"Last day at the hospital," Margaret cheered, her voice ringing out in the sterile air like a bell tolling in the dead of night.

Lucas, ever the prankster, punctuated her words with a blast from the party horn, its raucous sound reverberating off the cold walls of the hospital room, filling the space with a discordant melody.

Margaret winced, her hands instinctively flying to her ears to shield them from the assault. "Oh my God, Lucas, you're so infuriating!" she exclaimed, her frustration palpable.

Lucas met her glare with a sneer, his eyes alight with mischief. "If it were Marcus," he taunted, his words dripping with sarcasm, "you'd be giggling and blushing like a schoolgirl."

A flush crept up Margaret's cheeks, but she refused to back down. "When is he coming back?" she demanded, her voice tinged with concern.

With a careless shrug, Lucas replied, "One to two days, maybe. He's got other priorities, you know."

Margaret's brow furrowed in disbelief. "He's skipping classes for this?" she questioned, her disbelief evident.

Once again, Lucas shrugged, his indifference bordering on arrogance. "We're essential," he stated matter-of-factly. "Top-dollar missions, the works. I even heard the Mockingbird's involved."

A heavy sigh escaped Margaret's lips, her worry deepening. "He's..." she began, her voice trailing off into uncertainty.

"He's off on another one of Zephyr's gigs," Lucas interjected, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. "Transporting some new Warcasket model. Big stuff."

Margaret's eyes widened in awe. "Wow," she murmured, momentarily captivated by the promise of adventure.

"Sounds like we're in for a payday," Lucas declared, a hint of triumph in his voice, his words punctuated by a mischievous grin.

Meanwhile, Piper, ever the silent observer, stood by the sink, her lone eye fixed on the scene unfolding before her. Though her words were few, her presence spoke volumes.

"And who's he traveling with?" Margaret inquired, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Todd and Jeremiah," Lucas replied, noting the doubt in Margaret's eyes. "He'll be fine, Margaret. Trust me."

Margaret sighed, her anxiety palpable. "I'd feel better if you were there," she admitted, her vulnerability shining through.

Lucas chuckled softly. "Don't underestimate Todd and Jeremiah," he reassured her. "They're the best of the best. And Marcus will come back with a fat paycheck. Who knows, maybe he'll even spoil you a bit."

Margaret fell silent, her thoughts consumed by worry and longing. Adjusting her hair, she cast her gaze forward, a blush staining her cheeks crimson.

Her breath reverberated within her ears as she scrutinized her reflection. Fortunately, there wasn't any disfiguring damage. Faint scars, remnants of the glass that had pierced her socket, lingered, but they were minuscule, visible only to her.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eye, peering into the darkness of the socket. A faint steel orb nestled within the back of her eye socket met her gaze. Sighing, she retrieved an item from a black box.

With practiced precision, she relaxed, widening her eye socket, and slid the new eye in. A subtle click echoed, and Piper's vision flickered momentarily—colors danced in a chaotic display before settling into a neutral canvas, aligning with her left eye.

Now staring at herself, her hands once again framing her eye, but with a new one, Piper observed the transformation. This eye would never shed tears, yet it bore a blend of grey and green hues.

Piper huffed and sighed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she dismissed with a wave. "Come on, let's get out of here. I'm not thrilled about classes or the judgmental glances," she added.

Lucas sighed, making his way towards Piper's packed bags. His gaze lingered on a note. "You got the hospital note," he remarked.

Piper's eyes flared a bright crimson. "How did you like it?" she inquired.

Sighing, her features still veiled in crimson, Piper wrapped her arms around herself. "It was okay, I guess... you all shouldn't worry."

"But we were," Margaret retorted sternly. "How are you doing?"

Piper paused. "Decent, for someone who lost her eye," she replied.

Lucas winced, exchanging a glance with Margaret.

Margaret shook her head. "Are you sure you're ready, Piper?" she asked.

Piper's expression shifted quickly to annoyance. "Christ, Marge," she snapped. "I said I'm fine, I'm fine."

Lucas whistled under his breath. Piper made her way to them, donning a hoodie, slinging a bag over her shoulder, and carrying another.

"My eye," she paused.

A heavy silence settled among them. "What do the others say about me?" she questioned.

"Are you speaking of Mercury and..." Lucas trailed off, his words hanging in the air like mist on a moonlit night.

Piper eased back, her demeanor shifting. "I know what my house expects, but I was a top contender, and I lost to a..."

"A hick," Lucas interjected slowly, earning a sharp glance from Margaret. "I was just saying," he added, his frustration evident as he struggled to find the right words.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Lucas continued, "Listen, Piper, you can't dwell on this. Who cares what the other houses think..."

Piper's gaze drifted to the window, her thoughts wandering. She occupied a lofty room in the prestigious academy hospital, seventy-five floors high. Beyond its facade as a mere hospital lay whispers of darker truths—dungeons, taboo experiments, even rumors of human sacrifice and more sinister practices. But those were merely echoes of the past.

"It matters to me and it matters to the house," Piper interjected curtly, turning to face them, revealing her mismatched eyes.

"Is that calibrated correctly, Piper?" Margaret inquired, concern etched in her features. "It should have an adjustment for..."

Piper sneered, cutting her off. "We're not Neptune or Venus," she retorted sharply. "Zephyr might not have had the resources for top-notch equipment, but at least he procured a bionic from the black market that doesn't leave me seeing in grayscale. Let's focus on calibrating this and integrating it into my Warcasket," she concluded.

Margaret's eyes widened in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

Lucas caught on quickly. "Yeah... Piper, are you seriously considering returning to your Warcasket after this?" he pressed, his tone laced with concern.

Piper fixed them with a steely gaze, her earlier composure evaporating. "Yes," she stated flatly. "I fully intend to pilot soon... and secure a victory."

Margaret stared at her, a mixture of disbelief and worry clouding her expression. "So, you won't seek therapy or discuss your injury, but you'll willingly climb back into that death machine?"

Piper remained silent, her resolve unyielding. "What have the other houses been saying about me?" she demanded, taking a step forward, her eyes ablaze with determination.

"It doesn't matter," Lucas asserted firmly. "You didn't know that Henryk was..."

"First off, enough with how it doesn't matter. So, you're telling me that my eye doesn't matter? I lost it in that duel, and I don't even get to hear what people have been saying about me?" Piper's voice sliced through the tension, her words heavy with frustration and hurt.

Lucas remained silent, his gaze shifting uncomfortably. Piper pressed on, her tone tinged with bitterness. "Would you rather keep me locked up, like the headmaster's daughter in her little tower?" A sardonic smile flitted across her lips. "No," she drawled, elongating the word for emphasis.

It was Margaret who spoke next, her voice firm and steady. "Everyone is just in shock," she asserted, her words carrying a hint of reassurance.

Piper snorted derisively. "Did Logan have anything to say?" she demanded, cutting off Lucas's attempt to interject.

Margaret hesitated for a moment before responding. "He did issue a comment," she admitted, clearing her throat delicately. "A woman has no place in a Warcasket. They defile the field of battle. Maybe she'd have an eye if she crawled out of her cockpit... and into a kitchen."

Piper stared at her blankly, her expression unreadable. Then, after a beat, she turned to face them, her glare piercing. "That bastard is going to pay," she declared, her voice laced with venom.

She made to storm past them, but Margaret's stern voice halted her in her tracks. "With what Warcasket?" she challenged, her tone unwavering.

Piper shot her a withering glare but remained silent, her anger simmering beneath the surface.

"Marge..." Lucas began, but Margaret cut him off sharply.

"No, she needs to hear this," Margaret insisted. "Piper, what are you doing?"

Piper met her gaze, her expression hollow. She uttered no response, her silence speaking volumes.

Margaret pressed on, her voice tinged with sadness. "I stood by your side after your losses to Logan. We've been through so much together, and I love you like a sister... but I can't watch this anymore!" she exclaimed, her frustration boiling over.

Piper's initial rage and annoyance ebbed away, replaced by a sense of melancholy and disappointment. Her eyes fell downward, her resolve wavering under Margaret's heartfelt plea.

"You've lost to the other aces... Atticus was just the latest, and Logan's defeat was humiliating. No one blamed you for losing, and Zephyr took the brunt of it. But now, you're losing more than just battles... I don't know what's changed, but if you can't handle it anymore, you need to walk away," Margaret urged, her voice heavy with concern.

Piper shot a glare at Margaret. "You think I'm just going to drop out!" she snapped, her voice a crackling mixture of defiance and frustration. "Are you insane, after everything that's happened and..."

"Then step down as the ace and shift to one of our regular pilot roles," Margaret proposed, turning to include Lucas in her suggestion. "Lucas can step up and take over."

Lucas shot her a bewildered look. "Why me?" he retorted.

Piper sneered and rolled her eyes. "As if he wouldn't trip himself up on the job day one," she retorted, oblivious to the disapproval that flashed across Lucas's face.

"I can't do that," Piper asserted.

Margaret huffed, a heavy sigh escaping her. "Piper, then you're going to have to shape up. You've been going through Warcaskets, completely totaling them. Zephyr told me, one last chance. If the next one is destroyed without a win, you're cut from the role."

With those words hanging in the air, Margaret let the silence settle. Piper sighed, her fingers combing through wild locks of hair once matted by heavy bandages. It would be a relief to sleep in her old bed again, but as she turned and glanced at her hospital bed, she knew this experience would linger.

Even now, a horrible icy pain flashed through her, a remembrance of the shard of glass that had pierced her eye, like a heated knife through butter. Henryk's face lingered in her memory.

They exited Piper's room, Lucas handling the hospital checkout, while Margaret sought a snack. Standing amidst the coming and going of people, Margaret's gaze drifted to a large window. The city sprawled out, reminiscent of Old New York City, with a mix of conjoined buildings reaching toward the sky. Some retained a more rooted, traditional aesthetic amidst the techno-modern landscape. The lights of cars, the sounds of planes and starships filled the air, and in the distance, the Imperial Fleet hovered lazily in orbit.

Lucas and Margaret returned to fetch her, descending the steps. Yet, Henryk trailed within her mind. Horror etched into her features, everything seemed to slow down, her thoughts consumed by the duel.

She pondered how she could best Henryk in the next encounter, considering holorecords of wizards and witches. Her focus shifted from the confines of her hospital room to the broader world outside, yet her thoughts remained tethered to Henryk.

"I... I should tell him it wasn't his fault," she whispered to herself.

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His voice, tinged with fear, offered her a strange comfort as she slid into the car. Resting her head against the window, the hum of the engine resonated in her ears, propelling them swiftly toward the academy.

The advisors of House Venus gathered after their classes, a meeting deemed more urgent than the myriad others before it. The planning room welcomed them, a table polished over countless years, its surface adorned with an intricately carved tapestry of the solar system. Jace, the helm of the advisors, presided over the gathering.

Maxtn, dressed in the crisp uniform, stood with a straight posture, glasses framing his intense brown eyes. His gaze shifted between Jace and his sister, questioning, "Why are we here, Jace?"

Jace's shoulders rose and fell, features stern, glaring at the table. The others resisted the urge to roll their eyes, anticipating the reason.

"Henryk is still here," Jace declared firmly.

Silence hung in the room for a moment. Across the table, a feminine groan erupted. "Henryk, Henryk, Henryk," moaned the girl, black robes draping over the table. Chuckles rippled through the others. "By the gods, you'd think you were a woman speaking your lover's name," she teased.

Jace shot her a sharp glare. "Shut your mouth, Eliza, or I'll shut it for you," he retorted curtly.

Eliza stood defiantly, her purple eyes shifting to a lighter, more ethereal shade. "Be wise with your words, man thing," she warned.

"Stand down, skank," snapped Hannah by Jace's side. "My brother has a right to be angry at Henryk for what he did at the party, for what he did to m..."

Eliza chuckled heavily. "Yes, I remember how you were, Hannah," she interrupted. Glancing at Jace, she added, "You were so drugged out, I bet you didn't know who was even who."

"Watch yourself," Jace spat again. "I won't warn you twice."

Eliza chuckled, sinking back into her seat. A hand emerged from the table, still tinged with the echoes of jokes. Platinum blond hair framed a tanned face with dark purple eyes. "Hello, mind if I raise a point... I know you two are arguing, but how about we discuss the main issues bringing us here."

Hannah breathed heavily, her hand finding her brother's. He glanced into her eyes and smiled, a gesture that irked Maxtn. For a moment, he failed to hide it, but luckily, no one else saw it – except for one.

Jace settled back into his seat. "Listen, Lorenzo, he was the antlered knight... you all remember the party and what he did. He tried to assault my sister, brutalized Lancel, and even attacked me. I am the heir to Venus."

"It's true," affirmed Hannah. "If this happened on our homeworld, Henryk would've been struck blind or lost his hands."

Maxtn's eyes widened at that. "I thought Venus was more midworld in these types of regards."

Jace smiled at Maxtn. "Our world hasn't forgotten the old ways, Maxtn. They always return, the Neptunians are proof of this." Jace's allusion remained enigmatic, and Maxtn chose not to prod him forward.

"Well, that's touching," replied Eliza, her eyes returning to their normal color and light. "But you forget, we're not in Venus space. The Academy is neutral ground, and other neutral worlds wouldn't care. You're the minority." She laughed loudly and smiled.

Hannah looked like she wanted to strangle her. Lorenzo sighed. "Jace, what do you intend to do with this situation?"

Jace shrugged his shoulders. "I am going to deal an appropriate punishment," he declared flatly. "No one will doubt the strength of Venus ever again." He paused, his glare shifting momentarily to Maxtn. "I don't know what was going on during your term, that had people believing you could assault the president of House Venus and get away with it. But that ends with me."

Everything drew to a quiet as Jace and Maxtn both locked onto each other. Maxtn didn't smile, laugh, curse, scream, or swear. Instead, he merely nodded his head. "Yes, sire," Maxtn spoke. "My apologies, sire."

And Jace wore the brightest and most expansive smile. "You're forgiven, Maxtn. You've messed up, but my Venus shall be one where people can choose to redeem themselves. Think on that for your further goals on improving our planet."

Maxtn smiled and nodded in agreement. Yet, Eliza turned, and she sensed it—the hate bubbling from the depths, the restrained anger, and resentment. But there was something more, something subtle—perhaps a touch of jealousy?

Lorenzo inquired, "What is an appropriate punishment?" He extended his arm across the room, drawing everyone's attention. Jace, Hannah, Maxtn's eyes, Eliza's gaze, and Lancel, with his arm in a cast and crutches to the side, focused on him. "We all voted on what to do before all of this. The majority ruled in sending people to beat on Henryk... but we didn't rule on more, and these Neptune..."

"This is getting excessive," Lancel stated matter-of-factly.

Jace glanced toward him, and Lancel returned the look, one bright purple eye shining while the other was matted with bandages. "I don't care that Henryk beat the crap out of me in that challenge. Fair is fair; things happen, and the melee can infect people with a crazy type of vigor. But I was not on the boat to either beat him up or..."

Lancel paused, sneered, and gritted his teeth. "We should just leave him alone. He's stayed here; that's the reason we're talking about this, right?"

Silence ensued. Jace sneered. "There are people who want him gone as well," he asserted. "We'd be doing the academy population a favor."

"A favor?" Eliza retorted sarcastically.

Lorenzo seconded that with a snort. "We're not in the place to be doing favors for anyone right now," he added. "This place is going to be fired up in a couple of days. If what you're saying about Sirine is true and..."

"Everyone is going to have their champion in the coming days," Maxtn stated.

Lancel nodded in agreement. "Every good pilot, every good mech, every good weapon. If a member of Venus descent can marry Sirine, we can gain a foothold on the academy and the sector. Imagine the riches and the..."

"It's the control, Lancel," Maxtn remarked with a snicker. "It's difficult to get proper worlds annexed, but if this gamble pulls through and..."

Hannah smirked. "It's not a gamble; my brother could do it."

"Yes," Eliza stated. "...and that is all the more reason not to mess with that boy."

“You sound more afraid of him than I do,” Jace remarked with a smirk and a smile.

Eliza cast her gaze downward. “Henryk, he is an anomaly…”

Hannah snickered. “More like an abomination.”

“With his witch powers,” added Lancel.

Eliza sneered. “That one is strange. Usually, male younger wizards have a knack for being noticed easily, but this one did not. It’s even more impressive, his skills…”

“You think you can't beat him?” questioned Maxtn.

Anger etched across her features. “Of course, I could beat him!” she declared. “But his skills must be noted. I’ve never met a man outside of the sisterhood of Jupiter that could, alongside his warcasket, wield spells. This Henryk Brown, they say he’s maimed the red rocket.”

Lorenzo sighed. “Henryk came out on top, but Jace put pressure on Mercury to not accept Henryk.”

Maxtn’s eyes widened. “You did what?” he snapped.

Jace threw his arm around. “It’s really not that big of a deal… I warned them that there would be consequences for letting an enemy of House Venus in there…”

“You threatened them,” spat Maxtn. “What were you thinking? We had good relationships with House Mercury for years since their last house extinction.”

Jace shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe we shouldn’t be rubbing shoulders with houses that get caught up in their extinctions,” and everyone fell silent around the table. “What, what?” Jace spoke. “You know how those Mercury rats are. Stacking up on top of each other, practically living on each other. It’s dirty, and I’ve even heard that some of them don’t even know what the sun looks like.”

A tense silence hung over the room after the racist tirade.

“Listen, they're scared of us, and…” Jace tried to speak.

“They were our friends and comrades. I led by respect and example…” stated Maxtn.

And Jace glanced at him simply. “… and I rule by fear to keep people in line. House Venus has endured; we don’t need rats like that around us.”

Maxtn’s groan arose, joining the groans of Lancel and Lorenzo.

"You just make enemies wherever you go," stated Eliza, her words hanging heavy in the air. Neither Hannah nor Jace turned to face her or responded.

"Where even is Henryk?" questioned Maxtn. "You said before that you pressed House Mercury to break their deal off with Henryk, but for him to still be here… what house accepted him?"

Jace remained quiet for a moment, his gaze briefly flickering to his sister. Even she wondered why he did that, and Maxtn's heart ached, sensing the impending bad news.

"The weakest of houses," Jace finally replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

A heavy silence descended upon the room as everyone absorbed the revelation. They all thought he'd get away with it. And, for a moment, he did.

"Henryk Brown… he is of House Mars stock."

The words hung in the air like a shroud, casting a pall over the gathered advisors.

"Then he's untouchable," Eliza stated plainly, her tone betraying a hint of resignation.

Hannah rolled her eyes. "No one is untouchable. Henryk may be mutant filth… but he still bleeds red, and—"

"What, are you talking of killing him?" Lancel interjected, his eyes widening in alarm.

Jace's gaze swept over them all. "He's a liability that hurt a lot of us… not just us. He's going to disrupt the natural ecosystem of this school, and we need to cull his wings before so. He's a danger."

"You feel more like a danger," retorted Eliza.

"Hey," snapped Hannah. "You watch—"

"Your brother needs to watch his hands," Eliza cut in, her gaze like heat rays directed at Hannah. The room fell silent, Jace sneered, and Eliza held her ground. "You were there. Maybe you were too drugged up, but I doubt this was the first time your brother had this happen. I saw him with Sirine… no one broke them away solely due to your brother's rank. He was going to commit one of the greatest crimes, and Henryk interfered… you should be thanking him for stopping you."

Jace chuckled loudly. "What should I thank?" he retorted. "The bruise on my cheeks… or that he interfered with me and my bride?"

Eliza pressed on, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife through butter. "The wedding isn't final yet. But I saw them together at the party… they're close, Jace. And this one is different than the others that come and go at the academy."

"Different!" snapped Jace, his voice laced with contempt.

All eyes turned toward him as he rose from his seat, his presence commanding attention. "He isn't different, he's some mutated hick from the backwoods of the galaxy. He is nothing."

Eliza nodded solemnly. "Keep telling yourself that. But Jace, be wary, for even stags will fight when they feel threatened. Put a blade to Henryk's throat, and you may find one within your chest."

Jace's purple eyes narrowed, a silent warning.

Undeterred, Eliza continued. "This fight… or whatever it is, has gone too far. Our relations with Mercury are most definitely going to be strained, and the other houses don't take kindly to us bullying some meager boy who may or may not have done it. We should just ignore him. We don't need problems with House Mars… they'll actually do something."

Lancel rolled his eyes. "House Mars, maybe, but Jace isn't that far off either. House Mars isn't what they used to be. Heck, I don't even know why they were able to enlist within the academy as well. Mars is dead, it's gone, and nothing can ever live there. Where is anything of theirs coming from?"

Eliza shot him a look. "Do not take the Martians for weak, Lancel. History has proven that fact wrong multiple times. Even after their destruction, they are still spread throughout the galaxy. Mars's time will come, all times shall come. But Henryk's time… if we keep on trying to decide it, our time will come even sooner."

"I agree," Maxtn interjected. "Henryk has suffered enough. And we should not make mindless enemies with more houses if we don't need to. Even a poor house like House Mars has their own claws to bear."

Hannah sneered. "He's just a low-ranking member," she replied. "Maybe we can—"

"Mars doesn't take outsiders," Lorenzo interjected loudly. "I've read histories of them. Henryk must be very special for them to accept him so brazenly."

Lancel chuckled. "I've heard that him and Edward, the president, are really tight. He was along the team that came with them to save Sirine…I guess that makes them war buddies now."

Hannah rolled her eyes, but Eliza continued undeterred. "House Mars very rarely outstretched their wings to take on new members from different planets," she explained. "Planetary Dissonance, a concept in which one shall feel loyalty to their birth homeworld. The Martians always needed obedient soldiers… so it would always be the best of the best that would come from different worlds. Those very few, they were the exception."

She paused, and everyone felt the ancient quality of her words, as if they were etched into age-old tapestries that the young witch had read.

"They were called the Executors… or solely The Executor," Eliza responded.

"Executor?" Jace repeated. "I've heard that title before mentioned in Venusian history."

Eliza nodded solemnly. "There once was a young man from House Venus, Caleb Mayer."

The room fell into a hushed silence, save for Maxtn with his brown eyes, a lone beacon of confusion amid a sea of purple. "Can I be informed?" he playfully interjected, raising his hand.

"Mayer, that's a very proud family of Venus. They're known for making Warcasket parts. We're Venusians, you know how good that is," explained Hannah.

"They're probably second to us in terms of prestige," added Jace.

Lorenzo chuckled under his breath. "But first in wealth," he muttered to himself.

Maxtn shrugged. "Then, why is he so infamous? What did he do to cause such problems?"

Lancel chuckled. "More like his lack of doing was the cause of his problems."

Eliza turned to Maxtn, her gaze steady. "Caleb Meyer was the firstborn son of House Meyer. They were very prestigious, as Jace and Hannah said, but Caleb didn’t desire that path. He was scrawny, but agile, fixated on intellectual pursuits like Warcasket development. Some of his parts were even utilized by his family's company. He had such promise, and his family name secured him a ticket to the academy. There was a great party the night before, and off he went."

Maxtn locked eyes with Eliza. "What happened?"

"He boarded the vessel that we all had to board," Eliza continued. "He could've sat in your very seat for all you know. But Caleb sat down, and no one knows exactly what happened. But the King of Mars, or rather the future king… the Son, found Caleb, and they talked. When the time for choosing came, before, House Mars used to have the honor of going first. Imagine the shock in that great middle circle, with the great young warriors of Mars, and a scrawny boy rising among them. Caleb Meyer, heir to Meyer Industries, recounted all of that to become a member of House Mars."

Jace chuckled, a dark edge to his amusement. "My father always told me that story. Caleb lost everything. The moment he joined House Mars, his father practically disowned him and named his younger brother as heir. Keeps all of us noble brats in line when we step out of order when we hear that."

"You trust fund babies," Eliza retorted, her tone dripping with disdain. "Caleb was better than you, better than all of you rich, snobby brats," she remarked, her gaze sweeping the room. "You know of his early history, but what of his history after he left."

Lancel sighed heavily. "He would go on personal orders by the King of Mars and the Emperor to put down revolts. My father told me of how my great grandfather fought by his side. He described how Caleb piloted his mech like a red asteroid, ramming and destroying everything... armed with a chainsawaxe."

"He put worlds in line with his name alone," Lorenzo added. "But I don’t understand, though. He was always described as scrawny, and from the history books... I recall that maybe he had a limp."

Eliza nodded solemnly. "But after he became a Martian, all of his issues faded away into nothing. He could shrug off blows, pilot his warcasket like no normal human could. He was a Knight of Mars that stood above his Knight brothers... you call him a fool, but to the Martians, he was one of their greatest warriors."

"He isn’t even of their stock," Lorenzo pointed out.

Eliza chuckled softly. "Oh, he very much is," she countered, a hint of mystery in her tone. "That is what House Mars believes that Henryk is capable of becoming. And you have made an enemy of him, Jace."

Jace sneered and locked eyes with her. "Well, thank you for the history lesson, Elizabeth," he replied, his sister Hannah hovering above him. "But Henryk is still a problem."

Lancel shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, if the other houses don’t care anymore... why should we?"

Jace's sneer deepened, and he cocked his head. "What would happen if I had a plan to get rid of Henryk, a way without it getting back to any of us?"

"Well, that would be perfect," Eliza responded eagerly.

Hannah shot her a glare. "Haven’t you been saying to just leave him alive?" she retorted.

Eliza rolled her eyes. "Then you’re a fool. Henryk is an anomaly that, for better or worse, spells disaster for both sides. Getting rid of him is a good option... but your brother wants to be far more public about it than we need to. Remember, the academy faculty or the city can’t know about this. They’ll cut funds, put us on strike, and..."

"You won't have to worry," Jace replied smoothly, his voice like honey poured over a blade. With a subtle click of the button before him, the air hummed with static. "You can send him in now."

The heavy doors swung open, revealing Jose, once draped in the somber hues of gray, now adorned in the opulent linens of Venus. His smile, bright as the sun, swept over the assembly of important advisors.

"How you doing, Prez?" Jose greeted, his words casual, yet beneath the surface, a current of tension simmered.

"Doing good," Jace replied, his tone devoid of warmth. "I wanted to talk to you about something." The room fell into a weighted silence, every eye fixed on the unfolding exchange.

"Yes?" Jose's voice held a note of uncertainty, a threadbare shield against the palpable intensity in the room.

And then, like the draw of a loaded gun, Jace posed the question, his smile widening with predatory satisfaction. "What are you willing to do… to bring honor and wealth to your friends and family back home?"

The color drained from Jose's face, his expression a cocktail of fear and disbelief, but beneath it all, a glimmer of resolve flickered.

"I would do anything," Jose declared, his voice firm, fueled by the desperation of familial obligation. "Anything and more to bring wealth to my family. My mama is sick."

Jace's smile deepened, a serpent basking in the warmth of its prey's unwitting submission. "Well, that makes me very happy, Jose."