Ezra did not sleep that night.
In his hotel room, he sat before his laptop, fingers dancing across the keyboard. He sent a message to the secure VEISD channel—brief, devoid of detail, just enough to inform Cikgu Murni that he was alive and moving toward something significant.
"Rumors confirmed. Black market exists. Location: Blackridge Old Mine. Auction in three days. I need to get in. Requesting guidance."
Twenty minutes later, the reply arrived.
"Denied. You are not a field officer. Your duty is intelligence only. Pull out now. Return to Nova Aethelburg. – Sphinx"
Ezra read the message three times.
Then, he pressed the delete button.
"I'm sorry, Director. I can't."
He knew this would ruin his career. Perhaps ruin his life. But there was a girl named Maya—whom he did not know—waiting to be saved. And there was no one else who would save her.
At 7:00 AM, Ezra was ready.
He knocked on Ben's door.
"Sir? At seven in the morning?" Ben rubbed his eyes, his hair a tangled mess.
"I need your help, Ben."
Ben fell silent. Then, "The Blackridge Old Mine?"
"Yes."
"Sir, I already told you..."
"I heard what you said. But I'm going anyway. You don't have to follow. I just... I need information. Maps. Routes. Someone I can trust in Blackridge."
Ben let out a long sigh. "Come in first, sir. I'll make some coffee."
Ben's room was tidier than Ezra had expected. Books on the history of the Frontier Territory were neatly arranged on shelves. On the wall hung an old photograph—perhaps of his father—standing in front of a mine entrance, smiling broadly.
"My father," Ben said while pouring coffee into a ceramic mug. "The last day he was alive. He died the next day."
Ezra looked at the photo. The man in the picture looked strong and energetic—not like someone who would perish in a mere accident.
"Do you believe it was an accident?" Ezra asked.
"No." Ben placed the mug in front of Ezra. "But I can't prove anything. Local police closed the case within three days. 'No foul play involved,' they said. 'A common industrial accident.'"
"Who was your father's boss?"
"Blackridge Mining Corporation." Ben bit his lip. "A company owned by... Mayor Jamal."
Ezra made a mental note. "BMC. I'll remember that."
Ben drew a map on the wooden table using chalk.
"The Blackridge Old Mine is located here." He marked a point on the slopes of Death Hill. "Officially, this mine was closed in 2015. No mining activity. But... trucks still go in and out. Mostly at night."
"What kind of trucks?"
"Container trucks. Locked. I've never seen what's inside. But I've heard... noises. People crying."
Ezra felt the hair on his neck stand up.
"Is there an alternative entrance?"
Ben nodded. "My father found one. He said... at the back of the mine, there's an abandoned old shaft. Small. Just enough for one person. It leads to..." Ben paused.
"To the underground market?"
"Yes."
"Do you know where that shaft is?"
"I... went there once. Two years ago. I wanted to find... what my father had found." Ben looked down. "I went in. I saw. And I ran."
"What did you see?"
"A room. Massive. Filled with... cages. Humans in cages, sir. Like... animals."
Ben trembled. His hand holding the coffee mug shook.
"I ran, sir. I didn't have the courage to help them. I'm... a coward."
"You're not a coward, Ben." Ezra placed a hand on Ben's shoulder. "You lived to tell this to me. That isn't cowardice."
Ben looked up. His eyes were bloodshot.
"Sir... are you really going?"
"Yes."
"I'm coming with you."
"No."
"You need someone who knows the path. I'm that person."
Ezra looked at Ben for a long moment. Finally, "You know the risks, Ben. You might not come back."
"I know, sir. But... my father died because he found that market. I can't let him have died for nothing."
Ezra nodded.
"Alright. We go together. But we follow my rules."
"What rules?"
"First, you listen to what I say. Second, if I tell you to run, you run. Don't wait for me. Third... we don't know anyone there. Trust no one."
"Sounds like a suicide mission, sir."
Ezra gave a bitter smile.
"Because that's exactly what it is, Ben. A suicide mission."