleepy yet.
Her mind was still too active.
So instead of resting, she gathered the papers she and Ezekiel had been reviewing earlier. The documents were scattered across the table, filled with notes, maps, and coded reminders.
She carefully organized them, aligning the edges neatly before walking toward the television.
Behind it was a hidden compartment she had installed days ago.
She pressed a small, nearly invisible switch, and a narrow drawer slid open silently.
Inside were more confidential documents. .
She placed the new stack inside and closed it, making sure no trace of its existence remained visible.
As she was tidying up, her phone vibrated.
A message from her agency.
She unlocked it and read the notification carefully.
She had been invited to appear on a talk show tomorrow night.
The topic would most likely revolve around her advanced awakening.
She wasn't surprised.
In fact, she had been expecting it.
Her sudden rise in rank, and the rumors surrounding her power had made her a hot topic in both media and hunter communities.
Tomorrow, she would return to the stage.
She would force emotions onto her face again. Act humble. Act surprised. Act grateful.
Every word would be measured.
Every reaction calculated.
It was all part of her plan.
She locked her phone and headed to the bathroom.
She settled into the lukewarm bath and closed her eyes. The gentle warmth slowly eased the tension in her muscles, helping her finally relax.
But her mind did not rest.
Viola had been overthinking everything ever since Ezekiel died in the past.
Every decision she made now was deliberate.
The black market they had visited earlier that day was not unfamiliar territory to her. In her previous life, she had often gone there to purchase modified firearms and submit discreet investigation requests.
She had built connections there but though shes back to square one this time around.
Her thoughts drifted to Ezekiel's perpetrator.
Her jaw tightened slightly.
She replayed their faces in her mind.
She thought of new ways to corner them.
New ways to strip away everything they valued.
New ways to make them feel the same despair Ezekiel once felt.
It wasn't visible to her.
But as steam rose and curled against the ceiling, her shadow on the bathroom wall seemed to stretch unnaturally.
As if something behind her was creeping closer.
As if a faint whisper was brushing against her thoughts.
Encouraging her.
Feeding her darker ideas.
But she didn't notice it.
---
In his room, Ezekiel had also just finished showering.
A towel hung around his lower body, and another rested in his hands as he dried his damp black hair.
He stood by the window.
Looking out.
Frowning.
The city lights flickered in the distance, but he barely saw them.
His mind had been restless since dinner.
Elizabeth's words echoed repeatedly.
The past.
His death.
Viola lasting longer than him.
What did she mean?
He replayed her exact phrasing in his head.
Maybe that's why you never survived in the past.
Even before your world was destroyed.
And Viola lasted longer than you.
His chest tightened slightly.
Was Viola involved in something connected to him before?
Had she known him longer than he realized?
But no matter how deeply he searched his memories, he found nothing.
He lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
His thoughts tangled together.
Eventually, exhaustion pulled him into sleep.
---
Morning arrived quietly.
They ate breakfast together again, repeating their routine from the previous day.
The atmosphere was calmer now, but something subtle lingered beneath the surface.
"I have work today," Viola said as she set down her cup.
Ezekiel nodded.
"You should stay home to rest and recover properly, and also to relax your mind."
She reached into her bag and handed him a brand-new phone.
"I ordered this together with Elizabeth's iPad."
Ezekiel examined it briefly.
"You can contact me through this," she continued. "I already added my personal number. I also created new accounts on different platforms using the same details as your new ID."
He looked at her with quiet admiration for being so resourceful and competent.
She had thought of everything.
"Thanks," he said sincerely.
"I'll head out now."
She paused at the door.
"Oh, and don't let anyone in. Pretend no one is home. I trust you to keep yourself safe. I'll leave the house to you."
Even though she wore a mask and dark sunglasses, he could tell she was smiling.
"Goodbye."
And then she left.
---
Viola didn't drive herself to the agency.
Instead, she took a cab.
Halfway through the ride, she asked the driver to stop at a random location. She got out, walked a short distance, and hailed another cab heading in a different direction.
This was her usual method when the agency did not send transportation.
It minimized the risk of being followed by stalkers or any malicious people, especially now that she was hiding someone.
It protected her real address.
She eventually arrived near the agency building.
But she didn't get out immediately.
There was a large crowd gathered at the main entrance.
Media.
Fans.
And—
Guild recruiters?
She recognized a few of them instantly. Hunters from well-known and mid-tier guilds.
They were here to scout her.
Viola quietly instructed the driver to circle around to the back of the building, where there was a staff-only entrance.
Once there, she exited the car and entered swiftly.
Inside the hallway, people immediately recognized her white hair.
Whispers followed her steps.
"That's her."
"Viola."
"The S-rank."
Some employees and staff approached her politely, offering greetings and small talk.
She declined gently.
"I'm sorry, I have something urgent to attend to."
Her tone remained calm and professional.
Being a hunter in this era was already prestigious.
But being an S-rank hunter?
That made you the center of attention wherever you went.
And Viola understood something very clearly.
Attention was power.
But attention was also danger.
She walked down the hallway with steady steps, her expression composed.
She was moving pieces on a much larger board.
And no one—not the media, not the guilds, not even Ezekiel—
Knew the full extent of her plan.