Chapter eighteen: The Blind Insight
Later, as the sun rose and stretched its mighty light across the world, a mountain cast an ordinary shadow—ordinary enough to hide the greatest illusion of all. Behind it, a forest stood perfectly natural, untouched, unsuspecting.
No one would guess that beneath its roots lay the hidden facility of The True Seers.
No one… except those meant to enter it.
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Inside the grand meeting hall, Tiflos and Noor stepped in—wearing their official uniforms, torn and dirtied, the scars of battle etched across their forms.
Tiflos, with his black hair streaked increasingly with white, dried blood and mud on his clothes, and those silver eyes—calm, yet empty with exhaustion.
Noor followed, her beauty still unmistakable despite dirt, fatigue, and shredded attire.
In this luxurious chamber, the two sat across from Cain.
"Do you know why I called you here specifically?" Cain asked, his gaze sliding between them.
"Because we were available? Or you want to test us?" Tiflos guessed.
"No," Cain said quietly, almost with tenderness. "Because the two of you are the purest among us. In a world drowning in treachery… you are the candles meant to shine through the dark."
Noor didn't fully buy his words, yet his delivery was persuasive. "So what do you want from us now?"
Cain smiled faintly, as though waiting for that question.
"I want you both in the Insight Squad… our special operations unit."
"But we heard they're an assassination squad," Tiflos responded cautiously.
Cain chuckled. "Their mission isn't killing—it's protection. Protecting the weak from monsters like Nathan."
He added softly, "And by now, you've learned how cruel our world truly is."
Then came a smile—warm, fatherly. "Eliminating someone who threatens innocent lives… isn't that simply self-defense?"
Tiflos and Noor exchanged looks.
Cain didn't wait for their response.
"Sometimes, to save a hundred… you must remove the one who will kill them all."
"The Insight Squad isn't just a military unit," he continued. "It's a family. A family that protects its own—and the innocent too."
"And how many 'families' have died in the name of that protection?" Noor asked sharply.
Cain didn't flinch. In fact, he welcomed the question. Doubt always preceded surrender.
"In war, soldiers die," he said gently. "But they die for a noble cause."
Then he turned his full attention to Tiflos—the easier prey.
"And Orion…" he said thoughtfully. "I expect he'll join the squad as well. So, Tiflos… will you join? Or should I let Orion take your place?"
Cold. Calculated.
Not an offer—an ultimatum wrapped in false concern.
Tiflos understood instantly.
Orion didn't need to want it—Cain was saying join, or I'll push your brother into this world instead.
Tiflos lowered his gaze. "Yes… then I'll… join the squad."
Cain nodded, satisfied, then shifted to Noor—now easier to corner.
"And you, Noor? Will you join him… or withdraw?"
Noor looked at Tiflos. She saw the silent pressure, the hidden threat buried in Cain's gentle words. Then she looked at Cain directly.
"We'll both join… but on our terms."
"Of course," Cain replied with the same secretive smile. "Welcome to the Insight Squad."
But Noor wasn't done.
"First—we won't kill unless absolutely necessary," Noor declared.
She glanced at Tiflos. "And Orion will not enter this squad."
Cain's expression didn't even ripple. As if he had contingencies for every word.
"Certainly," he said smoothly. "I have no desire to send Orion into danger. I never encourage killing. I want us to repair this world… to cleanse it of corruption."
He straightened in his seat, folding his hands calmly.
"As for killing—if it's unnecessary, then it's pointless. But if the situation demands it… then it is simply the cost of justice."
Tiflos added firmly:
"And we won't go on any mission unless we know its purpose. We're not your tools, Cain."
Cain smiled again—warm, reassuring, and utterly unreadable.
"Don't worry, Tiflos. You will never do anything except by your own choice."
But beneath that smile… countless truths lay hidden.
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