Helios stared at the test results of Dante's DNA samples as if they would reveal on their own what triggered Dante's immortality. But no matter how intensely he examined the results, they remained silent, unresponsive. Blood, tissue, and cerebrospinal fluid had shown no anomalies, and even Dante's DNA provided no clues as to what was going on inside his body. The only thing Helios could say for certain now was that Dante was physically completely healthy—almost perfect.
He had really hoped to find an answer in the DNA samples, but to find absolutely nothing was unexpected. Dante's body was like an impenetrable fortress, a riddle that refused to be solved. It was as if he embodied human health itself, the untouched, flawless essence of a newborn.
"Haaaaah…" Helios exhaled irritably. He placed his glasses on the table with a sharp click and rubbed his weary forehead. Pah! As if that could stop the emerging headache that was already pulsing at his temples.
The only good thing he could take away from all of this was that he hadn't found anything significant in his own blood either. Which made him a healthy man as well. That alone should deserve a round of applause, right?
Helios rested his chin on his hand and stared at Dante. Without his glasses, he saw him in a blur, and for a moment, he wondered if his eyesight had gotten worse. Maybe he should really get a new pair of glasses soon. Maybe he should finally break the annoying habit of reading in low light.
Ah, who was he kidding? He would probably continue like this until his death. Some habits didn't change overnight, and some stayed forever, that's just how it was.
But how should he proceed with Dante now? The samples hadn't gotten him anywhere and hadn't even pointed him in a rough direction to continue his research. If he wanted results, he would probably have to take more drastic measures. So what could he do to force a state in which Dante's body would regenerate?
A grin spread across Helios' face as an idea came to him.
This was going to be interesting. He reached for his glasses, put them on, and stood up from his chair.
"Roll up your sleeve, Dante. I need more blood from you," he said calmly, almost casually, as he began to move toward his shelf, humming. There, he searched for everything he needed to take another blood sample. But this time, he had more in mind.
Helios didn't just prepare two sets for the blood draw, but also a syringe filled with a new experimental toxin that he had been wanting to test for a while. As he drew the liquid into the syringe, he paused for a moment and thought. Was poison the right way to provoke the desired reaction? Perhaps it would be better to go for the direct, raw approach—injure him, to see how the body would respond.
Helios glanced at his watch and shrugged. The clock read 2:00 PM, so the day was still very young. Who was going to tell him how to conduct his tests? Besides, Dante regenerated so quickly that Helios definitely had plenty of time to try out a few things.
Helios didn't hesitate for long and added an anesthetic to the syringe, setting it down carefully. He slipped a scalpel into his lab coat pocket—better safe than sorry. He then turned back to Dante, his grin widening. He had made his decision, and now he would see where this new direction would lead him.
"Ready?" he asked as he walked briskly toward Dante.
Dante looked at him with a confused expression. "Did you find something?" he asked hopefully.
Helios calmly put on his gloves while preparing what he needed. Then he knelt down in front of Dante and gently took his arm to disinfect it. "In a way," he began, "I have an idea of how we can get the information we need to move forward."
He applied pressure to Dante's vein, grabbed the first blood collection set, and began drawing a sample.
Dante let out a relieved breath. "I'm really glad you found something," he said, smiling at Helios. Helios pulled the needle from his vein and handed him a cotton ball. Dante briefly pressed it to the wound to stop any bleeding and then looked at him with a questioning expression. "But didn't you say you hadn't found anything in my blood?"
"Exactly," Helios replied. He grabbed the syringe with the toxin, tapped it to remove the air, and carefully pushed it so that an ominous drop formed at the needle tip.
"What's in the syringe?" Dante asked.
"Oh, just a new toxin I want to test on you," Helios said casually. "Don't worry, the dose is high, and it'll kill you quickly," he added, and then drove the syringe into Dante's abdomen. He pressed the plunger down quickly and injected the entire contents before Dante could react.
His luck was probably that Dante felt safe around him. But Helios was still angry at him, especially over that damned chokehold. Maybe he was being a bit too vengeful? Definitely, but it brought him indescribable pleasure to get revenge on Dante.
"You bastard..." Dante gasped before clutching his chest and wheezing for air. The toxic cocktail began to take effect.
Helios soothingly patted Dante's knee and pulled the syringe out. He set it on the table without taking his eyes off his immortal guard. Helios sat on the table and crossed his legs. A smile played on his lips—he found this sight oddly pleasing.
"Don't be mad, Dante," he said in a calm voice. "When you're dead, I'll take more blood from you, and then again when you wake up. Don't worry, I won't leave you alone. I'll find out what they did to you. I keep my promises."
It was a mix of science and pure, almost aesthetic fascination that gripped him as he watched Dante gasp for breath, blood oozing from his eyes, nose, and ears. Each of his wheezes seemed to vibrate through the air, and Helios absorbed the sound as if it were the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.
His strained gasps and the way he gasped for air... Helios wanted to touch him and tell him how well he was enduring it all. What a good guard dog he was, doing it all in the name of science. He absorbed every sound that came from Dante as he fought for his life. Every gasp sent a pleasant shiver through his veins. Every groan of pain made his grin widen. Dante's face was twisted in agony, suffering from the poison, and it was truly no easy death. Quite the opposite: It looked incredibly painful.
It was beautiful.
As blood threatened to drip from Dante's chin, Helios quickly grabbed a cloth and wiped the blood away.
"Careful, Dante. You're making a mess!" he chided gently. "We don't want anyone starting to ask questions, do we?"
Dante glared at him angrily. He moved his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but only a gurgling gasp came out.
It had been a while since he had killed someone. The last government assignment he completed was before Davis' death, and since then, he had only killed Dante that one time. It had been two long weeks, and deep inside, he could feel how much satisfaction it gave him to see someone die. Even if, once again, it was Dante he had killed.
It was a dark, seductive pleasure, almost like a craving that he carried within him.
Helios hadn't even realized how much he had needed this. Almost dreamily, he watched as a bloody torrent poured from Dante's mouth, which Helios caught with the cloth. Eventually, Dante stopped breathing. His gaze became empty. With his still-gloved hand, he wiped a bloody tear from Dante's cheek.
"Thank you," Helios whispered, more satisfied than he had been in days. A moment of perfect peace, something he always sought.
He stood up and began humming as he prepared to take another blood sample from Dante. He quickly wiped his bloodstained face and then grabbed the sample, dropping a bit of it onto a slide that he immediately placed under the microscope.
Helios leaned forward, scrutinizing the cells with a focused gaze. They were dead, without any movement. Not even a sluggish twitch was visible. He carefully added a drop of the blood he had taken from Dante before the little "murder." Instantly, he buried himself back into the microscope, his thoughts swirling like a storm. It couldn't be long now before he found the answer. If his assumption was correct...
Dante groaned sluggishly.
Helios counted the seconds, and suddenly life returned to the cells. They moved and divided; the old cells were devoured and disposed of as the new ones divided and cheerfully regenerated. The poison simply vanished, completely dissolved, as if Dante's blood were corrosive to anything foreign. It didn't take long for enough life to return to the sample before it finally dried, and the cells died.
Helios let out a triumphant laugh.
While it still wasn't the solution to the riddle of Dante's immortality, seeing it with his own eyes fueled Helios in a way he hadn't thought possible.
He left the sample under the microscope and hurried excitedly to his cabinet. He almost ran, so urgent was he to grab the next blood collection set. A quick glance at Dante, who was slowly starting to come to, and then a practiced move to take another blood sample. The spot where he had pricked him earlier no longer showed a scar. Everything was as good as new. It was almost as if Dante's body had never been hurt.
"Helios… you…" Dante growled, his voice full of anger as he barely managed to get the words out.
"Hold on, Dante. I think I have an idea," Helios quickly interrupted him, not concerned at all by the threatening tone in Dante's voice.
Dante looked at him, confused, mumbling something to himself as he regained his senses. Helios, on the other hand, grabbed the sample and quickly placed it under the microscope. It looked exactly like the blood he had just observed moments ago. He compared this sample to the first one. The image was identical.
"Incredible," he muttered to himself as he paced the room thoughtfully.
What was it that caused Dante's blood to regenerate so completely? It was more than just healing – it was a total rejuvenation of the cells. Every single cell in his body had to go through this process. He had always suspected it, but now he had seen it with his own eyes. Dante's blood was the key. It didn't just rejuvenate the blood; it rejuvenated the tissue, the entire system. Every time it regenerated, the whole body was made younger. It was a reversal of the natural decay process. The question was no longer whether his body regenerated, but how and why this process was so extraordinary.
He couldn't really check it, because some of the samples would take too long to prepare to observe the effect in real-time. Theoretically, however, he was sure he was on the right path. Fortunately, he could observe the process through Dante's blood more quickly, which was providing him with valuable insights. But now what? How should he proceed?
He wanted to create a prototype from Dante's blood that he could work with for more than just 5 minutes. If he had something that lasted at least an hour…
But just as he was thinking further about it, he was suddenly shoved hard against his desk. The sharp pain of bruising his hip on the hard wood jolted him out of his thoughts. Before he could even react, Dante pressed him forcefully against the desk, leaving him barely able to defend himself. Dante's face was twisted with anger, and his eyes were dangerously sparkling. He looked extremely pissed.
"So?" Dante growled, his voice full of anger. "Did you find something after you injected me with that damn stuff?"
"Maybe," Helios replied calmly, unfazed by Dante's threat.
The muscle-bound man might have wanted to intimidate him, but Helios knew that Dante still needed him, and he knew Dante wouldn't do anything to him again—at least not until he had helped him. For now, his life was safe. He could always make plans in case Dante truly lost his immortality. If he became mortal again, Helios could simply kill him permanently.
Helios gently patted the cheek of his new guinea pig and smiled.
"It will still take a little while to fully understand how your immortality works," he explained. "But this recent experiment has given me a pretty good idea. Though, I'm afraid you'll need to die a few more times for the solution, my dear Dante."
Dante looked at him uncertainly, the anger still evident in his blood-streaked face.
"Do you have any idea how painful it is to die?" he asked quietly.
"No, but I'm happy to listen," Helios answered, intrigued. "After all, I've never died before." He added with a serious tone, "And you better not leave out any details."
Dante exhaled slowly and closed his eyes for a moment. "If you have to kill me to find a solution, it's fine," he said finally, his voice filled with a mix of resignation and rage. "But damn it, Helios, talk to me about it before you do."
Such a compliant guinea pig is truly a stroke of luck, Helios thought with satisfaction.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," Helios said with a warm, sincere smile. The small murder of Dante still felt really good. Who would have thought that the idiot could be useful to Helios this way? He absentmindedly brushed away a dried bloodstain on Dante's face. "You should wash up; otherwise, people will start asking questions we don't want to answer."
Dante gave him one last warning look before heading toward the sink to wash the blood off. Meanwhile, Helios cleaned up the used blood collection sets and discarded the now-useless slides.
As soon as Dante finished washing his face and Helios was about to dispose of the last slide, there was a knock at the door. Helios quickly scanned the room, which fortunately showed no signs of what they had just done, and then called for the person to enter.
Thomas entered with a tray that held coffee and a small lunch snack. He set everything down on the low coffee table. Though he had seen the old man every day since Davis' death, he had only been bringing Helios his midday coffee in recent days, then quickly disappearing. Without Davis, it seemed there was no longer any reason for Thomas to spend his lunch with them.
It was kind of a shame, but Helios was also grateful for it. If the three of them were sitting here happily drinking their coffee together, he would probably have to think about him the whole time.
This day seemed no exception. As usual, he had only brought cups and snacks for two people. For Helios and Dante. Helios looked at the old man who had been with him for so many years. Although he was primarily there for his father, Thomas had always been the one who had replaced a grandfather for him.
"Wouldn't you like to join us?" Helios heard himself ask as Thomas arranged the dishes for them.
Thomas gave him a faint, wrinkled smile. "Thank you, but I still have a few things to do," he said, briefly looking at Dante, who was still drying his face. Then he gave Helios a questioning glance. "Has something happened?"
"Just a little accident," Helios replied in a calm, almost casual tone. "I did a bit of experimenting with my substances, and there was a small... incident. Unfortunately, Dante got the brunt of it."
Thomas's eyes widened in shock. It was almost as if he had frozen inside. He seemed genuinely worried about Dante. Helios could vividly imagine how the old man would have fainted if he had come just 20 minutes earlier. It had been a close call, but fortunately, everything had worked out.
"Are you alright, Dante?!"
Dante stopped and looked at him, surprised as if he hadn't quite expected the question. Then he slowly nodded. "It wasn't anything dangerous. I shouldn't have gotten so close to watch."
Thomas exhaled in relief. "You should really be more careful with your experiments, young man," Thomas gently scolded Helios.
Helios shrugged. "Things rarely go wrong, and luckily, our Dante here is pretty tough," Helios said, casting an amused glance at Dante. Dante, on the other hand, didn't look amused at all, but also not as angry as before.
Oh?
Thomas poured the coffee and seemed to be preparing to leave again. "You two need to take care of yourselves," Thomas said with a sad expression. "This old man can't handle many more funerals. The next one should be mine."
"Don't worry, no one here is going to die," Helios said. "And certainly not you, Thomas. After all, you have a lifetime contract with us; you can only die when the Vale family goes under," Helios snorted.
Thomas looked at him in surprise and then started laughing. "You're right, I'm still young and spry. Another 80 years should be in the cards."
"At least," Helios said dryly, smiling.
"Ah, that reminds me, I should give you something," Thomas said after wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. He looked more serious now. His smile had vanished as he handed Helios a letter.
Helios reached out for the letter and took it. On the envelope, he recognized his father's handwriting: "For my beloved son." It said on it. Helios almost felt like vomiting when he read the words.
Still, he made an effort to maintain his usual neutral expression and opened the letter.
"Since we haven't had dinner together in a long time, I would be pleased if you would dine with me tonight at 7 PM. I expect you to be punctual."
Helios had absolutely no desire to have dinner with his father again. He looked at his watch. It was already 3 PM. Unfortunately, keeping his father in a good mood was one of his duties. He smiled at Thomas, who was still waiting for a response from Helios.
"Tell him I'll be there."
___
At exactly 7 PM, Helios entered the dining hall of the estate. He had returned early with Dante, changed clothes, and now the dreaded dinner was upon him. A necessary evil he had to get through.
His father placed great importance on a neat appearance. So, not only had Helios made himself look more or less presentable, but he had also made sure that Dante looked decent as well. To be fair, Dante didn't look bad at all after his father was done with him. Besides, there was still something he needed to discuss with his father. Maybe it wouldn't help much that they had both dressed up, but it would be useful.
His father smiled broadly when he saw him. He set aside some papers and stood up.
"There you are at last!" he exclaimed happily, pulling Helios into a warm hug. "It feels like we haven't seen each other in forever."
Yes, because I've been hiding in my room, thought Helios.
"There's been a lot to do, and I've always gotten home pretty late," he said instead with a practiced fake smile.
His father looked at him affectionately. "As I heard, you've been home before midnight lately?"
Davis probably wanted me to rest...
"Right now, I can finish my tasks in a way that I should be done around 9 PM or so."
His father gently guided him to his chair and helped him sit down—a gesture he repeated as if Helios were still a little child in his eyes. Helios would have liked to pull away from his hands, but he let it happen to avoid confrontation. He then sat down himself. He studied his father while resting his chin in his hands.
"Have you gotten involved in any more assassination attempts?"
Helios shook his head. "No, since Davis' death, it's been pretty quiet."
"Very strange," his father murmured thoughtfully, and for a moment, it seemed like he was sinking deeper into his own thoughts. "By the way, you look good. Healthy."
Helios smirked. What a bit of makeup could do. Thanks to Thomas, he always looked fairly healthy; he was surprised his father didn't know about it. "I don't feel that way."
"Why? Are you not feeling well?" his father asked, alarmed, a worried expression on his face.
"I need a change of scenery," Helios said, seizing the opportunity to steer the conversation in a different direction.
The food was served, and while his father immediately started eating, Helios poked around the vegetables without really feeling hungry.
"A change of scenery? What do you have in mind?" his father asked, taking a bite and eyeing Helios with an interested look.
"I feel like going somewhere. Maybe to the sea or something. After all, I've never seen it," Helios explained, putting the prepared plan into words. "Apart from that, I'm curious about what kinds of medicines they use in warmer regions."
His father smiled indulgently. "That sounds more like you just want to continue working somewhere else."
"Kind of. Before I get the next assignment, I'd like to stock up on my supplies a bit," Helios answered. He began cutting his meat. "Of course, only if there's nothing urgent going on. Theo has taken the Violet case, and so far, everything looks good, and I've been handling my workload pretty well. So? What do you think?"
Helios started eating and looked at his father expectantly. His father, however, eyed him with concern.
"You've more than earned a break, but what if something happens? What if you get shot again or something worse?" he asked, worried. "You'd be far from home."
"I have Dante for that," Helios said. "I don't need anyone else. The more people who come, the more I'll stand out. I don't plan on making myself a target. With a bit of luck, people will really just think I'm a tourist."
His father thoughtfully rubbed his chin. "I don't like this."
"Father," Helios said, looking at him seriously. "I'm only asking for maybe one or two weeks. Nothing more. After that, I'll come back and do my work as usual."
Helios avoided saying the phrase, "Then I'll do whatever you want." Not that his father would ask such a thing of him. His father looked at Dante thoughtfully, who was standing just behind Helios.
"Under his supervision, you nearly died," his father said, furrowing his brow. "Why should I let him go with you if you're only taking one guard?"
Helios sighed slightly, a bit annoyed. "He doesn't talk much, and since he's been sleeping in my room lately, I've even gotten used to his snoring. If he comes along, at least I feel like I'm getting a little vacation. It would feel strange with any other guards." He forced another smile. "I'd take Thomas with me, too, but you'd never let me have him, would you?"
His father laughed, grabbed his glass, and took a big sip of wine. "No, sorry. You can have anything you want from me, Helios, but I can't let you have Thomas."
"Shame," Helios sighed almost theatrically. "Then it looks like it's just Dante."
"Sorry, my dear son," his father said, emptying his glass and pouring himself a new one. The gesture was a clear sign that the man was getting nervous. "Where do you want to go? I'll have accommodations prepared for you, along with appropriate security on-site."
"Honestly, I don't know yet. I just want to head toward the sea and then see where it takes me. Or let's say, where it looks interesting. You could have a list prepared for me so I know where our accommodations are. Then I can check out what's around the area."
His father studied him thoughtfully, his gaze seemed more penetrating than usual. "You really want to leave?"
Helios nodded. "Right now, I really feel like a change of scenery. I should take advantage of it before I lock myself in my lab for the rest of my life."
His father sighed, emptied the second glass of wine in one go, and ate some of his steak before speaking again. "Fine, but if anything or anyone seems off, you come back. There may not be any more assassination attempts right now, but that doesn't mean no one is looking for you and wants to kill you."
"Don't worry, Father. As you know, I'm a very cautious person," Helios replied with a confident smile. "Plus, I'll dress differently than usual. No one will recognize me. I'll be truly inconspicuous."
"Which is the only reason I'm agreeing to this," his father retorted grimly, but with a hint of relief. He took the third glass of wine and downed it in one go before continuing, "Will you talk to Edward before you go?"
"I'm planning to leave in a week, but before that, I'll meet with Edward again," Helios said.
"Good. It's important to finish projects."
"Oh, and Penny wanted me to visit her at her summer house. Maybe I'll take care of that while I'm out and about," Helios thought aloud.
His father smiled at him. "Oh, little Penny? Please send her my regards," his father said with a soft voice. His cheeks were slightly flushed. "It's really a shame that she's already engaged. You two would have made a beautiful couple."
Helios' hand tightened around the fork, and for a moment, his gaze narrowed on the plate. Not this topic again. As much as his father poured the wine into himself, it seemed he didn't want to talk about anything else. Helios couldn't really fight back, but it was unbearable.
"I love Penny, but she's always been more like a sister to me than anything else, Father," Helios said, making a disgusted face. "The thought of sleeping with her is pretty disgusting."
His father laughed. "You really spent a lot of time together when you were younger," he said, taking another large sip of wine. "Your mother wished you two would get together back then."
Helios paused and stared at his plate. "Mother wished for many things," he said quietly.
His father continued eating silently, but after a while, as the wine seemed to take effect, he spoke again. "Unfortunately, Miss Evangeline is no longer an option either." A trace of regret sounded in his voice as he continued, "When you come back, we should really find a suitable bride for you."
Helios' heart tightened. Davis was gone, and now he was supposed to seriously take on his role as Helios Vale again. Everything inside him rebelled against it. The thought of marrying a woman wasn't just unbearable; it was a nightmare. Helios felt the knot in his chest tightening further. He didn't want this, he didn't want to get married, and most of all, he didn't want to marry a woman. The mere thought of getting into bed with a woman made him feel nauseous. He wasn't capable of it. The expectations on him would be too high. Would he even be able to produce an heir?
All he wanted was for Davis to come back to him. Helios couldn't escape the sadness that suddenly gripped him, cold in his bones.
"Helios? Is everything alright?" his father asked, concerned.
His gaze snapped up, as if he had just woken from a nightmare. He stared at his father, unable to say anything immediately. In that moment, it felt like his mouth was frozen, as if he were caught in a trap.
Come on, say something, Helios. You're not usually at a loss for words! he chastised himself inwardly. But the words wouldn't come out.
He swallowed, as if trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. He took a deep breath. Outside of his lab, he was living a Helios he was not. Even this, he would somehow manage, no matter how much fear he had about having to marry a woman he would probably never be able to satisfy. He forced himself to smile, even though his mouth felt incredibly stiff.
"I'm fine, Father. I was just thinking about what I need to take care of before I leave," he said in a soothing tone, hoping it would mask his inner restlessness. "I assume you've already chosen a candidate?"
His father looked at him with an almost triumphant expression. "A real beauty, and she's got something upstairs too," he said proudly. "I've been looking for someone like her for a long time. Her background is impeccable, and you've even met before."
"Who is she?" Helios asked, absentmindedly stabbing another piece of meat, mechanically pushing it into his mouth, just to do something that could distract him from his inner turmoil.
His father's smile grew wider, almost triumphant. "Miss Anastasia Belvoir."
It took Helios only a moment to know who she was. Anastasia Belvoir was very well known in the higher circles of society—not only because of her striking beauty. She had long, voluminous red hair that almost seemed to glow like fire in the light, and her bright green eyes were considered the most beautiful in high society. They weren't quite as intense as Helios' own, but they came close. Her figure was as flawless as her skin—white and immaculate, almost like his own.
His father wasn't lying when he said she was clever. Her father was a very well-connected merchant who had grown his business explosively over the last few decades through good relationships and smart deals. Anastasia had always been at her father's side, helping him with his business. As far as Helios knew, she was set to inherit the company later on.
He had spoken with her a few times, and the conversations had surprisingly been easy. She really wasn't stupid. Still… would he ever be able to live up to a woman like her? Probably not. Maybe he should just tell her beforehand that they would marry, and she could take a lover right away.
Then he wouldn't have to embarrass himself in the bedroom.
She was clever. Maybe she would understand how much freedom she'd still have through the marriage. With her job, she would likely be away from home often.
Still.
He didn't want any of this. Not even as a farce. He clenched his hand into a fist under the table. He really didn't feel well at the thought of marrying a woman he would never love. Living a life that would be a lie, even in his own bedroom. He'd rather lock himself in his lab and live out the rest of his life there than live that lie. But he wouldn't be able to escape it. Unless he left everything behind and ran away. But could he do that?
But he needed the lab. His work was all that kept him going. Who was he if he couldn't research? The thought of living without his work was more terrifying than the idea of marrying a woman.
He swallowed the rising fear, forced another smile, and hoped it was convincing enough.
"Good," he said, his voice sounding much calmer than he felt. His father's smile grew even wider. "When I return from my vacation, I'll meet with her."
"I'll take care of everything," his father promised immediately.
Of course, you will, thought Helios with a hint of cynicism. After all, everything is going according to your plan…
The older man leaned forward and placed his hand on Helios' cheek. Helios stared at him, while his father's breath, heavy with wine, almost made him uncomfortable. His cheeks were flushed, and in his eyes was a mixture of affection and pride.
"Your mother would be very proud of you," he said.
Under the table, Helios dug his nails into his palm
It was time to change the subject. Helios cleared his throat.
"By the way, Soley is near Penny's estate. If I remember correctly, we supplied the area with medicine a few years ago, right?" Helios said in a casual tone.
The smile disappeared from his father's face.
"Soley? What makes you bring up Soley now?"
Helios put on a puzzled look. "I was talking to Dante about it recently. He used to be a soldier, and I just wanted to know where he had been, although he wasn't actually in Soley. However, he did have some stories to tell," Helios replied.
His father seemed at a loss for words. He picked up his wine glass and poured himself another drink. Then, he absentmindedly swirled it. Finally, he smiled at Helios, but he gripped the glass so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"It was a war zone for a long time, but by now it should have been rebuilt. I've heard it used to be a really beautiful place."
"Then it would be worth stopping by there sometime," said Helios.
His father definitely had something to hide.