Her entire body became still.
Damon smiled.
"I knew that name would get your attention."
She turned slowly.
"How do you know him?"
Damon's smile disappeared.
"Your brother asked too many questions."
The room seemed to stop breathing.
Elara stepped toward him.
"What questions?"
Damon looked around.
Then he lowered his voice.
"The same ones you're asking now."
Elara's hands tightened.
"What happened to him?"
Damon smiled again.
"You already know."
"No."
"Then maybe you should ask the people who trained him."
Elara stared at him.
Damon walked past her.
At the door, he stopped.
"Oh, and Elara?"
She looked at him.
"Some people don't like being remembered."
Then he left.
Elara stood alone.
Her heart was beating faster.
But her face remained calm.
She opened her bag.
Inside was the photograph.
And beneath it was an old notebook.
Adrian's handwriting.
On the first page were four words.
IRON LOTUS KNOWS EVERYTHING.
The Test
The next evening, Elara arrived early.
Daniel was already there.
"You look angry."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Elara sighed.
"Damon knew my brother."
Daniel's expression changed.
"What did he say?"
Elara told him.
Daniel listened carefully.
When she finished, he stood.
"Damon isn't on the roster."
"What?"
"I checked."
Elara looked at him.
"Then why is he here?"
"I don't know."
They walked into the main training area.
Damon was already waiting.
He was alone.
"Coach," he said.
Daniel stared.
"Who gave you permission to train here?"
Damon smiled.
"Nobody."
"Then leave."
Damon looked at Elara.
"I came to talk."
Daniel stepped between them.
"Talk somewhere else."
Damon's eyes narrowed.
Then he smiled.
"Fine."
He turned to leave.
But Elara spoke.
"Wait."
Daniel looked at her.
Elara stepped forward.
"Let him talk."
Damon stopped.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
He turned.
"Your brother found out about a recruitment network."
Elara said nothing.
"People were promised work."
"What kind?"
"Security. Private protection. Overseas contracts."
"And?"
"And some of those contracts didn't exist."
Elara's eyes hardened.
Damon continued.
"People disappeared."
Daniel stepped forward.
"Why would Adrian care?"
"Because one of the people who disappeared was his friend."
Elara swallowed.
"Who?"
Damon gave a name.
Noah Vance.
Her younger brother.
Elara's face went white.
"Noah is alive."
Damon looked at her.
"Is he?"
The room seemed to tilt.
Elara remembered the last conversation she had with Noah.
Eight years ago.
A phone call.
Three minutes.
He had said he was leaving.
He had promised he would call again.
He never did.
Her father had told her Noah was working overseas.
Then Adrian died.
Then everything became silence.
Elara looked at Damon.
"Where is he?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"Then why are you here?"
Damon looked at Daniel.
"Because the network is still operating."
Daniel understood.
"You think someone here is involved."
"I know someone here is involved."
The academy suddenly felt different.
Every shadow looked deeper.
Every person became a possible suspect.
Damon walked toward the door.
"Tomorrow night."
He stopped.
"Come alone."
Elara nodded.
Damon left.
Daniel turned toward her.
"You're not going."
"I am."
"No."
"Daniel."
"No."
Elara stared at him.
"You don't understand."
"I understand perfectly."
"No, you don't."
She stepped closer.
"If Noah is alive, I have to find him."
Daniel's voice softened.
"And if it's a trap?"
"Then I deal with it."
Daniel shook his head.
"That's exactly what your brother probably said."
That stopped her.
For the first time, Daniel saw fear in her eyes.
Not fear for herself.
Fear of losing another person.
He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You're not doing this alone."
The Night the Academy Changed
The next evening, Iron Lotus was packed.
More fighters than usual.
More spectators.
More tension.
Nobody knew exactly why.
But everyone could feel it.
Damon arrived at eight.
He didn't come alone.
Four men followed him.
Daniel immediately stepped forward.
"This is a private academy."
Damon smiled.
"Not tonight."
Elara stood behind Daniel.
She recognized one of the men.
Marcus recognized another.
The man had once trained at Iron Lotus.
His name was Victor Hale.
He had disappeared seven years earlier.
Marcus stared at him.
"You."
Victor smiled.
"You remember me."
"Everybody remembers you."
"Then you remember Adrian."
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"I remember."
Victor looked toward Elara.
"She wants answers."
Elara stepped forward.
"Yes."
Victor nodded.
"Then ask."
"Where is Noah?"
Victor's smile vanished.
"I don't know."
Damon interrupted.
"That's not the question."
Elara looked at him.
"What is?"
"Why did Adrian die?"
Silence.
Victor looked away.
Daniel noticed.
"You know."
Victor didn't answer.
Elara walked toward him.
"What happened?"
Victor swallowed.
"Adrian found the records."
"What records?"
"The recruitment records."