There was a long silence after Alex's cold declaration.
The kind of silence that lingered in the air like smoke after fire—heavy, bitter, final.
But Nyxara, ever the one to keep things moving, finally broke it.
"So… what's the plan?"
Alex turned to look at her. His gaze was calm now, too quiet. The kind of calm that only came after anger had settled into something colder. Something sharper.
"There is no plan this time," he said quietly.
Nyxara blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Unlike Khepri," Alex replied, his voice steady, "Cassius doesn't have a family."
Nyxara raised a brow. "That doesn't sound right. Doesn't he have an heir and seven kids?"
Alex shook his head slowly. "Not in the way that matters. Cassius never married. No bloodline heirs. No siblings that anyone's found."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"But… he does have something close."
Nyxara tilted her head, listening.
