"Samael."
Static crackled before the line steadied, the man's voice clipped and tight. "Victor. Matteo's remains, what we recovered from the last incident, were sent down for standard disposal processing."
Victor's gaze sharpened, though his body remained a study in stillness, one hand resting with casual elegance against the stem of his glass. "And why," he asked, each word a deliberate blade, "would the CEO of NumenCorp call me himself about garbage detail?"
On the other end, Samael's breath hitched like he'd expected that exact rebuke. "Because the garbage didn't stay dead."
Elias's fork stilled mid-air.
Samael pressed on, words too quick to be anything but real. "The body moved. Sat up. Cameras caught him walking out of containment like nothing had ever happened. Our staff managed to install a tracker, standard procedure for disposal, but the signal… it's not random." A pause, weighted. "He's heading somewhere with purpose. Clarke's estate."
