Chapter 117 (Part 08)
The morning sun crept through the thin curtains, pale and indifferent.
Alok opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He had not slept well. The image of the logo the black circle inside a square had haunted his dreams, flickering in and out of focus like a memory he could not grasp. He had woken several times during the night, his hand moving instinctively to the pendant, searching for answers that refused to come.
He sat up slowly and reached for his phone. His thumb pressed the power button.
Nothing.
He frowned, pressing it again. Still nothing. The screen remained dark.
Dead battery.
He sighed, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, and plugged the phone into the charger. Then he walked to the bathroom, splashed cold water on his face, and stared at his reflection in the mirror.
Dark circles. Hollow eyes. The face of someone who had been carrying too much for too long.
He dried his face and returned to the phone. The screen was glowing now, notifications flooding in.
100+ messages. 10 missed calls.
His chest tightened.
He unlocked the phone and scrolled through the list. All from the same contact. Tira. His fingers moved before his mind could catch up, pressing the latest message a voice recording.
He held the phone to his ear.
The static crackled. Then her voice strained, urgent, barely above a whisper.
"Alok... it's all connected..."
A pause. A sharp breath.
"Aaa... help... me..."
The message ended.
Alok's hand tightened around the phone. His jaw clenched. A cold, sharp anger clean and focused settled in his chest. He had been afraid before. He had been uncertain. But this was different. This was not fear.
This was fury.
He breathed slowly, forcing the rage down, letting it harden into something useful. Something cold. Something deliberate.
She's in danger. She found something. And now she needs me.
He thought about the words. "It's all connected."
Connected to what?
He thought about Vaelia. About the Family. About Castrone. About the B.O.R. System. About the logo. About all of it.
She's not just talking about Vaelia. She's talking about something bigger. Something behind all of this.
He dialed Rihan's number.
The call connected after two rings.
"Alok?"
"Something's happened." His voice was calm, measured, but the edge beneath it was sharp. "I need to take a private trip. I'll be gone for a while."
Rihan was silent for a moment. "How long?"
"However long it takes."
"A big deal?"
Alok looked at the phone, at the voice recording. "Yes. A big deal."
"I'll come with you."
"No." The word came out harder than he intended. He softened it. "I need you here. In Castrone. I need you to watch everything. The government. The B.O.R. System. Whatever moves, you tell me. Message. Call. Anything."
A pause. Then, quieter: "You're going to Feilw Land, aren't you?"
Alok didn't answer.
"Alok....."
"I need you here," he repeated. "You're the one I trust. Keep your eyes open. Keep your ears open. And if something happens if I don't check in you know what to do."
Rihan was quiet for a long moment. Then he said, "I have someone. An old contact. Trustworthy. I can set him up to help you."
"Who?"
"Someone from the old days. He knows the border. Knows the routes. He'll get you where you need to go."
Alok hesitated. "Can I trust him?"
Rihan's voice was steady. "You can trust him. I already told him about you. He knows the stakes."
"Does he know about the rest of it?"
"Only what he needs to. He doesn't ask questions. He just delivers."
Alok closed his eyes. One step at a time.
"Alright. Thank you."
"Alok." Rihan's voice was heavy. "Be careful. The things I'm digging up here they're bigger than we thought. The government isn't just corrupt. It's connected to something older. Something darker. I don't know what it is yet, but I'm getting closer."
"Keep digging. And keep me updated."
"I will."
Alok ended the call.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur of preparation.
Alok packed a small bag clothes, water, a few essentials. Nothing too heavy. Nothing that would draw attention. He dressed carefully, choosing clothes that would not stand out. Dark. Plain. Forgettable.
He moved quietly through the apartment, his footsteps soft on the worn floorboards.
His mother was in the kitchen, humming softly as she prepared breakfast. Agata was still in her room, the faint sound of music drifting through the door.
He paused at the kitchen entrance.
His mother looked up and smiled. "You're up early."
"Couldn't sleep," he said. "I'm going away for a bit. Just for a few days. A trip."
Her smile faded slightly. "A trip? Where?"
"Away. Just to clear my head." He forced a smile, easy and practiced. "Rihan's coming with me. It'll be fine."
She studied his face for a moment, searching for the lie. He held her gaze, calm and steady.
"Alright," she said finally. "But call me when you get there."
"I will."
He turned and walked toward the door.
The morning air was cold and sharp as he stepped outside. The streets were quiet, the city still waking up. He walked quickly, his bag slung over his shoulder, his eyes scanning the street ahead.
One step at a time.
He checked his phone. A message from Rihan:
Rihan: "Contact's name is Darius Voss. He'll meet you at Heart River. He knows the border routes. He'll get you across."
Alok typed back: "Thank you. Watch your back."
Rihan: "I always do."
The hours passed slowly.
Alok moved through the outskirts of Castrone, keeping to the side streets, avoiding main roads and checkpoints. He had changed his appearance as much as possible a hat, a different jacket, a slight change in his gait. He was just another traveler, just another face in the crowd.
By evening, the city had faded behind him. The buildings grew sparse, replaced by open fields and scattered trees. The sky darkened, the first stars beginning to emerge.
He stopped at the edge of a small forest, resting against a tree. His legs ached, but his mind was sharper than it had been in days.
He pulled out his phone. A message from an unknown number:
Unknown: "Heart River. Midnight. Come alone."
He stared at the message for a moment, then pocketed the phone.
Midnight.
He looked up at the darkening sky.
The game begins. One step at a time. First, Feilw Land. Then Ceya. Then Tira. Then Vaelia.
I'll untangle all of it.