Noticing the unusual shift in Leyra's demeanor, Roy broke the silence. A faint smile played on his lips. "Leyra, what makes you so intrigued by that boy, Nox?"
"Father, what do you think of him?" Leyra deflected.
Roy rubbed his forehead with a wry chuckle. "I only caught a fleeting glimpse of him. How could I possibly form a proper judgment based on that?"
Leyra tilted her head. "True. But what was your first impression of him?"
Oh dear, this daughter of mine... Roy sighed before offering, "If I must say, he strikes me as rather impatient."
"Impatient? What do you mean?"
"When you asked for his opinion, his response was incredibly blunt."
"I suppose so," Leyra murmured. "His tone sounded like he couldn't be bothered to answer. Perhaps he was just exhausted."
"Do you fancy him, my daughter?"
Leyra grew quiet, staring blankly for a moment. "Father, do I really appear that way?"
"One could say so. From what I've observed of every young man you've crossed paths with, Nox is the only one who can actually get you to speak this much."
"Is that so?" Leyra muttered to herself.
"Shall I speak frankly?"
"That..."
Roy glanced at the rearview mirror. Catching his gaze, the driver immediately popped in a pair of earphones, which blinked with a steady green light. Turning his attention back to his still-dazed daughter, Roy probed further.
"Leyra, what is your take on Asley?"
"Ordinary."
As expected, Roy thought. "And Zigh?"
Leyra crossed her arms. "Zigh... he's far too formal."
Young Eosvile, you'll have to try harder than that, Roy mused. With a subtle grin, he pressed on, "What about Rhax?"
"When it comes to Rhax, I enjoy watching him win his bouts, but... it always feels like he's never truly satisfied."
"Yet you were the one who personally requested him to be your bodyguard, my daughter."
"Only because you were the one who took me to see his match in the first place."
Yes, because since you were a child, nothing ever managed to catch your interest, Roy recalled. "I merely wanted to show you something out of the ordinary back then. But right after the match, you approached him directly and demanded he protect you. Why?"
Leyra let out a soft sigh, her usual apathy masking a flicker of confusion. "At that time... I felt Rhax was different from the rest."
"Different in what way?"
"It's... difficult to put into words. But nowadays, he feels altered from when we first met. Do you happen to know something, Father?"
Roy let out a soft chuckle. "Human beings are fluid creatures, Leyra. Change is only natural."
Leyra's brow furrowed. "What are you implying?"
"Look at yourself. Aren't you experiencing the exact same thing right now?"
Leyra placed a finger against her chin, contemplating the notion. "Am I changing...?"
Roy's grin widened, flashing a row of white teeth. "And what about Nox?"
A rare, faint smile touched Leyra's lips. "He... for some reason, I sense something familiar about him. A strange resemblance."
Rhax, it seems you have a new rival to worry about, Roy thought.
"His eyes, too," Leyra added. "If you look closely, they look just like mine."
The smile instantly vanished from Roy's face. "Leyra, could you elaborate on that?"
"When I approached Nox in the study earlier, I caught a proper glimpse. Our eyes are remarkably similar—almost identical."
Nox... I will dig up everything on you, Roy resolved. Suppressing his alarm, he asked, "Is that all?"
"Ah, there's also Outer."
"Outer?"
Leyra simply smiled. "I'll tell you more about it the next time I see him."
Roy returned her smile with a warm facade, but beneath the seat, his fists clenched tightly. Nox... Outer... Who on earth are you people?
The sleek black car, bearing the prestigious Estogazt crest, accelerated smoothly as it left the borders of Begepe City. Yet, the warmth shared between father and daughter stood in stark contrast to the thick tension currently suffocating Room Virgo 01.
Zigh ran a hand through his hair before standing up. "How about we settle this once the investigation is wrapped up?"
Nox, Rhax, and Ron simultaneously snapped their attention toward him.
"We could use your father's training gym, couldn't we, Rhax?" Zigh proposed.
Rhax shot Zigh a piercing glare. "Of course, Eosvile."
"I've told you before, Rhax Brown—when you address us as Eosvile, you are referring to all three of us," Ron interjected.
Rhax lifted his chin, squaring his chest defiantly. "True enough. I already triumphed over this one," he said, gesturing toward Nox. "So, I'll be sparring with you next." He pointed directly at Ron.
Nox's fists trembled, his body shaking. Sensing his brother's impending outburst, Ron firmly clapped a hand onto Nox's shoulder.
"Save your breath, Rhax Brown. Nox will prove to be more than a match for you when the time comes," Ron warned.
Zigh glanced toward Leyra's vacant desk. "Alright, we have an accord. Nox, Ron, follow me to the clock tower. Rhax, we shall take our leave."
Without waiting, Zigh strode out of the room, with Ron following closely behind. Nox threw one last death glare at Rhax before storming out of Virgo 01.
Left entirely alone in the vacant office, Rhax rubbed his face. Damn it. What a thoroughly annoying bunch.
As the three Eosviles walked toward the elevator, Ron kept his eyes peeled, noticing faint traces of soil scattered along the pristine corridor floor.
"Zigh, is the evidence hidden inside the flowerpots?" Ron inquired.
"Most likely," Zigh replied.
Ron glanced sideways at Nox, noting his brooding silence. He's uncharacteristically quiet...
They finally arrived at the elevator doors.
"Are you still throwing a tantrum, champ?" Zigh asked.
"And what about you, colonel?" Nox countered.
"That's enough, Nox. You too, Zigh," Ron intervened.
Zigh let out a long exhale. "Thank you, Nox..."
Both Nox and Ron blinked.
Ting!
The elevator chimed, the metal doors sliding open.
Zigh stepped inside immediately. "Get in, quickly!"
Nox and Ron exchanged a bewildered look before stepping inside, faint smirks breaking through their tension.
"Zigh, how long do you anticipate this investigation will take?" Ron asked, crossing his arms.
"The evidence is already secured. We are just waiting for the perpetrators to regain consciousness. I'd give it a week, Ron."
"Colonel, is Rhax actually strong?" Nox asked.
Zigh groaned. "Calm down, champ... let's focus on the clock tower investigation first. We can dissect Rhax's capabilities later."
"Zigh is right, Nox. Let's keep our eyes on the initial objective that brought us here," Ron agreed.
Nox clicked his tongue. "I swear, I can't wait to wipe that smug look off his face with my fists."
"You can do precisely that once this Orleander business is resolved."
Ting!
The doors parted at the ground floor, and the trio stepped out, making their way toward the parking lot. Zigh came to a halt right in front of his sports car.
"Champ, why did Outer return to Lian?"
The two brothers stopped in their tracks.
"I haven't the slightest clue, but it doesn't seem to be an issue," Nox muttered.
"Zigh, it's wiser to discuss this inside the vehicle," Ron suggested.
Zigh nodded and unlocked the doors. Once they climbed in, Nox and Ron settled into the leather backseats. The sleek sports car roared to life, leaving the Grand Hotel Estogazt behind as it sped toward the clock tower.
"Did Outer seem enraged when he went back to Lian, champ?" Zigh pressed, switching the car to autopilot.
Nox shook his head.
"Could it be because of Leyra?" Ron spoke up.
"Perhaps," Nox replied.
Zigh sighed. "If Leyra can perceive Outer, it means her circumstances align perfectly with yours, Nox."
Nox leaned his head back against the headrest. "It seems so. And honestly, her eyes... they are identical to mine."
Zigh's eyes went wide as he whipped his head around to face the back. "What did you just say!?"
"You remember when that rich girl approached me, right? Her eyes... they were the spitting image of my own," Nox revealed.
"Are you absolutely certain about this, Nox?" Ron demanded.
"Positive."
Zigh tapped his fingers against the dashboard. "Is it possible that you two share some sort of connection, champ?"
"Who knows, colonel."
Ron turned his gaze toward the window, watching the endless stretch of towering skyscrapers blurring past as they drew closer to their destination.
"It's not just that," Ron murmured. "Me, Rhax... and even the significance behind the Eosvile name. How did everything become so convoluted...?"
Ron... Nox thought.
Zigh offered a faint smile. "Champ, Ron, we're approaching the clock tower."
The two men in the back automatically shifted their attention to the windshield. Moments later, Zigh smoothly maneuvered the vehicle into a parking space. The three of them stepped out into the crisp air.
Zigh adjusted his hair, taking note of several police cruisers cordoning off the area. It appears they've already apprehended the remaining Orleander operatives.
Ron tilted his head back, marveling at the massive structure looming over them. "The scale of this tower... it's far more imposing from the ground up."
"Naturally. The sheer depth of the Estogazt resources is in a league of its own," Zigh praised.
"And why exactly are you taking pride in that, Colonel?" Nox scoffed.
"I happened to be an invited guest during the grand unveiling of this tower, courtesy of Leyra's father, champ."
From across the plaza, an officer in full uniform marched toward them, coming to a sharp halt before delivering a crisp salute to Zigh.
"Reporting, Colonel Zigh Eosvile! The Begepe City Police Department has successfully neutralized and detained the suspects," the officer announced.
"What is their current status?"
"They were found entirely unconscious, sir. However, we have successfully secured all evidence and a cache of firearms found in their possession."
"Excellent work. Did the bomb disposal unit locate any explosive devices within the perimeter?"
"Negative, Colonel. After a comprehensive thermal and structural scan of the clock tower, no explosives were detected."
"Understood. Return to your post."
"Yes, sir!" The officer saluted once more before retreating.
Ron and Nox, who had been standing at attention behind Zigh, closed the distance.
"Well, Colonel, it seems we can finally breathe a sigh of relief," Nox remarked.
"True... and yet..." Zigh trailed off, his brow furrowing.
"The mainstream media, correct?" Ron deduced.
Zigh nodded. "The political fallout from Begepe's sudden disappearance is bound to throw the entire public into absolute chaos."
"You chose this path yourself, colonel," Nox whispered.
"Let it rest, Nox," Ron chided before looking at Zigh. "What's our next move?"
"Wait here for a moment. I need to coordinate with the local precinct chief before we head back to meet Lian."
"Understood," Ron complied.
Zigh turned on his heel and disappeared into the entrance of the clock tower.
Ron let out a long, weary sigh. "Nox, we'll be facing Lian soon. What do you think will happen?"
"We'll just have to wait and see."
"You really are something else, Nox."
"Regardless of what comes our way, we face it together."
"Yeah." Ron smiled. "You're right, Nox."
Above them, the heavy, resonant toll of the clock tower echoed across the vast expanse of Begepe City.
To be continued...