"The news of your failure—I can cover it up for a while," Kairos said, his voice low and tense, "but eventually, the truth's gonna come out. And when it does, Sea King Maelthorak won't just sit back. He'll come for you himself, even if it means disobeying orders or abandoning the battlefield."
Kairos's eyes flickered with intensity as he stared at Ethan. He spoke slowly, deliberately. "If it really comes to that, I want you to promise me something—no matter what it takes, we kill him. Together. If he lives, neither of us will have a future worth living."
Ethan blinked, caught off guard. He looked at Kairos, surprised.
"You'd actually go against him? Aren't you one of his contracted heroes?"
"The contract I signed with him is the most basic kind—just a mercenary agreement. I can break it anytime I want. If he were still the man he used to be, I wouldn't even consider betrayal. But now… sigh."