CHAPTER 33: SOUP AND COMEDY

Once her conversation with Carla ended, Iris could finally leave. With the majority of the Enforcers having departed, she no longer needed to conceal her comings and goings. The small group that was supposed to stay behind with her wasn’t her concern. She had left clear instructions with Carla to ensure she would properly select those who would remain to guard the children.

As she left the camp, Iris noticed how quickly people had rushed to depart. With their enthusiasm, she wouldn’t be surprised if they reached the Invictus Fortress by tonight.

The meeting point she had arranged with Lucie wasn’t too far from the camp—just distant enough to avoid detection. Among thousands of Initiates, there had to be at least one with a unique power capable of locating them if they weren’t careful.

When she arrived at the forest’s edge, the road and the camp were no longer visible. Of course, if she wished, she could still observe what was happening. But what captured her attention and occupied her thoughts were faint, silent whispers she had noticed as she exited the camp. These echoes weren’t caused by the parasite, but something different—something real, though quite stubborn, which, she had to admit, only made them more endearing. They stirred childhood memories within her.

She hesitated about what to do with them—and more precisely, how her brother would react when they met. She was both eager to see his reaction and filled with slight regret for what she had done. Yet every time she imagined the look on his face, that tiny guilt vanished instantly.

"Well, it’s decided," she concluded, stopping in her tracks so as not to alert the two amateur spies tailing her. "You can stop trying to hide. I won’t stop you from following me, I promise."

Once they emerged from their hiding spots, she resumed her pace.

"Let’s speed up a little. At this rate, the soup will be cold before we get there."

The sun was already at its zenith when Iris reached the rendezvous point.

"You sure took your time!" Lucie was the first to notice her, followed shortly by the others. Among them, Lucie had the best detection and stealth abilities—although, ever since Brenda awakened her resonance, Lucie had likely become second-best in stealth.

"Sorry, I ran into a little setback. To make it up to you, I brought some soup..."

As she opened the container, delicious aromas spread around them, overwhelming even their seasoned professionalism. They didn’t even bother to glance at the two teenagers accompanying Iris.

Lucie magically produced bowls for everyone.

"My sweet Iris, you really know how to win hearts," she said, hurriedly filling a bowl for herself, completely abandoning the dishes she had meticulously prepared—much to the relief of the three others, who were thus spared from their self-inflicted culinary punishment.

They took the opportunity to toss the previous meal’s contents to an abnormally large rat, paying no mind to the potential repercussions on the poor creature’s health.

Victor, Brenda, and Sirius couldn’t help but feel a deep gratitude towards Iris.

Iris, aware of her companions’ emotional shifts, could only sigh silently.

"What would you do without me?"

Brad and Bell, who had followed Iris, didn’t grasp the subtleties of the scene unfolding before them. From the moment they arrived, their attention had been focused solely on one person they immediately recognized.

After taking three servings of the delicious soup, Sirius finally felt somewhat satiated and was able to detach himself momentarily from his culinary bliss. That’s when he noticed the piercing gazes that hadn’t left him since he sat down.

Realizing these kids hadn’t been around before Iris arrived, he first wiped a drop of soup from his cheek with his sleeve before turning to his twin sister.

"Hey sis, what’s up?"

Iris pretended not to understand, feigning admiration for the beauty of the clouds.

Of course, such a pitiful ruse couldn’t fool Sirius, who immediately saw an opportunity to settle some scores.

"How much does it hurt to be buried by your own sister?" he said dramatically.

"To abandon someone when there was still hope... If only there was a word for such an act."

"Hypocrite!" Lucie shouted, nearly spitting her soup all over Sirius.

"I had been told there’s no greater betrayal than being stabbed in the back. But who would have thought? My own brother would shoot me down in cold blood, without remorse, without regret."

"I swear I saw that one coming," Sirius grumbled silently. "It’s like she couldn’t miss an opportunity to get me."

He was thinking of another witty comeback, but before he could deliver it, Lucie, realizing things were escalating, raised her voice like a responsible adult and stepped between them.

"Enough, you two! I know you were worried about each other, even if neither of you will admit it. But... but... but—"

Unfortunately, she stuttered, leaving an opening neither twin could resist.

"But before lecturing others, shouldn’t you be able to speak your heart clearly yourself? Isn’t that right, Flat Board?"

As usual, Iris went straight for the sensitive spot.

Puffing out her chest proudly, which she claimed had grown after her awakening.

"Shouldn’t you first look in the mirror?" Sirius added, seizing the opportunity to counterattack.

"Shut up! The next one to throw shade is dead meat!" Lucie yelled, grabbing both twins by the ears.

The comical scene made Brad and Bell burst out laughing, easing the tension caused by the childhood friends’ reunion.

Iris eventually introduced Brad and Bell to the group, explaining the circumstances of their meeting, carefully avoiding any explicit mention of how she had helped them overcome their trauma. She used subtle words, drawing on her professional experience, to convey everything Sirius and the others needed to know without raising the kids’ suspicions.

After hearing the story, the group’s view of the children shifted considerably.

"Brad, Bell, you can call me Big Sister Lucie or Boss—your choice," Lucie declared haughtily, earning a dark look from Brenda.

Victor, after eating, drifted a bit away from the group to do something only he knew about.

Brad and Bell weren’t impressed by Lucie’s boastful attitude. Their gazes were firmly locked onto Sirius, as if they were seeing their hero for the first time.

Their eyes gleamed with excitement until, unable to contain themselves any longer, they both bowed their heads simultaneously—a sign of deep respect—before declaring, with utmost seriousness:

"You’re so cool. Please, be our master!"

The words hit Sirius like an emotional bomb, shattering his usual poker face into a thousand pieces. He stuttered before struggling to regain a solemn and serious expression.

"I have nothing to teach you. Please reconsider."

Iris didn’t even bother hiding her enjoyment, wearing a smile that could easily be interpreted as, "I underestimated the scene. If I knew, I would have brought popcorn."

Lucie, too, made no effort to conceal her amusement at seeing such a rare side of Sirius.

Whispering to Iris:

"What did you do to them?"

"Me? Nothing. Just told them a few stories and some anecdotes about each of us."

Sirius had several weaknesses he tried to hide under his cold demeanor—one being his love for cats, and another... well, scenes like this explained the rest.

The atmosphere froze into this strange stalemate. Neither side seemed willing to give up: Brad and Bell refused to accept a "no," while Sirius, despite his discomfort, stubbornly held his ground.

Brenda, being the only one growing tired of the situation, felt compelled to intervene—since she couldn’t count on Iris and Lucie, who were clearly enjoying the comedy way too much.

Stepping in as an arbitrator between the two camps, she suggested:

"Why don’t you try to understand everyone’s reasons? It would be easier to reach an agreement that way."

"Sirius, why don’t you consider their decision?"

"Brad and Bell, right? What drives you to choose him as your master?"

Before Sirius could answer, the two of them spoke first, as if such a question was meaningless and foolish.

Brad stood up proudly, like a soldier at attention, and addressed Sirius.

"You are the strongest. You kill everything that stands in your way without mercy, like a true enforcer," he paused for a moment before shouting loudly: "One day, when I grow up, I’ll be as cool as you!"

Bell, in turn, was bolder with her answer. She stepped closer to Sirius, took his hands in hers, and reduced the distance between them to just a few centimeters. She inhaled once but still didn’t feel courageous enough. She took a deeper breath, but that still wasn’t enough. Finally, she puffed out her chest and whispered in a cute voice:

"You’re so handsome, I love you."

As soon as the words left her mouth, her skin turned bright red, and she rushed to hide behind Iris, grabbing her hair into two strands in a desperate attempt to cover her embarrassment.

If Sirius had been caught off guard before, it could now be said with certainty that he had hit rock bottom.