Chapter 10: What Exactly Are You, Little Kitty?

Evan moved out of the elevator quickly, his long strides carrying him through the busy corridor. However, after a few steps, his pace slowed down just a fraction.

"Darian... help me," he said.

Darian immediately matched his pace and glanced at him. "What is it?"

"Delete the surveillance footage from last night that caught Lumi and me." He said his voice was slightly shaky, not from nerves, but from walking at a fast pace.

Darian frowned. "Why?"

Evan remained silent for a moment before answering. "I already deleted the footage from the other surveillance systems I could access," he said calmly. "There is only one place left."

"The Headquarters backup?" Darian guessed.

Evan nodded.

Darian looked at him for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "And you want me to delete it without even checking what happened?"

"Check it first..." He muttered, unbothered.

Darian’s steps slowed slightly.

Evan turned his head toward him. "Then you’ll understand why and do it as soon as possible... they might search for it now..."

Darian stared at him, clearly curious now. "What am I supposed to be looking for?"

"Just watch the footage from the moment the building started shaking until I lost consciousness." Evan’s expression remained calm, but his eyes became slightly colder. "After that, delete everything."

Darian was quiet for a few seconds before nodding. "All right. I’ll check it first."

Evan continued walking, his hands slipping into his pockets.

Darian followed beside him, still thinking about what Evan had said.

He had seen Evan after the incident last night. He knew about the Rampage, the unstable energy, and the fact that Evan had somehow regained control before completely losing himself.

But apparently, there was something in the surveillance footage that Evan didn’t want anyone else to see.

And judging by how quickly Evan had already erased the other copies, it was clearly something important.

Darian glanced at him again. "Evan."

"What?" he asked, slipping through the rotating door.

"Whatever I’m about to see..." Darian paused. "It better be worth making me commit a crime against Headquarters’ surveillance system."

Evan stopped the moment he passed through the door and glanced back at him. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"It is." He turned toward the car waiting outside, a faint smirk appearing on his lips. "After you check it, help me figure out what that girl has to pull me out of my Rampage..."

Darian raised an eyebrow but didn’t get the chance to ask anything else as Evan continued toward the car.

He reached the door, then suddenly stopped and looked back at Darian, "Might as well put that brain of yours to work."

"Was my brain not working before?" Darian asked, making an annoyed face.

Evan looked at him for a moment, "I don’t remember seeing much evidence of it."

Darian’s eyes widened slightly. "Excuse—"

Evan opened the car door and got inside before Darian could finish. "Get in."

Darian stood there for another second, staring at the back of his head.

"One day, I’m going to quit."

"You won’t. If you quit, how would you get to see the historical day when someone actually managed to pull me out of my Rampage?" Evan chuckled under his breath.

Darian slipped into the car and turned toward him.

"Right... that should definitely be recorded in our history books next year under the topic..." He paused, pretending to think seriously.

"The Day the Empire’s Strongest Sentinel Finally Got His Ass Saved by a Mere Citizen."

Evan slowly turned his head toward him.

Darian immediately looked away. "What? I’m just helping you come up with the title."

"I told you..." Evan’s eyes narrowed slightly. "She is not a mere citizen."

Darian turned back to him, raising an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Evan leaned back against the seat, his gaze shifting toward the window. "I don’t know what she is yet."

Darian’s expression changed slightly at his words.

"Ah, right. A mere citizen couldn’t possibly pull an SSS-rank Sentinel out of a Rampage. The weird part is, she’s not even registered as a Guide."

"Exactly." Evan’s fingers tapped lightly against his arm. "That’s why I want you to study the footage."

Darian stared at him for a moment before nodding. "All right. I’ll see what I can find."

"And Darian?" Evan’s voice once again turned firm.

"Hmm?" Darian turned toward him.

Evan glanced at him. "Don’t let anyone else see it."

Darian’s expression became serious. "Got it."

Evan leaned back and looked out the window for another moment before suddenly speaking. "Let’s go home."

Darian blinked. "Home?"

"Mother must be looking for me by now." Evan sighed softly. "I’ve never gone home since yesterday, and... I need to tell my father about the Fated Bonding Ceremony."

Darian stared at him for a second before the colour slowly drained from his face.

"Ah..." He cleared his throat. "Do you need a body protector?"

Evan turned his head.

Darian quickly added, "You know... just for safety."

Evan stared at him in silence. "Do you think that thing would even save me?"

Darian thought about it for a moment. "Honestly?"

Evan raised an eyebrow.

"No." Darian finished his answer and lowered down his gaze, holding on his laughter.

Evan sighed and leaned back against the seat. "Then stop wasting time and drive."

Darian nodded and started the car. "Right. Straight to your execution."

Evan slowly turned his head toward him. "Darian... you might accept your execution first before I receive mine."

"Driving!" Darian immediately focused on the road, suddenly deciding that silence was probably the safest option.

Meanwhile, in Evan’s mind, the image of the frail Lumi appeared again. A faint smirk appeared on his lips.

’Let’s see, little kitty... What do you have...’