Erend came home well past nightfall, the weight of the day settling into his bones.
On the surface, not much had happened. Just the interview with Marcus Vollen. But it was more than enough to cloud his thoughts. That single conversation had opened doors to a harrowing possibility.
He tossed his coat onto the back of a chair and sat on the edge of the bed. The room was quiet. Familiar. Safe. But his mind was still back in that sterile room with Marcus.
Back with the old man who was with Marcus that time. Back in that vision of black bones and a tower that stabbed into the void.
"They will come for you…"
Erend lay back slowly, eyes fixed on the ceiling. That phrase wouldn't leave him alone. It wasn't idle madness or morphine hallucination, it was a message. And not just for Marcus. Possibly for Erend too. Whoever that man was… he wasn't speaking nonsense.
"Are they preparing Marcus for something?" the thought whispered like a cold wind.
