Chapter 120 (Part 11)
The evening air was cool against Alok's face as he approached the outskirts of Laison City.
The city loomed in the distance, its dark spires cutting into the twilight sky like the teeth of some ancient beast. But the road ahead was long and winding, and Alok had no desire to waste time on the main path. He needed a shortcut.
He spotted an elderly man sitting on a fallen log near the edge of the forest, his weathered face half hidden beneath the brim of a worn hat. He seemed to be resting, a walking stick resting across his knees.
Alok approached slowly, keeping his posture humble.
"Excuse me. Is there a shortcut to Laison City? The main road seems to take a long way around."
The old man looked up at him, his eyes clouded with age. He studied Alok for a moment before speaking.
"A shortcut, eh? There is one. Through the forest, past the old cemetery. It'll bring you out at the southern edge of the city." He paused, his voice dropping lower. "But it's not a path many take anymore."
"Why not?"
The old man's eyes narrowed. "Because people have gone missing on that route. Travelers. Merchants. Even a few nobles who thought they knew better." He shook his head slowly. "They say the forest remembers things it shouldn't. And the cemetery... well, not everything buried there stays buried."
Alok's expression remained neutral. "I'll take my chances."
The old man studied him for a moment longer, then shrugged. "Suit yourself. Follow the path past those three trees, turn right at the old stone wall, and keep walking until you see the iron gate. That's the cemetery. Go straight through, don't linger, and you'll reach the city within the hour."
Alok nodded. "Thank you."
The old man watched him go, his voice trailing after him like a warning.
"Be careful, stranger. Not everything in that place is dead."
Alok followed the old man's directions.
The path wound through dense forest, the trees pressing close on either side, their branches forming a canopy that blocked out the fading light. The air grew cooler, heavier, carrying the scent of damp earth and decay. Alok moved quickly, his eyes scanning the shadows, his hand resting near the pendant beneath his shirt.
He reached the old stone wall and turned right, as instructed. The path narrowed, winding between crumbling stone markers and weathered statues. The cemetery.
It was older than he had expected the gravestones leaning at odd angles, their inscriptions worn smooth by time. Some had collapsed entirely, their fragments scattered across the overgrown grass. Alok walked through the center, his footsteps soft, his breathing steady.
He felt the pendant pulse against his chest. Warm. A quiet acknowledgment.
He did not slow down.
The iron gate appeared ahead, rusted and half open, its hinges groaning softly as Alok pushed through. And then the city was before him Laison City, its streets winding and dark, its buildings towering like silent judges.
It was different from Castrone not just in appearance, but in feeling. The streets were narrow, cobbled, winding between buildings that seemed to lean toward each other like old confidants sharing secrets. Gothic spires pierced the darkening sky, their peaks adorned with iron crosses and weathered statues of figures Alok did not recognize. Everywhere he looked, he saw churches. Small ones. Grand ones. Some so old that their roofs had collapsed, leaving only skeletal frames behind.
Lisa's churches.
Alok kept his head down, his hood pulled low, his steps measured and unhurried. He had changed his appearance as much as possible darker clothes, a different walk, a practiced hunch to his shoulders. But even so, he could feel the weight of eyes on him. Not hostile eyes. Just... watchful. Feilw Land was a place where strangers were noticed.
He walked for several minutes, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar streets. He needed a place to stay a quiet place where he could observe, gather information, and plan his next move.
He found the hotel at the end of a narrow side street. It was called The Velvet Rose a name that promised elegance but delivered shadow. The building was old, its stone walls dark with age, its windows glowing with a warm, muted light. A wrought iron sign creaked gently above the entrance, its rose emblem half eroded by time and weather.
Alok pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside.
The lobby was small but ornate. Dark wood paneling lined the walls. A chandelier of black iron and pale glass hung from the ceiling, its candles casting flickering shadows across the room. Behind the counter stood a man middle aged, heavy set, with sharp eyes and a smile that did not reach his face.
Corvin Vex.
He looked Alok up and down, his gaze lingering on the worn cloak, the scuffed boots. Then his smile widened, just a fraction.
"Room for the night?"
Alok nodded. "Yes. A private room. Something quiet."
Corvin Vex's fingers tapped the counter. "We have a room on the third floor. Good view of the city. Quiet. Private." He named a price. Alok did not flinch. He reached into his pocket and placed the money on the counter more than the asking price, enough to be noticed.
Corvin Vex's eyebrows rose. His smile grew a little wider.
"Very generous, sir. Very generous indeed." He slid a key across the counter. "Room 301. Top of the stairs, turn left. Enjoy your stay."
Alok took the key and climbed the stairs without looking back.
The room was modest but comfortable. A bed with clean sheets. A wooden desk. A window that looked out over the city. Alok set his bag down and walked to the window, gazing out at the rooftops of Laison City. The buildings stretched into the distance, dark and imposing, their spires cutting into the twilight sky.
He watched the people below. Noble families in their carriages. Vendors packing up their stalls. And everywhere, the servants slave maids, laborers, the poor moving through the shadows like ghosts, unseen and unheard.
Feilw Land, he thought. Castrone is the same. Different tools, same oppression.
He turned away from the window and sat on the edge of the bed.
I need to find Ceya. I need to find Tira. I need to understand what's happening.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
Alok stood and crossed the room, opening the door to reveal a young woman holding a tray of food. She was thin, her dark hair pulled back tightly, her eyes downcast. She wore the plain, simple clothes of a servant gray dress, white apron, worn shoes.
Ema.
She curtsied quickly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Your dinner, sir."
She stepped inside and set the tray on the desk, her movements quick and practiced. Alok watched her from the doorway. There was something in her posture a tension in her shoulders, a tightness around her eyes that made him pause.
"Thank you," he said.
Ema nodded. She hesitated at the door, her hand resting on the frame. She seemed to be waiting for something. Alok tilted his head.
"Is something wrong?"
Ema's eyes darted up to meet his, then quickly down again. Her fingers tightened on the doorframe.
"Sir... I was told to offer you... extra service. The owner said you paid more than the room costs. He said I should give you whatever you want."
Alok's expression did not change. But something cold settled in his chest.
Extra service.
He looked at Ema the way she held herself, the way her voice trembled, the way she could not meet his eyes. He understood. She had been ordered to offer herself, not because she wanted to, but because she had no choice.
Alok's jaw tightened. He had seen this before, in Castrone, in the eyes of those trapped by poverty and power. Feilw Land was no different. It only wore a prettier mask.
He spoke quietly, his voice gentle but firm.
"I don't need that. But I do need something else."
Ema looked up, surprise flickering across her face.
Alok continued: "I'm going to be staying here for about a month. I need someone to help me keep this room in order, someone who knows the city and its secrets. The owner told me you work for him. So I'll tell him that I'm hiring you as my private maid while I'm here."
Ema stared at him. Her lips parted slightly.
"I... I don't understand, sir."
Alok met her eyes. "I'm giving you an excuse to be in this room without having to offer anything else. If anyone asks, you're my personal maid. That's all. No extra service. No... other expectations."
Ema's face crumpled. Her eyes glistened. She quickly looked away.
"I don't deserve..."
"You don't have to deserve anything. You just have to accept." Alok paused. "And you have to tell me everything you know about Laison City. About the Laison Family. About Vaelia. About the Magic Exam. About Ceya Elizabeth."
Ema nodded quickly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yes, sir. I can do that. I... thank you. Thank you."
Alok turned away, giving her a moment to compose herself. He walked to the window, gazing out at the darkening city.
"Tell me about the Magic Exam," he said. "What do you know?"
Ema took a breath and began to speak.
She talked for nearly an hour.
She told him about the Exam how it was held every year, how the noble families competed for the Grand Wizard title, how the Mark Battle at the end was a death battle, how no one from the Laison Family had won since Gosia Elizabeth, whose body was said to be sealed somewhere in the city.
She told him about Vaelia how she ruled with an iron fist, how she was feared by the servants and respected by the nobles, how she had recently taken a special interest in a girl named Ceya Elizabeth, training her in secret, preparing her for the Exam.
She told him about the other noble families the Medons, the Esongs, the Demonds, the Lighmots, the Wilsons, and the Raigens, who had faded from power but whose name still carried weight in whispered conversations.
Alok listened to all of it, filing away every detail.
When Ema finished, she looked at him expectantly.
"Is there anything else you need to know, sir?"
Alok shook his head. "Not tonight. You can go. But come back tomorrow. I'll have more questions."
Ema nodded and turned to leave. At the door, she paused.
"Sir..."
"Yes?"
"Thank you. For not... for not making me..."
Alok met her eyes. "You don't have to thank me for basic decency. Now go. Rest. You'll need your strength."
Ema nodded and slipped out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.
Alok stood alone in the quiet room, staring at the closed door.
One step at a time, he thought. I'm inside. I have eyes and ears. Now I need to move. Ceya is here. Tira is here. Vaelia is here.
And I'm going to find them.
He turned to the window, gazing out at the dark spires of Laison City.
The game is just beginning.