When they were finally alone, Derek's voice was the first to break the silence. "You always refused to use any relic below Apex rank… so, you went and took an Imperial relic?" His gaze never left his son.
At first, his tone almost sounded like praise, but a low chuckle followed as he shook his head. "But it seems not everything bends to your will."
He narrowed his eyes, curiosity edging into his voice. "With how rare parasitic and Imperial relics are, how did you manage to find one combining both?"
He appeared genuinely curious, but Noel only shook his head. His calm voice cut through the air. "Instead of speaking about that, let's talk about solutions."
"Do you have any?"
"No. I don't." Derek's answer was blunt.
"I can't remove the relic from you without killing you. And don't think of me alone — even the leaders of the four main factions wouldn't be able to do it."
