CHAPTER 362: CHAPTER-362.

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"You," Kaya had said sweetly, pointing at Sparrow, "are a genius. So strong. So small. So ’cute’."

Sparrow hadn’t known why he was suddenly being complimented, but he’d felt a really, really bad feeling crawling up his spine—like the universe was about to drop a piano on his head.

Before he could even process that feeling, he was here. Dressed like this. Betrayed.

He looked back at Kaya with pleading, trembling eyes.

She just mouthed, "Don’t worry. This person ’really’ likes cute things."

Sparrow wanted to scream, ’THEN WHY DON’T YOU DO IT?!’

But Kaya and the others just turned their heads, pretending they couldn’t hear him.

’’’

Sparrow stood there in his ridiculous disguise—fake hair flopping, lipstick smeared on his tiny bird beak—staring at the giant guard who was now looking down at him with an expression of pure delight.

"Oh my GODS!" the guard squealed, his deep voice cracking into something disturbingly high-pitched. "You’re ’adorable!’"

Sparrow’s soul left his body. He could feel himself ascending to the afterlife.

The guard bent down, extending a hand the size of a dinner plate. "Come here, little birdie! Do you want a treat? I have seeds! And breadcrumbs! Oh, you’re so ’pretty!’"

Sparrow looked back one last time at his so-called teammates, his eyes screaming betrayal louder than words ever could.

Kaya gave him a cheerful thumbs up.

Veer was biting his fist so hard to keep from laughing that tears were streaming down his face.

Even Cutie’s shoulders were shaking.

’I hate all of you,’ Sparrow thought as he hopped forward on his tiny bird feet, the fake hair bouncing ridiculously on his head like a bad wig in a windstorm.

The guard scooped him up with both hands, cradling him like a baby. "Oh, you’re so soft! What’s your name, little angel? Are you lost? Do you need me to protect you?"

Sparrow chirped weakly. It sounded like crying.

Behind the tree, Kaya whispered, "Ten minutes. Just keep him distracted for ten minutes."

Sparrow chirped again, this time definitely crying.

"Awww, don’t be sad!" The guard pressed Sparrow against his cheek. "Uncle Brutus will take care of you!"

’Uncle Brutus,’ Sparrow thought in horror. ’His name is Uncle Brutus.’

As the guard began cooing and petting him, Sparrow caught one final glimpse of Kaya sneaking past into the building.

She winked at him.

Sparrow closed his eyes. This was how he died. Not in battle. Not with honor. But as a dolled-up distraction named "little angel" being cuddled by a man named Uncle Brutus.

He was never forgiving any of them. Ever.

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Kaya signaled Veer with a sharp hand gesture toward the sky. Veer nodded, understanding immediately—he’d create a distraction if needed. Cutie stayed behind to keep an eye on the perimeter, his stance alert and ready.

Kaya had decided to go inside herself. She’d scouted earlier—there were no big gutters or sewers large enough to sneak through. The door was her only option. Right now, the main guard was distracted by Sparrow’s ridiculous performance, and they had only a few minutes before he came back to his post.

Even worse, the guards at the gate would change shifts soon. Kaya had to slip in during those few precious seconds when the old guards were leaving and the new ones hadn’t arrived yet. Timing was everything.

At least beastmen didn’t have cameras or modern surveillance systems. That was one less worry. But their sense of smell? That was a different problem. Beastmen—no matter how small or big—had incredibly strong noses. One whiff of her scent and the entire building would know she was there.

Earlier, Kaya had prepared. She’d rubbed herself down with crushed herbs, dirt, and even some animal dung she’d found near the stables. It wasn’t pleasant, but it would mask her human scent long enough to get inside.

She crouched behind the tree, eyes locked on the gate. The old guards were yawning, stretching, ready to leave. Any second now...

Cutie gave a low whistle—the signal. The old guards turned and walked away from their posts. The new ones hadn’t arrived yet.

’Now.’

Kaya moved. Silent as shadow, fast as wind. She kept low, her steps barely disturbing the ground, slipping through the darkness like water. She reached the door just as the new guards rounded the corner in the distance.

She pressed herself flat against the wall, holding her breath. The guards passed the gate, chatting casually, not yet at their posts.

Kaya slipped inside.

The hallway was dimly lit with wax cabdles, casting long shadows along the wooden beams and stone walls. The air smelled like earth, smoke, and something faintly metallic. She could hear voices deeper inside—muffled, distant conversations.

She moved quickly but carefully, keeping to the shadows, her hand resting on the knife at her side. Every step was calculated. Every breath controlled. She avoided the patches of light from the lamps, staying in the darkness between them.

No cameras. No alarms. Just her instincts, her training, and the ticking clock in her head.

She had maybe ten minutes before Sparrow’s distraction ran out. Ten minutes before Uncle Brutus got bored with his "little angel" and returned to his post. Ten minutes to find the department head behind the spies, get proof, and get out.

Kaya’s lips curved into a cold, determined smile.

Time to find out who’s been pulling the strings.

Kaya moved deeper into the hallway, the flickering lamplight casting shifting shadows across the stone walls.

Then she froze.

Her body went completely still, one foot hovering above the ground. Every muscle locked in place. The air suddenly felt thick, pressing against her skin.

Footsteps.

The sound echoed faintly through the corridor—measured, casual, but growing louder. Her heart kicked against her ribs, but her face stayed blank.

She tilted her head slightly, listening.

Not just from ahead.

Behind her too.

Two sets coming from the front. Two from behind. They were closing in, the sound bouncing off the stone walls, growing sharper with each passing second.