"Trust takes time, Draven. I never expected immediate loyalty—only recognition."
Something about the sincerity in his words resonated deeply. Recognition. Mutual respect. Perhaps it was enough for now. I took a slow breath, acknowledging internally the dangerous gamble I had just agreed to.
"And so they tried to take it from you," I finished for him.
Kyrion inclined his head slightly, a subtle gesture filled with the calculated composure I'd come to expect from him. His voice carried no hesitation, no regret—only cold logic tempered by quiet resolve. "It was inevitable. I knew they would come for me eventually. It was never a matter of if, merely when. So I had no choice but to disappear. To ensure my survival, I had to orchestrate something drastic enough that they'd believe I was gone forever."
