Caron understood better than anyone why Halo had sent him here first.0

He wanted me to go wild, no doubt about it, Caron thought.0

Nobles, especially those born into prestigious families, were typically raised to act within the boundaries of society. They knew exactly where the lines were, and they kept to them. That was what being noble meant: Saving face, keeping appearances, maintaining justifications. Everything had to be orderly and proper.0

But Caron was cut from a different cloth. He didn't care about the lines. If they got in the way of his goal, he stepped right over them without hesitation. His methods were bold, reckless even, and always disruptive. However, he knew better than anyone how to turn chaos into an advantage.0

"I told you, Commander," Caron said, half-smiling. "This is the most effective method."0

"You've tarnished my name," Hollander muttered bitterly. "A commander taken hostage by a rebel? That'll be recorded in the history books."0

"More like a commander who sacrificed himself to save his men," Caron replied. "That's how history will remember you."0

"This is madness," Hollander said.0

"Then go mad with me. After all, the world already has," Caron replied.0

Thanks to the hostage situation he had orchestrated, Caron had made it to the underground level of the institute without facing serious resistance.0

Of course, not every...0