The midday sun shone across Julien's face.
He broke into a wide, ridiculous grin, and Liam turned to look out the window.
The white walls drew closer and closer.
The lush green plains surrounding Loy gradually came into view. The train whistle sounded, and sunlight glinted off the city walls, illuminating Loy, the Silver City.
There was no smoke rising above its rooftops, no soot staining its streets. Only silver beneath the sun, and thunder rumbling underground.
Loy, the Silver City, had been built just four years ago, yet the future had already found a home within its walls.
The train passed through a tunnel, emerging into an even more beautiful landscape than before. White buildings came into view, gleaming beneath the sunlight.
Liam wore a faint, astonished smile when the train whistle sounded again, louder than before. The train gradually slowed and came to a stop at the station.
Steam billowed around the carriages as passengers began to disembark. Liam and Julien stepped out with them.
Liam glanced around while Julien stretched casually.
"Nothing's changed!" Julien remarked.
Liam looked at him and rubbed his tired, sleepy eyes. "You should be happy you're in the most advanced city of the New Age!"
Julien merely shook his head.
"It's not that impressive. Just be careful!"
Their usual bickering began as they left the express train station.
Steam rose from the hot rails, white carriages raced through the streets, and shops stood open, filling the air with the mouthwatering scents of countless dishes.
Liam and Julien climbed into a carriage of their own and headed for the Silver Company.
The factories stood outside the city, far away but still visible in the distance.
The midday sun made everything shine, its brilliance concealing the darker side of Loy. Its outward beauty hid the rot beneath the surface: corrupt eyes, envious human worshippers, nobles obsessed with money, and all the filth and wrongdoing buried beneath its polished exterior.
Several minutes passed.
Liam and Julien stepped out of the carriage in front of the Silver Company, a broad, three-story building that looked much like the other structures in the city.
White and silver.
Julien walked toward the entrance, with Liam following close behind.
"Hey... why are we here at the Silver Company?" Liam whispered.
"Shh. I know what I'm doing!" Julien replied at once, before knocking softly on the door.
It swung open almost immediately. A young man, perhaps around Julien's age, stood in the doorway, yawning.
"What is it? We're closed for the day!"
When his yawn finally ended, he lowered his head and noticed Julien.
He fell silent.
Liam managed a nervous smile, but before he could say anything, the young man threw his arms around Julien and began speaking at the top of his lungs.
"Julien! You finally came back! We've missed you so much!"
More voices erupted from inside. Julien waved over his shoulder, signaling for Liam to follow him in, but the young man tightened his grip around Julien's neck and dragged him inside.
Liam quietly slipped in after them and closed the door.
He felt like a tiny olive lost among the steaks. Nobody even noticed he was there.
A crowd had gathered around Julien, talking over one another, some crying, others reminiscing about old times.
It was a reunion, and Liam was about ready to put an end to it. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to care what he thought.
Suddenly, a hand settled on his shoulder.
Liam slowly turned around.
A young man stood behind him, with hair more golden than ordinary blond and a confident, warm smile that somehow put him at ease. His eyes held a faint, unusual gleam as he spoke in a strangely comforting voice.
"Don't mind them. They haven't seen their friend in a long time. This is a perfectly natural reaction!"
Liam turned toward him, removed his hat, and held it against his chest.
"I understand. I don't have a problem with it."
"But she does!" the young man added.
Liam was about to ask who he meant, when a woman's voice rang out across the entire hall.
"That's enough."
Liam turned toward the sound. Everyone else did the same, except for the golden-haired man, whose smile never wavered.
A woman with long silver hair descended the stairs, dressed in casual blue and black clothing. A man who looked much like her followed close behind.
The crowd in front of Julien parted.
Suddenly, Julien broke away and darted toward Liam.
"Detectiveeeee!"
Then he noticed the golden-haired man standing beside Liam.
He stopped dead, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"O... Old... Deay...?"
The golden-haired man, Old Deay, stepped past Liam and approached Julien. He stopped in front of him and smiled.
"Welcome home, Julien."
Julien's eyes filled with tears. He managed a trembling, sorrowful smile.
"I thought I'd be getting a reprimand..."
A hand suddenly settled on his shoulder from behind. The silver-haired woman had approached him.
"Nobody said you wouldn't!"
Julien opened his mouth to respond, but Old Deay stepped aside and gestured toward Liam.
"Are you going to introduce us, Julien?"
Everyone turned to look at Liam.
Julien took a small step toward him, then turned back to face the others. He cleared his throat a few times to steady his voice before making a gentlemanly introduction.
"This is Liam. When we're in crowded places, I'd appreciate it if you called him Detective Emilien."
He took a breath and continued.
"I met him on a ship while traveling from the Great Kingdom to Lothier, and I've been working under him ever since. And..."
Julien fell silent.
Liam, who had been standing proudly with his chin held high, looked at him. Old Deay did the same, as did everyone else.
Julien quietly finished his thought.
"There's no need to hide anything from him. We encountered Crow Father while we were in Mortaine, and... he already knows most of what happened!"
Old Deay glanced at Liam. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp, searching gaze that seemed to probe far deeper than it should.
The silver-haired woman beside him leaned close to his ear and whispered something.
Meanwhile, Liam pulled Julien aside and spoke in a low voice.
"What's going on here? Didn't you tell me the Silver Company had nothing to do with the Nightwolves?"
Julien lowered his voice as well.
"What I meant was that, on the surface, the Silver Company is a commercial security firm. In reality, Old Deay established it to make gathering information easier. Think about it. Is it easier to collect information when everyone's watching you suspiciously, or when everyone trusts you?"
Liam started to reply, but then fell into thought for a moment.
"You're right... I get it now. So that silver-haired woman and the silver-haired man are..."
Julien finished for him.
"Exactly. They're the siblings I told you about."
Liam was about to say something when Old Deay spoke up.
"Come with me. Phois, open the staircase!"
The silver-haired man, Phois, quietly walked over to one of the counters. He knelt on the floor and pressed something beneath the desk.
Suddenly, steam hissed out from beneath the staircase.
The steps slowly shifted aside.
A second staircase was revealed, descending underground beneath the staircase that led to the upper floors.
Without hesitation, Old Deay headed down. Julien and Liam followed close behind.
Phois returned upstairs and glanced at his sister.
"Well... looks like there's another person added to the list of people you need to keep an eye on!"
The silver-haired woman, Vanisa, turned toward her brother and let out a weary sigh.
"Shut up, brother."
She then looked at the people still standing around the hall.
"What are you all waiting for? Why aren't you back at work? Move! Get going before I have to reprimand every last one of you!"
The crowd scattered in every direction. One person even managed to run straight into a wall.
Liam and Julien descended farther and farther underground until the spiral staircase finally came to an end.
Before them stretched an enormous corridor lined with room after room, branching into countless other passageways.
Liam stared in astonishment.
"Where... are we?"
Old Deay turned toward him.
"Somewhere we're going to decide your future. It's not that scary, so stop worrying for nothing!"
With that, he continued forward.
They passed several people along the way before Old Deay finally opened a door and entered a room. Liam and Julien followed him inside.
Old Deay leaned against a table and looked directly at Liam.
"You've probably heard a few things and figured out a few more by now. Things that could put you in danger. So I won't waste time explaining everything. Just make your choice. Would you rather die, or become a Depthwalker?"
Liam raised his head without the slightest hesitation and met Old Deay's gaze. His answer was firm and certain.
"I didn't come here to die. So my answer should be obvious. But, just to make sure there's no misunderstanding... I'll become a Depthwalker!"
The anger and worry that had twisted Old Deay's expression suddenly melted away, replaced by the same warm smile as before.
"Good. Then you've made your decision!"
Liam smiled back at him.
"Yes."
Far above them, the upper staircase closed with a heavy thud, the sound echoing down into the depths.