"Alicia Lutherford's dead older brother?" Theo's eyebrows shoot up.
"Dead?" he repeats, incredulous.
Alex smiles awkwardly. "Erm, yes. Dead. Look, I know you don't believe me, but time is of the essence, maybe—"
"Time is not of the essence here," Theo cuts in gently, yet unshakeable.
Alex shuts his mouth immediately. He studies Theo for a moment, then exhales.
"You're right," he sighs. "Time is meaningless here. It's me who's in a hurry. I'm afraid for Ali's safety."
"Ali? That should be Chief Lutherford, right?" Theo asks. His gaze is sharp, steady, no trace of the breakdown he had moments ago.
It is Alex's turn to be stunned.
"Chief Lutherford?" he echoes. "That's me. Wait. Was me. I was Chief Lutherford, the chief of Solarys Dungeon Emergency Unit."
Realization hits him. He looks at Theo with wide eyes.
"You mean Ali is the chief now? Really?"
Theo nods. "Yes. And from what I've seen, she's good at it. Really good."
