Butler Peng entered with precise elegance, walking beside Ling Li with quiet composure. He bowed slightly, his voice carrying respectful urgency.
“Madam Ling Li,” he said, “Coach Sam is requesting an audience with you.” Coach Sam is Lily’s dance coach.
Ling Li lifted an eyebrow slightly, but her demeanor remained calm and composed. “Oh, yes, let him in,” she responded, nodding. Then, as though remembering something, she added, “Also, check on Lily. If she’s out of the shower, let her come down.”
Butler Peng bowed once more before retreating with unspoken efficiency.
Moments later, Coach Sam entered, his posture upright yet cautious, his presence bringing an entirely different energy into the room. His usual confidence wavered slightly as he took in the scene before him.
His eyes darted across the room — Ling Li seated at the head, surrounded by figures he hadn’t expected. His instincts told him this wasn’t an ordinary gathering.
“Good morning, Madam Li,” Coach Sam greeted, polite yet uncertain. “I apologize for coming unannounced. I seemed to have interrupted an important discussion.”
“It’s alright, come in,” Ling Li comforted him with a smile.
Coach Sam turned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the table of distinguished individuals. And then — he froze.
His stomach twisted. Chapters first released on N0veI.Fiɾe.net
Surely, his eyes were deceiving him.
‘No — it couldn’t be!
Am I seeing things?!’
Coach Sam blinked rapidly as though expecting the illusion before him to dissolve. But the distinguished man in front of him remained seated, composed, unmistakable.
He swallowed thickly.
“Sir... Mr. President,” he stammered, voice laced with disbelief.
His words hung in the air like a misplaced note in a symphony.
The Russian President tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes as he leaned back into his chair. He had seen reactions before, and they never failed to entertain him.
“Don’t worry,” he said smoothly, lips quivering with restrained humor. “It’s really me.”
Coach Sam blinked again, still struggling to reconcile the reality before him.
“No need to be nervous,” the President continued, an easy charm settling into his tone. “It happens. Just don’t faint in front of me.”
A breath of surprised laughter escaped from El Capitan while Shi Min hid the faintest smirk behind his fingers. Even Ling Li’s lips tugged ever so slightly at the corners.
Coach Sam exhaled sharply, shoulders slightly stiff. “I — well, I — no, of course not. I wouldn’t —” He stopped himself, realizing that his own flustered state was proving the exact opposite. His legs almost turned into jelly.
The Russian President chuckled.
Ling Li gestured toward an empty seat. “Please, sit, Coach Sam. I know we have something urgent to discuss.”
Coach Sam nodded quickly, forcing himself to regain his composure as he took a seat.
Though the shock was still settling in his system, one thing was certain — the morning had taken a turn he never could have predicted.
Coach Sam sat stiffly, his fingers curled against the edge of the table as the weight of the revelation crashed into him. His mind reeled, trying to grasp the scope of Solaris’ actions — this wasn’t just betrayal. It was something far more sinister.
“I... I can’t believe it,” he muttered, his voice thick with disbelief. His throat felt dry and constricted. “I nurtured him as a talent since he was three years old... alongside Lily.” His brows furrowed deeply as he shook his head, struggling to reconcile the child he once knew with the monstrous figure they were now hunting.
Ling Li observed him carefully, noting the raw emotion carved into his features. She understood the depth of his shock. Solaris had been more than a protégé — he was once a promising talent, a star in the making. To see him spiral into darkness was a tragedy beyond words.
Before anyone could respond, soft footsteps descended the staircase.
She stepped into the room, her hair damp from her shower, dressed in a simple yet elegant robe.
Her gaze immediately scanned the room, sensing the heavy atmosphere. There was something tense — something grim — and she knew this wasn’t just an ordinary discussion.
Behind her, Fatty followed closely, his presence as large as his nickname implied, yet the worry in his round face overshadowed everything else. His arms were crossed over his chest as though he were shielding himself — shielding her — from an unseen force.
Lily’s eyes flitted to Coach Sam, catching the way his hands trembled slightly as they rested against the table.
“What’s wrong?” Lily’s voice was soft, cautious. She turned to her Mother, then Shi Min, her expression shifting as realization set in. “Is this about Solaris?”
Fatty frowned deeply, his entire focus sharpening. If anyone thought he wasn’t taking this seriously, they’d be sorely mistaken.
Shi Min inclined his head slightly. “Yes,” he answered simply.
Coach Sam inhaled shakily. “Lily,” he began, his voice quieter now, almost pained. “Do you understand what has happened? Solaris — he’s not the person we thought he was.”
Lily’s brows furrowed. “I heard from Big Brother that he is an evil practitioner?” Her voice held a strange apprehension, a hesitation — an unwillingness to believe something so drastic had changed.
Ling Li decided there was no point in sugarcoating the truth. “Solaris has embraced the dark arts. He is wounded, and in his desperation to recover, he resorted to consuming the brains and hearts of his own servants.”
Lily flinched, her breath hitching sharply.
Fatty’s entire expression darkened in horror. His arms instinctively moved, pulling Lily closer as though he could physically shield her from the mere idea of Solaris.
“He... he did what?” Lily’s voice barely left her lips.
Coach Sam closed his eyes briefly, exhaling through his nose and gathering his thoughts before speaking again. “This isn’t the same Solaris you trained with. He’s changed.”
Ling Li nodded, her gaze unwavering. “And he won’t stop. He has set his sights on you, Lily.”
Fatty tightened his grip on Lily’s arm, eyes wide with protective alarm. “Then we need to do something now! Solaris is out there, probably plotting his next move! If he targeted Lily once, he’ll do it again.”
Shi Min leaned forward, his voice firm yet measured. “We are already preparing for that. We believe Solaris has fled to the Hidden Valley.”