From Trash to Lord of Thunder: The Rise of the Cursed Extra-Chapter 212: Loyalty

Lira sat at her desk, surrounded by scattered papers and a couple of empty mugs still smelling of cold tea.

The room was quiet, except for the faint hum of a lamp in the corner and the rhythmic patter of rain against the window.

Lira tried to focus on the reports she needed to organize for the clan, but her mind was elsewhere.

She knew Selena too well, and that was a problem.

Selena was like a bloodhound when something piqued her interest—she wouldn’t let go until she’d unraveled every detail.

And the last thing Lira needed was Selena sniffing around Rian’s affairs.

If she got obsessed with him... things could get very complicated.

Lira sighed, rubbing her temples.

Suddenly, an impatient knock echoed through the room.

Knock, knock, knock!

The sound was quick, almost aggressive, as if the person on the other side was eager to barge in.

Lira closed her eyes for a second, wishing with all her might that it was Rian.

"Come in..." she said, her tone trying to sound neutral, though her stomach twisted with nerves.

The door flew open, and there she was.

Selena.

Her dark hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and her smile was as bright as ever, but there was something in her eyes that made Lira feel an immediate weight on her shoulders.

That look...

"Lira!" Selena exclaimed, striding in with a light step that contrasted with the tension Lira felt. "Wow, you’ve really spruced up this place! That new kitchen is gorgeous, and that fluffy green couch... I love it! When did you get it? It adds such a cozy vibe to the room."

Lira forced a smile, though her words came out drier than intended.

"Thanks," she said, eyeing Selena warily. "Got it a few weeks ago. What do you want, Selena? I’m kind of busy."

Selena raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by the curt response.

Her gaze wandered around the room, lingering on the turned-off television in the corner.

"Why’s the TV off?" she asked, her tone more curious than accusing.

Lira sighed, resting her elbows on the desk.

"That thing distracts me," she said, her tone making it clear she didn’t want to dwell on it. "And when there’s useful info, it’s usually at night. I prefer working in quiet."

Selena nodded, but her smile didn’t fade.

She walked over to the green couch and flopped onto it, sinking her fingers into the cushion as if testing its softness.

"Smart move..." she said, her tone almost patronizing. "Nightly news sums up the day, right? But you know what? You should try something new. There’s this app, YouChachi, that’s way better. Independent channels organize info super clearly, and they notify you when they’re live. Way more practical than waiting for TV news."

Lira blinked, confused.

She wasn’t great with technology, and Selena’s enthusiasm for these things always left her a step behind.

"I’m fine with my method," she said, trying to keep the conversation short. "I’ll look into it later, okay?"

Selena laughed, crossing her legs as she settled into the couch.

"Come on, Lira, you’ve gotta keep up," she said playfully. "The world’s changing, and you can’t fall behind. But anyway, putting that aside..."

Selena paused, her smile sharpening.

"Do you know where Rian is?"

Lira’s heart raced, but she kept her expression neutral.

"Probably resting somewhere," she said, shrugging. "Haven’t seen him in a while."

Selena tilted her head, studying her closely.

"Resting...?" she repeated, her tone almost incredulous. "Don’t you find it weird how fast that guy recovers? I mean, after all the fights he’s had lately, he seems like he never gets tired. Isn’t that... odd?"

Lira clenched her teeth, feeling the air in the room grow heavier.

She knew exactly what Selena meant.

Rian had changed a lot in the past week.

Before, he was just the most despised and ignored Cole for his lack of talent, but since his fight with the Vask brothers, something about him was different.

His abilities, his attitude—everything had taken a leap.

"My job’s too important to keep tabs on that stuff..." Lira said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Rian’s strong, that’s all. I don’t see why I should care how he recovers."

Selena raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

"I get that managing clan tasks is heavy..." she said, her tone more serious now. "But, Lira... why didn’t you report it?"

Lira swallowed, feeling like an invisible brick had dropped on her chest.

She knew Selena had been poking around.

As a Cole, she had access to medical reports and internal clan information.

If she’d checked Rian’s records, she’d likely noticed the anomalies: his rapid recovery, his surge in strength...

Lira clicked her tongue, trying to stay calm.

"I didn’t think it was relevant," she said, her tone firm but forced. "Rian’s a Cole. It makes sense he’d awaken his strength eventually. I don’t see why I should make a fuss about it."

Selena laughed, but it wasn’t a friendly laugh. It was more like a "gotcha" sound.

"Not relevant?" she said, leaning forward on the couch. "Lira, a Cole with those abilities isn’t just ’strong.’ It’s unusual. Rian’s been acting different all week. Don’t you think it’s weird for someone to change so much overnight? Like... he found something that made him different."

Lira felt more bricks piling on.

Selena was too close to the truth.

Since Rian beat the Vask brothers, Lira had planned to keep him low-key.

She wanted to help him control his new strength, guide him to avoid drawing too much clan attention.

But Rian wasn’t cooperating.

His reckless actions made it impossible to hide what was happening. And now Selena was here, asking questions Lira didn’t want to answer.

Trying to deflect, Lira forced a smile.

"Rian’s got talent..." she said. "That’s what matters in the clan, right? As long as he does his duties, I don’t see why we should worry."

Selena laughed again, this time with a hint of sarcasm.

"Talent, sure," she said, leaning back on the couch. "That’s true. But you and I both know loyalty’s just as important in the clan, don’t we?"

That word, "loyalty," made Lira freeze.

She swallowed, scrambling for a response, but before she could speak, Selena continued.

"See..." Selena said, her tone calm but sharp, "I’ve got a hunch you and Rian might be planning something. Something like... betraying the clan."

The accusation was blunt, and though Selena said it with a smile, there was a weight to her words that couldn’t be ignored.

Betraying the clan?

Lira had no intention of doing that, and she was sure Rian didn’t either.

But Rian’s actions, his sudden change... it was all starting to look suspicious, even to her.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Lira said, her tone trying to sound firm but coming out weaker than she wanted.