Jania's voice cut through the silence. "You know, Master Lyle wasn't always the tech mogul everyone knows him to be today."
Eira shot her a curious glance. She had her suspicions, of course—no one amassed that much power without a few skeletons in their closet. Still, she hadn't expected Jania to confirm it so readily.
"In fact," Jania continued, "before Aelion Tech even existed, Lyle was feared in the underworld. He had a reputation even back when he was just a boy, not much older than eleven. People called him a demon."
"A demon?" Eira raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Jania nodded. "He was recruited by a crime boss—someone who saw potential in him. By the time he was fifteen, Lyle had already risen through the ranks, becoming the boss's right-hand man, and eventually, his heir. But Lyle was... different. He didn't care for power or wealth the way others did. On his fifteenth birthday, he killed the leader and wiped out his entire inner circle. Cold, methodical, with no emotion."
