Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, assessing the offer. It made sense. He wasn't a fool, and Yipsiv was no amateur either. Something was up, and Nathaniel wasn't about to jump into a conversation that could go sideways without a better idea of what was going on.
"Alright," Nathaniel said, his voice calm but with a hint of caution. Without waiting for a second invitation, he followed Yipsiv out the door and into the cool day air. The tavern behind them seemed to fade as they walked, its loud music and rowdy patrons replaced by the more peaceful, quiet streets of the city. The moon was high above, and the city seemed to be holding its breath.
Yipsiv led the way down the dimly lit cobbled street, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the stillness of the night. He didn't look back at Nathaniel, but Nathaniel kept his gaze fixed on Yipsiv's broad back. The gambler was always one step ahead, but Nathaniel could tell he was being sized up, measured like a man considering his next move on a chessboard.
They came to a stop at the edge of the street, just beneath a streetlamp. Yipsiv leaned back against a nearby wall, casually flicking the cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his boot.
"Now, this is better," Yipsiv said, his grin returning. But this time, there was a seriousness to it, an edge that made the hair on the back of Nathaniel's neck stand on end. "You came lookin' for answers, and I'm happy to oblige. But ya gotta understand somethin' first. This whole mess with the Spirit Flower Agency? It's bigger than what you're seein' now. It's a story full of lies, half-truths, and damn near everyone involved playin' a part."
Nathaniel was about to speak, but Yipsiv held up a hand, silencing him.
Listen, Nathaniel. I ain't got all day, but I'll tell ya everythin'." Yipsiv continued, his voice lowering, becoming more intense.
"The SFA wasn't always the monster people think it was. Back when it was started, it was about equality. It was about justice. People came to them to get things right, to fix what was wrong, and they got results. You helped, you got help. It was a clean system. But when the money started rollin' in, and the power started talkin'... that's when things went south. And when people get desperate? They'll do anythin'."
Nathaniel clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing as Yipsiv spoke. The pieces were starting to fall into place, but Nathaniel knew better than to take any of this at face value.
"So, what happened then? What part did you play in all of this?" Nathaniel asked, his voice steady but sharp with the need for answers. He could feel the tension between them building, like the calm before a storm.
Yipsiv let out a slow breath, his eyes flicking away for a moment, as if considerin' whether or not to share more. "I weren't always the man you see before you. Got in with the SFA when it was at its peak, when the system worked like it was meant to. But things change, Nathaniel. The agency started dabblin' in things it oughta stayed away from. And you know what happens when you try to control things that ain't meant to be controlled... You either burn or get burned."
Nathaniel's gaze didn't waver. "And you just walked away? Just like that?" He didn't believe it. Yipsiv was too clever, too smooth to simply fade into the background. There had to be more to this story.
Yipsiv chuckled, but there wasn't no humor in it. His eyes hardened, voice low. "I didn't walk away. I made sure I came out ahead. You think I was gonna stick around while the SFA spiraled into madness? Hell no, I played my part, got my share, then skedaddled before the whole damn thing crumbled. I didn't need to be hangin' around when the pieces started fallin' apart. It was survival, Nathaniel. Nothin' personal."
Nathaniel studied him for a long moment, weighing his options. He was getting more answers than he expected, but something still felt off. There was always a price when it came to Yipsiv, and Nathaniel couldn't shake the feeling that the real story was buried underneath layers of lies.
"You say you got your share," Nathaniel finally said, his voice steady but edged with suspicion. "What does that mean? What'd you take from all this?"
Yipsiv's eyes flicked to the side, and for a moment, Nathaniel saw a flash of something darker in them—a glint of something Nathaniel couldn't quite place. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by that same cool, confident smile.
"Like I said, Nathaniel," Yipsiv drawled, his voice smooth again, "some truths ain't meant to be shared. And if you keep pushin' for answers, you're gonna find out the hard way just how deep this rabbit hole really goes."
"I came here for the truth..."
Yipsiv took a long drag from his cigarette, the ember glowing red in the dark night. As the smoke swirled around him, he looked at Nathaniel with a hard gaze, as if deciding just how much he wanted to let slip. After a long moment of silence, he exhaled slowly, the smoke curling from his lips.
"Alright, Nathaniel," Yipsiv drawled, his voice low and measured, like the rumble of thunder before a storm. "You want the truth, huh? The whole damn truth? Well, sit tight, 'cause I ain't gonna sugarcoat it for ya."
He paused, flicking the ash from his cigarette, his eyes narrowing as the memory seemed to take hold of him. "The Spirit Flower Agency started out alright—real noble-like. Back when it was just a way to keep things in order, y'know? People needed a little help, and the SFA was there to make sure the law didn't just run over 'em. They weren't saints, but they were doin' something. The Links—they were the ones who kept it all runnin'. They were damn good at it, too. People'd go to 'em for all sorts of things, and they'd handle it with... precision. No mess, no fuss. You wanted someone gone, or somethin' found? The Links were the ones you called."
Yipsiv took another drag, his eyes far away for a second, lost in the past. "But then, somethin' changed. People started gettin' ideas. Started thinkin' they could control everything. The higher-ups, they got too greedy. Wanted more power. Wanted to be the ones pullin' all the strings, not just followin' the game."
He shook his head, clicking his tongue. "That's when things went south. They started messin' with forces they had no business dealin' with. And you know what happens when you tangle with things you don't understand. It's like tryin' to ride a bull blindfolded—you either get thrown or trampled. And the SFA? Well, they got trampled."
Nathaniel frowned, arms crossed, waiting for the rest. Yipsiv eyed him carefully before continuing.
"The SFA got greedy, Nathaniel. They didn't just want control of the streets—they wanted control of everything. And that's where they went wrong. They tried to harness magic, dark magic, stuff that was never meant to be controlled. They thought they could keep it in a box, but hell, magic doesn't work like that. It gets loose, and it tears everything apart. That's what happened. That's when the SFA started fallin' apart—when the Links started breakin' free, when the agency couldn't hold 'em down no more."
Yipsiv shifted, his hand resting on his hip as he took another drag from his cigarette, eyes flicking toward Nathaniel. "You think the SFA just went up in flames and it was all over? Nah. It didn't end like that. It's never that simple. Some of the Links, the real ones, they didn't vanish with the agency—they went underground. They got clever, hidin' in the shadows, waitin' for their time. And that's where I come in."
Yipsiv turned fully to face Nathaniel, his voice low but steady, like the calm before a fight. "I saw it comin'. Hell, I was in it for the good stuff, the real gains. But once the SFA started spiralin', I knew it was time to bail. You think I'm just some guy who walked away? Nah, I got out while the gettin' was good, took my piece of the pie, and disappeared before everything burned down."
He took another pull from his cigarette, the ember flaring. "But it wasn't about money, Nathaniel. It was about survival. About walkin' away with somethin' that'd keep me goin' when the rest of 'em went down in flames."
He leaned in a little, eyes locking with Nathaniel's. "What'd I take? Information, connections, secrets. The kind of things that give ya the edge when the dust settles. But that's all you need to know about me. You want to know who else's still playin' the game? Who else is out there? That's a whole other story."
Yipsiv straightened up, the weight of his words hanging in the air between them. "See, Nathaniel, the Links? They ain't gone. They're still out there, playin' their part. Some of 'em are still workin' for the right price, others are just lookin' to finish what the SFA started. But it ain't gonna be easy for you to figure out who's on your side, and who's just playin' you for a fool."
He smiled, but it wasn't a friendly smile. It was the smile of someone who had been in the game long enough to know how it ends. "So you keep diggin' if you want. You keep pushin' for answers, but remember this—sometimes, the truth don't come easy. And when it does, you might not like what it looks like."
Yipsiv gave Nathaniel one last look, his smile widening. "But I reckon you'll find out soon enough. You keep pullin' on that thread, and one day you'll see just how deep this hole goes. Just remember, some things are better left buried."
With that, Yipsiv flicked his cigarette to the ground, crushing it under his boot. He turned and started to walk away, his boots echoing in the quiet night. But before he disappeared into the shadows, he glanced back once more, his voice carrying on the wind like a whisper.
"Good luck, Nathaniel. You're gonna need it. See ya in the future, pal."
And with that, Yipsiv was gone, vanishing into the night, leaving Nathaniel alone with more questions than ever.
To be continued...