Seeing Ethan and Celeste on the verge of a fallout, Lyla finally spoke up.

"Celeste, he might not be able to join the Ninth Division. He's going to be the heir to the Silverwood family."

Ethan and Celeste turned to her at the same time.

"Are you serious?"

"What heir?"

They both spoke in unison.

"I'm serious, Ethan. I'll explain everything to you later," Lyla replied, addressing both of them at once.

Celeste turned away.

Sitting in the driver's seat, she pulled out a pack of slim cigarettes and lit one up. Taking a slow drag, she exhaled and spoke evenly.

"Lyla, do you even realize what you're doing? You're putting him right in the crosshairs. He could end up dead. You're setting him up for that."

"That's still better than him joining your division and meeting some horrible end," Lyla said calmly.

"The country needs us. We accept that we might not make it back. That's our duty." Celeste's voice turned icy.

"I don't care about all that. In the Silverwood family, I can protect him."

Celeste let out a dry laugh. "Protect him? The first people who'll want him dead will be your own family."

Lyla froze. A few seconds passed before she finally spoke.

"What do you mean by that?"

The others in the car had gone completely silent, watching the argument unfold.

Ethan, especially, felt at a loss for words. They were arguing about him, and he hadn't even wrapped his head around the situation yet.

Lyla's stance was clear now. No wonder she hadn't mentioned the Ninth Division to him lately. She never wanted him to join. Instead, she wanted him to take over the Silverwood family.

And from what she was saying, it sounded like being in the Ninth Division was a death sentence. But Celeste claimed it was about duty. Was the Ninth Division some kind of covert agency handling special assignments?

Like those secret organizations in spy thrillers?

But why him? What could he possibly have that made Celeste want to recruit him?

Celeste took another drag from her cigarette, then flicked the butt out the window.

Ethan was caught off guard. A woman like her—cold, distant, always composed, smoking? If anyone from school saw this, they'd be shocked.

After a long pause, Celeste's tone softened slightly.

"Lyla, I know you care about him. There are things I can't tell you, but I can say this much."

No one interrupted.

Celeste took her time before continuing.

"There's something at the Ninth Division headquarters, a relic, called the Soulstone. You know what it does, right?"

Lyla nodded.

"At first, I only thought Ethan's physical abilities had improved enough to meet our recruitment standards. That's why I invited him."

"But then, I got a report. The Soulstone has reacted three times in the past month."

"The first two times, it detected a soul sense within Ember City."

"The first time, I wasn't sure if it had anything to do with Ethan."

"But after the second event, he showed up at school and wrecked Trent."

"And the third time?" She exhaled. "Just now. I just got word from the organization. The Soulstone reacted again, this time, it was right when I fired my first shot."

She turned to Ethan.

"I don't know what you did at that moment, but I'm certain of one thing, the Soulstone reacted to you. Because the moment I pulled the trigger, I felt a shift in consciousness. A ripple."

Lyla's expression changed, shock evident in her eyes.

Ethan's mind raced.

Was it because of that moment? When he got that panoramic, 360-degree vision?

Could that be what she meant by 'soul sense'?

"You're saying… his soul strength is more than five times that of a normal person?" Lyla asked.

"More than that." Celeste's voice was steady. "The first reaction was weak, barely within the Soulstone's detection range. The second was over ten times stronger."

"And just now, I got word that the intensity increased again. Since I was already in Blackridge for a mission, they contacted me directly, told me to keep an eye out."

She turned to Ethan.

"Did you feel anything strange just now? And don't tell me dodging a shot from an M95 sniper rifle was just luck."

Ethan had been about to deny it, but hearing her say that, he rubbed his nose.

"I just… suddenly saw everything within a full kilometer around me. A full 360-degree view, no blind spots. And everything slowed down… like a hundred times slower."

Lyla sank into her seat, her voice weak.

"Soul sense… it really is soul sense. How is this even possible?" Her hands trembled. "A person who can release soul sense, someone like that has a soul strength dozens of times greater than a normal person. That's the kind of person the Silverwood family would never allow to live."

Celeste leaned back, watching her.

"Well, Lyla, do you still think you can protect him?" Her voice was calm but sharp. "The Silverwood family built itself on strength. You know that. And you also know that soul-wielders—people who are naturally gifted in combat, are a threat to them."

"A hundred years ago, your great-great-grandfather's generation fought against a soul-wielder. Nearly wiped out the entire family. Ever since then, the Silverwoods have hunted them down, one by one."

"So tell me, how would they ever allow Ethan, a soul-wielder, to become the heir?" Celeste exhaled, watching Lyla's face darken. "You think just because you're the family heir's daughter, you can protect him?"

"If they find out what he is, your own father might be the first to go after him."

"And if he doesn't, your uncles will make sure he loses his position before he even gets the chance."

Celeste's words hit like a sledgehammer, shattering whatever resistance Lyla had left.

Tears welled in her eyes. She wasn't someone who held onto old grudges. The family's vendetta against soul-wielders was ancient history to her. But rules were rules. And those rules were absolute.

She had already fought so hard just to be here with Ethan.

She had three years, an agreement her father had negotiated on her behalf.

Three years before she would have to return to the family.

At first, she had a plan. If they forced her into that marriage, she would rather die than go along with it.

Then Celeste appeared, and she thought maybe Ethan had another way out.

If the Ninth Division valued him enough, they could shield him.

The Silverwoods had clashed with the division before, trying to recruit the same people.

As long as Ethan joined the family, she and her father could support him, help him rise in the ranks, and win a place in the Noble Eight Lineage' power struggle.

If he succeeded, her father's position would strengthen, and no one would dare force her into that marriage.

But now…

Now, she knew the truth.

Ethan wasn't just valuable, he was a target. Celeste had been right all along.

If the Silverwood family found out, there wouldn't even be a struggle. They'd kill him on the spot.

If he joined the Ninth Division, at least he had a chance.

"Listen," Celeste said, her tone gentler now. "A family, no matter how powerful, is still just a family. The Ninth Division belongs to the country. If Ethan joins us, he won't be untouchable, but he won't be easy to deal with either."

"And right now… the only people who know he's a soul-wielder are the ones in this car."

A brief silence fell over them.

Then—

"Ow! My ears are still ringing from that sniper shot, I can barely hear anything!" Leo suddenly clutched his head, groaning dramatically.

"What?" Williams shouted, cupping a hand around his ear.

Victor shook his head, laughing at the two of them. "Relax. None of us are saying a word about this."

Lyla finally gave in. Celeste was right.

The Ninth Division was dangerous. But it was still better than a guaranteed death sentence.

A small laugh escaped her lips at Leo and Victor's antics. Then she turned to Ethan, who was still frozen, trying to process everything.

"Ethan…" Her voice was quiet.