Chapter 17: Confrontation and Confession.

Ava found Talon standing at the edge of Green Arbor, where the trees loomed tall and shadowed, and the forest began to reclaim the land. The dawn light was weak, barely stretching across the sky, casting a cool, blue hue over the town. Talon stood rigid, his back to her, staring into the woods as if the answer to his turmoil lay somewhere within their depths.

"Talon," Ava called softly, not wanting to startle him. He turned slowly, his face unreadable, but the tension in his posture told her everything she needed to know.

She approached cautiously, her footsteps soft but deliberate. "I talked to the mayor today," she began, watching Talon's reaction closely. "He seemed oddly detached about the tavern fire. Almost... dismissive." Her voice trailed off as she saw Talon’s shoulders stiffen, the muscles in his jaw clenching.

Talon’s eyes narrowed, his voice controlled but carrying a sharp edge. "He didn’t seem surprised, did he?" His gaze locked onto hers, searching for confirmation in her eyes.

Ava hesitated, her concern growing. She had known something was off, but hearing it from Talon only deepened her unease. "No, he wasn’t surprised," she said slowly, as if piecing it together herself. "It was more than just indifference. It was like he knew it was coming."

Talon exhaled sharply, his fists clenching at his sides. He turned away from her, staring back into the shadowed forest. "It’s not just the fire, Ava," he said in a low voice, barely above a whisper. "There’s more at play here."

Ava stepped closer, her eyes full of concern. "Talon, what’s going on? Whatever it is, you don’t have to carry it alone. I’m here."

Talon let out a hollow laugh, devoid of humor. "I know, Ava. I know you’re here. But this—" He paused, his voice tightening with frustration. "This is something I need to deal with myself."

Ava reached out, gently placing a hand on his arm. "Carrying this weight alone... it’ll break you. It breaks everyone in the end," she said softly, her voice filled with worry.

Talon closed his eyes for a brief moment, the internal battle visible on his face. "I’ll be fine," he muttered, though he didn’t sound convincing. He nodded once, then turned and walked away into the shadows of the trees, leaving Ava standing there, a knot of anxiety forming in her chest. She watched him go, sensing he was heading toward danger, but knowing that for now, she couldn’t stop him.

---

Later that night, as darkness swallowed the town of Green Arbor, Talon moved like a shadow through the streets, his mind clouded with anger and determination. Ava's words about the mayor’s odd reaction to the fire gnawed at him. He had seen the signs, sensed the deeper layers of corruption, and now he needed answers.

The mayor’s house loomed ahead, a large and pompous building that felt out of place in the otherwise modest town. Talon approached it with silent precision, slipping through the shadows until he found an open window. With practiced ease, he slid inside, landing silently in the mayor’s study, where the air smelled of old paper and polished wood.

The mayor sat at his desk, the flicker of a candle illuminating his face as he scribbled something on a document. He didn’t hear Talon’s approach until the cold weight of a blade pressed against the back of his neck.

"The tavern fire," Talon’s voice was a low growl, every word dripping with controlled rage. "Why did you dismiss it so quickly?"

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The mayor’s hand froze over his paper, his breath catching in his throat. Slowly, he turned his head, his face pale as he realized who was behind him. "Talon," he stammered, "I—I wasn’t expecting you."

"Spare me the pleasantries," Talon spat, pulling the knife back slightly but not letting the threat diminish. "You knew. You knew what was going to happen."

The mayor’s face tightened as he slowly rose from his chair, trying to compose himself. "Talon, you have to understand... these things are delicate. I didn’t know it would go that far."

Talon took a step closer, his eyes cold and dark. "You didn’t know?" His voice dropped to a deadly whisper. "Or you didn’t care?"

The mayor tried to maintain his composure, though the fear in his eyes was becoming more evident. "I was told the fire was a message," he confessed, his voice shaky. "The Syndicate wanted to establish operations here—gambling, black markets. The fire was their way of forcing Mark’s hand when he refused."

Talon’s blood boiled, and he grabbed the mayor by his collar, slamming him against the wall with brutal force. "And you let it happen?" he snarled, his face inches from the mayor’s. "You sold out this town to the Syndicate?"

The mayor's eyes darted around in panic, his voice rising in desperation. "It’s not like that! They promised prosperity, stability for the town. They assured me that once they were set up, we’d see profits—real growth. They control everything, Talon. I didn’t have a choice!"

Talon slammed him harder against the wall, his voice dangerously low. "You always have a choice. But you chose greed over the people of Green Arbor. You let the Syndicate destroy lives—just to line your pockets."

The mayor raised his hands in surrender, his voice trembling as he tried to regain control of the situation. "Talon, listen. It doesn’t have to end this way. The Syndicate— they can be reasoned with. They’ll listen to you. If you join me, if you get in on this... they can make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. All of us can profit. You don’t have to fight this."

Talon’s eyes blazed with fury, and before the mayor could finish, he pulled out his knife, pressing the blade against the mayor’s throat, cold steel kissing skin. "You think I care about your blood money?" he hissed. "You think I’d betray everything I stand for, everything I’ve fought for, just to be part of your corruption?"

The mayor’s breath hitched, his confidence crumbling as the reality of the situation sank in. "Please," he begged, his voice barely a whisper now. "I—I didn’t know it would go this far. I thought I was helping the town."

Talon’s hand tightened on the knife, his eyes never leaving the mayor’s trembling form. "Helping?" he growled. "You’ve done nothing but sell out the people who trusted you. And now you want to buy me off? I’d rather watch you burn with the rest of them."

Without warning, Talon released the mayor, shoving him hard against the desk. The knife in his hand flashed as he stabbed it into the wooden mantle next to the mayor’s head, leaving it quivering there as a stark reminder. "You’re going to clean this mess up," Talon said, his voice steady but filled with menace. "You’re going to stop working with the Syndicate, or I’ll make sure the next fire is at your doorstep."

The mayor, shaking, nodded frantically. "I—I will. I’ll fix it, Talon. I swear."

Talon’s eyes narrowed. "If I hear one whisper of the Syndicate in this town again, you won’t have the chance to beg."

With that final warning, Talon turned on his heel and disappeared back into the night. The mayor collapsed into his chair, trembling and drenched in sweat, his hands gripping the desk as if it might anchor him back to reality. The knife still quivered in the mantle, a chilling reminder of the danger that had just left his room.

As Talon silently slipped out of the mayor’s window, the cool night air greeted him, but his mind was far from calm. The weight of the confrontation and the looming threat of the Syndicate felt heavier than ever. He melted back into the shadows of Green Arbor’s backstreets, determined to protect the town, no matter the cost.

But what Talon didn’t realize was that Eli had been watching from a distance. Hidden in the cover of darkness, Eli saw Talon slip out of the mayor’s window with the stealth of a trained soldier. He recognized the familiar look on Talon’s face—the grim determination, the heavy burden. Something was deeply wrong.

Eli’s heart raced as he watched Talon vanish into the night. He knew, without a doubt, that Talon was heading straight into trouble. Whatever had transpired inside the mayor’s house wasn’t just a heated discussion. It was something more—something dangerous. And Eli feared that Talon was carrying a weight too heavy to bear alone.

Eli lingered for a moment, torn between running to Ava and confronting Talon himself. But deep down, he knew this wasn’t the kind of trouble that could be fixed with words. Whatever Talon was facing, it was far from over.