Third-person POV: The soldiers who had attacked Thora stared at each other in shock. Their faces went pale as they realized things hadn't gone the way they expected. All of them turned their eyes toward the upper platform. Soon, two soldiers dragged the sniper down the stairs. A faint, cold smile tugged at the corner of Thora's lips. She flicked her thumb. The handgun in her palm shifted into a bracelet that clicked neatly around her wrist. At the same time, Hugo—who had been watching her from the monitoring room—rushed onto the scene. He marched straight up to Thora, anger burning in his eyes. "Why did you kill him?! Do you have any idea who they are? They're soldiers who serve the empire and protect every werewolf in this nation!" His voice was sharp and forceful, full of disappointment and anger. But Thora stayed perfectly calm. Hugo's fury didn't scare her at all. This was their first real face-to-face meeting, so she took a moment to study him properly. He was huge—almost 6 feet 6 inches. Around 25 to 30 years old. His rank? General. No doubt about it. He was the man who had been watching her from the shadows. "So your men can attack me first, but I'm not allowed to fight back?" Thora shot back coldly. "I—!" Hugo opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. Yes, he had wanted to test her. But he never meant to kill her! "And besides," Thora countered with a faint smile, "how could you be sure that I had killed him?" Hugo frowned hard. He didn't want this to happen either, but it had happened.She was the recruit he wanted to bring into the special forces, yet on her very first day she had shot one of their top snipers. This was serious enough to drag her to the military court. "You're denying it?" Hugo said, sounding even more disappointed. Thora let out a short, cold laugh and turned toward the soldiers crouched on the ground inspecting the sniper. "Tell your commander," she said, "is he dead?" The soldier finished checking and stood up straight. "General, Alban is only unconscious. He held up a thin silver needle. "He was hit with a tranquilizer dart." Hugo's expression shifted. He glanced at Thora, then lifted the small dart and sniffed it. After that, he strode over to Alban Padilla and checked him carefully. Once he confirmed that Alban was only unconscious and not in any real danger, the anger on his face slowly faded. "Take him away," Hugo ordered in a low voice."Yes, Chief Stanton." Two soldiers quickly carried Alban away. Thora stood tall, her chin lifted. She could clearly feel Hugo's eyes on her. "Don't bother looking," she said calmly. "I'm not telling you anyway." She knew he was trying to find her weapon. Hugo froze for a second but didn't insist. He was genuinely curious. Hugo had seen her holding a pistol, but the shot it fired was a tranquilizer dart. Still, everyone had a backup plan to protect themselves. If she didn't want to explain, he couldn't force her. In fact, he felt a small wave of relief. Good thing it was a tranquilizer. If it had been a real bullet, today would've ended much worse. He looked at her and finally introduced himself properly. "Hello. I'm Hugo Stanton, a general of the Astralis Empire and commander of the special operations unit. I apologize for what happened earlier."Thora stood straight and met his gaze. "I don't mind that you were defending your soldiers. But this kidnapping-style invitation? I have a serious issue with it." Then her voice dropped to a cold, steady tone. "Surveillance. Kidnapping. Ambush. Sniper attacks. General Stanton, you really went all out." The words hit him hard. Everything he planned to say got stuck in his throat. He was guilty, but more than that, he was shocked. She actually knew she'd been watched? How did she find out? He couldn't figure it out. All he knew was that the girl in front of him was far more capable than she looked. "I just wanted to see what you're capable of," Hugo said, trying to play it off with a light tone. "To confirm that you're worth the effort." "But you were gambling with their lives." Thora lifted her eyes, sharp as a blade."If that had been a real bullet instead of a tranquilizer, would he still be alive? You risked your soldiers to test someone you're not even sure is friend or enemy. That's a bold move, General Stanton." She paused, then added in a quiet, icy tone, "And tell me, why would I go easy on someone who watches me, kidnaps me, and sends a sniper after me?"