Morning light slipped through the dusty air of the records room.
Aiden perched on his stool, scribbling supplier names into books with a scratchy quill. Some names got struck through. Others had paths drawn around them. Thanks to Holt's marked-up requests, he could move without checking in.
Varro paced behind him, chewing a stale bread crust. "Captain's in a mood. Said you caught three thieves last night. Alone."
"Two," Aiden corrected, not looking up. "Mira and Kess. Cart burned."
Varro stopped. "You burned it? Holt's gonna kiss you or kill you."
"Probably both."
Footsteps bounced off the walls - slow, steady. That was Holt coming.
The captain blocked the door, his gear streaked with dirt from patrolling the walls. His gaze hit Aiden fast. "Talk."
Aiden slid the finished ledger across. "Seris' wedding suppliers linked to the ring. Varn the Shadow handles her private escorts. Weapons from east wall stock."
Holt grabbed the papers, eyes racing across them. When he saw Varn's name, his jaw clenched - sudden, sharp.
"Lady Seris knows?"
"Her contacts do," Aiden said. "She stays clean."
Quiet. Holt's glove hit the table - steady beat, like a pulse. Yet each tap felt heavier than the last.
"You're auditing her suppliers today," he said finally. "Full access. Palace grounds."
Varro gagged on a piece of bread. "A palace? Office workers wouldn't even - "
Grant does." Holt stared at Aiden without blinking. Show me once more - only better
Palace. Seris' territory.
Perfect.
Palace courtyards hummed with wedding chaos - silken flags flapped overhead, flower wagons rolled through, while extra guards packed each entrance.
Aiden held up Holt's seal for the guard. "Checking supplies - skipper said so."
The guy gave him a quick wave, letting him pass without glancing back.
He walked like he owned the place - notebook in hand, steps quick. Workers ducked away. Soldiers figured he was just some quiet clerk, no threat
Seris' supply tent stood by the edge of the yard, filled with crates marked by her symbol - a silver raven on a blue field - while two guards in armor held position beside the doorway.
Aiden kept walking. "Check the records."
A single guard stepped in his way - "Her command," he said. "You can't go through."
Aiden held up the seal. "Captain Holt's orders. Argue with him."
The name did its thing once more - guards moved out of the way.
Inside: Varn the Shadow. Thin build, sharp features like a fox, sorting coins near shelves stacked with blades. He looked up at Aiden - gauging danger in an instant. Then paused mid-count.
"Clerk," Varn sneered. "Take your numbers elsewhere."
Aiden opened the ledger. "East wall arrows. Your routes. Sign here."
Varn chuckled. "Otherwise?"
"Or Holt visits personally."
The name landed like ice. Varn's grin faded fast. With one hand, he snatched the pen - dashed off his mark.
Aiden shut the book. "Every record - right now."
Varn paused. After that, he pushed a sealed container over the wood surface. Yet she's gonna hate what I'm doing
"She'll like Holt's boot less."
Keys clicked. Pages scattered - shipping records, client names, scribbled codes. He soaked it up quick - the layout of Seris' inner room. The wedding run-through times. How Kael's convoy would roll.
Shiny metal peeked through. Off-the-books cash rolled in.
Varn watched too closely. "You're not just a clerk."
Test.
Aiden looked at him. Light-colored. Calm. When someone's clever, they just know
Varn gulped. Then stepped back.
Mission complete.
Night dropped. Inside the dark by the palace walls, Aiden stayed still. The hum in his blood kept him light on feet - smooth, quiet-like. Yet every step felt like slipping through air without touch.
Varn stepped out - just one figure - with a bag full of coins, making his way toward narrow side streets.
Perfect bait.
"[Shadow Bind]."
Black links shot out. Varn stiffened on one foot, coins scattering - sudden light flickered nearby.
Aiden moved out of the dark. He said Seris had sent a message
Varn's eyes widened. "You - "
Grasp of the Grave squeezed tight - no sound, no struggle. Just stillness. Fast.
Body dropped down. Gold stayed there - not touched, just waiting for Holt's crew.
[Ding.]
[Enemy defeated: Varn the Shadow.]
Got 100 more points. Now you're level 5
[Loot: Seris' Private Schedule.]
Back at the barracks, Rowan stayed up in the stable's loft.
"Palace?" the kid murmured. Nope, that's wild
Busy one, Aiden mentioned while passing the timetable. Get familiar with these paths
Rowan scanned, whistled low. "Wedding's in ten days. Her carriage alone both nights before."
Vulnerable.
Seris' web shook.
Holt's trust deepened.
Kael oblivious.
The corpse gripped three threads at once - yet somehow still motionless.
Time to pull.
One spider stayed inside a thread.
She'd sense his hold right at her neck.