Torwan sat reclined in his leather chair, a crystal glass of dark spirit in one hand and a stack of betting slips and ledgers spread before him. The muffled noise of the restaurant below was distant, almost nonexistent here.
A firm knock broke the quiet.
"Enter," Torwan said without looking up.
The door opened and his assistant stepped inside, closing it behind him. "We still have no trace of Tyria."
Torwan set his glass down with deliberate calm. "Explain."
"The search teams have swept every possible route she could've taken," the assistant said, stepping closer. "Our watchers in the city reported nothing. No sightings, no communications, nothing in any of the safehouses. It's as if she vanished."
Torwan's gaze lifted slowly, the firelight catching in his eyes. "And our people inside the academy?"
"They haven't seen her either. Not a word, not a glimpse." The assistant's voice tightened. "I've already doubled the payment offers for information. So far, no one is talking."
