Silence.
Xylia froze completely.
"…What?"
"Chelsea said armed men attacked near the university district an hour ago." Simon's expression hardened. "Liliana disappeared during the chaos."
"No…"
Fear instantly flooded Xylia's chest.
Liliana was one of her closest friends. A sweet and gentle girl.
Completely defenseless against people like the Syndicate.
Xylia's breathing became uneven.
"They took her…"
Aciel immediately grabbed her wrist gently.
"Calm down."
"But what if—"
"We'll find her."
His firm voice cut through her panic instantly.
"How about my mother?"
"Don't worry about her. Lucien sent his men to protect her."
That calmed her down a bit.
Simon glanced toward Aciel through the mirror.
"There's more."
The atmosphere grew heavier again.
"The Syndicate left something at the scene. Chelsea sent this image."
Aciel's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"What?"
Simon slowly handed his phone toward Aciel.
