Chapter 216: [MENTAL WARFARE]

“How brazen,” Caelen said with a soft chuckle. “Didn’t I make it clear? Don’t you see what’s around you?” His gaze swept the park lazily. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to make this serpent show its—”

“And?” Eli cut in, lifting his chin to meet Caelen’s eyes.

Caelen paused. “And? Don’t you see how dangerous—”

“No matter how arrogant you are,” Eli interrupted again, his voice tight but steady, “I’m sure you’re not so evil as to let these children get hurt, Caelen.”

His free hand trembled as it grabbed the front of Caelen’s shirt, fingers curling into the fabric as he pulled him closer.

“Don’t think I’m as stupid as the others,” Eli continued, narrowing his eyes, “someone who’d fall for a trick as cheap as this.”

Silence fell between them.

Caelen didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

And all the while, Eli was shaking inside.

Cold sweat gathered at the back of his neck despite the winter air, his heart thudding painfully against his ribs.

’Please work. Please work.’

Eli was willing to cooperate—he had been from the start. But not here. Not where anyone could overhear. Not where a single mistake could expose everything.

He didn’t want anyone else to know.

Didn’t want anyone else to see.

Wormy was dangerously close to lashing out; Eli could feel it, coiled tight beneath his skin, furious and protective. It was honestly a miracle Wormy hadn’t attacked Caelen already.

Then—

Caelen’s gaze sharpened.

And slowly, a smile crept onto his lips.

’He’s smiling again.’

The sight sent a chill through Eli. How could he still smile at a time like this?

“Alright,” Caelen said at last. “Fine.”

Eli’s eyes widened when Caelen released his wrist. The sudden absence of pressure almost made him stumble. Instead of restraining him again, Caelen reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys, letting them jingle softly.

“I should’ve known a ’cheap trick’ wouldn’t work on you,” Caelen added casually. “Still, it was worth the attempt.”

He tilted his head toward the path leading out of the park. “Come on.”

Eli stared at him, dumbfounded.

It had worked.

He knew it would—but not like this.

He’d expected resistance. An argument. Something. Anything.

Caelen’s cooperation brought a rush of relief… followed immediately by unease.

’Something’s off. He shouldn’t be this easy.’

Still, Eli followed, keeping his steps light as he walked behind Caelen. His fingers brushed over his wrist, discreetly stroking Wormy in slow, careful motions, urging him to calm down.

’It’s okay. Just a little longer,’ he whispered silently.

“Oh, and Eli?”

“Yes…?” Eli answered, lifting his head as Caelen glanced back at him.

“Since we’ll be going to your condo,” Caelen said pleasantly, “if you don’t cooperate and give me information about that SS-Class—”

His golden eyes gleamed.

“I’ll kill you myself,” he continued, voice calm, almost bored, “and make it look like a suicide.”

Eli stopped.

His body went rigid.

The world seemed to go quiet as a cold shiver slid down his spine, settling deep in his bones.

’Psychopathic bastard.’

▒▓ ▀▄█ ⚠ ▄█▀ ▓▒

The car ride was quiet.

Painfully so.

No music. No idle conversation. Just the muted hum of the engine and the weight of everything left unsaid pressing down on Eli’s chest. He stared out the window, but he wasn’t really seeing anything.

His mind was already spiraling.

He kept replaying the same questions over and over—how he was supposed to explain this to Caelen. How he could possibly make him understand why Eli had chosen to hide an SS-Class serpent. Why he had protected it. Why he hadn’t reported it.

And worse—

How Wormy was still alive in the first place.

Eli didn’t even have a proper answer for that himself. The only explanation he could come up with was the simplest one.

Wormy was just… too strong.

Strong enough to survive. Strong enough to adapt. Strong enough to stay hidden.

Caelen remained silent beside him, eyes forward, posture relaxed. Too relaxed. Eli was certain that silence wasn’t calm—it was calculation.

’I pride myself on being smart,’ Eli admitted bitterly. ’But Caelen…’

Caelen wasn’t just intelligent.

He was a wicked genius. Someone driven by obsession. By rivalry. By the need to always be better—especially better than Kairo.

This wasn’t just an interrogation.

It was a game of wits.

And Eli was sitting across the board from someone who had been playing far longer than he had.

Still, as terrifying as Caelen was, Eli knew one thing.

Caelen wouldn’t kill him.

Not like this.

Not when he was still Elione Noa Ahn—the son of one of the richest families in Korenea. Too many eyes. Too many consequences. Caelen might be insane, but he wasn’t careless.

…Probably.

’But if he is that insane,’ Eli thought grimly, ’then I need a way out.’

An escape.

Or at the very least—

If he died here, he needed to make sure the world knew it wasn’t suicide.

The car slowed to a stop.

Aureum Gold.

Caelen parked in the underground lot, and neither of them spoke as they got out. Their footsteps echoed softly as they headed toward the entrance, side by side but worlds apart.

Eli’s nerves spiked.

He glanced around carefully, cataloging everything. The CCTVs mounted on the walls. The angle. The lighting. He made sure his face was clearly visible, unmistakable.

Then he looked toward the receptionist.

Carmen smiled the moment she saw him.

Eli returned it easily. “Good evening, Carmen!” he said brightly as they walked toward the elevators.

“Good evening, Sir Ahn,” she replied warmly—then her gaze flicked to Caelen, curiosity clear on her face.

“It’s Caelen,” Eli said smoothly as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside.

“Sir Caelen,” Carmen corrected herself quickly, bowing slightly and waving as the doors slid shut.

Eli exhaled quietly.

’Good,’ he thought. ’Now someone knows I was with Caelen. And my face was clearly caught on CCTV.’

If anything happened—

There would be proof.

“That’s smart.”

Eli lifted his head at Caelen’s voice.

Caelen was staring straight ahead, his expression unreadable, not even sparing Eli a glance.

“Huh?”

“You’re making sure there’s evidence I was with you,” Caelen said calmly. “In case you die.”

Eli blinked.

Of course he knew.

He hadn’t expected anything less.

“I can’t afford to be careless,” Eli replied after a beat. “Not with you.”

Caelen’s lips curved slightly. “Does that mean you won’t be cooperative?”

“I’ll cooperate,” Eli said, steadying his voice. “But there’s no assurance you won’t try anything.”

A soft chuckle left Caelen’s throat. “I don’t know whether I should be impressed or offended, sweetheart.”

“Both,” Eli answered without hesitation.

The elevator chimed, signaling their arrival at the penthouse floor. Eli drew in a slow, measured breath, forcing his shoulders to relax.

“Let’s go in, then.”

The doors slid open.

Caelen stepped aside and gestured politely. “After you.”

“Thank you,” Eli said, his tone tight despite the courtesy.

He walked out first, every step deliberate.

Eli didn’t know what would happen once he told Caelen part of the truth. Didn’t know how much he could reveal before the situation spiraled out of control.

But one thing was certain—

He wasn’t going down quietly.

’Let the mental warfare begin.’

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