The tour concluded an hour and thirty minutes later, the hum of the final laboratory fading as Sage gracefully steered them back toward the quiet elegance of the executive lobby.

The air here was cooler, the light softer. It was time for Valerie to depart.

As they reached the transport hub, Valerie turned, her entourage pausing a respectful distance behind her. With a smile that was both charming and deliberate, she bypassed Sage and Cassia, her focus landing entirely on Zaeryn.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Zaeryn," she said, her blue eyes sparkling with an interest that was far from diplomatic. She tilted her head, a playful thought crossing her mind. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again, especially since your brilliant girlfriend is now a part of the Aegis Division."

He gave a simple nod.

With a smile, she stepped forward, wrapping him in a brief, warm hug that felt both friendly and shockingly intimate. As she pulled back, instead of stepping away, she leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, so close to the corner of his mouth it was almost a promise.

"You are an interesting person, Zaeryn. There is something about you that is just so familiar."

The world seemed to fall away. Familiar. The word landed like a security alert while he was still trapped in her embrace, his arms stiffening at his sides as his mind raced to process the danger.

Before he could react, she produced a small, crystalline Omni-Pad.

"Smile!" she chirped, pulling him close again for a quick holographic photo.

It was so quick, Zaeryn didn't even have time to reject it.

A flash of light captured them together, his stunned expression masked by a hastily forced grin, her smile radiant and triumphant. Releasing him, she gave him a final wink.

"Don't be a stranger."

His mind was still reeling from her whisper.

The words echoed in his mind, confirming his worst-case analysis. She said he felt familiar? What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Did that mean she felt the connection? Felt the Lumina blood calling to its own? Even if she couldn't name it.

This wasn't him spiraling; this was him realizing the game of survival he was forced to play had just leveled up, and he'd been caught completely off guard. His charming new acquaintance wasn't just a princess.

She was family.

Valerie, either not noticing his stiffness during the hug or misinterpreting it as him being charmingly flustered, gave him one last, lingering look—a silent promise of future interactions—before turning to the others.

"Lady Stellan, Sage. Thank you for your time."

With a final nod, she and her entourage stepped into the lift, the doors hissing shut.

The doors closed, leaving a heavy silence in their wake. Zaeryn internally sighed in relief. He was relieved that she had finally left and didn't suspect a thing about him. He suspected that if she knew he was Athea's son, she would not have been so friendly.

'System. What is the probability that Valerie could detect royal blood coursing through my veins?' What prompted Zaeryn to consider this was the fact that despite attempting to conceal his Vitae from others, Zia had succeeded in sensing it due to her own Vitae wielding. So what prevented someone from detecting royal blood? That was possible, wasn't it? He prayed it wasn't.

The system delivered an answer without delay.

[Minus Zero. Valerie cannot identify your ancestry through passive sensory means. Royal blood constitutes a genetic marker, not an active Vitae signature. Vitae energy proves detectable by other wielders because of its resonant frequency. Genetic ancestry cannot be detected this way. Identification would necessitate direct biological sample examination or a specialized, high-tier sensory capability not held by the subject 'Valerie'.]

Sigh. Zaeryn released a prolonged sigh audibly.

Sage observed him, her lighthearted disposition dissipating. His shoulders, typically so at ease, were rigid with tension. The comfortable smile he'd displayed for Valerie had vanished, supplanted by a closed-off, remote expression.

She paused for a moment, then another, yet he remained motionless, his focus still trained on the location where the princess had vanished. She extended her hand, her fingertips lightly contacting his arm.

"Zaeryn?" she inquired gently. "Hey. What happened back there? You went completely rigid."

Her contact pulled him from his contemplation. He shook his head, the movement stiff, while dragging a hand through his hair. The burden of his secret felt crushing. And perhaps the moment had arrived to inform Sage about his heritage.

After all, it seemed wrong that she remained unaware of his truth, considering everything she had accomplished for him by developing the vitae harmonizer.

He looked toward Cassia, who was observing him with a keen, assessing stare, also awaiting his response to Sage's inquiry, and he recognized he couldn't provide an explanation here. "I'll explain later," he said quietly, his tone subdued. "It's... complicated."

Cassia's expression hardened into one of cool disapproval.

A flicker of deep annoyance crossed her face. The sheer audacity, that he would deem any of his secret's too important for her to hear, was galling.

"Complicated," she repeated, her voice clipped and devoid of warmth. "Sage's work is at a critical juncture. Her focus is paramount.

She doesn't need complications." Her gaze swept over Zaeryn, not with disgust, but with the weary annoyance of a CEO looking at an unforeseen and unwelcome variable in a critical equation. "Whatever new drama you're bringing to her door, I suggest you resolve it. Quickly."

Zaeryn's grin returned, a flash of his usual defiance. He might be a "complication," but he wouldn't be dismissed. "Sorry, Lady Stellan," he said, his voice smooth, "but I don't share my secrets with people who don't like me."

"You heard him." Sage supported him, and then she stepped into his space, her arms snaking around his neck. "Now," she said, her voice a soft, intimate murmur that was just for him, "ready to continue where we left off?"

The question, and the familiar feel of her body against his, was the anchor he needed.

Zaeryn's own grin softened as his arms found her waist, pulling her closer. "Yes, you owe me." He gave her butt a light, possessive squeeze.

They kissed passionately.

Cassia watched them for a second, a flicker of deep annoyance crossing her face.

This was exactly the kind of unprofessional, emotional entanglement she had feared. It was a distraction Sage couldn't afford. With a barely perceptible sigh, she turned and walked away without another word.

Sage waited until her mother was out of earshot before leaning her forehead against his. She ran her hands over the sleek fabric of his new uniform. "I like this on you," she murmured. "It fits you so well and really highlights your physique. It's no wonder Valerie was staring at you."

"I have Daphne to thank for this," he said.

"Oh, Daphne." Sage repeated as if remembering something she had forgotten. "This sector's chief scientist. So, you two are bonded now?"

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