The streets of North Haven stretched out before Daini like a maze, twisting and turning through a city that had become a cage. The sounds of the bustling market barely registered as she wandered aimlessly, her thoughts circling and spiraling, she felt so alone.

Her senses, honed through years of espionage, caught every flicker of movement, every shadow that seemed out of place. She knew she was being watched—her former allies, the very people she had once trusted with her life, were now keeping a close eye on her.

Daini pulled the hood of her cloak tighter around her face, shielding herself from curious gazes. She had spent the last few days wandering through the city, slipping through alleys, doubling back on her steps, testing to see how closely she was being followed. It was clear they were tracking her, but from a distance, waiting for her to slip up.

Her thoughts spiraled as she tried to piece together a plan, but every idea seemed riddled with holes. The cultists could be anyone—merchants, beggars, soldiers. There was no way to tell who was an enemy. She was seriously thinking of seeking out the outlaws the Honorless. However even that idea was flimsy at best, the cultists were smart, discreet. Daini figured they must have some form of secret language, a cant or something along those veins. She was hoping to catch anyone but it felt like she was grasping at straws drenched in oil.

Trust. The word felt foreign on her tongue. Who could she trust? Who would believe her if she revealed what she knew? Daini’s mind replayed the possibilities over and over. All leading to one outcome, her hanged for treason or murder.

She paused by a crumbling stone wall, her fingers brushing against the rough surface as she leaned against it. The city’s energy buzzed around her, a living thing, indifferent to her turmoil. She closed her eyes, trying to calm the storm inside her mind. She needed clarity, needed to see a path forward, but all she saw were dead ends.

Her thoughts turned darker. The cultists haf to be hiding in plain sight if the empress was compromised or anyone of her close confidants, it meant the cultists had nobles and royalty among their numbers in both Avalonia and Valkor.

blending into the very fabric of North Haven. They could be anyone and anywhere. She felt it in her bones that a city such as North Haven with it’s constant influx of people from all over, had to be a hub or point of interest for these cultists.

Daini clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She had to find a way to outmaneuver them, to play the game on her own terms. She couldn’t keep running in circles, inevitably running into a trap couldn’t keep looking over her shoulder, waiting for the knife to plunge into her back.

Her mind flickered to the honorless, to her, it started to look like the ‘safest’ option. She scoffed to herself.

“what has this world come to?”

But how to find them? How to earn their trust? And even if she did, how could she trust them?

“Leverage, I need to find their Leverage but how?” She felt her head hurt.

A cold wind blew through the street, carrying with it the scent of the sea. Daini straightened, pulling herself away from the wall. She couldn’t stay paralyzed by indecision.

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She had to act, even if the path was uncertain, even if it led her deeper into danger. There was no going back now.

With a shaky resolve, Daini began to move again, this time with purpose.

“gotta ditch this tail.” She murmured.

She began to walk with purpose, her mind shifting from evasion to strategy, having a simple task, ditch a tail, something practically routine, brought her some much needed mental reprieve. The buildings loomed around her, their shadows stretching long in the fading light. Her footsteps quickened as she navigated the winding streets, leading her toward the seedier part of North Haven—where the Honorless were known to lurk. If she was going to find leverage, this was the place to start.

But as she turned down a narrow alley, a familiar figure caught her eye. A man moving with the same quiet intensity that marked him as a predator in this jungle of a city. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized him.

Torren.

The constable’s presence in North Haven was like a knife to her gut.. Memories of Lost Haven flooded back—of the murder she’d committed Tarrani’s dead face, the crime he’d investigated. If she gave herself away, her life would be forfeit. Torren was connected to the Inquisition, and they had no mercy for someone like her who had crossed lines like she had.

But what was he doing here? Was it coincidence, or had he been following her trail all along?

Her mind raced with the implications. Torren’s presence could mean many things, none of them good. Yet, as much as it unsettled her, it also piqued her interest. Was he here on official business, or was something more sinister at play?

She ducked into the shadow of a nearby building, keeping her eyes trained on him. Following Torren posed its own risks—she was already being trailed by her former allies, and if she wasn’t careful, they would notice her interest in him. But she needed to know. If Torren was here to root out the cult, they might share a common enemy. If not, well, she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

For now, she followed him. Torren seemed to wander without aim, he wasn’t wearing his uniform and blended surprisingly well into the city. This went on for hours. Daini kept diving into Alleyways always checking on Torren. She finally managed to lose her tail deep into the night. The city quiet. Most people asleep.

she almost missed Torren as she had to hide from her ex allies, and panicked but her superbly sensitive eyes saw the ever so faint footprints and other marks that she knew were Torren’s and she found him hurrying down tight alleyways.

Torren moved deeper into the city, Daini slipped from shadow to shadow, her heart pounding in her chest. She needed see where this would lead her

Daini stalked Torren through the dimly lit streets, her vigilance paid off when she saw him enter a dilapidated building at the edge of the city. She crept closer, her senses heightened, and noticed that the building had a heavy, ironbound door with a complex lock—suggesting secrecy or protection.

Daini decided to wait, hidden in the shadows, as Torren went inside. Minutes passed slowly, and just as she was about to move closer, she caught some sound behind her. She didn’t look or confirm, it must be

“God’s above! Is this what the victims of Avalonian spies feel like?”

With a swift decision, Daini slipped away from the building, using her knowledge of the city’s alleys to shake her tail. She could return later when things were less dangerous. For now, she needed to find a safer place to consider her next steps.

Marlin POV

Jerry hung his head, he had given away his position and now Daini gave them the slip.

Marlin gave him a stern look as soon as he came closer, he himself couldn’t hope to follow someone as sneaky as a well trained spy. He noted how he himself hadn’t heard Jerry move but Daini had. “It’s a miracle we managed to follow her this far”, he thought to himself, he waited a safe distance to confirm. It was indeed Torren. It was about half an hour later and Torren left the building. Marlin watched him go.

”Now why would a spy that committed a murder, follow a constable?”

Marlin pondered as he went back to the guild to catch some shut eye.