Nix stepped forward and waved a hand in front of Aren’s eyes. "Aren, how are you feeling?"

He frowned. "Why isn’t he responding?"

Paros watched silently, his brows tightening. Wen hesitated. "Did we... overdo it? Did we mess him up?"

Yuel reached out and gave Aren a light push. "Aren, can you hear me? If you can, move a finger."

Nothing.

Aren’s eyes were open, yet empty, as if he couldn’t hear a single word around him.

Yuel’s expression turned grave. He checked Aren carefully, then said in a low voice, "His injuries are healed. His energy has recovered. The drug is neutralized... but mentally, something is off."

At that moment, Vincent’s light-brain vibrated.

Rory: "Vincent, have you found Aren? Melanie said she’s sending Bree to the bridal room. She’s on her way."

Vincent’s gaze sharpened. "She’s coming. We take Aren and leave immediately."

He sent a quick reply. "Rory, we found him. His condition is complicated. Xarion and Yuel will take him back first. We’ll meet you at the front."

Just as he finished sending it, Aren moved.

"He moved!" Nix blurted out. "I saw his finger!"

Everyone turned at once.

Aren’s fingers twitched again, then his arm shifted. He blinked once, then again.

After a brief pause, he suddenly sat up.

Jasper leaned forward. "Aren, are you alright?"

Aren turned his head and looked at him, but said nothing.

The silence felt wrong.

Xarion narrowed his eyes. "Why does he look even less normal now?"

"...He’s not actually gone stupid, is he?"

Yuel lifted a hand and waved it in front of Aren’s eyes. Aren turned his head and looked at him.

Yuel met his gaze and asked, "Aren, do you remember who I am?"

Aren glanced at him, silent.

"What about me?" Nix stepped forward eagerly. "Aren, do you remember me? I was the one who broke those chains off you. You remember that, right?"

"And back when you were pretending to be a rabbit around Rory, I even fed you carrots."

Aren had no interest in responding to that.

Seeing no reaction, Nix pointed at Vincent. "Then him? When you were a rabbit, he even held you."

"And Jasper made soup for you."

"And Wen gave you those pink pearls he cried out. You don’t remember any of that?"

Aren’s gaze moved across each of them as Nix spoke.

But he still said nothing.

Yuel’s expression darkened. He turned slightly toward Jasper and asked under his breath, "Are you sure you controlled the dosage? This looks like memory loss."

Jasper’s eyes widened. "I swear to the Beast God, I controlled it perfectly. I didn’t erase anything. Not a single memory."

He looked genuinely shaken.

Vincent glanced at Aren again, then at the time displayed on his light-brain. "We’re out of time. We take him and leave."

They could deal with whatever was wrong later.

Right now, getting him out was all that mattered.

The others nodded.

Vincent and Xarion stepped forward at the same time.

Aren, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly reacted the moment he saw Xarion approaching.

His pupils shrank sharply.

Nix’s eyes lit up. "You recognize Xarion, right? He used to treat you really well. You remember that, don’t you?"

Treat him well?

Nix was really stretching it now.

Aren didn’t respond to the words at all.

Instead, he stood up abruptly, stepped forward, and threw his arms around Xarion.

"Father... you finally came to see me."

Xarion froze.

"Father...?"

Xarion’s face darkened instantly. Without hesitation, he shoved the frail boy in his arms away.

"Get lost. I’m not your father."

The weakened boy staggered backward from the force of the push, stumbling several steps before slamming into the cold wall behind him with a dull thud. He slid down along it, collapsing onto the floor.

For a moment, he seemed stunned.

Slowly, he lifted his head. Those striking golden eyes shimmered with unshed tears, confusion and hurt pooling within them. He looked at Xarion, trembling, his voice soft and quivering with the edge of a sob.

"Dad... why did you push me?...Do you not like me anymore either?"

"Well, that’s it."

Nix watched the boy sitting on the ground, on the verge of tears, and covered his face with a groan. "I don’t think he’s lost his memory... I think he’s gone stupid."

"That wasn’t me," Jasper muttered under his breath, trying to defend himself. "I controlled the dosage perfectly."

Vincent’s lips twitched. He reached down and hauled the boy up from the floor in one swift motion.

"Enough. We need to move him first. The succubi and that female, Bree, will be here any second."

...

Front Hall

Bree stepped out of the banquet hall, following behind the succubi as she made her way straight toward the bridal chamber prepared for her and Aren.

Aren—an eleventh-rank beastman warrior. And he possessed the Beast God Fruit.

Compared to that useless Sylas Ruan, he was leagues ahead.

A sharp glint flashed through Bree’s eyes as she arrived at the entrance to the bridal chamber.

Her gaze swept the area, suspicion flickering across her face.

"Why are there no guards here?" she asked the attendant walking ahead.

The attendant bowed respectfully. "Lady Bree, Madam Melanie instructed that, so as not to disturb your union with the young clan leader, everyone was to leave immediately after preparing the bridal chamber."

How thoughtful of her.

Bree nodded in satisfaction, though her eyes once again scanned the empty corridor with caution. Only after confirming there was nothing unusual did she finally relax.

"Lady Bree, we’ve arrived. The young clan leader is inside."

Smiling obsequiously, the attendant pushed the door open.

As it swung inward, he was just about to step aside to let her enter, when his eyes fell upon the scene inside.

They widened in horror.

"Ah—!"

The attendant let out a shrill scream, his face draining of all color. He pointed into the room, lips trembling so violently he couldn’t form a single word.

Startled by the outburst, Bree frowned. "What happened?"

She strode forward and looked inside and her pupils shrank sharply.

The room, which should have been filled with festivity and celebration, was in utter ruin.