The silence in Vlad’s office was heavy, broken only by the faint chime of wine being poured into crystal glasses. Orion leaned back in his chair, twirling the glass between his fingers as he considered where to begin.

"I killed the bishop of England."

The confession came without hesitation. Chloe and Ellie’s eyes widened. Vlad remained expressionless, studying Orion with his penetrating gaze.

"It was to save a girl," Orion continued, his voice steady. "The bishop was about to kill her. I couldn’t just stand by."

Chloe looked away, the memory of the scene flashing in her mind. Ellie crossed her arms, trying to process the revelation. Vlad, however, stayed silent for a long moment before a faint smile curved his lips.

"And the flash that spread across the world?"

Orion drew a deep breath.

"I took off the ring."

Vlad’s eyes narrowed, and for the first time since Orion had known him, his tone carried a sharp weight.

"You took off the ring?"

The vampire leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.

"Orion… you realize that was not a wise decision, don’t you?"

Orion only smirked faintly.

"I didn’t feel anything unusual. The seals are still intact."

Vlad studied him carefully, searching for the slightest trace of hesitation. But Orion looked absolutely certain.

Before Vlad could reply, Ellie abruptly shot to her feet and turned on Chloe, furious.

"You lied to me!" she accused, pointing a finger. "You told me it was a monster attack!"

Chloe tensed but stood her ground.

"I didn’t know what was happening, Ellie. And I didn’t know what I was allowed to say."

Ellie glared at her for a few seconds before sighing, rubbing her temples.

"This is insane…"

Then Chloe turned to Vlad, confusion burning in her eyes.

"What did you mean by ‘seals’?"

Vlad looked at Orion, who gave him a small nod, granting permission.

"Orion has the power to control and create gold at his touch," Vlad explained, reclining back in his chair. "But he doesn’t have full control over it. That’s why there are four seals suppressing his power… as well as his mana."

Ellie and Chloe listened intently, struggling to absorb the weight of those words.

"When I saw that flash, I knew it wasn’t normal," Vlad went on. "But I never imagined it was you, young master."

He leaned forward, fingers steepled together.

"Before, we didn’t fully understand. But now we know we live on a planet… and beyond it, an entire universe. If you’re operating at only twenty percent of your capacity, and even so that flash covered the whole world…"

Vlad paused, letting the tension hang heavy in the air.

"If even one of the four seals were to break, the entire planet would turn to gold."

The impact of his words struck Chloe and Ellie like a blow to the gut. They instantly went pale, exchanging looks of sheer horror.

"What?!" Chloe exclaimed.

Ellie staggered back, shaking her head.

"That… that’s impossible!"

Orion, however, chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Relax. It would take two seals for that to happen. And that’s almost impossible."

But even his calm reassurance did little to dispel their shock.

Minutes passed before they finally began to settle down. Ellie then crossed her arms and gave Orion a suspicious look.

"Wait a second… is that why you have so much gold on you?"

A mischievous grin spread across her face.

"You’re like a walking ATM!"

Orion blinked, puzzled.

"…ATM?"

He had no idea what that meant.

Chloe groaned, rubbing her forehead.

"Forget it."

After more conversation and a few of Ellie’s playful jabs, Vlad arranged rooms for the two women to rest. He and Orion, however, remained in the office, pouring themselves another glass of wine.

"It’s been a long time since we drank together, young master," Vlad remarked, raising his glass.

Orion smiled, clinking his own against it.

"Then enjoy it. It’s going to be a long journey back to England."

The Next Morning

With the sun barely rising on the horizon, Orion, Chloe, Ellie, and Vlad left Le Nocturne and boarded a private jet provided by Vlad.

The flight was quiet, Chloe and Ellie still wrestling with everything they had learned. Orion, meanwhile, simply relaxed in his seat, gazing out the window.

A few hours later, they landed in England.

Chloe led them to her apartment, where they could finally breathe a moment of relief. But Orion knew this was only the beginning.