Valerie hurriedly made her way to the Martial Tower, her heart pounding with urgency. But when she arrived, the place was eerily empty, the echoes of the recent duel still lingering in the air. The battle between Andrew and Wilder had concluded at least thirty minutes earlier.

A guard stationed near the entrance snapped to attention the moment he spotted her. “General Reyes, what brings you here at this hour?” he demanded sharply.

Without betraying any emotion, Valerie strode forward with a purposeful, commanding gait. “Step aside. I have urgent business inside,” she said firmly.

Neither of the guards dared to challenge her authority.

Valerie and Luna had very different ways of leading their troops. Neither of them was intentionally disrespectful or arrogant, but Valerie’s style was more direct and forceful. People accepted her bluntness because she had earned their respect through sheer determination and results.

Luna, on the other hand, maintained a colder, more reserved demeanor. Yet beneath that icy exterior, she was quietly devoted to her soldiers, often staying late to patiently guide anyone who sought to improve their martial skills.

Valerie’s approach was harsher. If someone failed to grasp a technique after two attempts, she wouldn’t hesitate to get rough with them.

Without hesitation, Valerie made her way straight to the arena. But the moment she stepped inside, she froze, her face draining of color. “Where are they? Where are Andrew and Mr. Murphy Senior?” she demanded, voice trembling slightly.

Only Luna remained in the ring. At the sound of Valerie’s voice, she turned, a brief flicker of surprise crossing her features before she masked it with indifference.

“They’ve left,” Luna said flatly. “The fight’s over.”

Valerie’s eyes searched Luna’s face, panic rising in her throat. “H-How is Andrew? Is he… alive?”

Luna’s patience snapped suddenly, and she lied without hesitation. “You’re too late. Mr. Murphy Senior killed Andrew. See those stains? That’s his blood. Mr. Murphy Senior was after him for killing his son. He ignored Sheena’s pleas to stop and finished Andrew off.”

The words hit Valerie like a thunderclap, her knees buckling as all her strength drained away. She collapsed to the ground, silent sobs wracking her body as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“No… I came as fast as I could. I still wasn’t fast enough,” she whispered brokenly.

Valerie wasn’t the only one who turned pale. Luna’s face lost every trace of color as she watched Valerie’s heartbreaking collapse. In that moment, she realized there was something deeper between Valerie and Andrew—something that explained the depth of her devastation.

A sharp pang stabbed through Luna’s chest, and she felt a quiet fracture within herself.

“What was your relationship with Andrew?” Luna asked in a hoarse, strained voice.

Valerie’s sobs softened briefly before she sprang to her feet, her face contorted with fury. “I swear, I will destroy the entire Murphy family. Every last one of them.”

She didn’t answer Luna’s question and instead stormed out, radiating a murderous intensity that even Luna found unsettling.

Having known Valerie better than anyone—after years of fierce rivalry—Luna understood that this was a side of her few had ever seen.