CHAPTER 90: [90] HE JUST DOESN’T KNOW IT YET

"He’s even more fascinating than I initially thought," Valerio said, watching from his workshop window as Pierre crossed the courtyard below. The afternoon sun cast Pierre’s tall figure in sharp relief against the cobblestones, his red hair blazing like a beacon. "A man with the power to absorb others’ essence. To think such an ability exists in the world!"

Marco stood silently behind his master, a shadow in human form, his face impassive as he awaited instructions. His eyes, however, betrayed a flicker of unease.

"Double the men watching him," Valerio continued, not turning around. His fingers drummed against the windowsill, an eager rhythm that belied his composed exterior. "I want to know everywhere he goes, everyone he speaks with. If he touches a doorknob, I want to know how long his fingers lingered. If he so much as sneezes, I want a report on the trajectory of every droplet."

"Yes, Master Valerio," Marco replied. "And the women? The navigator and the blonde?"

Valerio waved a dismissive hand"They’re secondary concerns. The blonde is clearly besotted with him but poses no threat—just another pretty face trailing after power she doesn’t understand." His lip curled slightly. "The navigator is cleverer, I’ll grant you, but she’s just a street rat who’s learned to wash her hands before dinner."

"Should we continue monitoring them as well?" Marco asked, making a small notation in the leather-bound book he carried.

Valerio turned from the window, sunlight catching on the silver threads in his immaculate jacket. His expression grew thoughtful, eyes narrowing as he calculated. "No, we can reduce their surveillance. Focus our resources on Pierre. He’s close to submitting to his true potential—I saw it in his eyes." He smiled, the expression not quite reaching his cold eyes. "Men like him always break the same way. First, they resist their nature, clinging to outdated moral codes. Then they fear it, trembling at their own shadow. Finally, they embrace it, but only when given permission by someone they see as an authority figure—a father, a teacher, a master."

"And you’ll be that authority," Marco said. It wasn’t a question.

"I already am," Valerio replied, confidence saturating every syllable. His shoulders straightened with the certainty of a man who had played this game many times before. "He just doesn’t know it yet."

Marco nodded, closing his notebook. "I’ll reassign the men immediately."

"Good. And Marco?" Valerio added as his lieutenant turned to leave, leather boots silent against the polished floor. "When you’ve finished, bring me everything we have on absorption abilities. There were rumors years ago about a Spirit Seed with similar properties—the Leech Seed or Parasite Seed, something of that nature. Dusty old tales from the eastern islands. I want to know if there’s a connection."

"Yes, Master Valerio." Marco bowed slightly before slipping from the room, the door closing behind him with barely a sound.

After Marco left, Valerio moved to an ornate cabinet against the far wall of his workshop. Ancient wood carved with scenes of mythical beasts devouring one another, a fitting guardian for what lay within. He unlocked it with a key he kept on a chain around his neck, revealing shelves lined with journals—hundreds of them, each labeled with a name and date, some yellowed with age, others fresh and new. The history of his obsession, meticulously documented.

He selected a blank one from the bottom shelf, the leather cover still stiff and unused, and returned to his desk. The heavy curtains filtered the sunlight into golden bars across the surface.

Opening the journal to the first page, he wrote a single name at the top in elegant script: "Pierre."

Day 1: Initial assessment—Subject possesses unprecedented absorption ability with manifestation of red eyes and temperature fluctuation. Shows classic signs of power conflict and moral distress. Self-loathing evident in posture and speech patterns. Highly manipulable through appeal to control and fear of self. Responds well to paternal guidance. Potential: Limitless.

Valerio closed the journal, running his fingers over the cover as a smile spread across his face. His eyes gleamed with hunger barely disguised as scientific interest. Finally, after all these years of collecting broken vessels and flawed specimens, the perfect subject had arrived on his doorstep—a young man with power beyond imagining and the psychological fractures that would make him malleable.

===

From his window in the guest quarters, Pierre watched as two more of Valerio’s men took up positions in the garden below. They weren’t even trying to be subtle anymore—Valerio wanted him to know he was being watched.

A soft knock at the door pulled his attention away from the window. "Come in," he called.

Alyssa entered, carrying a tray with tea. She closed the door behind her with her foot and approached, setting the tray on a small table.

"You have an audience," she said quietly, nodding toward the window.

"I know," Pierre replied. "Four men that I can see, probably more that I can’t."

"Valerio took the bait?"

Pierre nodded. "Completely. He thinks I’m on the verge of breaking, desperate for his guidance to control my ’gift.’" He couldn’t keep the disgust from his voice on the last word.

Alyssa poured two cups of tea. "And Raven? Has she found anything yet?"

"Not yet," Pierre said, accepting the cup she offered. "But with Valerio’s security focused on me, she’ll have more freedom to move around. What about you? Any progress on the festival details?"

"Yes," Alyssa replied, her eyes brightening. "Marco was quite helpful, once I expressed my interest in Porto Veloce’s ’charming traditions.’ The Festival of Concord happens in the central plaza. All residents must attend to receive their yearly Script bonuses directly from Valerio."

"Perfect," Pierre murmured. "That’s when we’ll make our move."

He returned to the window, sipping his tea as he observed the guards below. One of them glanced up, spotted him watching, and quickly looked away.

"They’re not very good at this, are they?" Pierre noted.

"They don’t need to be," Alyssa replied, coming to stand beside him. "Valerio’s system doesn’t rely on skill—it relies on numbers and control. These men follow him because they have no choice, not because they believe in what they’re doing."

Pierre nodded. "That’s why his system will collapse when pushed. Fear and debt only work as motivators when people don’t see alternatives."

"And we’re going to show them alternatives," Alyssa said, a hint of her former commanding tone returning.

"We are," Pierre agreed. He turned from the window to face her fully. "But first, we need to find that ledger."