While Azael and Sophia were talking, somewhere far away from them, in another part of Elaris City, something else was happening.
The lively streets, bright lights, and laughter of the entertainment district were nowhere to be found here.
This part of the city was quiet, old, and poorly maintained. Many houses were abandoned, their windows broken and doors hanging loosely on rusted hinges. The street lamps barely worked, and most of the area was covered in darkness.
At the end of one such street stood an old abandoned house.
Its walls were cracked, the roof partially broken, and weeds had grown all around it. From the outside, it looked completely empty, like no one had stepped inside for years.
But that was not true.
Inside the house, under the wooden floor, there was a basement.
And inside that basement, a small lantern burned dimly, lighting up the dark room with a weak yellow glow.
There were four people gathered there.
