As they walked down the hall, King Wonek appeared from a side corridor, giving them a friendly nod before heading the opposite way. They're close, closer than I realized. Did Julie-June mean him too? Solace pushed the thought aside as they stepped back into the dining room.
Thiago looked up instantly, "Where'd you go?"
Solace held up the bowl, "Got more fruit, and you're lucky it's firm too." Thiago smirked, and Solace pointed at him. "Don't think you're getting off easy, I'll get my revenge, don't worry."
Arlenna raised a brow, "You couldn't wait for someone to bring it to you?"
Solace shrugged, "Some might say I'm not patient." She sat back down in her seat.
Arlenna let out a quiet exhale, something close to a laugh but more restrained, and Thiago shook his head, amused.
King Master moved to the head of the table, hands resting lightly behind him. "If I may," he said, "I'm assuming you'll be staying here until your airship arrives?" Arlenna and Thiago exchanged a look. King Master continued, "You don't have to, of course, but you just came from a long trip, and we have plenty of rooms prepared."
Thiago nodded first, "I don't mind staying a few days, little sov what's the plan?"
Arlenna looked at King Master, "How long do you think it will take for the airship to get here?
"It should be no more than two days, I can give you the specifics after I talk to King Wonek," King Master said.
Arlenna nodded, "Alright, what's the plan Solace?"
Solace hesitated, then spoke, "I don't think we really have a choice, we have to stay and wait for the airship."
"There's always a choice Solace, we can leave right now and walk to the airship if that's what you want," Arlenna replied.
"Are you okay little sov?" Thiago asked, "I know we joke but seriously, it's whatever you wanna do."
There was a long pause while solace thought about what she should do. Then she smiled, "Yeah I'm okay, let's stay here until the airship arrives." I'm not leaving until I know what's really going on here.
King Master smiled, "Perfect, I'm going to excuse myself and make sure everything is situated for you guys." He got up and walked out of the dining room.
"How are you doing Kidwild," Solace asked.
Kidwild raised her head from the table and looked at the three of them confused, "I'm… alright, I don't know, why are you asking me?"
Solace got up, walked over to her, and grabbed her head with both hands, while she shook her she said, "Because I care about you." Solace laughed, "You were loading your plate with dessert, I didn't know if you were dead or just sleeping it off over here."
"Yeah that's just what you saw, it got worse when you left." Thiago said, "I should do to her what I did to Dine at the border of FLEX Ten."
Kidwild looked at Arlenna and Solace, "What did he do to Dine at the border of FLEX Ten?" The three looked at each other and burst out laughing.
The moment passed easily for the crew, but Solace's thoughts did not settle. She didn't want to assume Julie-June was right. After her warning, Solace didn't immediately believe King Master was evil, It was not in her nature to jump to conclusions. Instead, she watched, tracked patterns, and let her senses gather the quiet pieces other people missed.
King Master would say something kind, something warm, something perfectly shaped for the situation, yet the expression never fully matched. Sometimes his eyelid flickered with irritation before smoothing out again. Once he held his breath a moment too long before answering her, and an echo of annoyance crossed his features before it slipped beneath the calm facade he always wore. More often she realized his smile never reached his eyes.
She kept hearing Julie-June's warning in the back of her mind. "Watch for the slips." She noticed the speed of his adjustments. Before, Solace appreciated how he adapted to her needs. Now she saw how fast it happened, it felt more like a strategic performance than genuine empathy.
He avoided certain topics too. When she asked about his travel routes, he changed the subject politely. When she asked why he only needed one cook or why so many Eastern goods arrived in his halls, he pivoted smoothly, offering something charming but hollow. There was a pattern to the avoidance.
There were also places that felt wrong. The castle was vast, and most areas were ordinary, but some had reinforced locks, and scuff marks across the floors as if something heavy or unwilling had been dragged through. In a few places she spotted pieces of rope on the ground. When she passed one of the kitchens, she noticed trays were missing even though no meals were scheduled.
Her senses pulled her toward things she could not yet explain. Servants avoided eye contact and walked quickly. Some guards flinched when King Master passed them, even though he spoke gently. Others looked frightened but carefully trained not to show it. The atmosphere around him was off, as if everyone knew something she did not.
She noticed Shipments arrived marked with symbols from every continent, several markings she didn't recognize at all. Thiago explained how trade markings worked, waving his hand lazily as he described different regions and how each one labeled its shipments. Solace remembered only pieces of that conversation, but enough to understand one thing clearly. These crates didn't belong to a single trade route, they were coming from all around the world.
When Solace was exploring, her senses led her down a corridor, toward a room that felt wrong. When she opened the door, the air inside was cold. Wrists and ankle shackles hung on the wall. Neck shackles were arranged neatly on a table, each one polished. It made her skin crawl. A folder sat open on a desk nearby, inside were papers filled with names and continents, each one with a thin line through it. Solace stood there for a long moment, heart pounding quietly in her chest.
Later, in the kitchen, Julie-June confirmed it in the soft, matter-of-fact tone she used when truth hurt too much to dress differently. "That is what he is moving," she said, "People." Solace turned toward her, stunned. Julie-June did not meet her eyes. "I've seen these people myself," Julie-June added, "I just... can't do anything about it." Solace stood there thinking about why someone would want to do something so evil.
Now she had the beginning of an answer, and the beginning of something much worse. She waited for the right moment to pull arlenna and Thiago aside.
"What's going on with you?" Thiago asked, "You've been different."
Solace sighed, "I think King Master is hurting people."
"Solace... King Master?" Thiago said. His voice held doubt, but he trusted Solace's instincts. "You sure?"
"I'm not surprised, nobody else got the feeling he was patronizing us when we arrived?" Arlenna asked.
"No," Solace replied.
Arlenna looked at solace, "I'm not gonna lie, the day I expect you to pick up on something like that, is the day I suggest we disband the crew." She looked at Thiago, and pointed. "I'm talking about you."
Arlenna crossed her arms,"'Bowing is the highest form of respect,'" She said mockingly, "Yeah… Okay. I wouldn't put anything past him, he's literally pathetic."
"I just thought the glazing was insane," Thiago said, "Like damn get on with it already, I don't think I took him seriously enough to see it as anything else."
"I guess that's fair," Arlenna said, "but why do you think that Solace?"
Solace didn't answer, she only turned and started walking. Arlenna and Thiago looked at each other before following her down the hall, and through the quiet corridors. When she stopped in front of the room, her hand hovered over the door for a moment. Then she pushed it open.
Thiago saw the restraints first. His heart dropped, then he stepped forward and looked around. "Are you kidding me," he mumbled, rage rising fast.
Arlenna didn't move, her eyes scanned the room slowly, taking in each detail "What's inside of there?"
Thiago looked at where she was pointing, he walked over to the desk and picked up the folder, "Names of people and I'm assuming the continents they were taken from before passing through here." He put the folder back exactly how he found it. "I think it's only talking about one group, the way the folder was just sitting there, it can't be that important. There's probably more folders, maybe even a ledger." That was the moment both of them understood Solace had been right, and the truth was worse than they expected.
"Theres more," Solace said.
"What do you mean, more?" Thiago asked, "Of course there's more."
Solace did not answer, she simply motioned for them to follow, and moved through the halls again. She led them down a familiar corridor toward the kitchen. The door was propped open, and Julie-June was at the counter slicing herbs. She glanced up when Solace entered.
"Julie-June," Solace said, "They need to hear what you told me."
Julie-June's knife slowed. She set it down carefully before she met Solace's eyes. "You told them already?" she asked.
"I told them what I found," Solace replied, "Not what you told me."
Thiago leaned on the counter, "And what did you tell her exactly?"
Julie-June hesitated, then spoke in a soft tone, "King Master is moving people," she said, "I don't know the full extent of what he actually does, but I've seen enough to know it's not good."
Arlenna didn't look surprised. "How long?"
"Long enough… I don't know, ask Claudelle, she's been here longer than me." Julie-June replied, "Don't actually ask Claudelle anything… she's been through enough."
Silence filled the room, and Solace asked the question that's been bothering her. "Is King Wonek part of it?"
Julie-June shook her head, "I don't know," she said, "Him and Nick are close, very close, but close doesn't always mean they know everything."
Solace looked at Arlenna, then Thiago, "Should we tell him?"
Thiago answered instantly. "Yes, If he doesn't know, he needs to, and if he does, we find out fast."
Arlenna was not as quick, she folded her arms, thinking. "King Master manipulates," she said, "If King Wonek really trusts him, telling him without proof might put us in danger."
Solace nodded slowly, "But if he isn't involved, he could help us."
"And if he is," Arlenna asked, "Then what?"
"Then we handle it." Thiago said, like the answer should have been obvious to them.
Solace looked back at Julie-June, "You sure you don't know?"
Julie-June shook her head again, "I know what Nick does," she said, " I don't know who else is tangled in it."
Solace exhaled, her thoughts spinning. "We need to tell him," she said at last. "But we need to be smart. We need proof, real proof, something he can't ignore, even if King Master tries to twist it."
Arlenna nodded. "Then that is what we look for."
Thiago looked toward the door, already itching to move. "We gotta move before King Master figures out we know."
Solace glanced back toward the hallway where King Wonek had walked earlier, and her stomach tightened, "Close doesn't always mean they know everything." She mumbled.
"You should go late so Nick doesn't catch you searching," Julie-June said, "If he catches you he's going to kill you, or worse."
"Then we start tonight, so he doesn't have time," Solace said.
Arlenna tapped her fingers lightly against her arm. "We need a plan, we can't run through the halls opening doors."
Solace looked at Julie-June, "Do you have any idea when King Master will be out of the way?"
Julie-June hesitated. "When it gets dark he does a final walk. After that he either goes to his room, or to his airship, alone." She paused, "Nobody passes through here unless Nick wants you too, he's not even here all the time. I don't think he's planning on letting you go after your airship arrives." The crew looked back and forth between each other.
"Is that the 'or worse' you were talking about?" Thiago asked.
"Yes," Julie-June replied.
"Wait, what's happening?" Arlenna asked,"What is he going to do?"
"I think he's getting his full court together, he wants to take solace and probably Arlenna too. Solace is special and in his eyes special can be sold for a big price. Look around you, more people are arriving and tomorrow it's only going to be worse. You should just leave, forget about your airship and get out of here while you still can." Arlenna and Thiago exchanged a glance.
"So we go tonight and search the halls," Thiago said.
We'll search his office, and anything that just… Feels wrong." Solace added.
"Why are you ignoring my warning?" Julie-June asked.
"Nobody's ignoring it, we understand it but it's not gonna happen." Arlenna replied
"Stop being such a pollyanna, 'It's not gonna happen,'" Julie-June mocked, "Do you think people just let Nick do whatever he wants to them?"
"What's a pollyanna?" Solace asked.
"Someone with blind optimism," Thiago said.
Solace nodded, "Oh she's fancy with it."
"Oh no Nick is getting his full court," Arlenna said sarcastically as she waved her hands around. "I don't give a damn, just because you don't have the power to stop him doesn't mean I don't. You told me a potential threat and I told you it's not gonna happen now that I know… It's that simple."
Thiago smirked, "Okay relax, why are we fighting each other?" Julie-June and Arlenna stared at each other for a few seconds before Thiago stepped in between them. "The most important thing is finding out if King Wonek is on our side or with King Master."
Arlenna nodded, "We just need one thing he can't deny."
"Oh, I will find more than one," Thiago said.
Solace shook her head, "Don't get caught."
Thiago glanced around, "She's talking to you. "He pointed at Arlenna. "I'm built different, I don't get caught."
Arlenna rolled her eyes, "You run into chairs though." Thiago looked around pretending he didn't hear what she said. "You're like a deer. You'll clear a 10 foot fence, then slam into a parked car, it makes no sense."
Thiago looked at her for a moment, "A deer is crazy."
"It makes perfect sense if you think about it for more than 12 seconds… you're a deer," Arlenna said.
"Nah navi… that's crazy," Thiago said. He backed away, slowly shaking his head.
Solace turned back to Julie-June, "Do you know anything else, anything that could help us find proof?"
Julie-June thought for a second, "There is one place. I don't know what's inside, but there's always a guard blocking off the hallway," she said quietly. "It's the only hallway in the entire castle that's guarded."
Thiago grinned, "Found our first stop."
"Where is it?" Solace asked.
"Do you know where the storage closet is with the yellow doorknob? It usually has a weird smell," Julie-June said, "Down staircase five and around the corner from the ballroom, not the ballroom you see after walking down staircase three." Arlenna looked at Solace, she raised five fingers on one hand and three on the other.
"I didn't even know the staircases were numbered, but I will never forget that horrible smell," Solace said grimacing.
"When you pass the storage closet you will reach a staircase that's not numbered. Go all the way down until you see an area connected to more staircases. Those are for the staff and people to get around so watch out. One of them will say 'G.L.Guinea' above it, which will take you to the guarded hallway."
Solace nodded, "That's a little complicated but I think I got it."
"Are you sure, because if you get caught in any of these hallways it's over, Nick will know," Julie-June said, "These people are scared of him, they will tell him everything out of fear."
Solace rubbed the back of her head,"Do me a favor and write it down, getting lost would be a huge waste of time."
"So who's going where?" Arlenna asked.
"Thats a good question," Solace replied. "I just want to understand this a little better before I make a final decision."
Later, when night settled over the castle. Solace, Arlenna, and Thiago sprinted through the hallways. Thiago split off first, heading toward the guarded passageway while Solace and Arlenna moved in the opposite direction, toward King Master's private office.
Thiago found the fifth staircase and went all the way down. At the bottom he sprinted through the "G.L.Guinea" staircase which led him into a hallway. He jogged through the passageway for a while then stopped as it made a curve and peeked his head around the corner. He saw two escalators, one going up and one going down. In between the escalators was a hallway, and standing in front of it were two guards.
He moved back and tugged on doorknobs until he found a door that was unlocked, then he crouched in front of another door farther away. He slid a small coin beneath the crack, went back to the unlocked room, and with a burst of power expanded the coin.
The coin grew instantly and the crash was enormous. Something heavy toppled, then smashed against the floor with enough force Thiago could feel it beneath his feet. He stared at the door, eyes widened. He definitely overdid it.
Down the hall, both guards jolted upright. "What was that?" One asked.
"Go, go, go." The other yelled as they rushed toward the door. They pulled it open and began inspecting the chaos inside.
By that point, Thiago shrunk the coin back down, and was already halfway down the passageway they were guarding. Once he reached the end he was faced with a choice, right or left. "Julie-June never said anything about this." He looked back and forth from left to right trying to decide which way he should go, he decided on the left and sprinted over. When he reached the door it was made of metal and looked like it can only be opened from the other side.
He sprinted over to the opposite end and when he saw the padlock he smirked. He lifted the padlock, slid a small spear between the shackle and the body, and forced it wider, inch by inch, until the metal finally popped.
Before he went inside he reached into one of his pouches, grabbed a small flashlight and grew it in size. He saw that the room was lined with shelves and his heart sank. Each shelf had personal belongings on it. Some items were old and worn, while others were newer.
He saw a beaded bracelet, a tiny satchel with embroidered initials, a cracked wooden flute, a hair ribbon folded neatly, a small pendant shaped like a shield, paper charms from another continent, a hand-stitched doll with a single button eye, and that didn't scratch the surface. Thiago understood immediately that King Master collected these like trophies.
He forced himself to look away from the shelves and toward the boxes stacked near the back of the room. Inside were piles of stamped papers, ripped map fragments, ledger pages, and shipment routes crossing every continent.
He grabbed the clearest map he could find, a clean ledger, then he filled a small cloth bag with a few of the children's belongings. One item in particular made his throat tighten, but he pressed the feeling down and kept moving. He turned off the flashlight and slipped back out into the hall as quietly as he had come.
King Master's office was clean and organized. Solace and Arlenna moved quickly through the room, checking drawers, shelves, and locked cabinets. Nothing at first, then Solace stopped, her instincts pulled her toward a set of drawers built into the wall. They looked ordinary, but the air around them felt heavy in a way she could not ignore. Her fingers hovered over the top drawer. "Here," she whispered.
Solace opened the drawer, and inside were crisp stacks of folded documents. Neat records of shipments and travel routes. Solace found a thin piece of paper tucked between two thicker documents. She slid it free, unfolded it, and her breath caught in her throat. She said nothing, just stared at it before handing the page to Arlenna.
Arlenna looked at it, the color drained from her face. "No way," she whispered.
Solace crossed her arms, "This is exactly what we need."
Arlenna nodded, "It has to be enough, more than enough." Together they collected the rest of the evidence, then left the office.
When they saw Thiago, he was carrying a thick bundle of stolen documents under his arm, his eyes burning with anger. "I found maps, routes, items, and a huge list of names crossed out just like the folder," he said, "One of the items belonged to a really young kid. Solace, Arlenna, it's really bad." Solace lifted the thin sheet of paper. "What is that?" He asked. She passed it to him. Thiago read the page, and stared at the paper with a look of betrayal and disbelief. "I was not expecting that," he whispered, "That's horrible."
"It is," Solace replied.
Thiago pinched his nose, eyes squeezed shut. "We need to go to King Wonek."
Solace nodded, "This is enough evidence to make him listen, whether he wants to or not."
Instead of parting ways the crew gathered into the room Solace was given.
"Okay, tomorrow we tell King Wonek," Thiago said.
Solace nodded her head, "Yes, as soon as we get up."
"Why do you keep saying tomorrow, today not tomorrow navi," Arlenna said.
Thiago looked at Arlenna, "What?"
"It's currently two-thirty-seven second cycle, that means today not tomorrow," Arlenna replied.
Thiago rolled his eyes, "Oh so you're one of those, okay."
Arlenna made a face, "We still have third cycle, it's all the same day, what are you saying?"
Solace was staring at nothing trying to think of the word, "Wait, what time is it?"
"Solace," Arlenna said. Solace turned and Arlenna showed her the numbers with her fingers.
Solace smiled, "Thank you, it's really frustrating."
"Would you care if I didn't go with you to talk to King Wonek," Thiago asked, "I don't think I really need to be there."
"I don't mind but why tho?" Solace asked.
"I want to go find Claudelle tomorrow while you guys talk to him," Thiago responded.
Solace thought for a second, "Wow, I haven't seen her since she healed me."
Thiago yawned loudly, "I think I'm gonna go to sleep."
Arlenna yawned and stretched, "I know I'm gonna go to sleep." They said their goodbyes and Arlenna and Thiago left the room.
In the morning they found King Wonek walking outside alone, adjusting the wraps on his forearms after training. He lit up when he saw them approach.
"Solace, Arlenna," King Wonek said with a warm grin. "King Master said you all were settling in well."
Solace stepped forward. "I need to tell you something."
King Wonek's smile softened. "All right, what is it?"
"I think King Master is hurting people," Solace said.
King Wonek let out a short breath that tried to be a laugh, "King Master? Never, he would die for us."
Solace shook her head, "He wouldn't die for you, he's using you."
King Wonek's posture changed instantly. "Woah, careful, that's no way to talk about a man that's been so generous,"
Arlenna handed Solace a bag and she took out everything inside. The ledger, the map, the bag of belongings, and the thin sheet of paper. She held them out for him one by one. King Wonek was looking at all the items confused before Solace offered him the final paper.
King Wonek took it, and his breath hitched violently. He read it again, and again. "No," he whispered. "No, this... no." His face twisted. His hands trembled so hard the paper shook.
King Wonek's eyes snapped up, "You expect me to believe this?" he rasped. "You expect me to believe King Master... King Master would do this? This is insane."
"It's the truth," Arlenna said quietly.
Solace nodded, "Nick Master was responsible for Winner and Dinner Hearthwell disappearing."
Something broke in King Wonek's expression. He stepped back. "No, you're lying."
"No we're not," Solace said.
"You are," King Wonek insisted, his voice rising, cracking with panic. "You have to be, King Master would never touch those children, he would never..."
Solace spoke softly, "You're afraid to see what he really is."
King Wonek snapped, and struck without thinking, his forearm whipping into Solace's chest. It was a reflex from a man built like a wall, and Solace flew.
Air blasted out of her lungs, Arlenna dropped to her knees with her, so she didn't slam into the ground. "Breathe, breathe."
Solace tried, panic flashing in her eyes as her body fought for air. Arlenna lifted her head, and the look she gave King Wonek could have cut stone.
King Wonek stared at his own hand in horror, then at Solace. "I..." he whispered. "I did not mean… you overstepped," he said, voice shaking. "You have no idea what you're accusing him of."
Solace straightened, breath steady despite the blow. "King Wonek," she said quietly, "the evidence is right there in your hand."
He looked down at the paper again, tears filled his eyes before he forced them back. "This means nothing," he said, though his voice kept breaking. "King Master will explain this, you don't understand, I will talk to him." King Wonek swallowed hard, "I will talk to him," he repeated. "I have to talk to him."
"He's going straight to King Master," Arlenna whispered.
Solace watched him walk off. "Yeah, not the best outcome."