Curtis was hanging out downstairs, waiting.


    "James, how''s Ms. Mirabe holding up?" he asked quietly, casting a nce up the stairs.


    "We''ll have to wait and see," James replied, sinking into the sofa. He looked exhausted, his eyes bloodshot from a sleepless night.


    Curtis nodded. "Ms. Mirabe''s tough. She''ll pull through."


    She''s a force to be reckoned with; it takes more than this to knock her down.


    James loosened his cor and rubbed his shoulder before focusing back on Curtis. "Still no luck finding him?"


    Curtis lowered his head, feeling a bit ashamed. "No... We''vebed the whole area, and there''s no one matching the description you gave-alive or dead. I suspect he''s not in the danger zone anymore."


    James squinted, his sharp face showing hints of tiredness. After a pause, he said, "Well, they came prepared. It''s no shock we can''t track him down."


    Curtis listened, his head hanging even lower. "I''ll keep digging into their background."


    James gave a slight nod and, as if remembering something, opened his eyes again. "Start with Joen."


    Curtis knew Joen was Summer''s professor at Merrywoods and a junior research fellow at Phantom Watch. Joen had been the one to hide Summer when Curtis was hot on her trail.


    If Ms. Mirabe was in the crosshairs of those from the base, things were about to get tricky.


    Curtis pushed aside his spections, promised to follow up, and quickly left the estate.


    Meanwhile, Santos checked out the scar on his chest. In just a day, the wound had healedpletely, leaving behind only a pink scar.


    To anyone who didn''t know better, it wouldn''t look fresh at all.


    It should''ve taken three or four months to heal like that.


    "You''re the fastest healer I''ve ever seen using that serum," Asamentedzily from a nearby chair No wonder Santos held such a high rank at the base; he clearly had some special qualities.


    "Maybe it''s Leon''s serum that did the trick," Santos said as he slowly got dressed.


    Even though the wound looked healed, it was just a deception. Each time he moved, the muscles in his chest screamed with a tearing pain.


    Asa drummed his fingers on his knee, watching Santos get dressed at a snail''s pace. "The folks outside probably haven''t cleared out yet."


    "Doesn''t matter," Santos replied, unfazed about being discovered. Once dressed, he headed to the bathroom.


    Asa raised an eyebrow.


    Ten minutester, Santos stepped out, but his face was no longer the same as before.


    He appeared to be in histe


    twenties, with strikingly pale


    and features that weren''t skimet


    handsome but carried a certain refined charm.


    Asa gave him a few curious nces. "Is this what you really look like?"


    Asa had noticed the skin mask but had never guessed Santos was so young.


    Santos, used to wearing the mask for so long, had a face devoid of expression. He nced at Asa, his lips pressed together. "Yeah."


    Over the years, only Asa had seen his true face.


    n°


    To leave safely, Santos couldn''t risk using


    to whold face. Without the t choice but to reveal his reax be fort


    to whip up another mask, he


    no