Chapter 80: A Battle

There had to be a mistake.

But then—

For the first time since the battle began—

Elias's body hesitated.

A single movement—so small, so subtle—

But Luke caught it immediately.

And with that one tiny pause, Luke's eyes widened slightly.

"There's something weird about this…"

The way Elias reacted—it wasn't normal.

It wasn't the reaction of someone confidently declaring their gender.

It was the reaction of someone hiding something.

And Luke knew exactly what that meant.

Luke's lips curled slightly.

He suddenly tilted his head, his voice casual.

"Hey, I've got a question for you."

Elias's brows furrowed slightly.

"What?"

Luke smirked.

"Are you… actually a man?"

For the first time, Elias's calm mask broke.

It was only for a split second—but Luke caught it.

Their shoulders tensed, their breathing hitched, and their fingers clenched slightly.