"Go on."
---
And so Kai began explaining.
The forest.
Meeting Lee.
The monster.
Yggdrasil.
The prison.
The demon attack.
The cultists.
The coup.
Everything.
Alice listened surprisingly carefully.
She stopped joking.
Stopped smiling.
Stopped interrupting.
When Kai mentioned the demon attack beneath Yggdrasil, her expression became noticeably more serious.
A few minutes later Raj returned carrying several plates.
Andre's eyes immediately lit up.
The others barely had time to thank her before he started eating.
Raj sat beside Alice.
Then glanced toward Kai.
"Continue."
Kai did.
He explained how Akshay had been framed.
How cultists had infiltrated Yggdrasil.
How a mysterious organization seemed to be operating behind the scenes.
How they were sent here carrying a letter.
By the time he finished, Andre had already consumed enough food to bankrupt a small business.
Silence settled over the table.
Alice tapped a finger against the wooden surface.
"A secret organization."
"That's what Akshay believes."
"And you're here to deliver a letter to the Queen?"
Kai nodded.
"Yeah."
Raj suddenly opened her mouth.
"Alice, that's literally—"
Alice's hand immediately covered it.
Raj's muffled protests filled the room.
Alice smiled.
"If you finish that sentence, I won't pay."
Raj froze.
The anger vanished instantly.
She sat back down.
Visibly furious.
But silent.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
That was suspicious.
Very suspicious.