The door swung open.

  ?The man who greeted them was the same one from yesterday—Marcus. His jaw set tight, his eyes narrowing instantly as he recognized the pair standing on his porch.

  ?"Is he?" Zaek asked quietly, keeping his tone light.

  ?"Yes," Aelira confirmed. "That's him."

  ?Marcus stepped forward, blocking the entrance with his broad shoulders. He clearly had no intention of letting them inside.

  ?"How did you find me?" he demanded, his voice rough.

  ?"It's a small district," Zaek said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder toward the vegetable patch. "And news travels fast."

  ?Marcus looked past them, spotting the old gardener cowering behind his fence.

  ?"Odel..." Marcus muttered, closing his eyes with a sigh of disappointment. "Of course."

  ?He straightened up, glaring at them. "It doesn't matter how you found me. I have nothing to talk about with the likes of you. Get out!"

  ?He grabbed the door handle and began to slam it shut.

  ?Tug.

  ?He felt a sudden, weak pull on his shirt.

  ?"Hey—"

  ?He looked down. It was the girl. Her small hand was gripping the hem of his tunic, her knuckles white. She wasn't looking at him with the arrogance of a noble, nor the fear of a child.

  ?Her expression was determined, yet... painful. Like she was holding back a flood.

  ?"I'm sorry, Marcus," she whispered, her voice trembling. "But I need... I have to learn what happened to Lassandra."

  ?Marcus froze. The anger in his face didn't vanish, but it cracked. He looked at her closely, really looked at her, for the first time. The striking ice-blue hair. The desperate eyes.

  ?"You were..." he murmured, a memory surfacing. "What is your name?"

  ?Aelira was surprised by the sudden shift in his tone, but she answered honestly.

  ?"Aelira. Aelira Viremont."

  ?Marcus’s eyes widened slightly. The hostility drained out of him, replaced by a strange, melancholic softness.

  ?"Aelira Viremont... So, it really is you."

  ?He let go of the door handle and stepped aside.

  ?"Come in. Let's talk."

  ?Aelira and Zaek exchanged a confused glance. Neither understood the sudden change of heart, but they didn't question it. They stepped inside.

  ?The interior was simple, reflecting the life of a man living alone. Tidy, organized, with sturdy furniture that prioritized function over comfort.

  ?Marcus guided them to a small sitting room where a dying fire crackled in the hearth. He pointed to two wooden chairs.

  ?"Sit. Anything to drink?"

  ?"No, thank you," Aelira said politely.

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  ?"I'll take water," Zaek added.

  ?Marcus nodded and returned with a single glass of water for Zaek. He sat on the couch opposite them, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

  ?"Now, let's talk," Marcus said. "Tell me exactly what you want to learn."

  ?"Before that," Aelira asked, unable to hold back her curiosity. "Why did you suddenly change your mind? Yesterday, you chased us away."

  ?A faint, sad smile touched Marcus’s lips.

  ?"You said your name was Aelira. Lassandra... she mentioned you often in her letters."

  ?Aelira’s breath hitched. "She did?"

  ?"Constantly," Marcus chuckled softly, looking into the fire. "She wrote about how hard 'Little Aelira' trained. How adorable you looked when you failed a spell and pouted. How you were the only bright spot in that cold mansion."

  ?Aelira felt her face heat up. "Ehem... We don't need to go into that much detail..."

  ?Marcus smirked. "Okay, I understand. That's why I trusted you. If Lassandra cared for you that much... you can't be like the rest of them."

  ?She did mention me...

  ?The thought wrapped around Aelira’s heart like a warm blanket. Even far away, Lassandra had kept her close.

  ?"So you knew Lassandra well..." Zaek observed.

  ?The man’s face darkened. The smile vanished. "I knew her... she was... my childhood friend. A precious friend."

  ?Childhood friend... Aelira sensed there was more to it, unspoken feelings perhaps, but she didn't pry.

  ?"I see... it must be hard for you too."

  ?"Yes... They were such a kind and lovely family. Flora didn't deserve this."

  ?"What happened to the others?" Aelira asked. "Flora is all alone."

  ?"They left," Marcus said bitterly. "Her other two daughters... they moved out as soon as they could fend for themselves. Married, found work."

  ?"Wait," Aelira frowned. "I heard commoners can't move out of cities easily."

  ?"That's right. They didn't leave Oryndel. They just moved to different districts. But they rarely visit. Maybe once a year, if that."

  ?"That's... mean," Aelira whispered.

  ?"It is," Marcus agreed. "Flora is lonely. Losing Lassandra broke her, and the others just... drifted away."

  ?Aelira couldn't express the heaviness in her chest. The old woman she saw yesterday wasn't just grieving; she was abandoned.

  ?"I know what you're thinking," Marcus said, seeing her expression. "But life is hard. People drift apart."

  ?"Is that why you help her?" Aelira asked softly. "Because she has no one else?"

  ?"Don't get the wrong idea," Marcus muttered, flexing his arm self-consciously. "I'm just helping because she's old and alone. And... well, with so many people going missing lately, someone has to look out for her."

  ?"She would be really happy to know that someone cares—"

  ?"Hey."

  ?Zaek’s voice cut through the sentiment like a knife. He leaned forward, his eyes sharp and intense.

  ?"Say that again."

  ?Marcus blinked, taken aback. "? Which one?"

  ?"No, not that. The reason why you help her."

  ?"Well... I said there were a lot of people going missing, so..."

  ?Zaek’s eyes narrowed.

  ?Missing people? Again?

  ?First in Illagas. Now here.

  ?"Tell me more about it," Zaek commanded.

  ?"Don't you know?" Marcus looked surprised. "These past few years... homeless people, loners, people no one misses... they've been disappearing. First Dane, then Osmond. They just vanished. No trace."

  ?"Homeless people, huh?" Zaek murmured, rubbing his chin.

  ?It fits. The same pattern they heard about in Illagas. People on the fringes of society, vanishing into thin air.

  ?"Sorry to interrupt," Zaek said, leaning back. "You guys continue."

  ?Marcus looked at him suspiciously for a moment before turning back to Aelira. "Do you have anything else to ask?"

  ?"Do you have any idea what could have happened to Lassandra?" Aelira asked, her voice small.

  ?"Unfortunately, I only know as much as you do," Marcus sighed. "She stopped writing. The money stopped. She never came back. We assume... something happened on the road."

  ?"I see..." Aelira looked down at her hands. "Can you... can you talk to Flora for us? I want to talk to her too. To apologize. And I... I want to hold a funeral for her."

  ?Marcus hesitated. He looked at the girl's pleading eyes.

  ?"A funeral, huh... I... I can try my best," he said finally. "But don't get your hopes up. She really blames the Viremonts for losing her daughter. The grief has made her bitter."

  ?"Thank you, Marcus," Aelira said, bowing her head. "That's enough."

  ?They stepped out of the blue house and into the afternoon sun.

  ?The door clicked shut behind them.

  ?"So," Zaek said, stretching his arms as they walked down the path. "We have a negotiator. And we have another clue."

  ?"Another clue?" Aelira asked, wiping a stray tear from her eye.

  ?"Missing people. Homeless people are vanishing. It's the same story everywhere we go, kid." Zaek’s expression turned grim. "First Illagas, now Oryndel. Something is eating the forgotten people of this empire."

  ?Aelira shivered. "Do you think... Lassandra was taken too?"

  ?"Maybe," Zaek said, though he suspected the truth was far simpler and crueler. "Or maybe she stumbled onto something she shouldn't have."

  ?He patted her shoulder.

  ?"Let's wait for Marcus to do his magic. In the meantime... We have a merchant to visit. Tobias Herman, was it?"

  ?Aelira nodded, her resolve hardening.

  ?"Yes. Let's go."