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I raised both eyebrows, aware that Cody often jumped to conclusions.

“I'm telling you. The DUIO has been watching us all for years. They've been controlling the town for a long time and are planning to overthrow the current order, just like the Councils. They're just too busy with each other, waiting for whatever reason before making their next move.”

Kieran snorted morosely. “Even if that sounds like those people, we have no proof.”

“Not yet.” Cody slammed his fist on the table and two girls a few meters away flinched. “But imagine if we found a way to dig deeper into the important people in this town.” He lowered his voice again. “Imagine how many skeletons we'd find in their closets. And who knows what else.”

Kieran now had both eyebrows raised as well.

“What you're talking about is already known.”

“No, no...”

Cody shook his head hastily, lowering his voice again as more students turned to look at us.

“That's not what I mean. Not the hostilities and threats. I mean something entirely different.”

He became so quiet that only Senseque ears could hear him.

Theoretically, we could also communicate through our mental connection, but Cody didn't like to do that.

“Just look at how quiet this town was before last summer. Then, suddenly, the disappearances started, then the murders, then Harlow came to Vanderwood, and out of nowhere, there's an abnormal number of Ruisangors showing up, accompanied by DUIO agents and dressed just like them. And let's not forget that the clan leader of the DeLoughrey dynasty is renovating old mansions in Fogs Forest. But why would he do that? For random Transformed who had already been hired by the DLSC for decades – in fact, with a rapid increase since the beginning of the 2010s – and who live in the suburbs outside Blairville?”

There was something energetic in Cody's voice, as there always was when he shared one of his conspiracy theories with us. Only this time, it didn't leave me cold.

“None of this makes any sense,” he continued. “And now listen. The best is yet to come. I dug deeper and found out that a huge investor is working with the DeLoughreys.”

I hung on his every word.

“Medici. A name you can't find anything about on the internet, unless you're into the history of Italian financial policy and political power in Florence.”

I had never heard that name before.

“Whoever Medici is, the DeLoughrey clan founded a financial company with them in the late seventies.”

A sparkle flashed in Cody's eyes.

“Normally, all the human CEOs who cooperate with this family and gain power too quickly disappear from the surface overnight. So, either this Nicolaj has a very close human friend whom he cannot betray out of pure empathy, or another legacy family is involved.”

A chill ran down my spine. Dealing with one of these immortal dynasties was enough for me.

My gaze wandered back to Miles, who was still staring at us as if he were... listening to Cody. He looked focused.

“Something is going on. Something we don't understand yet. And that was just one aspect. You should take a look at the DLSC reports. They are publishing less and less. And why? Right. Because they are focusing their research elsewhere. Things they are not allowed to publish about. Supernatural things. And why would they do that?”

Kieran cleared his throat and Miles' gaze wandered back to him.

“Noah's right. You shouldn't watch so many science fiction thrillers.”

Something in Cody's expression changed. It was as if the spark was fading. As if it was burning out.

Kieran continued, focusing on him, and I took the moment to look at Miles, who was still staring at Kieran.

“Legacy lines keep their physical distance from one another because neither trusts the other. Medici is merely an investor who obviously has a lot to offer to the DeLoughreys and is profitable in the long term. And the DLSC is slowly going bankrupt because Nicolaj doesn't think much of research and stopped investing in it ten years ago. The only ones investing in this dump as if it were a damn gold mine are individual clan members.”

Frustration settled in Cody's expression, and I felt sorry for him.

As frighteningly realistic as his conclusions sounded, Kieran was right. And the last thing we needed right now, with all the conflicts in this town, was more accusations without evidence that could potentially lead to a final breach of the treaties.