CHAPTER 44: [POACHED]

"Kai!"

Mio’s voice cut through the low hum of the lounge, making Kairo glance up from his phone.

He was sprawled against the edge of the Twilight Guild’s pool table, one leg bent, the other foot resting on the floor.

The guild’s lounge was quiet for once—dim lighting, a muted holo-screen in the corner, the soft rhythm of Zaira’s breathing from where she and Mel were dozing on the couches.

Kairo slid his phone into his pocket with a sharp movement, pushing himself off the table.

"This better be important," he muttered, running a hand over his face.

’I still haven’t rested properly and the media are blowing up my phone.’

"Oh, it definitely is."

Mio was already striding toward him, E-pad in hand, his tone carrying a mix of smugness and hesitation. He tapped the screen, and the display shifted to a profile—name, stats, image.

Elione Noa Ahn.

"You found more information on him?" Kairo’s eyes narrowed, voice flat but sharper now.

Mio nodded, though his gaze flickered with uncertainty. "I did."

"You don’t seem sure."

"Well... it’s hmm..." Mio’s fingers danced across the screen until the display filled with video thumbnails. "Look, I pulled some strings when I found out he lived in Aureum Gold."

Kairo raised a hand, stopping him mid-scroll. "Wait. Tell me more about him first. Why are you heading straight to where he lives?"

"Oh—right, sorry." Mio cleared his throat. "As I assumed, since his surname, Ahn, isn’t common—and we know only a few Ahns—it made sense. I was correct: he’s the son of Noah Ahn."

Kairo’s brows rose slightly, but only slightly. "The Noah Ahn."

"That one," Mio confirmed.

"So, he’s rich," Kairo said, and the statement wasn’t a question. The connection explained the Aureum Gold address.

"Is that why he’s only Freelancing?"

Mio shook his head. "No. Well, yes. As you probably saw on SnapTok, he’s a beauty vlogger. According to intel—and one of his own videos—he doesn’t like being a hunter at all. But since he’s a B-Class with a solid support ability, he got pushed into it. His father... pulled strings so he could just register as a Freelancer. In dungeons, he stays away from battle."

Kairo frowned slightly. "Seriously? That doesn’t sound like him."

Elione seemed very enthusiastic when helping Kairo fight the ogres, even went out of his way to instruct Kairo.

’He could’ve left me there and ran, but he stayed.’

Though, maybe Kairo’s assumption was right and Elione was suicidal.

"I know, right? Totally different from the guy you fought alongside." Mio leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Not only that, but according to deeper intel, he’s... very bratty."

"Very bratty?"

"Yeah," Mio said, nodding emphatically. "Picks fights when things don’t go his way, throws tantrums, completely spoiled. His parents enable it—he’s their only kid. They never say no to him. Typical rich kid story."

The description didn’t line up with the calm, quick-thinking support Kairo had in the ogre raid.

Unless... that had just been a fluke.

Still, something didn’t fit.

"Alright," Kairo said, crossing his arms, "then what were you going to show me from Aureum Gold?"

Mio’s eyes lit up. "Oh! Yes. I’ve got a good friend who works there and owes me a favor. I asked for Elione’s penthouse info, maybe so we could... you know, pay him a visit. But then..." He hesitated, swiping to a new screen. "...my friend sent me something else."

Kairo’s gaze sharpened. "What else?"

"CCTV footage."

Kairo’s arms uncrossed slightly, suspicion flickering in his expression. "Why would you ask for that?"

"I didn’t," Mio said quickly, stepping back with both hands raised in mock surrender. "Originally, I just asked for the unit number. But my friend—he’s in security—he suddenly called me and sent this. He said I’d... want to see it."

Mio tapped play. "And trust me... you will."

Kairo’s attention fixed on the grainy CCTV footage. The timestamp and hallway layout confirmed it—this was outside a penthouse. Elione’s penthouse.

Two delivery workers stood at the door, one male, one female.

Their caps were pulled low, posture casual, but their backs were to the camera, faces hidden.

The door opened.

’It’s him.’

Elione stepped into frame, framed by the warm light spilling from inside.

His body language was relaxed at first, a polite exchange passing between him and the pair.

Kairo’s eyes tracked every subtle movement, watched Elione’s facial expressions.

Then, Kairo realized something.

Something was off.

"Hold on." His voice cut through the quiet. "If they’re delivering something, why aren’t they holding anything?"

Mio didn’t answer—only tapped the edge of the screen, urging him to keep watching.

On the footage, Elione’s lips shaped the words:

"Where’s the delivery?"

And then it happened.

His expression faltered—eyes widening, shoulders tensing—before he began to pivot back toward the safety of his penthouse.

Kairo leaned forward, the unease in his gut sharpening. "Wait, don’t tell me—"

The male delivery worker moved with practiced precision.

A swift, fluid step forward, a sharp strike to the base of Elione’s neck.

Elione crumpled instantly, limbs slack.

The man caught him effortlessly, hoisting him into his arms like carrying something fragile. Not a word was exchanged as they turned and walked out of frame, leaving only the empty hallway.

Kairo’s jaw clenched, the muscle twitching. "He got kidnapped? Why... why are you only showing me this now? Shouldn’t we be reporting this? Shouldn’t your friend have—"

"That’s what I thought too," Mio cut in, his tone darkening, "but apparently his supervisor told him to delete all the footage. This was all he could save."

Kairo’s eyes narrowed. "It’s an inside job?"

"Nope, and you’re going to be even more surprised." Mio’s fingers moved in quick, deliberate swipes across the E-pad, the pale blue glow carving shadows into the sharp lines of his face. "I had him pull the recordings from a few minutes before the ’delivery people’ arrived. Just in case there was a lead."

’He’s being awfully calm about this considering we just watched someone get kidnapped.’

"And?"

Instead of answering, Mio tapped play.

The footage shifted—now showing the grand lobby of Aureum Gold. Gleaming marble floors reflected the afternoon light streaming in through the glass facade.

The revolving door spun lazily as residents and guests came and went, their movements slightly blurred by the camera’s fixed frame.

Kairo’s gaze sharpened. He scanned for patterns—a pair moving together, someone matching the delivery workers’ build, maybe even a flash of a uniform. But nothing stood out. No matching caps, no bulky packages, no suspicious glances toward the camera.

"What exactly am I looking at?" Kairo asked, a hint of impatience creeping into his voice.

"Shh. Keep watching. You’ll know the second you see them," Mio muttered, eyes locked on the screen.

Kairo’s jaw tightened. He hated the guessing game. He wanted names, not suspense. But then—

He froze.

No... His eyes narrowed, tracking the frame carefully as two very familiar figures entered through the sliding glass doors.

"Isn’t that..."

Mio’s head tilted, his expression grim. "Can’t mistake those faces anywhere. And I already confirmed with Mel—they shouldn’t be anywhere near Aureum Gold, nor would they have any reason to be there."

The footage was clear. Jabby and Punzo.

Members of Lion’s Fang.

Specifically, Caelen’s team.

They strolled in casually, like they belonged there—hands in pockets, chatting idly, dressed in civilian clothes that blended in with the upscale lobby. No delivery uniforms. No urgency. Just... casual entry.

Kairo’s stare hardened, following them until the camera’s angle lost them down the hall.

"Their heights match the delivery pair," Mio continued. "And here’s the kicker—there’s no footage of them leaving. Not through the front. Not through the service exit. Nowhere."

"So either they stayed inside..."

"Or they kidnapped Elione and erased their tracks," Kairo finished, voice low and edged.

Mio gave a slow, knowing nod. "Exactly. And knowing Caelen..."

The silence that followed was heavy, both of them aware of the implication before Mio finally said, with tired finality—

This was exactly the kind of thing he would do.

And that also meant another thing.

Kairo’s jaw clenched as he dragged a hand down his face, covering his eyes for a moment like he could block out the irritation gnawing at him.

’I showed too much of an interest.’

It wasn’t that he was interested in Elione. No—that wasn’t it.

He was... curious.

Elione wasn’t just another B-Class with a flashy support skill. He was sharp, quick to adapt, and, whether Kairo wanted to admit it or not, the reason the ogre battle hadn’t ended with his body in pieces.

From a leader’s perspective, from a hunter’s perspective, someone like Elione was a valuable asset. An asset worth keeping close.

Especially now, when monsters were starting to appear stronger, faster, and far more unpredictable.

Only a fool would ignore that kind of potential.

And Kairo knew Caelen wasn’t a fool.

No, Caelen was a vulture—waiting for the slightest hint of weakness or opportunity.

Kairo should’ve expected this. The moment he’d shown even the faintest flicker of interest, Caelen would make his move. He’d done it before. He’d do it again. And this time, Elione was the prize.

"What do you want to do?" Mio asked, his tone carefully neutral.

Normally, Kairo’s answer would have been simple: nothing.

He didn’t waste time on Caelen’s petty games, on that man’s obsessive need to one-up him in everything. Normally, it wasn’t worth the effort.

But this wasn’t normal.

Kairo had faced something in that dungeon that made his pulse spike even now—the first real taste of death he’d ever had. And Elione had been the difference between him breathing and him bleeding out on the floor.

And Kairo had no intention of letting himself be that vulnerable again.

So, as much as every instinct told him to walk away, he wouldn’t.

"Gather as much information as you can—where that hunter is now, what Caelen’s doing with him. I am not letting Caelen steal a potential member for Twilight’s guild."

Mio’s eyes widened in surprise, but a slow grin spread across his face. "Aye aye, captain."

"And wake Zaira and Mel. Tell Mel to call his sister."

Mio blinked, his grin turning sly. "Damn. You’re really serious about this if you’re asking Mel to contact her."

Kairo didn’t answer, but the edge in his gaze said enough.

’I’m not letting Caelen win this time.’

Not with this.