Gerald narrowed his gaze as he recalled the name—Sigdra. Luther had confirmed a connection with the company. It was the same company involved with Luther's friend, who vanished during the incident at Hugh's fashion show. Sigdra had also made headlines recently after an incident at their headquarters.

Gerald, thoughtful and calculating, reached for his phone and dialed. He decided to call Celine. Kadmon agents had been given some time off after their last mission, and Celine had gone shopping with Luther while Jacob rested at home.

When Celine answered, her voice was light. "Dad? What's up? Everything alright?"Gerald's voice was smooth, but there was a chilling undertone. "I wanted to ask you about a company... Sigdra. Luther works with them, doesn't he?"

Celine, unsuspecting, replied casually, "Yeah, I think so. Why?"

Gerald continued, his tone practiced and calm. "My team suggested I invest in a new venture, and Sigdra's name came up. Thought I'd get some insight from Luther."

Without a second thought, Celine handed the phone over to Luther. "It's my dad, he's asking about Sigdra."

Luther answered confidently, providing details without hesitation. Gerald listened, his expression betraying nothing, though his mind was racing. Once the call ended, Gerald instructed Stray to dig deeper into Luther's connections. He wasn't about to leave any stone unturned.

Meanwhile, far from Gerald's calculated world, a figure sat behind a dimly lit desk, their expression tense. A message flashed on the screen in front of them: "They're ready. No more time. The plan must proceed now." The figure's eyes gleamed with a sinister light.At the same moment, Aleara, Beck, Amy, Lily, Zola, Kairo, Victor, and Carmilla, who were in the middle of a training session, suddenly winced in pain. Each of them clutched their wrists as the bracelets they wore—gifts from Luther—began to glow ominously. A wave of panic spread through them, but before anyone could react, horror washed over Abigail's face as she watched the kids disintegrate, one by one, vanishing into thin air."NO!" Abigail screamed, rushing toward the empty spaces where they once stood. Her heart pounded in her chest as she sprinted through the halls to find Gerald.

Bursting into his office, Abigail's voice trembled. "They're gone. The kids—Gerald, they're gone!"

Gerald's face remained stoic, though a dark shadow passed over his eyes. His mind worked quickly, already piecing together what had happened. Without missing a beat, he calmly reached for his phone.

"Get me Celine," he ordered, his voice cold and controlled.

Celine answered almost instantly, her cheerful demeanor now tinged with concern. "Dad, what's wrong?"

"Celine," Gerald's tone was razor-sharp. "Bring Luther to the Hek mansion. Now. No delays."

Celine's heart skipped a beat. She knew that tone—it was the voice of command, one that brooked no argument. "I… I'll be there in ten minutes," she stammered, rushing to find Luther.

When they arrived, Celine could feel the tension in the air. She led Luther into her father's study, where an unfamiliar man stood beside Gerald. The man was unnervingly pristine, his appearance too polished, his expression cold and calculating.

"Luther," Gerald's voice was low, like the calm before a storm. "Do you know where the children are?"

Luther blinked, his expression flickering with confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"The bracelets," Gerald continued, his gaze never wavering. "The ones you gave them. They're gone, Luther. Disappeared."

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Luther's face paled, but he shook his head vehemently. "That's impossible! I had nothing to do with that!"

Gerald's eyes narrowed, and he stood up slowly, his imposing figure casting a long shadow over the room. His voice, though quiet, was laced with menace. "Tell me the truth, Luther."

Celine, watching the exchange with growing disbelief, stepped forward, her voice shaking. "Dad, what's going on? Luther wouldn't—"

"Be silent," Gerald snapped, his icy gaze turning on her. "I no longer trust your judgment in this matter."

Celine's heart sank, and she stumbled back, stunned by the sudden harshness in her father's words.

Luther, seeing the noose tightening around him, began to laugh—a low, deranged sound that sent chills down Celine's spine. His eyes gleamed with madness as he looked up at Gerald.

"You think you've caught me, old man?" Luther spat, his grin widening. "You're too late. They're already gone. They're in a place you could never reach."

Gerald's jaw clenched, but he remained silent, his piercing gaze locked onto Luther's.Luther's voice grew more frenzied, his laughter echoing through the room. "Those kids were just the beginning! A sacrifice to bring back the true gods—the real gods. You're powerless to stop it!"

Celine's hands trembled as she watched Luther descend into madness, her mind reeling. "What... what are you saying?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Gerald, however, remained unmoved. His cold eyes bore into Luther, and with a deadly calm, he spoke. "If you've harmed them, Luther, there is no place you can hide."

But Luther's maniacal laughter only grew louder, his madness fully exposed. "Hide? There's no need to hide, Gerald. The gods are coming—and there's nothing you can do to stop it!"

As Luther's voice echoed in the tense room, Gerald's gaze shifted to the stranger standing beside him. The man nodded silently, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips. Whatever plan was in motion, Gerald would be ready for it. But the tension in the air crackled like a storm on the verge of breaking.

Gerald stared at Luther with an icy calm, his voice steady but laced with menace. "You have one minute to talk, Luther. After that, I'll make you beg to speak."

Luther continued his deranged rambling, seemingly unaware of the countdown ticking away. The tension in the room was thick as the seconds dragged on. Celine's heart raced, her eyes darting between her father and Luther, hoping—praying—that Luther would come to his senses. But as the minute mark passed, Gerald's eyes flicked toward Stray.Without a word, Stray moved. Celine watched in stunned horror as Stray began his work, extracting information from Luther with a precision and brutality she had never seen. Celine had thought she'd seen it all in Kadmon—torture, interrogations—but this was different. This wasn't just brutality; it was a methodical dissection of a human soul. Luther screamed, his earlier bravado shattering, but his voice still clung to madness, still spewing nonsense between gasps of pain.

Gerald sat behind his desk, watching it all unfold with unnerving detachment. "He'll talk," Gerald said, almost to himself.

Finally, when Luther's body was on the verge of giving out, his defiance broke. "The kids… they're at the ruins!" he choked out.

Celine's breath caught. The ruins. The same ruins Kadmon had just fled from. The same ruins that had nearly claimed their lives. "That's impossible," she whispered, disbelief flooding her mind. "The ruins were sealed. How could they—"

Luther, his face twisted in agony and triumph, managed a grin. "We… we opened them. The true gods showed us how. We've been preparing for years. Prayers. Rituals. New bodies… to house the gods. We were missing the final piece—the perfect vessels. Until…"

His eyes flicked to Gerald, a sick satisfaction gleaming in them. "Until your family. Until the kids. Perfect vessels... perfect bodies."

Celine's blood ran cold. "No…" she muttered, the full horror of what Luther was saying sinking in.

Luther's voice grew weaker, but his words were razor-sharp. "The plan is simple… the ruins are the sacrificial grounds. The followers will offer themselves, their bodies will fuse… perfect bodies to bring back the old gods. And once they return, we'll have everything we've ever wanted."

The room was deathly silent as Luther's words hung in the air like a curse.

Gerald's eyes darkened. "Where in the ruins?"

Luther's lips trembled. "Deep inside. The chamber… where the ritual will be complete."

Without hesitation, Gerald stood. "We're moving out. Now."

Celine, still trying to wrap her mind around the enormity of the situation, quickly grabbed her communicator. "I'll inform Clara."

Within minutes, Clara was on the line, her voice sharp. "Kadmon will mobilize immediately. I'll inform the agents. We're getting those kids out of there."