The ringing of his phone jolted him, causing him to loosen his grip on Lilith's chin. He quickly retrieved his phone from his pocket, still squatted in front of her. As he answered the call, he spoke with urgency, his voice audible enough for Lilith to hear.

"Yes, this is chul Xavier. What do you have for me?" he said, his tone serious.

Lilith listened intently as she heard only one side of the conversation, trying to piece together the information being shared. Chul's brows furrowed, and he nodded occasionally in response to the person on the other end of the line. The concern in his eyes deepened, and a...