"Ethan Sterling's head was found this morning."
Xavier blinked once. "His head?"
"Yeah," she said flatly. "The rest of his body had already been recovered—organs ripped out, limbs torn apart. The head was the last piece."
The apartment was silent for a beat. Lilia shifted uneasily on the couch while Lyra was eating some leftovers she had brought from Seraphina's.
Xavier scratched his temple, looking genuinely puzzled. "That's… brutal. But what does any of that have to do with me?"
The leader's eyes narrowed. "Along with the head, our forensics team found something else—a memory chip. It was lodged deep inside…." She stopped and glanced at Lilia and Lyra before continuing in a low voice. "Well, his anus. The chip contained distorted video data—half corrupted—but it shows two figures standing in front of Ethan, who was strung upside down and still alive."
Xavier's gaze darkened slightly, but he kept his tone calm. "That's one hell of a detail. Go on."
