The morning light filtered through the grand windows of the dining hall, casting a soft glow over the long banquet table.
Everyone was gathered—Hugo, Stella, Iris, Lena, Darius, and Ethan—all seated, waiting for breakfast.
But something was off.
The air felt… heavy.
The girls were silent, their expressions unusually subdued.
Hugo, as always, said nothing, his face unreadable.
Darius raised an eyebrow, looking between them. "Okay… what's with the mood?"
Ethan glanced at Lena, then Stella, then Iris. "Yeah, what happened? Did we miss something?"
The girls didn't answer.
Instead, they simply glanced toward Hugo—who didn't react, his eyes focused on the empty plate in front of him.
Before the boys could press further—
Reginald arrived, pushing in a grand serving cart.
"Good morning, Master Hugo. Honored guests," the ghostly butler greeted, his tone warm as ever.
With a graceful motion, he began setting the table, unveiling a feast of elegantly prepared dishes.
Crisp toast, fresh fruits, perfectly cooked meats, Arcana-infused tea—everything fit for royalty.
But Hugo barely even looked at the food.
Instead, he frowned slightly.
"...There's no ramen."
The table went silent.
Reginald, finishing his preparations, folded his hands behind his back. "Indeed, Master Hugo."
Hugo blinked. "Why?"
Reginald sighed softly. "Because, Master Hugo…"
He narrowed his glowing eyes slightly.
"You cannot survive on ramen alone."
Hugo stared at Reginald.
Reginald stared back.
The entire table was silent.
Then—Hugo crossed his arms.
"Ramen is a perfectly viable meal."
Reginald sighed. "Master Hugo—"
"It has everything you need." Hugo continued, his tone completely serious. "Broth for hydration. Noodles for energy. Protein from the toppings. Nutrients from the vegetables—"
Reginald raised an eyebrow. "Master Hugo, you don't even add vegetables to your ramen."
"That's beside the point."
The table remained dead silent as Hugo and Reginald locked into a battle of wills.
Then—
Darius suddenly burst out laughing.
"Oh, man. This is what breaks the silence?! No ramen?!"
Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "Not the deep, emotional tension—nope, it's the lack of ramen that gets him talking again."
Lena smirked. "Honestly? I should've seen this coming."
Even Iris giggled. "Classic Hugo~."
Hugo ignored them, still watching Reginald.
"...So there's no ramen?"
Reginald nodded firmly. "No, Master Hugo."
Hugo exhaled sharply.
"Then I'm eating toast."
Without another word, he grabbed a slice of toast and started eating, his entire demeanor resembling someone who had just lost a great battle.
Darius was still laughing. "Man, I love this team."
Ethan grinned. "Alright, now that we're talking again—what exactly happened last night?"
The table went quiet again.
Lena, Iris, and Stella all glanced at Hugo.
And just like that—the mood shifted once more.
Darius, still grinning from the ramen debate, leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.
"Alright, Boss. Jokes aside," he said, his tone more serious now. "What actually happened last night?"
The room went silent again.
Hugo didn't answer immediately. He simply set down his toast, exhaled, and finally spoke.
"You remember what I told you about Eclipse Mode and my mental block, right?"
Darius and Ethan both nodded.
"Yeah," Ethan said. "You said you can't use it because something's holding you back."
Hugo gave a slight nod. "I was trying to overcome it last night."
Darius raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Hugo's gaze lowered slightly. "I failed."
No emotion. No frustration. Just a matter-of-fact statement.
Ethan frowned. "Wait… So that's why you've been quiet all morning?"
Hugo nodded. "That's it."
He then glanced toward Lena, Stella, and Iris, genuinely confused.
"But I don't know why they're quiet."
At that, the three girls froze.
Iris blinked. "Huh?"
Lena rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh…"
Stella looked away, sipping her tea.
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Okay… what aren't you guys saying?"
Darius smirked. "Yeah. Spill it."
The table went tense.
And for the first time since last night—
The real conversation was about to begin.
Iris stretched slightly, exhaling. "Fine, I'll say it."
She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "We saw you last night, Hugo."
Hugo raised an eyebrow. "You saw?"
Iris nodded. "Yep. Saw the whole thing from the window."
Lena smirked. "Well, technically, we were spying."
Stella sighed. "Don't say it like that."
Iris ignored her, tapping a finger on the table. "You kept trying to activate Eclipse Mode, and every time you got close, it fell apart. Then, after that last attempt… you just fell to your knees."
Darius and Ethan exchanged a look.
Iris continued, her voice softer than usual. "And then… you took out a harmonica and started playing."
At that, Darius and Ethan both froze.
Ethan blinked. "Wait. The harmonica?"
Darius leaned forward. "Was it about Mina?"
Stella's head snapped toward them.
Her golden eyes widened. "Wait—you two know about Mina?"
Lena also raised an eyebrow, now interested.
Ethan nodded slowly. "Yeah… Hugo told us about her."
Stella stared at them. "When?!"
Darius crossed his arms. "Back at the museum. When we found that old painting of him and her."
Stella turned toward Hugo, her expression unreadable.
"You told them?"
Hugo, as always, remained calm.
"Yeah," he said simply. "I did."
Stella kept looking at him, something uncertain in her eyes.
"Why?" she asked.
Hugo looked down at his plate, tapping a finger against the table once before answering.
"They asked."
Silence fell over the dining hall.
For once, no one knew what to say.
The dining hall was dead silent.
Stella was still watching Hugo, her expression unreadable.
Darius and Ethan waited, sensing the tension.
Lena and Iris exchanged a glance, neither saying anything.
Then—
Hugo finally broke the silence.
"Forget about it."
His voice was calm, but firm.
The weight of last night, the harmonica, Mina, everything— he wasn't going to talk about it any further.
"Right now, we have more important things to focus on."
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.
"Our mission is to infiltrate the Dominion's base. Find evidence that they're preparing for war. And if possible…"
His white eyes narrowed slightly.
"Destroy the Perfect Life Form relic before they can weaponize it."
The room shifted.
The personal tension from before was suddenly replaced with the weight of their actual mission.
Lena sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "Well. That's one way to change the subject."
Ethan leaned forward. "So, what's the plan? How are we getting in?"
Hugo's expression remained unreadable.
"We finish eating. Then we prepare."
Silence.
Then Darius smirked, grabbing a piece of toast.
"Now that's the Boss I know."
The mission was set.
And soon—the infiltration would begin.