"How close were you?" Vas asked, his tone deceptively casual, but his eyes were sharp, watching every nuance in Luther's response.

"Pretty close," Luther answered, his voice steady, though Vas noticed a brief flicker of hesitation. "He supported me a lot when I was starting out. One of my best friends, really."

"Interesting," Vas mused, leaning back slightly. "What kind of work did his company do?"

Luther hesitated, just a beat too long, before answering. "They specialized in advanced prosthetics—cutting-edge stuff. He was really committed to making a difference."

"Prosthetics, huh?" Vas's voice was smooth, almost nonchalant, but beneath it lay a calculated precision. "Still a partner in that company?"

"Yeah," Luther replied, his eyes narrowing slightly as he seemed to gauge Vas's intent. "I've got a significant stake in it. Very involved in their operations."

"I see," Vas said, nodding as if in understanding, though his mind was already working several steps ahead. "I imagine the company must be facing some tough times now, with the CEO missing."

"It's going to be challenging, but we'll manage," Luther replied, though his tone had grown more guarded.

Vas let a moment of silence stretch out before speaking again, his voice almost too casual. "What's the company called, again?"

"Sigdra," Luther answered, his tone clipped. "Anyway, I should go. Celine's waiting for me."

As Luther made his exit, Vas watched him with a keen eye, the gears in his mind turning rapidly. The name Sigdra now held a sinister weight. Prosthetics…humanitarian work…yet somehow connected to a man who had been transformed into a human-machine hybrid. The coincidence was too stark, too deliberate to ignore.

Luther's involvement—whether direct or indirect—was a thread Vas knew he had to pull. The man had been too careful, too measured in his responses. There was more to Sigdra than met the eye, and Vas was determined to uncover the truth.

As the door closed behind Luther, Vas leaned back into his pillow, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. He had the lead he needed. Now, it was just a matter of time before he unraveled the rest of the web.

Vas had been taking a very passive approach to many things as of late, due to the lack of information, but now, thanks to Luther he had a place from which to start from. He started to plan a way to start investigating that company, with his current resources he did not have many option but he could think of a couple of things to do, first he would need to locate the headquarters of the Sigdra company, then he believe that using a combo of Hilo del Destino and Susurro del Vacio he could force people to talk about something he wanted them to talk about. So, that's how the first step of his plan took shape: find a member of Sigdra, and force him to talk using that combination.

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As Vas contemplated his next move, the door creaked open, and Jacob strolled in, a familiar grin on his face.

"Lil bro, how're you holding up?" Jacob asked, his smile widening. "You should really stop going out. Every time you do, you end up in a hospital bed."

Vas mirrored the grin, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Not every time—just when I go out with Aleara and the rest," he replied, his voice laced with dry humor.

Jacob chuckled, though there was a glint of concern behind his lightheartedness. "Well, I just came to say goodbye. We're heading out tomorrow for the mission, so I'll have to leave you alone for a while. Don't get yourself into more trouble while I'm gone, okay?"

"So, you all met the requirements?" Vas inquired, his tone more thoughtful now.

"Yeah, fortunately, we did." Jacob nodded. "It wasn't easy, but we pulled through."

"I'm glad to hear that," Vas replied, maintaining the warmth in his voice, though his thoughts were far from brotherly affection. "Good luck out there, big bro."

Jacob gave a final nod, waving as he exited the room. Vas watched him leave, but the moment the door clicked shut, his smile faded. The bond they shared was genuine, but right now, family was just another variable in a much larger equation.

Shortly after, Hugh returned, looking noticeably worn out. "Abigail's relentless," he muttered as he slumped into a chair. "She wants everyone back in training as soon as possible. I told her they need at least a week of recovery, but I doubt she cares."

Vas raised an eyebrow. He hadn't personally experienced Abigail's infamous training, but the stories he'd heard were enough to know that the others were in for a brutal time. He, on the other hand, had other priorities.

"I'll let them deal with that," Vas thought. His mind drifted back to his own mission—finding Sigdra's headquarters and piecing together the mystery of the hybrid experiments. He'd need to reach out to Madeline soon and check on the lead she mentioned about their next move. His plans were taking shape faster than he anticipated.

Meanwhile, Jacob was elsewhere, preparing for his own battle. The weight of Alphonse's death still hung heavily over him, driving his every decision. He had trained harder than ever before, focused on avenging his fallen comrade. Together with Lynn and Tessa, they were assigned under Kira's leadership for this mission—a mission that would take them back to the place where Alphonse had met his end.

While Jacob steeled himself for what was to come, Vas's mind was already ahead, calculating and orchestrating his own path forward, detached and determined. Family mattered, but not enough to distract him from the game at hand.

Jacob stood outside the military compound, the weight of the past pressing heavily on his shoulders. His eyes traced the perimeter of the compound as memories of Alphonse's death played in his mind. The ancient ruins nestled deep within the dense forest had been the site of their last mission together—a place of mystery, danger, and loss. The same mission that had taken Alphonse's life, a moment etched forever in Jacob's memory.