Chapter 398
Chapter 399 The Secret in the Archives
What Lyra did not know was that Zev’s blood ran cold the moment he witnessed her distant, polite
gesture.
A chill spread outward from deep inside his chest.
He could barely believe it. This woman who had once claimed to like him, who had sought him out on purpose, could turn so cold and detached in the blink of an eye.
Everything that had passed between them felt like nothing more than a figment of his imagination.
Had all that affection been fake?
How could she act so indifferent now?
Was her liking something trivial, or was he merely a toy for her to amuse herself with?
Just like back at the fifth Black Spire, when she had teased him deliberately to get what she wanted.
When Leo learned Lyra wanted access to files about the old Sentinel cannibalism massacre, he immediately stated that those records were classified and could not be viewed casually.
Lyra started to press the issue.
Leo stood up from his desk. “Ms. Kaelin. I have urgent business to attend to. Please wait here for a
moment p>
Before stepping out, he added over his shoulder. Also, important classified documents are kept inside my office. Please do not touch anything without permission p>
Lyra rose to her feet and prepared to type a reply, yet Nael held her back.
He smiled warmly. “Understood, Mr. Campbell. Rest assured, we will not touch a single thing. We will wait for your return to talk p>
Leo nodded and exited through the door.
Lyra stared at Nael in confusion.
If this path was blocked, she could travel to the farther–away Special Operations Bureau,
Surely their rules would not be so strict.
Why stay here wasting time?
Nael chuckled and tapped the tip of her nose.
“You were so sharp earlier. How come you cannot see what is going on p>
T
3:03 pm
OMT
Chapter 399 The Secret in the Archives
Lyra blinked. Tost.
“Those files are top–secret Nael murmured. “We cannot legally look through them without proper authorization.
Finished
“But we did Leo a huge favor. He owes us. Still, he cannot afford to take the blaine if this comes to light.
“That is why he left us alone in this office. He expects us to find what we need quietly p>
Lyra thought it over. That made perfect sense.
Her eyes lit up with quiet excitement.
Good deeds really did pay off.
She squeezed Nael’s hand. “Thank goodness you’re here p>
Nael ruffled her hair. “Go on, let us search p>
Lyrą nodded hard and followed him over to the wall–mounted filing cabinets.
After digging through stacks of folders, they finally located the case file.
Lyra began reading right away. Nael tidied and replaced the displaced papers behind her.
Halfway through, Lyra typed a quick question for him. “Can I take photos so I can study this later p>
The document was dense, filled with complex technical jargon. They did not have nearly enough time to go through everything here.
Nael glanced toward the closed door and lowered his voice. “Hurry, then p>
Lyra nodded and carefully photographed every single page.
When Leo came back, they were sitting neatly in their chairs, sipping coffee.
Leo’s eyes flicked toward the filing cabinets, which looked almost untouched. A satisfied smile spread across his face.
“My apologies, Ms. Kaelin. Unexpected work kept me detained. Thank you for waiting p>
Lyra smiled and played along.
Later, while purifying Sentinels at the White Citadel, Lyra used the time to study the documents carefully
As long as the spirit animals remained close to her, the process continued, leaving her hands free.
Whenever she encountered something she did not understand, she wrote notes to Nael beside her.
By late afternoon, she had gone through the whole file.
2/4
D
3:03 pm
O N
Chapter 399 The Secret in the Archives
Her eyes ached, she pressed her fingertips against her temples to soothe the strain.
Finished
Once the last Sentinele she pointed to one line and wrote, “What does this unknown genetic marker mean p>
The report noted it had been isolated from Felix’s body.
Nael wrote his reply. “No one managed to identify it back then. The theory was that frequent exposure to hazardous zones and psychic monster influence riggered some kind of physiological mutation within
him.
“Research on it stalled eventually and was abandoned entirely p>
Lyra frowned. That felt incredibly careless.
One detail struck her as especially bizarre.
Medical examinations showed no signs of forced trauma to Felix’s mouth or esophagus. Investigators took that to mean that he had swallowed voluntarily, not under coercion.
Could the investigation really be this sloppy?
Lyra refused to believe it and reread the section, cross–referencing everything Felix had told her.
Back then, his unit had been on a joint mission alongside Marcel’s squad.
Their destination had been a newly discovered minor planet far from the Grade–three planet, named Glimmer.
After the two squads arrived, they split up and used instruments to survey the planet.
Felix had told her that shortly afterward, strange symptoms hit him. His thoughts turned chaotic, and sharp pain throbbed inside both ears.
None of his teammates reported similar issues over comms, so he assumed it was simple planetary adaptation sickness. He pushed through and kept working.
He failed to notice how unnervingly quiet every other team member had grown.
Only when his agitation and discomfort worsened did he report the symptoms to his captain over the
communicator.
No one answered. Neither his own unit nor Marcel’s team responded to any calls.
Felix realized something was terribly wrong and turned to search for them. Then his symptoms spiked. Dizziness washed over him; his limbs grew heavy and weak.
He collapsed unconscious after only a few steps.
When he woke, he found everyone’s bodies piled together haphazardly. None of them was breathing.
Their sturdy field uniforms were torn open, most of all around their abdomens, as though savaged by some feral beast. Dark, dried blood soaked across the ground beneath the bodies.
374
3:03 pm
OMT
Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.