Chapter : The truth Revealed

The night had settled over Barron Island, the cool ocean breeze sweeping through the corridors of the mansion. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the halls as Kyle, Arthur, Maya, Hinata, Lily, and Ace rushed towards Josuke's room, their faces tense with urgency.

They had been jolted awake by the strangest, most chilling sound a voice crying out in sheer terror, pleading for mercy.

"Chaos… please… have mercy…"

Over and over again, Silver repeated those words like a broken record, his body trembling violently as if he had seen something no mortal was meant to witness.

Josuke sat on the edge of his bed, his face unreadable, while Maya and Kyle stood beside him, their expressions grim. Meanwhile, Arthur, Lily, Ace, and Hinata remained frozen near the doorway, glancing between Silver and Josuke, trying to piece together what had happened.

Arthur was the first to break the silence, his voice sharp and demanding.

"Silver." He took a step forward, his blue eyes piercing. "Where were you? What were you doing in Josuke's room?"

Silver, still shivering, slowly raised a trembling hand and pointed at Josuke. His lips quivered as he spoke.

"Chaos… is right there… he's inside Josuke."

Arthur's expression darkened. "What?"

It wasn't that the idea of Chaos existing inside a person was impossible. The real question that haunted Arthur was why Josuke? And why did Chaos attack Silver?

Ace folded his arms. "How did you even get here?"

Silver's breathing was uneven, but he managed to force the words out.

"They… they promised they would bring back Miss Glenda… if I killed Josuke, Akari, and Arthur Pendragon."

The moment those words left his lips, the room grew heavier.

Kyle's eyes narrowed. "Who are 'they'?"

Silver hesitated, but then, with a voice full of quiet dread, he whispered, "The Elders."

Arthur's fists clenched at the mention of his name among the targets. "Why would they want me dead? It makes sense for them to fear Josuke, but why me?"

Silver exhaled sharply. "Because they fear the rise of Camelot… and the return of its king."

Arthur's heart pounded in his chest. The weight of those words settled deep in his mind. If what Silver said was true, then it meant that the world's balance was shifting in a way even the Elders could not control.

Maya turned to Ace. "Take Silver to his room. We'll deal with this later."

Ace nodded and lifted Silver with ease, his large frame carrying the weakened assassin like he weighed nothing. As he and Lily escorted him out, the rest of the group lingered in the room, tension thick between them.

After a few moments, the all gathered in the living room Arthur turned to Josuke, his face unreadable. "Josuke, Kyle, Maya you three know something about this, don't you?"

Kyle exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "It's complicated."

Arthur scoffed. "Then make it simple."

Josuke let out a deep sigh, finally meeting Arthur's gaze. "Silver was right. I've been keeping this from all of you… but within me, somewhere in a place I don't fully understand… Chaos exists. And he sees everything."

Silence fell upon the room.

Arthur's expression twisted in frustration. His hand shot out, gripping Josuke's shirt as he pulled him forward. "You're telling me you've been housing a being capable of destroying or reshaping the very concept of existence… and you didn't think we deserved to know?"

Kyle immediately stepped between them, shoving Arthur back. "That's enough, Arthur." His voice was firm. "And let's be honest if we told you, what would you have done? Run off to challenge Chaos?"

Arthur's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond.

Kyle continued. "Josuke did what he thought was right by telling me and Maya. We've been trying to figure this out without causing unnecessary panic."

The conversation was interrupted by a subtle shift in the atmosphere. Josuke, who had been listening silently, finally looked around the room. His green eyes scanned the faces of his teammates Hinata, Lily, Ace… and what he saw made his heart ache.

Fear.

He had seen that look before.

He saw it in the eyes of strangers when he was a child. He saw it in the people who whispered behind his back, calling him a monster. And now, he saw it in the eyes of the people he fought alongside, the ones he called his friends.

Josuke's lips pressed into a thin line. He stood up slowly, his expression unreadable. "I see. So that's how it is."

Hinata quickly stepped forward. "Josuke, it's not like that "

But Josuke shook his head. "I get it. I do." His voice was calm, but there was a heaviness to it. "But if there was anyone I thought would look at me as more than just a monster… it was you guys."

He turned away, walking towards his room .

Maya placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder, stopping her from following. "Just let him be for now."

As the door shut behind him, a heavy silence filled the room.

Arthur sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That could have gone better."

Kyle crossed his arms. "We can deal with Josuke later. Right now, we have a bigger problem."

Maya nodded. "Silver may have been the assassin, but the real threat is the Elders."

Arthur frowned. "What are we going to do about Silver?"

Kyle's eyes darkened. "It's not Silver we need to worry about. It's the ones pulling the strings."

Lily and Ace remain silent the room, their expressions serious.

Ace leaned against the wall. "Silver's stable, but his mind is a mess. Whatever Chaos did to him… it broke something inside him."

Kyle exhaled deeply. "Then it's settled. Once we reach Elaris, I'll confront the Elders directly."

Maya nodded. "For now, everyone get some rest. Tomorrow, we prepare."

One by one, the team dispersed, each lost in their own thoughts. But as Kyle turned out the lights, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something much bigger than any of them had anticipated.

Somewhere in the darkness, Chaos stirred.

And he was smiling.

End of Chapter