Alec waited in his quarters, still carrying that disturbing feeling in his chest, in his mind, he told himself that once he saw the team he and his guys would be facing next, the thought of figuring out the fastest way to win against them should clear and occupy his head at least for a while.

He was also waiting for Agnes to return, ready with her detailed breakdown of the other teams she had watched, to tell who was dangerous, who to avoid, and what traps to expect, but before she came back, old man Alfred’s voice rang inside his mind, calling him to the central room.

The message startled him, as he hadn’t expected to see the old man again so soon. Still, Alec got up and headed out, wondering what Alfred wanted this time. Once outside, he realized he wasn’t the only one who had been summoned.

A few members of his team were stepping out of their rooms as well, while others were already gathered in the corridor, waiting.

And among the ones waiting, he saw Agnes standing close to old man Alfred, alongside the Dean... and Terran Dunce.

Alec’s brows furrowed. ‘What is my master doing here?’

“Alec,” the Dean began,

“You might want to sit down before I start speaking, because most of this information I’m about to give is directed at the Gordons clansmen present, the rest of you were called here as well, so you can hear the kind of evil that’s been unfolding.”

But just those first words made Alec’s stomach drop.

As his mind caved in with a sudden, suffocating fear, and he thought about that unsettled feeling he’d been battling for a while, as it seemed something was finally clicking into place, like a warning he’d been too stubborn to understand.

It wasn’t just anxiety, it was also the burning urge, screaming in his chest, and telling him to go home.

Looking at the stunned reactions around the room—and the tight, unreadable look on Alec’s face, old man Alfred couldn’t help thinking that Alec’s intuition was frightening.

He had known him since the day he stepped into the Second Dimension, and he could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen Alec genuinely caught off guard. Still, no matter how heavy the news was, Alfred believed it needed to be said.

“The Gordons Clan has been under attack for a while now, I only got the information today because I had a few mages under the academy pay to buy a house in Estonia City and keep watch over your clan, as i wanted to find out which geniuses were behind all the things you have been providing to the academy.”

After delivering the main message, Alfred didn’t stop. He kept talking—almost as if he could bury the impact of it under more words, distracting them from the thought of their home being under siege, but it was pointless.

Because every Gordons clansman in the room went silent, their faces blank with shock, their minds somewhere else entirely, everyone except Alec, who stared ahead, thoughts turning sharply as he processed every detail.

Alfred was about to offer a few words of reassurance, but Alec spoke first.

“Excuse me. I want a clear answer. If the Gordons Clan is under attack, shouldn’t the City Hall have intervened? Don’t tell me the one leading the assault on my clan is Estonia City’s City Hall.”

Alec asked while looking at the Dean, and the Dean nodded.

“Yes. The Gordons Clan is being attacked by the City Hall forces.”

Alec’s jaw tightened.

“But it’s not only the City Hall, it seems other forces too, other clans have joined in as well. Some kind of coalition.” the Grand Dean added, as Alec’s face drained of color.

“Can you tell me the highest realm among the attackers, and how many of them are in that realm? And... from the way you’re talking, the attack is still ongoing which means the Gordons Clan hasn’t fallen yet.” Alec fired back instantly.

“I don’t know why you’re asking those questions, but I hope you won’t do what I’m thinking.” Old man Alfred’s voice hardened.

“Old man, I just need to know, if you don’t mind telling me.” Alec tried to laugh it off, forcing a chuckle, but the other Gordons present already looked like the blood had drained from their faces.

The news was hitting them harder than they wanted to admit. Who would ever want to hear their clan was under siege? Even those who weren’t Gordons turned toward them with sympathy in their eyes.

“If you insist... the highest realm present among the attackers is said to be Tier 8.” Alfred exhaled.

“But as for how many of them are in that realm in the attack force, I have no idea.”

This time, everyone except Alec sucked in a cold breath, the Gordons mages in particular felt their hearts sink, because the Gordons Clan didn’t have a Tier 8 mage.

Yes, there had been that time in the past, when they had seen the Patriarch clash with Tier 8 existences when the Third Elder was targeted, but that was then.

This time, they didn’t even know if their home could endure, and from everything they were hearing, the Gordons were heavily outnumbered, this caused Alec’s eyes to narrow as he was deeply thinking things through..

“With all this happening... There’s no way the capital doesn’t know a city force is being used for personal reasons to attack a clan that supports the city. So why haven’t the capital forces been deployed to stop this and end it?” Alec finally asked, voicing the question that had been drilling into him since the moment Alfred started speaking.

“Well, it’s simple. It seems someone from the royal clan is deliberately slowing the process, dragging it out as long as they can, while pretending they don’t know what’s happening.”

The moment old man Alfred said that, only one person came to Alec’s mind, the image flashed before him, and his blood ran hot with the urge to kill.

But there was no way he could murder the Northern Kingdom’s king and walk away scot-free.

So, for now, Alec forced himself to breathe. He swallowed the rage, shelved the thought, and focused on what he could actually control.