Lance froze for a moment, then laughed, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Thora. "I'm really looking forward to it." Thora gave him a calm glance and said nothing more. It was only a matter of time before she and Lance would face each other directly—unless Greywolf Mercenary Group never attacked Astralis, which was almost impossible. No mercenary group would turn down profit, especially with Lance as their leader—a man who seemed above the world's rules. "You're picky with food," Thora said suddenly. Maybe seeing Lance pick at his food reminded her of Shirley, and she said it without thinking. Picky? Lance's perfectly shaped eyebrows furrowed. "You don't like vegetables," Thora stated confidently. He looked down at the vegetables he'd picked out from his tray, then let out a faint smile. "Ash, you know what people love most when they've been abandoned and starved for a long time? Meat. And ... they only want meat." The moment he said it, his presence shifted sharply. Thora felt uneasy from the sudden change. He lifted a corner of his mouth in a small smile. His blue hair fell over his forehead, casting shadows across his eyes. Thora moved her fork and placed a piece of meat from her tray onto Lance's. "Here. You can have it." She liked meat too, but compared to her, Lance's past seemed far harsher. So, she decided to give it to him. After that, she went back to eating quietly.Lance stared at the meat, then at Thora eating properly. His blue eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion. His lips twitched, and he picked up his fork, examining the meat closely before looking back at Thora with a playful smile. "Ash, you're really cute." Thora paused for a moment, then said seriously, "Don't talk so much while eating." She then lowered her head and continued eating. "You want to know why I came to the academy, right?" Lance ignored her warning, as if he were deliberately trying to reveal something to her. Thora put down her fork, clearly losing patience. "What exactly are you trying to say? Don't you know it's rude to bother someone while they're eating?" At that moment, they were the only two people on this floor of the cafeteria. Outside, the sky had turned completely dark, and the dim light made their faces look shadowed.Lance almost ignored Thora's anger. Honestly, seeing her upset like this was far more interesting than her usual cold expression. "Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like someone?" Lance asked first. Thora's eyes narrowed. She looked up. "What do you mean?" Lance just smiled. "I took a job to look into someone. But ... I suddenly realized that this person looks a lot like you." He left it at that and didn't say more. But those words already gave Thora three pieces of information. First, Lance came to Blue Star Military Academy to investigate someone. Second, he had to enter the academy to find this person, which means this person's records were top secret. Third, this person might have some connection to her—though that last part was just a guess, and she couldn't be sure if it was true from what Lance said.Thora didn't ask any more questions. Both of them were smart enough to know that a mercenary's contract job could never be leaked. That's the rule of the contract. But Lance had actually chosen to reveal part of the information to her. Even if it was just a hint, technically, it went against the contract. ... Meanwhile, at the Astralis Empire. Darius had finally survived Evelyn's relentless barrage of questions and followed his father into the study. Evelyn watched the two of them walk away. Preston still carried himself tall and proud, but Darius had quietly begun to surpass him. She didn't know when it happened, but the little boy she once needed to protect had grown into a capable alpha who could stand on his own.She smiled, feeling proud, but when she thought of Draven, her heart sank again. Draven and Darius were different. And yet, they were the same person. Evelyn would never forget the first time she saw Draven. The scene had been like stepping into hell itself. He stepped into the study and stood in front of Preston. "Dad," he said respectfully. No matter how old he grew, no matter how much Preston aged, this seemed to be the way they always interacted. In Darius's heart, there was no other man he could respect like this. "Can you control it?" Preston looked at him, getting straight to the point. Darius smiled. "Dad, you don't trust me?" Preston raised an eyebrow, locking eyes with him. "Darius, you need to understand—no one can help you with this except yourself."Back then, the elders had worked together to seal Draven's personality, using Darius's brain as the 'container'. Forcing two personalities to coexist caused irreversible damage to the brain. "If they tried a second seal, it could cause permanent damage. At best, it could lead to memory loss or mental decline. At worst, it could threaten your life." Preston paused, his tone growing even more serious. "I've mentioned this before, and you refused. But this time, I have to say it. If you want to get rid of this, there's only one way." Preston's eyes suddenly turned sharp, cold as ice, as he said, "Destroy him."