บท 342: A Grand Canyon

"Young master Desmond," Felix began, his voice filled with desperation as he scanned the room, desperately searching for any sign of his beloved daughter Clara. His heart sank when he couldn't locate her among the group. A gnawing worry gripped him, as he still clung to the belief that perhaps she had been sent on an errand by their master.

Then, catching sight of the pained expression on his young lady Alice's face, Felix felt a jolt of ice-cold dread shoot through his veins. It seized him so suddenly that his fingertips tingled with numbness.

"Uncle Felix," Alice's voice quivered as she stepped forward from behind Desmond. Tears welled in her eyes as she moved to embrace Felix, knowing that he had invested all his hopes in her best friend. "I-I'm sorry," she managed to choke out, her voice strained. "Clara... she lost her life defending us against those ruthless academy people."