Hazy darkness welcomed Khan when he opened his eyes. He rubbed them to bring clarity, and the bedroom's blue menus quickly became visible.

Khan held back a sigh. It was deep into the night when most of the Harbor was still asleep. The morning wasn't even close, but he knew his body wouldn't allow him to rest. He was full of energy, and the sleeping figure at his side would pay the price for that if he didn't leave immediately.

Monica was lying on her belly with only a thin blanket partially covering her figure. Pieces of her sensual lingerie were still on her, but the rest was gone. Khan tried to look for the missing parts on the mattress and the visible floor, but his search failed.

'There goes another one,' Khan internally chuckled. 'How do we keep losing underwear?'

Occasional snores interrupted the bedroom's silence. Monica's bad habit was as loud as always, but Khan only smiled at it. He couldn't help but find it cute, especially now that it was a core part of most nights.

"Hey,

" Khan softly called, leaning on Monica to kiss the curls above her cheek.

"I'm going to the office.

"

Monica whined when Khan's soft caress awakened her, but her brain activated when she saw his face. She instinctively tried to sit down, but Khan didn't let her.

"It's very early,

" Khan whispered.

"Breakfast together,

" Monica cutely complained, her voice full of drowsiness.

"It's earlier than early,

" Khan chuckled.

"You can come by the office later.

"

Monica hummed. It wasn't clear how much she had understood, but Khan had continued to caress her, fueling her drowsiness and making her give in. Yet, she managed to muster enough strength for one last request.

"Kiss goodnight,

" Monica childishly requested, and Khan couldn't even think about refusing. His face went down once again, and Monica fell asleep when his lips pressed on her cheek.

Khan held back another sigh as he left the bed to go to the bathroom. Ideally, he would have remained beside Monica, holding her while he killed time with his phone. However, he needed to catch up on his duties, and problems continued popping up.

While the shower's water fell on Khan's head, a tinge of loneliness invaded him. The feeling had nothing to do with the late hour or Monica's absence. It stretched into deep spiritual themes that even he didn't know how to face. Actually, part of him feared the answers he could find.

A popping noise echoed through the dark office when Khan opened the bottle. He didn't bother turning on the lights. He could basically see anyway, and the darkness almost vanished when the holograms appeared.

'Where was I?' Khan thought, placing his feet on the interactive desk and leaning back on the chair. One hand held the bottle while the other handled the holograms. That was his ideal studying position.

The office kept track of Khan's progress, so it only took him a few taps to return to where he had left. He was still studying subjects required by his position, and the list of remaining books seemed endless. Still, as dull as that practice was, he preferred it over pondering his unsolvable problems.

Of course, Khan didn't limit himself to Ambassador-related topics. He split the holograms into multiple screens, assigning each a different subject. He even appointed one to the network, which obviously had updates about his private meeting with Abraham.

'Surprising,' Khan exclaimed in his mind while reviewing the most recent headlines. 'Or predictable.'

The network didn't air conspiracy theories or intricate gossip. In fact, it was the opposite, with public opinion united behind a single conclusion. Everyone believed Khan's lessons had been so good that Abraham couldn't resist requesting a private chat.

By then, Khan had spent years at the center of the network's gossip, turning him into an expert in the field. Uniting the public under a single banner was impossible. There would always be opposite factions, and some headlines would never miss the chance to write about them. Their absence was more suspicious than actual accusations.

'They are controlling the news,' Khan concluded. He didn't have a shadow of a doubt about the matter, and the why felt pretty obvious. He even guessed who was behind all of that.

'The nobles truly have unlimited power,' Khan admitted. He didn't know whether the Nognes family had personally intervened, but that result still showed that the Global Army was abiding by sixteen-year-old directives.

'Come on,' Khan cursed, drawing his phone and scoffing at the blank screen. 'You should know that I know. Make contact already!'

Khan stared at the blank screen for minutes, occasionally sipping from his bottle. Yet, the lack of messages or calls eventually made him give up. Meeting Abraham could be seen as his reply to Princess Felicia's introduction, but the Nognes family didn't make its move.

More curses resounded in Khan's mind when he looked at his schedule. The Thilku remained his best way to secure his position and ensure his safety, but Mister Cirvags didn't assign any mission. The embassy was prioritizing Khan's lessons, keeping him out of the field until the scientists were satisfied.

'Dammit,' Khan cursed again, emptying what was left of the booze and drawing another bottle. He preferred Raymond's foreshadowed threats to that silent and uncertain wait, but the universe didn't comply with his desires.

The lack of developments made Khan slip back into his previous internal conflict, but he was awake enough to counterattack now. As soon as the loneliness showed its presence, he connected his phone to the desk, opening his private network.

Information about the Nak promptly filled Khan's eyes, which began to shine at his eagerness. In a way, all his problems went back to the Second Impact, so he hoped good solutions would arrive after lifting its curse.