A wave of my weary hand doesn't quite cut it, and a bag full of textbooks slides off the edge of the bed and crashes onto the floor. Books, notebooks, and workbooks instantly scatter everywhere. A couple of pencils, along with a fountain pen, seem to intentionally roll off somewhere behind the bed legs.
I survey the mess before me, only managing a heavy sigh. I'll pick it all up later. With this thought, I collapse onto the bed fully clothed, shoes and all. Shifting in and out of the Projection doesn't affect my physical state much. The fatigue that's washed over me like a thick, sluggish tide is more of a mental strain.
The toughest business trips from my past life didn't wring me out as much as these last two weeks here. They've been utterly draining. Yet, if I were to look back, I wouldn’t even be able to recall anything particularly strenuous that I did during this time. I had thought I'd finally be able to relax after the Eshin clan's leadership was taken down. But, as it turns out, a multitude of small yet compulsory tasks can be far more exhaustingly than any "heroic feat."
Two weeks have passed since the mansion that served as Eshin's secret headquarters was swallowed up by flames. Since then, I've been in a constant rush, always busy, sometimes even trying to be in two places at once. I need to relearn how to say "no" to people; otherwise, I'll end up running myself ragged, just like an incompetent jockey ruining his horse.
After the witch was undeniably killed by the Inquisitor's revolver rounds, I'd mentally said goodbye to any secrecy I had left. Given the connections that the Legate or the head of the Third Palm had, they could've easily checked who the mansion belonged to, traced who got in the car with Nicholas, and thus unmask my civilian identity. It wouldn't have taken more than a couple of phone calls. But, to my surprise, neither the Light nor the Dark adept, as if they had a prior agreement, made any attempt to discover my true identity. Instead, they seemed to take measures to conceal it further.
As Zanh Kiem later explained, if I wanted to reveal my identity to him, I would, and if I didn't, then nobody else needed to know. Of course, no one explained Abel de Diaz's motives, and I can only speculate. It's possible that with his abilities and resources, the Inquisitor has known my true identity for a long time. Who knows? Figuring out someone who's managed to live for such an extended period is a feat I'm not sure I'll ever be able to accomplish.
As soon as the confrontation with the Eshin clan's leaders concluded, I swiftly retreated to my hideout, donned my armor, and returned to the mansion. There, I recapped the events to the sensums in painstaking detail.
What troubled the legate far more than my potential use as alchemical ingredients was the fact that Eshin had developed alchemical processes that could manipulate the inner beast of shapeshifters. Upon discovering one of Annabelle's notes, the inquisitor reacted with marked surprise. In his view, such knowledge ought to be eradicated. Even the ritual that prevented the birth of "empty" children within a family was knowledge that could instigate a global war if it fell into the hands of influential families. As for the human sacrifice required for the ritual - everyone would conveniently ignore that detail. And there's no need to even mention the altering of the inner beast or other such matters.
Above all, Abel de Diaz was startled by Eshin's research related to the development of the Dark Gift. He merely skimmed the papers discussing these advancements before swiftly shutting them. Even to someone as inexperienced in observations and intrigues as me, it was apparent that the inquisitor hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to keep these notes for himself. This hesitation greatly unsettled the head of the Third Palm, who promptly concurred with the decision to destroy all of the witch's archives. I had no objections, and soon the grand mansion and all its adjoining structures were engulfed in flames as if doused in gasoline.
This, of course, only occurred after both the light and the dark sensum had pooled their abilities to locate all the books, diaries, and records. According to Abel de Diaz, Annabelle trusted no one, thus she kept descriptions of all significant and unique rituals with her, making our search easier. As soon as the required records were discovered, a supposedly accidental fire broke out, tragically claiming the lives of a highly respected family of influential businessmen.
The decision was made not to inform the duke's representatives, let alone other investigative branches, about the true identity of my kidnappers - who Nicholas, his father, and Annabelle truly were. For everyone outside our trio, the Eshin clan's leaders were eliminated during a joint military and special forces operation that had concluded not long ago. After hearing Zanh Kiem's arguments and realizing that a thorough investigation would jeopardize my anonymity, I agreed to this arrangement. The fact that the witch had been impersonating Diana Horn for a while, orchestrating a terrorist attack against BKDW under her name, was also kept within our circle. Everyone already believed that Eshin had been eradicated, and my abduction could spark doubts about whether their destruction was complete, or just another ruse by the cunning clan.
After the fire, we made sure there were no remnants of the mansion owners' actual dealings. We then transported the unconscious Seer to the hospital. Afterward, Abel de Diaz bid us farewell, hopped into a sports car, and drove off into the unknown. Since that day, I haven't crossed paths with the Inquisitor, although according to Zanh Kiem, the Dark Adept never left Novilter.
It felt like everything was finally over; the investigation had concluded, there was no longer an urgency to rush or worry. Ignoring the impending doom of the world, I could even kick back, relax, and live life to the fullest. Contrary to these assumptions, however, the past two weeks have been more draining than the investigation itself.
The primary cause of this was the peculiar format of the university's initial weeks for first-year students. There was no definitive distribution, not by study groups nor faculties. Each freshman had a unique curriculum. Consequently, I found myself constantly darting between classrooms, lecture halls, and labs, attending lectures from different years. Furthermore, at the end of each day, I, along with the other students, were bombarded with tests which appeared to be administered without regard to the faculty or the specialization of a given student. I, for instance, was handed problems in physics, chemistry, and mathematics, as well as literature, history, geography, and other humanities. Were it not for Izao's memory, I would certainly have flunked the latter half.
Even in the technical subjects, truth be told, not everything was going smoothly. It seemed like the person who constructed the screening tests I had to take at the end of each day had completely forgotten what is taught in high school versus what is taught in the senior years of the university. Some test tasks were bafflingly complex, clearly derived from advanced course materials. Furthermore, according to Izao's memory, local schools don't cover topics like spatial topology or quantum physics. Despite this, such subjects were included in the tests!
For the first two days, I attempted to solve all the tasks, spending hours in the university library or trying to refresh my knowledge from a previous life. But, to be honest, even back then, I wasn't particularly interested in the most intricate sections of mathematics and physics. Thus, not much remained in my memory. On the third day, I threw in the towel and only answered what I knew on the tests, without attempting to complete all the tasks.
Indeed, such a routine was considerably taxing, downright aggravating, and utterly exhausting. However, the university alone wouldn't have driven me to such a state. Furthermore, transitioning to the Break and back considerably alleviated physical fatigue. Still, whenever I bumped into other freshmen at a lecture, I noticed many of them were frazzled: dark circles under their eyes, twitchy movements, clear signs of sleep deprivation and nervous exhaustion. However, university was just one aspect of my life; I had other, often more critical matters to address.
To avoid raising suspicions, I kept up with the Eshin investigation, occasionally assisting in hunting down or eliminating remnants of the crime syndicate. But only sometimes. Over the span of two weeks, I conducted fieldwork just four times, two of which were fruitless, and the rest, the duke's men handled without my assistance. Essentially, I was squandering time and tried to minimize contact with Nein. Now that I had a secret Nein wasn't supposed to discover, I preferred to keep my distance. When dealing with individuals who excel in their field, you never know what minor detail might lead them to uncover the truth.
Furthermore, my abduction... The duke's men bought Zanh Kiem's explanation that a small rogue group of Eshin was responsible, one of the many still scattered globally. The narrative, concocted by the head of the Third Palm, was rather thinly veiled. But due to the respect that sensums of similar rank command in this world, and even more so the servants of Retribution, the curators took the Maker at his word, so to speak. In general, nobody hounded me with inquiries about this, which was a massive relief.
But my life wasn't merely about studying and maintaining a semblance of involvement in the investigation's final stages. Let's not forget that I officially joined the BKDW and took an oath before a crowd of thousands. Now, I had to face the consequences of this action. But did I really have a choice? If I wished to resist the inevitable, this was a necessary step. I aided Halley and Maya as much as I could, not only with organizational tasks but also in preventing Crixus from consolidating power and usurping influence. In this period, I conducted three large-scale general training sessions that were also attended by raigs from other cities. Additionally, I separately practiced swordsmanship with Crixus and my Padawans.
My day typically began with an alarm at seven-thirty in the morning and often didn't end until after three in the morning. In theory, a person can adjust to anything, but such a pace seems to surpass my limits.
I look at the textbooks scattered from my study bag and realize that I need to break away from this routine. By six in the evening, most of my university work for the day is almost done. Almost, because I still need to hand in a brief essay on political science tomorrow, which I haven't even begun yet.
Closing my eyes, I lean back against the pillow. In theory, this evening should be the first time in two weeks that I'm free. Zanh Kiem and Nein flew out East with Tunk yesterday to investigate a lead that could possibly point them to Eshin's secret combat group. Maya took a break from BKDW matters. Like me, she was swamped with her studies, and it was even harder for her since she lacked my past life experience. Halley and Crixus would take a covert approach to oversee the repairs at the BKDW building. Some might call it paranoia, but I completely understand their actions. There's no Padawan training scheduled for today either. The tasks I assigned them will keep them busy with self-study for at least four more days. Then, of course, there's Thora and Kael. These two restless sisters requested a meeting and a "chat" today. But I know them well enough to suspect they just want to gossip and extract some information from me. Plus, I didn't make any promises, managing to dodge with a vague "maybe."
So, at first glance, it seems like I finally get a decent rest tonight. However, it's too early to celebrate. Firstly, I need to check the phone hidden in the coastal cave and confirm there are no urgent messages. There have been times when I thought I was free, only to read a message and immediately have to run off somewhere, not returning to my room until morning. I hope that's not the case today. Fatigue, especially mental fatigue, is extremely tricky: not only do you make more mistakes, but most crucially, you don't notice them until it's too late to rectify them.
Without opening my eyes, I lay on the bed for nearly half an hour, doing nothing, allowing thoughts to simply drift in my head, deliberately not focusing on anything. Then I entered the Break for ten seconds and returned. This simple action helped somewhat. Somewhat, because I've been relying on this technique too frequently recently. However, the numbing apathy and absolute lack of motivation to do anything subsided. It lessened just slightly, but enough for me to get out of bed and gather the items scattered on the floor back into my study bag.
The course schedule was the last item to find its place in the cabinet. It wasn't particularly helpful though, given that the freshmen's study days according to the schedule were more the exception than the rule. Typically, notifications from the dean's office would arrive via text message late in the evening or early in the morning, announcing changes to lectures and classes. It was a chaotic system that made it impossible to adequately prepare for the following day. However, I observed that this disarray only affected first-year students and was exclusive to the technical faculties. Upperclassmen and humanities students operated as usual, adhering to a lecture schedule established for the entire six-month term.
After slinging my bag onto a chair, I moved towards the window. I had truly lucked out with this room. Not only was it a single, but just outside the window was a small ravine, blanketed with dense, human-height bushes. This provided an opportunity to shift into the Projection and discreetly exit the room, even if a nosy or incidental raig was nearby.
Based on my observations, more Break Knights concealed their true identities on the university campus than I initially assumed. I'd spotted shadows moving in the Break more than once. Aside from Maya, Ungor, and myself, there were at least three other raigs yet unknown to me studying at Wilflaes' central university. Since I had no intention of revealing my civilian identity, I had to adhere to certain protocols of secrecy. If anyone noticed Maestro's frequent visits to the campus, I had a ready-made excuse: I was visiting Maya. Thus, my main concern was to avoid detection when entering and exiting the dormitory. The ravine, shrouded in bushes, was an invaluable aid in this regard.
Had I not promised Zanh Kiem to check my messages daily on the specially purchased and hidden mobile phone, I likely would have stayed in bed today, finally allowing myself a proper sleep for the first time in weeks. But a promise is a promise. Furthermore, the number for the concealed mobile was known to members of the BKDW and the Padawans. If anything requiring my attention occurred, they could inform me through it.
I wasn't particularly fond of this method of communication. The thought of purchasing a laptop and setting up an anonymous email account crossed my mind more and more. However, my paranoia prevented action on this front, as I was uncertain about the feasibility of network anonymity in this world, or if it was merely a myth. Although technology was developing in a similar direction here, it wasn't always identical to what I was familiar with, and the internet equivalent here seemed more segmented than on my Earth. Nonetheless, I once again promised myself to look into this matter. After all, it was inconvenient having to run across the bay every day just to check messages, and the speed of delivery for important and urgent messages using this method was, mildly put, subpar. But for the time being, I couldn't think of a safer alternative.
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Standing by the window, I reached out for the Spark and took two dozen deep breaths - a quick meditation technique taught to me by the head of the Third Palm. I then defocused my attention, attempting to cover even what was behind me. Since I am far from being a full-fledged sensum, the most I can achieve with this exercise is to ensure that no one is focusing their attention on my room. I immediately let go of the Spark and shifted into the Break.
I felt a slight resistance from the glass and then I was outside. A quick sprint downwards and my barely discernible shadow was hidden in the dense foliage.
The next potentially hazardous area was the island's coastline and the strait's aquatic surface. It was a risk in the sense that it would be easy for me to be spotted in this open space. However, in practice, I was hardly in any danger. To notice my Projection here, other raigs would need to be in the Break themselves. From the material world, my transparent and barely noticeable shadow would be invisible, given the distance from human eyes and the usual student routes.
Out of habit, I cautiously scanned the surroundings before leaving the shelter of the bushes. Only after confirming there were no other Break Knights did I rush at full speed, using Sliding, across the narrow strait separating the university's island from the mainland. The journey was brief. The coastline in this area is steep and rocky, seldom visited by people except the occasional tourist gathering on the steepest parts to admire the bay.
In these low coastal cliffs, there are multiple small caves. Mostly used as nesting sites by various birds, I had repurposed several of them as hiding places.
Arriving at the familiar, tiny cave took a single leap. I concealed myself in the shadows and after a careful observation, noting all my markings were undisturbed - indicating no one had visited during my absence - I left the Break. Hidden under a small flat stone, I found a disassembled mobile phone without a battery. Next, I reassembled it and connected it to power. Before turning it on, I held a fleeting hope that no one urgently needed me today.
Only four unread messages - surprisingly few. There are usually more. Most often, they are minor reports from Halley or Maya on BKDW affairs, news from Zanh Kiem, and 'all is well' messages from my Padawans. However, since the Maker had flown off to the east coast, news from him would be unlikely in the near future.
The first three messages gave me hope that I might finally get a good night's sleep today. The very first one was a report from my students about self-training. Next, Halley reported on the almost finished reconstruction of the BKDW building, and Maya wrote that she would be absent for the next couple of days due to her studies. Oh... I understand her all too well.
The girl's determination is as firm as a rock. She has more responsibilities than I do, beyond university studies, but she never shows signs of fatigue or exhaustion to the other Knights. Had I not occasionally seen her at the university, pale with dark circles under her eyes, barely lifting her feet to avoid shuffling, I would never have thought she was also under great strain. A couple of times, I had intended to approach her, greet her, and possibly cheer her up. However, as soon as she noticed me, she abruptly changed her path. I wonder if it's due to the prophecy or another reason that she finds my presence, as Izao, repelling? In fact, it's mildly offensive - what have I done to her to warrant such treatment?
The fourth message was not from a mobile phone but through an anonymous online service. This technological innovation, recently introduced, was used by hardly anyone. The first such service in Novilter had only been launched ten days ago, and many people simply were not aware of its existence. Many, but not Thora and Kael: the two inquisitive sisters had instantly recognized the advantages of this tool for maintaining anonymity.
This pair had been hounding me for a week with daily requests for a private meeting and conversation. I regret having given them my number after one of the training sessions. The problem is that the sisters are incredibly curious, they love gossiping and prying into other people's secrets. Had they not become raigs, they would have made an exceptional journalistic duo. It seems they either plan to, or have already enrolled in the Faculty of Journalism, but that's just my speculation.
I don't understand why they want to see me. I'm not an open raig, and interviewing me would be pointless - I won't reveal anything about myself anyway. Nevertheless, they persistently pursue a meeting with me. At the end of the last general training, I promised to spare them an hour of my free time after the next session. That promise seemed to pacify them, and they stopped bombarding me with messages for two days. But now, they're at it again.
I open the SMS: "Urgent. Important. Today, 18-15 at the intersection of Fourteenth and Autumn. T. and K."
T. and K. must be the sisters' initials, I immediately deduced. However, the style of the message is unlike their usual manner of writing. They never resorted to such methods before. Could it be something genuinely urgent and important? But what could two young girls, fresh out of high school, possibly need to discuss? What could they possibly know that I, or someone like Halley, doesn't? Did they discover Eshin's hidden group in the city that we missed? But they have a direct line to Zanh Kiem. The sisters, despite appearing flighty and frivolous, are usually more sensible than most when it comes to their actions. And if it was about the remnants of Eshin, they wouldn't be messaging me, they would have immediately contacted the Maker and his team.
Unless...
Damn. So it is - Zanh Kiem, as well as Nein and Tunk, are unreachable. The entire trio has flown off to some remote wilderness in the eastern part of the continent. I glance at my watch - there's still over an hour until the time set by the sisters. They didn't respond to my message, inquiring about the urgency, which I sent to their contact number. Most likely, they also have a separate mobile phone hidden somewhere like I do and only check it once or twice a day. And getting a response through the online service is impossible since messages from there are anonymous.
It seems like I'm indeed forced to meet with the sisters, which means my planned evening of relaxation just went out the window. As I disassembled and hid the mobile phone, I felt my anger growing. I'm honestly irritated. If this meeting turns out to be a mere prank from the sisters and a ploy to get me to "chat," they'll pay for it later!
I had plenty of time to prepare. Maybe I was overly cautious, always expecting some kind of trap, but after being kidnapped by Nicholas - someone I never could have suspected - my paranoia has significantly increased. So, after turning off the mobile phone, I disassembled it and took the battery with me. Then I refreshed the markers that would be disturbed by any visitor here, and afterward, I went to my primary hideout, a fair distance from the university, and there I donned the First Angel.
No matter how many times the matte armor settles on my shoulders, I can't get used to the feeling it provides. Instantly you feel stronger, faster, more confident; even your brain seems to speed up. Sometimes I fear Metatron will become a sort of addiction for me, like the Ring of Power was for Gollum. But even if there's a chance of that, I can't refuse the gift of the Holy See. If I want to prevent the looming End, I need this armor. I need it, period.
Regardless of my fondness for the sisters, while slowly heading toward the meeting point they chose, I couldn't help but consider where the trap might be. Lacking any real leads or premises, my thoughts soon began to conjure up completely fantastical conspiracy theories involving foreign intelligence services or ancient branches of the dark gift unknown even to the Inquisition. I had to reign in my wild imagination and think about something else. For instance, how should I act and behave so that even if it is a trap, I won't fall into someone else's net? The answer was simple enough - don't leave the Break or turn my back on the sisters. If I can meet these two conditions, it's nearly impossible for me to be captured. Although, when I got into Nicholas' car, I also thought I had everything under control...
Three blocks away from the decided meeting spot, I slowed my pace and started to move with caution, keeping to the shadows. By the time I was supposed to reach the intersection of Fourteenth Street and Autumn Boulevard, I had successfully made two circles around the area, careful to keep a low profile. There were no signs of anyone tracking me or anything out of the ordinary. So, at ten minutes past six, I made my appearance at the designated intersection. The first thing I did was scan the nearby buildings. The sisters had a habit of perching on the tallest rooftop around, their feet dangling over the edge when they were in the Break. But today, it seemed they had decided to break their routine as all the rooftops were vacant. I looked around again but did not spot a single raig in the vicinity. The sidewalks and open cafes were bustling with people getting off work, but neither Thora nor Kael was in sight. Perhaps I was a bit early, and all I needed to do was wait.
Just as this thought crossed my mind, a movement caught my attention from a few yards away. I turned my gaze and... I was tempted to rub my eyes in disbelief. Right across the street stood the projection of Thora, fully decked in her knightly gear. But I had just looked in that direction a moment ago and hadn't noticed her. Or rather, I didn't pay attention to her. The girl had played a cunning trick: she had joined the end of a queue at one of the cafes. That is, I had seen her, but my gaze didn't register her despite the glaring anomaly of a knight in full armor waiting in line for coffee. It was such a mundane scene that my eyes had dismissed the extraordinary detail. Of course, I had heard of such tricks in my past life, but they were usually pulled off by specially trained professionals with loads of surveillance experience. How did a young girl master such skills? Or was it a mere coincidence and she ended up in that line by accident?
Seeing that she had captured my attention, Thora put her finger to her lips and gestured for me to follow her as she made her way towards the open candy store. This didn't seem like a casual "let's talk" situation. When they want to chat, they bombard you with a hundred questions instead of silently signaling you to follow them. It seemed my hopes for a quiet evening were about to be shattered. With a heavy sigh, I took my hands off the hilts of my weapons, a gesture of distrust that was unnecessary now, and followed Thora. The girl crossed the sales floor and headed towards the utility room. She didn't stop there but, placing her palm on the far wall, started to sink into it. I've seen other raigs pass through obstacles before, and I was genuinely glad that I could do it much more easily. Closing the gap with a quick dash, I went through the wall faster than she did. What lay beyond was a utility room devoid of people, shrouded in darkness, save for a single dim light bulb in the far corner.
"What's the point of all these games?" I asked Thora directly as she phased completely through the wall.
"I'm afraid explanation in words will only lead to confusion," she replied, smoothly evading my pressure. She moved on to touch another wall and started to seep through it. For a moment, I felt the urge to grab her by the shoulder and demand an explanation then and there. But I decided that would be too much. If the sisters wanted to play a game of mystery, I would play along. It wasn't difficult for me. However, if their "call" proved to be false, I'd chastise them without restraint. Thora crossed the damp basement behind the wall in silence. Then there was a new wall. She clearly moved in a way that would prevent us from being detected, by surveillance devices or other raigs. I tried to envision a map of the city, but no matter how I looked at it, I couldn't figure out our destination.
"So, we're playing the silent game, are we?" I asked after ten minutes of quiet. Being silent with one of the twins felt like throwing a stone that unexpectedly flies off into the sky. I couldn't take it anymore.
"I'd be glad to explain, but Kael and I decided that you wouldn't believe us. We thought it would be better to show you instead."
"I wouldn't believe you?" I asked, my tone indicating their doubt was misplaced.
"We decided it would be best," Thora replied stubbornly, shaking her head. "We think it's important... or at least, we think we've found something important." She continued as she passed through the wall, "Of course, it might not be what we think it is, or we might be interfering with some covert operation." She shook her head, causing the feathers on her helmet to sway in a colorful arc. "Regardless, we'll show you, and you can make your own judgment."
"So it has to be me? Not Maya, Halley, or Crixus?" I asked, considering this detail significant.
"Yes," Thora simply replied, uncharacteristically laconic, and picked up her pace. "We're almost there."
After another passage through concrete slabs, Thora led us up an empty fire escape. We were quite high up, I counted fourteen floors. That meant we were in one of the residential districts, as there were no such high-rises with separate fire escapes in the city center. This matched the route I had mapped out in my head, which was a relief - it meant I wasn't lost. However, my mental map-making was in vain. As soon as we reached the attic, Thora led me to a narrow window and peered out. From here, there was a clear view of almost an entire city block.
"So?" I broke the silence, since Thora, frozen near the window, obviously had no intention of moving.
"We..." The girl glanced at my watch. "We're a bit early. We'll have to wait."
"Can you tell us what we are waiting for? And where is Kael?"
"A few days ago, my sister and I stumbled upon a slight peculiarity, or, as we initially thought, a coincidence. But then this coincidence repeated itself, and we were a bit bewildered." Even the visor of her helmet couldn't hide the heavy sigh that followed these words. She was clearly anxious, and even the projection state didn't fully soothe her nerves.
"Bewildered, and then?.." I filled the ensuing silence.
"If we're correct, then everything will repeat itself today."
"Quit being cryptic." I let my growing irritation seep into my voice. "Tell everything from the beginning and in order."
"I..." The girl clearly didn't anticipate this and even recoiled slightly from me. "No, I promised my sister that you would see everything for yourself first."
"Are you purposely trying to get under my skin?" Sensing a sliver of doubt in her voice, I decided to push harder. For a moment, it seemed like she was about to cave and spill everything, but then her right hand twitched, and her palm rested on the hilt of her sword - as if Thora was listening to something, after which she sprang to her feet.
"Darn it!" She exclaimed. "We were wrong." Then she stood up, straightened herself, and said, lifting her head proudly, "We messed up. It was a false alarm. Sorry." Thora was clearly bracing herself for me to start berating her.
Taking a deep breath, I managed to keep my composure. Perhaps they really wanted to show me something they thought was important, but something went awry. I shouldn't berate someone just because they took the initiative.
"You wanted to show me something really important?" I calmly asked for clarification instead of raising my voice.
"It seemed so to us..." She lowered her eyes to the floor, clearly embarrassed by the fiasco.
"Where is your sister?"
"She's watching," she replied, then, after a short pause, she added, "The target. And no, we're not playing at being spies!"
I was about to continue my line of questioning when I noticed a shadow darting on the edge of my vision. With a gesture, I signaled Thora to sit down, and I myself practically melded with the wall.
The last person I expected to see here, and the last person I thought I'd bump into on the city streets; one of the few raigs of Wilflaes, whom I not only didn't personally know but also had only seen once during the capital's Breakthrough. The Projection I recognized, lurking in the shadows, glided along the buildings and vanished through the district library's door. I noticed Thora tense up, her hand still on her sword. The raig, known to me only from images in the BKDW catalog and a fleeting glimpse during the battle, didn't linger in the library. Not even a minute had passed before he exited the building. If it weren't for our elevated position, we wouldn't have noticed his departure. The sisters had evidently chosen a good vantage point for observation, particularly considering the escape route via the narrow alley. Realizing that the raig wouldn't return, I turned to Thora.
"A question..."
"What?" The girl squeaked softly in response, apparently noticing my change in expression.
"Who is Kael's object of observation?"
"Well..."
"Who?!" I barked.
"Halley..." the girl whispered.
"Crap!" In principle, this thought fully described the current situation because the shadow I recognized was none other than Mersk, the head of the "Masks of Novilter," an independent and radical group of capital raigs.