"Wow, so you're Vastian?" Lynn said with a hint of surprise. "Jacob has talked quite a bit about you."

"Yeah, he's super proud of his little brother," Tessa added with a warm smile.

"And who is this beautiful girl?" Lynn asked, turning her attention to Zola.

Zola smiled, her confidence unwavering. "Good to meet you. My name is Zola, and I'm Vastian's friend."

As they exchanged pleasantries, three more figures approached—a woman with an air of authority and two familiar faces beside her. It was Clara, Celine, and the woman who had accompanied them earlier.

"Congratulations, son," Clara said, her smile soft and proud.

"Thank you, Mother," Jacob replied, bowing his head slightly in respect.

"Oh, come on, you two don't need to be so formal," Celine teased, her voice playful. "You almost look like strangers, not mother and son. But anyway, congratulations, Jake, you did good." She gave him a thumbs up.

The woman beside them, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. "Congratulations, young man. It was a wonderful display of strength."

"Mom," Zola interjected with a teasing tone, "you don't need to be so formal. You came here as a friend, not on duty."

Clara chuckled at the exchange. "She reminds me of you, Ariane."

Ariane, Zola's mother, sighed lightly. "I'm always on duty, little Z, at least until I complete my objective."

"Not true, Mom," Zola countered confidently. "I highly doubt those tech-human chimera guys would dare try something here. Look around—they'd be wiped out before they even made a move."

Vas's eyes widened slightly at that. So, Zola was here because her mother had been tasked with tracking down the remnants of those he'd fought against during Madeline's mission.

Ariane glanced at her daughter with a resigned smile. "You shouldn't say that out loud, young lady."

"I believe we can trust the people here," Zola responded, her tone firm. "After all, isn't Clara your best friend?"

Ariane, knowing better than to argue with her daughter, sighed in acceptance. "Ahhh, alright, no problem then. But who are these two young women and this young man?" she asked, turning her attention to the others.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss. My name is Tessa," Tessa introduced herself with a polite nod.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lynn," Lynn followed, equally polite.

"And I'm Vastian Hek," Vas added with a respectful nod.

Ariane looked at them with a thoughtful smile. "So you two are the other recruits of Kadmon, and you're Clara's other son," she said, her tone measured. "I'm sorry for not recognizing you earlier."

"No problem," Vas replied smoothly. "I wouldn't expect you to."

Zola and Jacob noticed the subtle shift in Vas's demeanor—his usual easygoing nature seemed to have been replaced by something more formal, more guarded. Zola, in particular, couldn't help but feel a bit thrown off by the change, unsure of its cause.

"I'll be leaving now," Vas said suddenly, addressing the group with a polite bow. "It was a pleasure to meet all of you. Mother, Brother, I'll see you later." He turned to Zola, his tone softening slightly. "It was good talking to you, Zola. See you later."

With that, Vas turned and walked away, leaving the group behind. Zola opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, he was already gone, his departure as abrupt as the shift in his demeanor.

Zola frowned slightly, making a mental note to ask him about it later. There was something about the way he'd changed so suddenly that piqued her curiosity even more.

Zola lingered with her mother, their conversation weaving between the recent fight and the weightier matters that often occupied Ariane's thoughts. They spoke of Jacob's battle, but soon the discussion shifted to Ariane's world—one far removed from the spectacle of physical combat, yet infinitely more dangerous. Ariane held a critical position within the government, one that placed her at the forefront of safeguarding society from its darkest secrets. She had begun her career in the military years ago alongside Clara, but while Clara chose to continue down the path of traditional military service, Ariane took a different route, one shrouded in secrecy and necessity.

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Zola knew well that the existence of Anima and Amrita was kept from the general public, for the sake of both order and safety. But there were always those who dared to meddle with forces they did not understand, forces that could unravel the very fabric of society. For these issues, organizations like Kadmon and the Church of the Twelve existed, handling incidents quietly, efficiently. But not all threats stemmed from the misuse of Anima or Amrita. Some horrors were born from the depths of human ambition and cruelty, from the perverse desire to push the boundaries of nature itself.

Her mother's current mission was a prime example—a nightmare of humanity's own making. Somewhere, in the shadows, someone had taken it upon themselves to twist technology to an unspeakable end: forcing human beings to adopt inhuman forms. The idea alone was terrifying, but the reality of it was even worse. If the public ever learned of these grotesque experiments, of people being transformed into monstrous chimeras through forced technological integration, the resulting panic would be unstoppable. It would shake the very foundations of trust in society.

That's where the Strategic Containment Division came in. Ariane's unit wasn't just another government task force; they were the last line of defense against the things that could not—must not—be allowed to see the light of day. Their work was essential, for it kept society blissfully ignorant of the horrors that lurked just out of sight. This was not a team of simple soldiers or agents; they were specialists, a pack of hunting wolves trained to seek out and eliminate the gravest threats without leaving a trace.

Ariane herself was Bonded, but many in her unit relied on something else—advanced technology, confiscated from the very enemies they hunted, to enhance their capabilities. This tech allowed them to face off against abominations and entities that defied natural law. Unlike Kadmon, whose operations included a research division that studied these threats, the Strategic Containment Division had no such luxury. They were pure executioners, pointed at an objective and unleashed to neutralize it with absolute finality.

Zola couldn't help but feel a shiver of unease when she thought about the kind of horrors her mother's team faced. The things they saw, the battles they fought, were nightmares that the rest of the world couldn't even begin to comprehend. And yet, Ariane and her unit faced them head-on, every day, to keep those nightmares at bay.

Ariane spoke of these missions with a gravity that Zola had come to respect deeply. It was not just about protecting people; it was about protecting the very idea of normalcy, of a world where citizens could live their lives without ever knowing the full extent of the darkness that threatened them. The Strategic Containment Division was more than just a secretive government unit—they were the guardians of a fragile reality, one that needed to be preserved at all costs.

Zola typically kept quiet about her mother's missions, understanding the gravity and secrecy that surrounded them. In the house, secrecy was almost second nature, given that everyone there dealt with matters that required similar levels of discretion. Zola figured there was no harm in discussing her mother's current mission, and she was right—even if she didn't fully realize it. The mission her mother was currently undertaking had been initiated by a report from Kadmon, so Clara and Celine were already aware. Jacob, Lynn, and Tessa were trustworthy enough to keep their mouths shut, and there was no one else close enough to overhear. With that in mind, Zola felt at ease talking about her mom's mission.

But now, a new concern tugged at her thoughts: Vas had wandered off, and she wanted to spend more time with him. Finding him wouldn't be easy now that the fight was over and people had started to leave. There was something unsettling in the air—everyone seemed on edge, and Zola noticed an unusual tension whenever anyone looked at Vas' grandfather. Gerald Hek had always been a figure of quiet authority, but today, there was something different, something darker. Though he had been the one to suggest the next course of action after last week's incident, Zola hadn't initially found him particularly intimidating. That had changed the moment she saw how people reacted to him today.

Even her mother, Ariane, had reacted strongly when she heard about Gerald's decision. Ariane had been ready to raise hell, demanding Clara lift the "ridiculous" measure—until she was informed who had made the call. That had silenced her immediately, leaving Zola more curious, and a bit unnerved, than ever.

"Do you know why the Hek family still holds such a strong position in the world?" Ariane had asked her later, her voice uncharacteristically tense.

Zola had answered with a hint of sarcasm, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, Clara is a chief in Kadmon, Arthur leads a huge archaeological research center, and Celine is also in Kadmon. Plus, there's the whole thing about Gerald and Abigail being big shots in the past."

Ariane had shaken her head, her expression growing graver by the second. "That's all true, but none of it is enough. Not by a long shot."

Zola's frown deepened. "Then what is it?"

"It's because Gerald exists," Ariane had said, her tone chilling. "When I took my current position, I was briefed on certain... anomalies within the government's operations. Gerald Hek was one of those anomalies. Over the years, many have tried to keep tabs on him, to understand what makes him so untouchable. But…"

"But?" Zola had pressed, feeling an uneasy knot form in her stomach.

Ariane had paused, her eyes dark and distant, as if recalling something she wished she could forget. "But those who tried to get too close either disappeared or came back... changed. Their minds fractured, their careers ruined. It's as if they'd seen something no one was meant to see. Gerald doesn't just avoid scrutiny—he obliterates it. And he does it so quietly that no one even realizes they're in danger until it's too late."