“Indeed, we all saw it happen, but we won’t feel sad over it.” The man gulped before carefully looking up at Darius through his lashes. He then spoke with the utmost caution, not wanting to upset Darius.

“We were already upset long before today, as we knew this would happen—” His voice began to shake. “—He told us this was the likely outcome and said he would’ve ended his life with his bare hands even if you guys didn’t kill him.”

His trembled so much that tears gathered in the brim of his eyes, and he quickly wiped them away. After that, he continued, “My boss said his presence would get in the way of us pledging our loyalty to you, and he couldn’t guarantee whether you’d accept all of us if he’s in the picture. Not only that, but he mentioned being alive was a painful chore anyway.”

The man stopped crying at that point. He lifted his head to meet Darius’ gaze while explaining, “My boss said this is the best outcome, so we shouldn’t be angry at anyone.”

With that, he turned to look