CHAPTER 31: [RIVALRY]

The tension between the four hunters was palpable—an invisible wall of rivalry thick in the air like the charged hum before a storm.

’I haven’t rested well enough for this.’ Kairo thought, exhaling softly as he turned his head, refusing to meet Caelen’s gaze. The smug bastard was clearly baiting him, eyes sharp with amusement.

Mio, however, was still full of energy, like he had slept through the whole meeting instead of sitting through it.

"Taunting Kai again just because our guild master isn’t here, Caelen?" Mio said, voice dripping with sarcasm as he crossed his arms. "You should really tell your fangirls how obsessed you are with our captain. It’s giving creep."

"Ha! At least we don’t hide behind our guild master all the damn time," Arman barked a laugh, stepping forward like he was ready to fight right there in the hallway. "And who are you calling a creep? You’re talking to the number one S-Class hunter, bud."

"A spot which he shares with Kairo, now doesn’t he?" Mio snapped back, tone turning icy.

Kairo finally sighed and crossed his arms. "Mio. That’s enough."

"What? Afraid of a little rival spat, Kairo?" Caelen drawled, his smirk never leaving.

"No," Kairo replied flatly, "you’re just not worth the trouble."

Arman let out an exaggerated "Ooh," while Caelen only laughed lowly, eyes gleaming with something sharp.

"Well, I guess you are pretty tired, aren’t you?" Caelen said with faux sympathy. "Overusing your ability... nearly dying more than once if it weren’t for that little hunter glued to your side. What was his name again?"

He tilted his head, voice laced with mock curiosity.

"Elione Ahn?"

Kairo’s finger twitched slightly at the name.

Caelen caught it.

"You seemed very interested in knowing his name," Caelen continued, strolling toward them, eyes alight with mischief. "Saw Mio here jot it down the second you heard it. That B-Class really made an impression."

He paused, gaze sharpening. "He practically saved your ass multiple times. No shame in that."

’Fuck you.’ Kairo bit back the urge to say it, jaw tightening. Caelen wanted him to snap. It was obvious.

Mio, for once, had gone quiet. He side-eyed Kairo, sensing something he hadn’t been told. Kairo hadn’t said anything about nearly dying. But Mio was no idiot—he’d seen the video.

Caelen wasn’t lying.

"Being able to detect danger...?" Caelen mused. "It almost looked like he was giving you full instructions during the fight. Telling you exactly what to do. Interesting, isn’t it?"

His smirk deepened. "I’m quite curious about him myself."

"You—" Kairo took a step forward, voice low, but before the words could leave his mouth, a familiar voice cut through.

"Kairo. Mio. Let’s go back to the guild."

Samantha.

She walked toward them with purpose, her eyes briefly scanning over Caelen and Arman, who immediately straightened.

"Nice work today, Guild Master Samantha," Caelen said smoothly, his voice polite even as his lips curled with that infuriating smile.

Samantha gave him a thin, professional nod. "You as well," she replied coldly, her tone clipped, as she gestured for Kairo and Mio to follow.

Kairo didn’t hesitate.

He turned, walking away from the hallway confrontation without another word. Mio followed beside him, though not without throwing Arman a mock salute as they left.

Arman simply waved in return, expression gleeful, while Caelen watched them go, smirk never fading.

As they turned the corner and left them behind, Kairo leaned closer to Mio, his voice dropping low.

"Find Elione Ahn. Contact him immediately."

Mio, already holding a sleek black tablet, didn’t even look up. "Already on it."

Kairo said nothing more.

But inside, he knew.

He wasn’t the only one interested in Elione Ahn anymore.

And if Caelen was serious about it—

That meant things were about to get complicated.

Because one thing Caelen hated about besides Kairo...

Was losing to Kairo.

▒▓ ▀▄█ ⚠ ▄█▀ ▓▒

"What are you planning now, Caelen?"

The question came calmly, but with a sharpness only years of familiarity could shape.

Caelen turned his head slightly, eyes still fixed on the passing skyline outside the tinted window. They were inside their guild master’s sleek, obsidian-black car—luxurious and customized, the kind of vehicle that exuded wealth and dominance on the road. The low hum of the engine barely masked the weight of unspoken tension.

The voice belonged to none other than Zacharias, the guild master of Lion’s Fang. He was behind the wheel, glancing at Caelen through the rearview mirror with a gaze that was half suspicion, half weary expectation.

Arman, seated beside Caelen in the backseat, turned his head toward him too, an eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Why on Aerth would you assume I have something planned, Guild Master?" Caelen replied innocently, lips curving into a faint smile as he leaned his cheek against his knuckles, elbow perched on the window. "I’m offended. Here I am, just peacefully admiring the view, and you slander me like that—"

"Cut the crap," Zacharias said with a grunt, eyes still on the road. "You’ve got that look again. The smug, ’I’m going to piss Twilight Guild off’ look."

Caelen chuckled softly under his breath.

"Oh?" Arman joined in, interest piqued. "Does this involve that hunter... Elione?"

"Elione?" Zacharias repeated, brow furrowing as he glanced briefly at them. "That hunter who was with Kairo? What do you want with him?"

Caelen didn’t answer—at least not right away. Instead, he smirked to himself, as if the timing had been perfectly orchestrated by the universe.

Right on cue, his phone buzzed on his lap.

The caller ID lit up.

Punzo.

Caelen’s smirk deepened.

He answered the call and hit speaker.

"Hey," he greeted lazily.

"Caelen," Punzo’s voice rang out, crackling slightly over the speaker. "I just want to confirm this text message you sent me."

Arman blinked, leaning forward with curiosity. Even Zacharias shot a glance toward the phone.

"Which one?" Caelen asked innocently.

"The one where you told me to get Jabby, find a hunter named Elione Ahn, and kidnap him?" Punzo’s tone was filled with confused disbelief. "Did this guy do something to you, or are you just going off the deep end? Why are we kidnapping some random hunter?"

Silence.

Arman’s eyebrows shot up. "You what?"

Even Zacharias’ jaw tightened slightly as he processed it.

"You’ll see," Caelen said simply, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Just do it. I expect him at the guild by tonight."

"But—"

Caelen ended the call before the protest could continue. He slipped the phone back into his pocket with ease, then leaned back in his seat, arms crossing loosely over his chest.

He looked to Zacharias in the rearview mirror and smiled.

"Does that answer your question?"

Zacharias exhaled long through his nose, shaking his head. "That poor innocent boy."

Arman laughed under his breath. "You crazy psycho."

Neither of them said more.

Because despite the ridiculousness of the plan—despite how bold, how unhinged it sounded—none of them argued.

Because Caelen never took no for an answer.