Feeling anxious, she sought out Barth, who was still busy despite the late hour.

The study was brightly lit, the desk covered with documents and files Lilah had never seen before, evidence of Barth's new business ventures.

“Barth, where's Xavier?" Lilah got straight to the point. "I heard he messed up and you've confined him."

Barth stood up, a slight smile playing on his lips. “It's just a small issue, nothing major. Now that I'm managing the Fearless League's affairs, I need to assert my authority. He was inciting the islanders against me, creating dissent, so I had to discipline him a bit."

Barth stood shrouded in the dim yellow light, his face wearing a smile but his features somehow blurred. Lilah tried to focus on his eyes, but it felt like a fog had crept over her vision.

“I see." Lilah took a deep breath and managed a weak smile. “So, when can you release him?"

Barth frowned slightly. “Lilah, that's not really my decision to make. It's a group decision. Xavier, he..."

“Barth, I'm asking when you can let him out." Lilah's voice was steely as she locked eyes with Barth.

In that moment, she could finally see his handsome face clearly and caught a fleeting glimpse of coldness in his eyes.

"Just go see him." Barth sighed, conceding.

Lilah turned and left without another word.

The Fearless League operated under a strict hierarchy, led from the top by the League leader, supported by three elders, four deputy leaders, and four major branches, with nearly a thousand members in total.

Xavier was confined in a secluded room.

“Let me out, you hypocrites! You don't deserve to be leaders."

Xavier's voice was hoarse from constant yelling, his frustration palpable. "Barth, if you have the guts, let me out! I want to find Lilah. She's the rightful leader..."

Lilah could hear Xavier's shouts long before she reached the door.

“Quiet down or the whip's coming out!" a guard barked, his tone as sharp as a knife.

“To hell with you! You're nothing but a bunch of cowards! Lilah is a true warrior, a real leader-you... Agh!"

Xavier's tirade was abruptly cut short by a vicious lash of the whip, splitting his skin and making him grimace in pain.

But Xavier was tough as nails; instead of cowering, the lash lit a fire under him. He spat at the guard.

"You're asking for trouble!" the guard snapped, his face red with rage. He raised the whip high, ready to strike again.

Xavier braced himself, shutting his eyes. Despite his bravado, the anticipation of another blow made him shrink back.

“Damn it, I'll get you first when I break out of here," he muttered bitterly under his breath, longing for Lilah's return. She had always been his rock, never letting him suffer alone.

But she wasn't here.