Published at 28th of December 2025 7:57 am

Chapter 1657: A Tough Decsion

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The sun had risen, casting its early light across the city, and Lupus, along with the other two, had finally managed to get some sleep. Their rest was brief, shallow, and filled with unease, but when morning arrived, Kai had immediately summoned the three of them onto the rooftop. He wanted them together the very moment they woke.

Kai had insisted they sleep precisely because he could feel that something significant was unfolding. Ever since Bluebird’s return late last night, an unmistakable tension had settled over the entire city. Through his night-time investigations, Kai had sensed a commotion, subtle, yet simmering, within the Red Wing Kingdom. But he hadn’t been able to investigate deeply without exposing himself.

So the only real source of truth he had was Lupus. He needed to hear, word for word, what had happened. And beneath that, Kai had noticed the biggest detail of all: Lilly had come back alive. Based on everything they had learned, everything they knew about how events were supposed to play out, Kai was certain, if he were a betting man, that Lilly was meant to die that night.

And yet... she hadn’t.

So once Lupus finished recounting the events, Kai couldn’t hold himself back any longer.

“Do you realise what you might have done?” Kai said, his voice sharp and unrestrained. “The whole point of the system sending us here is so we witness things as they’re meant to happen. But you directly interfered with a grand event!”

Lupus clenched his jaw. “And what if you’re wrong? What if I just stood there and let her die? This feels real, Kai. This world might be just as real as ours.”

“And what if it is real?” Kai shot back. “Then you may have changed a real event that ripples into our world. And if this world isn’t real, if it’s the type of place created for the system’s quest, then we might never see the event we’re meant to see. We could be trapped here forever.”

Kai’s expression hardened. “Whatever the truth is, the conclusion is the same. We are not meant to be here. So the best thing, the only smart thing, is to do nothing.”

He turned to Gary, expecting support, expecting the voice of reason. But Gary simply crossed his arms and replied in a calm, honest tone.

“I think it’s easier said than done. Honestly, if I were in Lupus’s position, I think I would’ve done the same thing. So no, I’m not blaming him. If anything...” Gary gave a small nod, “I’m proud of him.”

At the end of the day, Lupus was part of his family. Gary had spent so long doubting whether Lupus’s intentions were genuine, whether he truly meant it when he said he didn’t want to fight Gary or harm his father. But Lupus’s actions last night? They were proof enough.

Even Kai couldn’t argue any further. What was done was done. They couldn’t rewind time, and no amount of scolding would undo Lupus’s choice. So eventually, Kai crossed his arms and held his tongue. The event had passed. Whatever consequences were coming... they were already on their way.

Later that afternoon, Jack was called to the main castle for a private meeting, one that included only himself and Bluebird.

“I called you here because I wanted to ask what you think we should do,” Bluebird said. “From the reports I’ve gathered, whatever this... thing is, it hasn’t spread outside the area. No one in the other cities or on the council has heard anything about it.”

He ran a tired hand across his forehead.

“If another disaster is truly spreading across Bronzeland, even mentioning it could cause panic. It could make things far worse, especially if this ends up being a small matter.”

The pressure weighing on Bluebird was enormous. His position meant that the slightest misjudgment could send the entire kingdom into chaos. The headache he carried was obvious.

“You captured two of them and brought them back,” Jack said. “Did the mages figure anything out? A cure, a solution, anything?”

Bluebird shook his head.

“No. For a while, they were in a crazed state, completely unresponsive. But through testing, the mages discovered one thing, they were after something. And that something was blood.”

Jack felt his stomach tighten, but he let Bluebird continue.

“We fed them some. Carefully, in controlled amounts. And the craving stopped. Their minds came back, temporarily. But when we asked them what happened, they couldn’t remember a thing. Not who turned them, not how they ended up like this, nothing.”

Bluebird sighed heavily.

“And even then, when taken outside, the sun still burned their skin. The mages say that means the infection is still in their bodies. So they’re tied up for now, under observation, until we know whether they’ll revert.”

Jack already knew the truth. He had lived with Lilly’s condition long enough to understand exactly how this would end. Whether he said it or not, he already knew there was no cure, not the kind Bluebird hoped for.

But instead of breaking that news, Jack stepped forward.

“I don’t know how to cure them,” Jack said quietly. “But I think I know the reason behind this, and a way to stop it. I’m afraid I’m going to need your help... because I don’t know if I can do what needs to be done with my own hands.”

He lifted his head, his eyes firm yet filled with pain.

“Bluebird... will you help me fight against Steve and his pack?”

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