Chapter 181: Past And Present Collide [3]
"Terror organization?" Soren raised his brow. "You are not talking about the Apocalypse Dawn, are you?"
The Apocalypse Dawn was a well-known, powerful syndicate that had caused massive bloodbaths across the continent. Every major nation had them on a high-priority watchlist.
Hector shook his head. "She has crossed blades with the Apocalypse Dawn a few times as well, but no. The group I am referring to has never been exposed to the public. Only a handful of high-ranking hunters and government officials are aware of their existence, though given your current standing, it is a secret you deserve to know. They operate under the name of... the Zero Circle."
"Just make sure you keep this to yourself," President Craig added, his voice low and sharp with warning. "Leaking even their name could cause widespread panic among the civilian population."
Soren nodded, searching his memory and realizing he had indeed never heard a single word about such a group in the past.
"Who are these people, Senior?" His curiosity was piqued, thinking perhaps they were connected to Ethea’s fall. "Do you know their objective?"
"Hm..." Hector pondered for a brief moment before replying. "They operate in the shadows, manipulating gate frequencies and triggering artificial disasters behind the scenes. They have orchestrated several horrific incidents all over the world, including major cities and academies."
"In short, they are a bunch of lunatics who want to ’end’ this world." The president ended with a cold sneer.
"End the world?" Soren repeated, visibly confused.
The scale of the threat sounded absurd, almost theatrical, yet the serious expressions on the faces of the two powerhouses before him proved otherwise.
"Are they that powerful?"
"Fortunately, they are not. At least not yet." The president answered, his tone flat. "And that is all we can share about them. The rest is classified info."
Hector nodded in agreement before speaking up. "Since they are mostly involved in gate-related incidents, I initially thought they might have had a hand in the tragedy involving your wife, and perhaps even yesterday’s anomaly. But I am not certain because the methods differ. In every past incident, their members were always physically present at the scene. Yet, I found no trace of them yesterday."
He paused, a flicker of regret crossing his face. "And I was in seclusion when your wife’s tragedy occurred, so I couldn’t personally investigate the site."
"But looking at what pieces we do have, it leaves us with two possibilities." His eyes narrowed as he weighed the remaining options. "Perhaps they truly have nothing to do with either event. Or, they have improved their methods, or themselves, or deployed hidden arrays to trigger the collapse from afar, leaving no footprints behind."
"Regardless of what the old man found or missed, it is still better to talk with your wife. She was at the center of the tragedy, and she knows both her friends and enemies better than anyone else." The President paused, his gaze fixing on Soren with strict seriousness. "And while I respect your desire to be considerate of her feelings and protect her from past trauma, now is not the time for hesitation. If you want to survive whatever storm is coming next, you need to be more proactive and decisive."
Soren kept his expression steady, acknowledging the weight of the man’s words. "I will. Thank you for the advice, Mr. President."
"One more thing," Craig added, his voice dropping to a gravelly undertone. "There is nothing wrong with being kind-hearted, Soren, but kindness does not keep you alive in a den of vipers. A gentle heart like yours is an easy target in the world we live in. Moreover, you need to stop looking at people through the lens of your own decency and start questioning everyone’s motives, or that very trait will become the blind spot that ruins you."
Soren nodded again, letting the warning sink in. Although he was already following that principle from the start, it was still better to be more cautious.
"What are your plans going forward?" the President asked, shifting his posture slightly.
Soren was caught off guard by the sudden turn in the conversation. He hesitated, pondering how to reply without revealing too much.
"I... I have not had the time to think about it that much," Soren admitted, choosing his words carefully. "But my immediate goals are getting stronger and protecting Ethea."
President Craig nodded as if he had fully expected that answer. A brief flicker of hesitation passed through his eyes, a rare crack in his iron composure, before he stilled himself and stared directly at Soren.
"Soren, I have something important to tell you."
Soren met his gaze evenly. "Please, speak sir."
The President closed his eyes for a split second, then delivered the blow. "I have to ask you to leave the city."
"Huh?"
Soren froze. But as he looked closely at the man, his Perceptive Eyes picked up a faint trace of guilt. However, the President was dead serious, even if delivering the order clearly weighed on him.
As Soren forced his mind to process the words, the harsh reality began to make sense. Since they knew she was being targeted, they must have also realized she was a trouble magnet. As one of the guardian figures responsible for the safety of the entire city, it was only natural for the President to prioritize the lives of millions over a single couple. Keeping them here was a liability the city could not afford.
In fact, the President was being generous for not asking them to take responsibility or blaming them for the chaos that had already occurred. Instead, he was simply giving them a quiet out.
Soren let out a slow breath, the initial shock settling into a grim acceptance. He looked straight into the President’s eyes, searching for any sign of negotiation, but found only the unyielding resolve of a leader who had already made up his mind.
"I understand," Soren said, his voice flat but steady. "When do we need to be gone?"
"Thank you for understanding, Soren," the President said, his posture relaxing just a fraction. "It does not have to be an immediate departure. I know you have things to take care of before you leave, and you will need time to find another place to settle down. So, you can take a few days to get your affairs in order."
