With that, he bent down to retrieve the briefcase. As he straightened, he turned to leave but stopped just before stepping away. His gaze fell back on Lian, and this time it burned with an intensity that seemed to freeze her in place.
“Have I made myself clear?”
The air around him grew heavy, his mana flaring briefly. While it wasn’t as violent as the last time they’d met, the pressure was enough to make her bodyguards break into a cold sweat. Lian’s heart raced, but she held her ground, bowing her head lower.
“Crystal clear,” she managed, her voice barely audible.
Spade lingered for a moment longer, the oppressive weight of his presence driving home his point. Then, without another word, he turned and strode out of the alleyway, the briefcase in hand.
The masked woman at his side followed, her gaze briefly flicking back to Lian before vanishing into the shadows alongside her master.
Lian straightened, her hands trembling slightly. She bit her lip, frustration and helplessness roiling in her chest.
She finally let out a sigh, “Seems negotiations with Master Spade have broken down.”
Lian stood in the dim alleyway, the weight of Master Spade’s words still hanging heavily in the air.
Her bodyguards, who had been silent for a moment, exchanged worried glances. Finally, one of them, a tall man with dark hair and a scar over his left eye, stepped forward.
“Lady Lian, what now?”
“We’ve searched the entire city, left no stone unturned, and still couldn’t find that item. What do we do next?”
Lian was frustrated… But she didn’t let that stop her. She sighed then straightened, her back stiffening.
“Don’t worry…”
“It is unfortunate that I wasent able to secure his aid. But never the less… He might not be willing to assist me as ‘Master Spade,’ but I am sure I can get his halo as Alister.”
Her bodyguards frowned, clearly unsure of her meaning, she had yet to tell them that master spade was Alister.
“Both of you don’t need to worry… I have my own ways of getting what I need.” Her lips curled into a small, enigmatic smile.
She looked at her bodyguards as she returned to their hover car. “Keep an eye on the usual channels. If there’s even a whisper of a lead on the next item, let me know immediately.”
“I till then… I’ll approach things differently.”
The man with the scar nodded, though doubt still lingered in his eyes. “Understood, Lady Lian.”
Her gaze lingered on the darkening alley before she turned Bach bti them.
“Let’s go…”
“The game is far from over.”
…
As Alister and Cinder made their way through the winding alleyways, the distant sounds of the city’s nightlife echoed around them.
The briefcase containing the phoenix feather swung slightly in his hand as he walked, his mind already racing as He mumbled to himself.
“Perhaps we’ll need to go on a hunt tonight… there’s still time to try to find any signs of the dragon kin.”
Cinder, walking silently at his side, didn’t need to speak to understand the weight of his thoughts. She had known him long enough to recognize the signs of his internal conflict.
Without warning, she reached out and grabbed his arm, her grip was firm yet gentle. Alister stopped in his tracks, surprised by the sudden contact. His eyes met hers, and in the dim light of the alleyway, her crimson eyes gleamed from the visors of the mask she wore.
“My lord,” she said softly. “It would be best if you rested today. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately.”
Alister opened his mouth, ready to argue, to push through the exhaustion that had been steadily building in his body. But as he looked into Cinder’s eyes, something in him stilled. She wasn’t asking him, she was telling him, and there was tgus certainty in her gaze that made him hesitate.
For a moment, he thought about arguing again, but then tension in his shoulders eased. He exhaled slowly, then said.
“Fine.”
“We’ll call it a night.”
Cinder smiled softly, a rare moment of warmth crossing her usually stoic expression, but Alister didn’t notice it due to the mask she had on.
“Good,” she replied, “Rest now. Tomorrow will be here soon enough.”
With a final glance at the city’s sprawling lights in the distance, Alister nodded, and they both slowly made their way back to the guild.
…
The grand office of the Beserker guild, the Guildmaster’s office was bathed in soft morning light, the golden rays streaming through the wide windows.
Klaus stood before the large oak desk, a stack of documents in his hands as he listed recent guild developments and challenges, but his words seemed to drift into the void.
Anya, the Guildmaster, stood by the window, her arms loosely crossed as she gazed out at the bustling guild courtyard below. Her normally sharp presence seemed… Dull, her focus clearly elsewhere. Klaus paused mid-report, his brow furrowing.
“Guildmaster Anya?” he called out.
There was no response. He tried again, raising his voice slightly. “Guildmaster?” freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Still nothing. Klaus sighed, then cleared his throat loudly. “Guildmaster!”
She flinched slightly, her shoulders stiffening before she spun around, irritation flashing in
her eyes.
“I heard you, Klaus! Stop yelling!”
Klaus blinked, taken by surprise by her sudden outburst. He tilted his head, observing her
closely.
“What’s up with you? You’ve always been sharper than this. Honestly, if I were an assassin, I could’ve taken you out three times already.”
He leaned forward slightly, his tone teasing but with a hint of concern. “Not very Guildmaster-like, don’t you think?”
Anya’s lips curved into a faint smirk. She folded her arms across her chest. “Doubting my skills, Klaus? If that’s the case, you’re always welcome to test my reflexes with an attack.”
Her gaze sharpened, and an aura of power flared around her, causing the air in the room to to feel tense. “But I can’t guarantee you’d make it out unharmed.”
A chill ran down Klaus’s spine, and he instinctively took a step back, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Point taken. I apologize.”
The room fell silent for a moment, the tension dissipating as Anya turned her gaze back to the window. Klaus’s expression softened.
“But seriously, this isn’t like you. You’ve been… off. What’s going on?”
Anya sighed, her arms falling to her sides as she turned back toward him. “I just have a lot on my mind, Klaus. That’s all.”
Klaus raised an eyebrow, studying her carefully. “Could this have anything to do with Spade?”
Anya’s cheeks turned a faint shade of pink, her gaze snapping to him in surprise. “It’s not about him!” she snapped, a little too quickly.
Klaus twitched. “Really? Then maybe it’s about the diagnosis you got last week?”
Anya’s cheeks flushed a deeper red as her expression darkened. Her hands clenched into fists, and without warning, she slammed one down on the desk with such force that the wood splintered, the documents piled on top scattering to the floor. Klaus jumped back, his eyes wide as the echo of the impact echoed through the room.
Anya’s intense gaze locked onto him, her voice low and dangerous. “You are never to bring that up again. Do you understand?”
Klaus gulped, his earlier confidence evaporating as he nodded rapidly. “Understood. Crystal
clear. Won’t happen again.”
Anya’s fiery glare lingered for a moment longer before she turned away, her breathing steadying as she attempted to calm herself. Klaus bent down to gather the fallen documents,
casting occasional glances at her.
Despite her usual composure, something was clearly weighing heavily on her mind, and whatever it was, it had rattled her more than she cared to admit.
Anya stared at the shattered remnants of her desk for a moment, then sighed deeply and straightened. Her fiery demeanor from earlier seemed to dissipate, suddenly a more calm expression could be seen on her face.
“Scratch this,” she said suddenly. “I’m going to clear my mind with a spar.”
Klaus froze mid-motion, still crouched as he tried to stack the scattered papers. His head shot
up, and his expression twisted with dread. “Spar?” he repeated, his voice cracking slightly. He scrambled to his feet, waving his arms.
“Guildmaster, we just replaced the equipment in the guild training grounds a couple of days ago! If you go in and wreck everything again, it’s going to cost us even more this time!”
Anya shot him a sharp look, her grin sly. “Pipe down, Klaus. I’m not going to the guild training grounds.”
That stopped him cold. He blinked at her in surprise and confusion. “Wait… what? If not
there, then where?”
Her grin widened, mischief practically radiating off her as she said, “I’ve already found
myself a sparring buddy.”
Klaus stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. He stood in stunned silence, his brain struggling to catch up. “You’re joking, right?” he finally managed, his voice filled with disbelief.
“Please tell me you’re joking.”
Anya didn’t respond immediately, but the grin on her face persisted, smug and entirely too
pleased with herself.
Klaus’s confusion turned to horror as realization dawned on him. “Wait… you’re serious?
You’re not joking?!”
Anya’s grin only grew wider, her crimzon eyes gleaming with anticipation. Klaus could feel a chill run down his spine as he sputtered, “Who in their right mind would spar with you?!” Her grin remained as enigmatic as ever, and she simply grabbed her coat, tossing it over her shoulder as she strode toward the door. “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Klaus stood frozen in place, his thoughts a jumbled mess. Sparring with Anya was akin to signing your own death warrant.
‘Whoever this poor soul is, they’re either insane, suicidal, or both,’ he thought grimly, watching as the Guildmaster swept out of the room without a second glance.