The hideout felt different now.


    It wasn''t the place itself. It was the same wooden walls, the same dim candlelight flickering on their wall-mounted slots, and the same rickety chairs that creaked under my weight when I sat down on them. It was the atmosphere and my thoughts that made it feel... different.


    And Lira.


    She had changed, and I wasn''t sure if it was for the better. However, I couldn''t blame her for it.


    Five days had passed since we learned the truth about her father and what he planned to do. Then, another five days since, the man had vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the stench of his act. We just couldn''t find him. What was a second shock for her was the news that her mother, too, was gone. But, this time, we had news and proof of her, and she didn''t just disappear into thin air. Instead, she fled without a word, abandoning her daughter and the crumbling remnants of their life, emptying their home of everything.


    When I told Lira the news, I had expected tears, anger, a reaction, something. But she had taken the news with a chilling calmness, her face remaining passive while listening to me. She didn''t cry. She didn''t scream. She just nodded once and then went back to whatever she was doing—which, more often than not, was staying close to me and watching me silently.


    Sometimes, it was too close.


    She followed me everywhere now, becoming a silent shadow trailing my every move. Not even a puppy was this clingy... If I sat, she sat nearby. If I walked, she walked a step behind me. She barely spoke to anyone else, not even to Cravik or the others who tried to engage with her. Any time someone talked to her, Lira''s answers were clipped, her tone flat, her eyes constantly darting back to me as if to make sure I was still there.


    She only trusted me now... And I didn''t know what to do or how to handle this new and weird development. It was unnatural.


    I knew it wasn''t healthy. It wasn''t normal. But how could I tell her to act differently when I barely knew what to do myself? I wasn''t her father. I wasn''t even her friend, not really. I was just… someone who had been there when the world had crumbled around her. Haaaah... And now, she clung to me like I was the only solid thing left in her life.


    "Maybe I am..." I thought to myself one day, watching her sleep.


    For now, I let her stay close. What else could I do? I did fear that if I told her to leave, she would do so... and do something stupid. So, I kept myself composed as best as I could and adapted.


    Even though this all happened, the real problem wasn''t Lira. It was her father.


    Five days, and still no sign of him. If the man had skipped town, someone should have seen him. The Crows had eyes everywhere—in the taverns, the markets, the docks. Yet there was nothing. No sightings, no whispers in the underground, no trail to follow. Just… the void. As if he didn''t exist.


    And that didn''t sit right with me more and more.


    I had seen enough of this and my previous world to know that people didn''t just vanish. Not unless someone wanted them to. And if someone had gone into trouble to hide Lira''s father, it wasn''t out of kindness. And I was part of the gang that had a reason to make him go away...


    Whenever I thought of that, my gut churned at the idea. I had to admit, I didn''t trust the Crows anymore, but I trusted the Guild even less. If they were behind this, if they were holding Lira''s father in reserve as some kind of pawn… Then, a storm was brewing around me.


    I shook my head, forcing the thought aside. Speculation wouldn''t help me. I needed a plan to ensure I wouldn''t be swept away when the storm hit. But for now, all I could do was wait.


    I needed more information.


    ...


    ....


    .....


    Risa''s office was packed to the brim when I arrived. This time, even Lira understood she couldn''t come, so I managed to leave her back home, promising I was going to return soon. Hahaha... Once again, I was burdened to take care of someone instead of myself. Was I... cursed?


    For some reason, the weekly meeting had drawn a large crowd of lieutenants, enforcers, and trusted members of the Crows—more than I had ever known was part of the Syndicate. I stood near the back, and I could feel the tension in some of the other''s eyes. Something big was going on, that was for sure...


    "First order of business," Risa began, clapping once, silencing the murmur amongst us all. She surveyed the gathered criminals, including me, speaking in a serious tone. "The brothel situation."


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Of course, murmurs rippled through the room while I kept my composure, waiting for her to resume.


    "It was handled," Risa continued, making me blink my eyes in surprise. What? Just like that? "The previous owner has… skipped town. To a faraway land. The place is under new management, one of ours. No loose ends."


    Some of the others chuckled darkly. But I didn''t... So... we just offed him? The Crows had killed him without thinking about it, huh? Fine... I didn''t give a damn about that bastard, but what she said next did set off alarm bells in my mind.


    "As for Lira''s father—"


    Here it came... Without thinking about it, my body tensed.


    "—he probably got spooked. He ran. Same as the mother." She sighed, leaning forward on her desk, fingers interlaced. "Whatever. Good riddance. Not our problem anymore."


    It''s not our problem anymore. The case was closed just like that.


    My fists curled at my sides, drawing it behind my back to hide it from view. This wasn''t right. They didn''t just ''lose'' people in this city. If Lira''s father was still breathing, someone had seen him. But instead, the Crows had nothing. No, giving up so easily without finding him had to mean we did... and Risa lied to me because we probably made sure he was gone. Otherwise, would she give up so easily? Maybe. Maybe not... my guess was on the latter.


    Still, I said nothing. This wasn''t the time to push it right before everybody. But then again, Lazlow''s words echoed in my mind all of a sudden:


    "If there was someone the Crows who didn''t want you to find him… they''d make sure you never did."


    Had Risa made him disappear? Or was it the Guild?


    Either way, I decided then and there that I was done being strung along. But before he could think on it further, Risa continued. And then came the real bombshell for the night.


    ...


    ....


    ......


    "This next part is for our inner circle only."


    Risa''s tone shifted, taking on a more serious weight when it was only a few of us in her inner room. I wasn''t supposed to be here, but as the one who had made it possible, I was invited as a reward. It felt weird... What did I do? Still, seeing the seriousness of Risa''s expression, all the usual chuckles died down, and the posture of everyone present subtly stiffened. It was clear we weren''t talking about petty crimes anymore. This was something dangerous.


    "I''ve been going over the documents Auriel found," Risa began, pulling out a stack of papers and a folded parchment and tapping them against her desk. "And I''ve finally confirmed it."


    "Of what?" Cravik asked.


    "There''s an elven artifact hidden in this region. And we are going to get it."


    For the first time in my life, I saw real shock on the faces of everyone present. Probably, I was the only one who couldn''t assess the seriousness of the news. An elven artifact? And? So? Huh... Seeing how they all got so fidgety, I almost felt as if they said there was a bomb, ready to go off at any moment, hidden in the city. What I did know was that we didn''t deal with artifacts, not just because they were rare and valuable beyond reason but because anything elven always came with a curse—either literal or political.


    I remember hearing Cravik say that the last known artifact, falling into human hands, caused a 200-year war.


    "Gods smack me..." Someone muttered under their breath while I heard others shift uncomfortably. I looked at Cravik, who also ran a hand over his shaved head, whistling.


    Then it hit me, and my blood ran cold. It was as if the pieces snapped into place so fast it nearly made me sick.


    The Guild also knew!


    That was why Lazlow had approached me. That was why they''d suddenly offered me a free return with no penalties and no grudges! They were after the same thing... And they thought we had it. Or... they suspected us of having it. And if I didn''t join them willingly, they would use Lira''s father to frame the Crows as slavers—to turn the entire city against them, ensuring the Guild could wipe them out completely without anyone complaining...


    A perfect play. Fuck... Too perfect. An actual hostile takeover. Suddenly, I felt sick. This whole time, I had thought that I still had time, that I could figure things out and navigate my way through this mess. But now?


    I had no time.


    Fucking hell... can''t I catch a break? Must I always end up in an organization where things go south?! Thinking about it, my instincts screamed at me louder than they ever had in either of my lives. They were repeating over and over: You need to leave. Now.


    To force my face to keep my true thoughts hidden from Risa, I clenched my jaw, staring down at the candlelit table where she laid out her plans to acquire it. The others were talking over each other now, speculating and wondering what kind of artifact it was and how much it could be worth.


    None of them realized what I saw in Risa''s eyes for a fleeting moment before our gazes met, and she managed to hide it away. She wasn''t going to sell it... she wanted it. Double fuck... I had seen how these kinds of fights ended. The Guild wasn''t just going to let the Crows have this artifact.


    And if it wasn''t the Guild, who would get it? It would be worse. Even if we do obtain it, or more precisely, if Risa gets it, she may leave no witnesses to the fact.


    If I stayed to see this through, I would be caught in a war. And I was the newest guy here, the least important and the most easily sacrificed pawn.


    I had to leave.


    But how?


    I couldn''t just run now. Risa would know instantly. She might even take it as a betrayal or as a danger to her plans. She needed us to get it, but if she smelled that any of us tried to run or go for it... I would bet my life on the fact she would end us before getting to the city''s gates.


    No—I had to do this carefully.


    First, I would need to gather supplies and find a route out of the city without alerting them, one that neither the Guild nor the Crows controlled. And yes... I should go and get Lira prepared without tipping off anyone. I can''t leave her behind; who knows what they would do to her just out of spite? Okay... I still had days, at most, before things spiraled out of control.


    To collect my focus, I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to stay still. To pretend like everything was fine, and I was just nervous about the fact that an elven artifact popped up from nowhere.


    "Relax!" Cravik grinned, patting my back. "It will be a piece of cake."


    "Sure." I muttered, forcing a smile, "I can already taste it. Yum."