"Captain always used to say you would be the one to sit in this chair," Kael said, his voice low, tinged with nostalgia. "I never thought the day would actually come."
Cain leaned back, letting out a dry chuckle. "Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are. I never saw myself here. But... here I am."
Cain's expression turned sharper as he leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "Now tell me, Kael. What is it that made you call for me personally?"
Kael met his gaze steadily, his usual casual demeanor replaced with quiet intensity.
Meanwhile, in the mansion's expansive training ground, Zarek's sweat dripped steadily onto the dirt below, his body glistening under the afternoon sun. The ground, encircled by towering trees, was filled with the echoes of his intense workout. Holding a massive boulder above his head, as if it were no more than a golf ball on a tee, he pushed himself to his limits.
