Sign In To The Body Of Chaos At The Start-Chapter 73: Antares and Varus!

Meanwhile, not too long after he had met Damon in the halls, Antares stomped through the corridors of his family’s estate, his footsteps echoing more like war drums, fury radiating from his body.

"MOVE!" He roared at the guards stationed along the halls, not wanting any of them to remain in his sight.

"Yes, Young Master!" The guards all said simultaneously, bowing and swiftly removing themselves from the environment, heading separate directions to avoid being caught by Antares’ fury. They knew better than to provoke the son of Varus when he was in such a state.

As for Antares, a million thoughts were swirling through his mind. His fists were tightly clenched, to the point of drawing blood from his palm that dripped onto the floor. He barely resisted the urge to just punch a hole in the walls beside him.

"How, how is that bastard alive, and who is that girl beside him." He muttered to himself as he thought of what happened.

Damon’s sudden reappearance had rattled him more than he wanted to admit. And that wasn’t even the worst part. Artemis had survived along with him.

As the Future Divine Huntress of the DemiHumans, Antares had no doubt that if she caught on to the fact he had a hand in her almost dying, he would die a gruesome death.

No-one in the family would dare go to a full blown war with the DemiHumans just to protect him and his father. No matter how valuable the duo were, they weren’t that valuable, that was certain.

’Starlight Island should have been their grave.’ He thought to himself in annoyance.

~BANG!~

Antares burst through the towering doors of his father’s chambers without even bothering to knock, startling the servant who was just leaving after a meeting with Varus.

Varus looked up from a parchment he was reading, his eyes narrowing as Antares stormed in. "What is it?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly, like a landslide waiting to fall.

Antares didn’t waste time.

"He’s alive," he said, still panting from the rush.

Varus raised an eyebrow, unbothered by the cryptic announcement. "Who?"

"Who else would I be talking about? That bastard Damon," Antares snarled, "He’s here. He walked through the main gates not five minutes ago. With Artemis."

For the first time in a very long while, Varus froze, his eyes which were usually cold and calculating now held an expression of disbelief.

"...Are you certain?" he asked after a moment, the shock still very present in his voice.

"I looked him in the eye," Antares said. "It was him. He seemed to be mocking me, and he had a mystery girl with him. I don’t recognize her from anywhere, but she’s quite powerful, I could sense that."

Varus slowly stood up, walking to the center of the room with deliberate steps. He placed both hands on the table, leaning forward as his mind raced. He closed his eyes and drew a long tense breath.

’Starlight Island.’

A place chosen carefully, remote, shrouded in turbulence, filled with beasts and energies known to devour even seasoned warriors.

It was the perfect location to rid themselves of a potential threat quietly and without suspicion. No trace, no evidence. Just a tragic accident.

Varus himself knew many people who had died there, with their bodies never even being recovered.

And yet... here they were. Alive. Walking into the heart of the Dragon Clan like nothing had happened.

"Impossible," Varus muttered, though the certainty in his voice had cracked. "Even if they survived the beasts... even if they somehow escaped the spatial collapse... the magical interference should’ve torn their souls apart."

Antares stepped forward, his voice rising, "He confronted me directly, Father. He knows something. I could feel it. He was calm, too calm. And it’s quite clear he thinks I had a hand to play in what happened."

Varus turned sharply, his cloak swishing behind him like a dragon’s tail. "What exactly did he say?"

Antares repeated the exchange, verbatim, ending with Damon’s pointed warning: ’The unforgiving nature of this place might just surprise you.’

The older man’s jaw clenched, "He knows."

Varus turned his back to his son once again, moving to a window overlooking the training fields. If Damon knew, even partially, what had been done to him, then their lives were already at risk.

Not only by Malik, but also by Sapphire, the entire Demon Race and the entire DemiHuman Race.

All of this left Varus with one choice.

"They...They cannot leave here alive." Varus finally muttered.

"Then what do we do." Antares asked.

Varus turned back, his expression unreadable now, stone-like, emotionless, "For now, you should do nothing."

"What?" Antares blinked in disbelief. "You want me to sit still while Damon breathes down our necks?"

"I said for now," Varus snapped, and his voice carried the weight of command, "It’s obvious that brat plans to stay here for quite a while to investigate what happened, and he has the full resources of his father at his disposal. We’ll have to be extremely careful with how we dispose of him and Artemis."

"But..."

"Listen to me, boy," Varus growled, stepping closer. "Right now, he has the upper hand in knowledge. Not strength. Not power. Knowledge." Varus said, tapping his finger on the side of his head.

"And that can be just as dangerous. If we act recklessly, he’ll sniff out the truth. If we wait, we might learn what he really knows."

Antares bit down on his lip, his fists shaking at his sides. "He can’t be allowed to expose us."

"He won’t," Varus said darkly, walking back to his desk. "Not unless he has proof. Suspicion is not the same as truth, and Damon knows it. We first need to dispose of anything tying us to his incident, then, we go for the killshot."

Varus sat, fingers steepled beneath his chin.

"We’ll monitor his movements. Watch who he talks to. Find out what he’s after. I’ll send word to the Shadow Talons, have them watch him discreetly. Also, the people who tampered with the teleportation portal, have them all killed."

"Understood." Antares finally responded.

A long silence settled between them. The tension in the room was thick, but beneath it lay a sense of grim purpose.

Finally, Varus’s gaze hardened. "In the meantime, you will lay low. Train. Meditate. Play your role as if nothing’s changed. I will deal with Damon."

Antares scowled. "You’re not seriously thinking of negotiating with him?"

"No," Varus said with a cruel smirk. "I’m thinking of dissecting him. I need to find out how he still has so much talent after that curse. Contact our Abyssal Friend and tell him I have something of interest for him."

Antares nodded, though reluctance still etched his features.

As he turned to leave, Varus called out one final time. "And, Antares..."

The younger man paused at the door.

"If he confronts you again, say nothing. Don’t engage. Don’t threaten. He wants to provoke you. Don’t give him the satisfaction."

Antares gave a curt nod and stepped out into the hallway, his face a mask of frustration and boiling anger.

Back inside the chamber, Varus reclined in his chair, eyes closed in thought.

Damon had survived.

Artemis had also survived.

And they had brought a powerful mysterious woman along with them.

This wasn’t just a return. It was a reckoning.

Varus rose again and walked to a cabinet on the far wall. He unlocked it with a small breath of draconic energy, revealing a sealed crystal orb inside. The orb pulsed faintly, its surface swirling with shadow and blood-red light.

He placed a hand on it.

"Make sure the Talons are ready, war is coming."

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