Hearing Zane's witty reply to the third question, the little girl's eyes widened in amazement. There was clearly an excitement in her eyes.

"Wow… fascinating." Her voice carried genuine wonder. "No one has ever answered like that before. Not even the geniuses of Atlantis had such a perspective."

For the first time, her expression cycled rapidly—amazement, curiosity, delight. It wasn't a flat digital projection; it was emotion, vivid and alive.

Zane narrowed his eyes. He had been observing her closely from the start, and now the strangeness pressed on him. She was supposed to be a virtual avatar—a cybernetic interface. But what he was seeing… it was closer to a sentient being. Almost human.

The girl smiled sweetly, tilting her head.

"Since you gave me such a satisfying answer, I'll reward you. You may ask me three questions about Solaris City."

Zane's thoughts sharpened. He had plenty of doubts swirling in his mind ever since stepping through the gate. This was his chance.

He chose carefully.

"First question: The threat you mentioned earlier—what exactly is it? From everything I've seen, the city looks untouched."

The girl's eyes shimmered. "Titans. I can show you."

She raised her hand. Instantly, the room lit up as a three-dimensional projection filled the space.

Ten towering figures appeared around Zane.

At first, he was surprised not by their size—he had expected skyscraper giants—but by their form. They looked human. Their garments shone with strange metallic strips woven into fabric. Crystalline stones of many colors glittered from piercings in their ears, noses, even their faces. The aura they carried was unmistakable: advanced, dangerous.

Zane's mind flashed back. The ancient legends—the ten Titans who fought the Divine Tree before the Age of Awakening. According to the myths, all ten perished, along with the Tree.

Could these be the same Titans?

His gaze swept across the figures until it landed on the last one.

A woman.

And in that instant, his composure cracked. His body trembled uncontrollably, shivers racing from head to toe.

The AI-girl noticed immediately. "Hey, Zane… are you alright?"

Zane's voice came rough. "I'm fine. Who is… that?" He pointed at the woman.

"She is the leader of the Titan group," XoXo replied calmly. "Just as our Oracle foretold, they appeared precisely on schedule. I decoded their language. Her name translates to… Mercializa-paka, the Head Hunter. The others fear her."

Her blue eyes studied him. "You seem entranced. Do you know her?"

Zane smirked, forcing his unease into a mask of defiance. "Can I consider that my fourth question?"

The petite girl gave a playful shrug.

"Since you are very likable… yes. You may."

Zane's lips curved slightly. "I know someone who looks exactly like her. She's close to me. That's all I can say."

Without waiting for her reaction, he pressed on.

"My second question: Mercializa-paka, the Head Hunter—who is she? Or better, can you show me the full recording of their presence in the city… with translation?"

"Of course." The girl raised her hand, and the 3-D projection rippled back to life, starting from the very beginning.

"They passed through the metallic wall of Solaris without resistance—like it wasn't even there," the AI narrated.

The illusion sharpened, and Zane saw Mercializa leading her group into the city. She spoke in a harsh, unfamiliar tongue, but subtitles appeared beneath her.

"Fukutu Goldbergie, did you find any energy cores here?"

"No, Captain," the man answered flatly. "I've scoured every corner. Nothing strong enough to heal our injuries."

Mercializa's brow furrowed. "Are you sure you searched everywhere?"

Fukutu spread his hands with a weary smile. "Ten times over. The structures here run on scraps of power—third-generation technology at best. This place is a waste."

Her face darkened. "That cursed Tree… it used the Ultimate Seed to cripple us. If I'd been more cautious, none of this would have happened."

"Don't take all the blame, Captain," Fukutu said quickly. "We all knew the risks. The Tree is cunning, unpredictable. No one could have foreseen this. And… I doubt it came out unscathed. That blow must have wounded it badly."

"Even so," Mercializa muttered, her jaw tightening, "I am the captain. Their lives are my responsibility."

The recording shifted—short exchanges about abandoning Solaris and searching other pocket universes. Then came a suggestion from another Titan:

"Why not erase this Guardian AI and wipe the footage? No one must know we were here."

Several voices agreed.

But Mercializa raised a hand to silence them. "No. If we fail, this record must remain. Let it serve as a warning… or a beacon of hope for others who come after us—to stand against the Corrupted Tree."

With a final gesture, she and her team vanished, leaving the city empty. The hologram dissolved.

Zane hadn't blinked once. His gaze had never left Mercializa.

The resemblance was undeniable. The curve of her jaw. The stubborn fire in her eyes. The voice that carried both command and compassion.

He whispered under his breath, voice trembling,

"Grandma… is it really you? This is exactly how you would have looked in your early twenties…"

His heart clenched as the name formed silently on his lips.

Mitchell Kingsley.

His maternal grandmother. The woman who raised him in Whistler Town.

He tried connecting the two in his mind, but only one conclusion surfaced.

"Other than their looks, they're nothing alike. This woman is the captain of the Titans—a merciless hunter with the title Head Hunter. My grandma, though… she's an innocent soul who lived only for her missing daughter. A kind spirit who wouldn't harm an ant. Why am I even comparing my poor granny to this ruthless character?" he muttered, exhaling sharply.

Still, the uneasy feeling wouldn't leave him.

His first instinct was the System. If it were online, it could scan them both and lay bare the truth. But the System remained offline, silent.

Thinking quickly, he turned to Xoxo.

"Alright, last question. Can you transfer the Titan files into this?" He tapped the smartwatch on his wrist. "Once that's done, we're square."

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