Renny's eyes glinted with quiet satisfaction as he continued, each word carefully placed. "Marcus will think he's uncovered something big. He'll run to Daniel, and once Daniel takes the bait, he'll come after you. But there'll be nothing to expose, because it's all smoke. You'll deny everything, defend your noble name, and the public will see you as a man of honor, helping the underprivileged. When your defense is solid, the sponsorship program will continue."

He began pacing slowly. "Among the children, you'll choose one, Eli. You'll take a special interest in him, enough to make it believable. You'll even adopt him as your son. And when you visit the orphanage on the sixteenth of June…"

He paused, looking over his shoulder, voice dropping to a whisper.

"…that's when it all goes down."

***

After assigning Charles his task, all that was left was to let the plan unfold.

Renny had been keeping close watch on the Carters, Daniel and his wife, Samantha. The seed he'd planted in her was already taking root, blooming just as he'd intended. She had become restless, desperate, constantly pressuring Daniel for a child. The weight of her longing had begun to wear him down, and in time, he gave in, deciding they would adopt.

Eli.

The same boy Charles had been instructed to favor.

It was almost poetic.

But when Daniel's friend, Detective Marcus Hale, confided in him about Whitmore's supposed dealings, everything changed. Daniel couldn't stand by and let the boy fall into such hands. He threw himself into an investigation, chasing ghosts Renny had carefully scattered for him to find.

Renny fed them both Marcus and Daniel, just enough lies to turn fiction into conviction. Soon, Daniel went public, standing before cameras and microphones, declaring Charles Whitmore a child trafficker.

Charles, of course, played his role perfectly. He defended his name, demanded evidence, and painted himself as the victim of a reckless officer tarnishing the reputation of a generous man.

With no proof to stand on, Daniel's accusations remained just that, accusations.

Exactly as Renny had planned.

The frustration ate at Daniel. His faith rating cratered to sixty-eight percent as he fought to stop the sponsorship and Whitmore's adoption of Eli, every public rebuttal, every investigation stonewalled or collapsed without hard proof.

For Renny, it looked like reward at last. The plan had fallen into shape: months of quiet work, the seed in Samantha, Marcus's convenient discovery, Daniel's fury turned public, each piece clicking into place. He watched it all like a man watching a machine he'd built finally breathe. The wait, the grinding struggle of the last year and a half; it was paying off.

When the adoption day came, Renny would make sure Eli slipped into Whitmore's hands. Daniel would be helpless. forced to watch as his case evaporated and his fate spiraled. Push the officer's faith below fifty percent, Renny thought, and the edge would fall to him: the officer's soul guard would falter, the barrier weaken, and Renny could take it down and walk away with Daniel's soul key.

He let that image sit a moment, then moved on to the next tiny, necessary work.

***

Krovanis stood in the dim warehouse, the air thick with the scent of metal and dust. The only light came from a single hanging bulb, swaying slightly, its hum punctuating the silence between them. Asmeryn leaned against a rusted crate, arms crossed, while a shadowy figure stood across from Krovanis, hood drawn, voice low and steady as he spoke.

"Fortunately," the figure said, "her demon mark remained untouched. That much, at least, is intact. However…" he paused, as if reluctant to continue, "…her transformed body was destroyed beyond repair. The soul survived, but it must be reshaped, reborn into a new vessel. She'll have to start again… as a Grade One."

The words sank deep. Krovanis froze, jaw tightening, the veins on his temple flaring. Asmeryn's expression flickered, a rare sign of concern.

"So she's to begin again," Krovanis said quietly, almost to himself. "All the way from the bottom."

The shadow nodded. "By next year's inauguration, she can re-enter the ranks officially. But everything she once earned, her access, her power, her status, will have to be reclaimed from scratch."

This news broke Krovanis to the core. If he wished to continue being beside Leila, he would have to repeat countless times until she caught up. Though it was possible, the thought alone clawed at his pride. He could not imagine his juniors, those who once looked up to him, rising to his level or surpassing him while he lingered behind to accommodate her. He had already endured much by allowing the newer Grade Fives to stand beside him. To descend even lower, to repeat the climb again?

No. That, he could not do.

At least he had brought her back, that was what mattered most. He could always find ways to see her, to visit her in the lower grades, perhaps lend her strength from the shadows. That would have to suffice.

Still, as his anger settled, one truth burned brighter than the rest: Leila was in this position because of the Ezraphor. The thought made his blood churn. He clenched his jaw, his expression darkening. "He put us here," he said under his breath. "He's the reason she fell. I'll make sure he pays for it, with everything he has."

The shadowy figure stirred then, its voice a rasping whisper that carried weight. "Careful, Krovanis. Seraphine lost her demon mark because of the Ezraphor. He is becoming more troublesome than the Royals anticipated. The Ezra seed… it chooses well. Always has. It's in Ezra's nature to pick dominant souls for his biddings, souls that can shift the balance."

Asmeryn's gaze hardened, arms folded as the figure continued.

"That lineage was wiped for a reason," the shadow went on. "Dominance such as his cannot be allowed to flourish again. The Royals will not permit it. We are entrusting the both of you, Krovanis and Asmeryn to put an end to this charade once and for all."

It stepped closer, the faint light glinting off its obscured face.

"Leila has been recovered. That chapter is done. The next is the fruit. That is the priority. The Royals have waited eons to regain control of Hell's foundation, they will not lose it now. Not when the opportunity stands before them."

Krovanis looked up slowly, his fury sharpening into resolve.

"The first chosen Ezraphor since Ezra's death…" the figure said quietly. "No one knows when another will be chosen, if another ever will. Handle this carefully, Krovanis."

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