When his shift was over, it was a bit after noon. The protesting nobles still blocked the street he usually took, prompting him to sigh and take the same detour as before.
He didn't know the point of protesting in that spot. The only thing on that street were shops, shops, and more shops. The closest government building was a mile away, and the government officials were bound to avoid this street due to the protestors.
But if they wanted to waste their time, who was he to judge?
The detour took him through a slightly more ramshackle street than his usual route, the brick buildings on their last legs. Many leaned to one side, others had fragile, unenchanted glass, and a few were even missing doors, instead relying on force fields for more security.
Even here, with several buildings between them, Fate could hear the restless chants of the protestors. If he focused, he could hear the chants coming from elsewhere in the city as well.
The people walking down this street wore nice clothes, but not of a kind fit for nobles.
A handful broadcasted their status as Mages with their aura, walking down the street with their chests puffed, but Fate's keen eye caught the shifty looks those Mages threw to the surrounding civilians, as if they could be attacked at any moment.
The mortals kept their heads down, giving these individuals, including Fate, a wide berth. When they entered a ten-foot range of a Mage, they skittered forward so fast and with their head so low that they often tripped, only to catch themselves or push to a stand and continue fleeing.
It reminded him a lot of Brergan. The only Mages in that town were outsiders, namely the Guards and Old Man Travis. Everyone distrusted these powerful individuals, avoiding them when they could and keeping the interactions short and simple when they couldn't.
Mortals feared Mages. It was a sad reality of the world, but Fate would be lying if he said they didn't have a good reason.
When he returned to his dorm room, he was surprised to find Kathrin Grendeven waiting at the door.
"Can I help you?" he asked. He would have ignored her, but she was blocking his way in.
"We need to talk," she said quietly. Fate could tell she was trying to be respectful, but she couldn't fully remove the traces of apprehension in her voice.
"I don't think we have anything to talk about." Fate's tone was harsh as he gave her a glare of utter contempt. He wanted nothing to do with this family of kidnappers and extortioners.
She flinched as she met his gaze. She quickly hid it behind a veil of confidence as she raised her chin defiantly, but even that front didn't stop the faint trembling of her clenched hands.
Kathrin, despite Venden's blubber about her being a once-in-a-century talent that would soon outpace even him, was still in the Apprentice Stage. Her aura hadn't yet developed, her Skill was limited in scope, and most importantly…
Her Facet was weaker than Fate's.
Fate had long since come to terms with the fact that those weaker than him would look at his eyes and feel only fear or disgust, even before he became a Mage.
After getting over the depressing loneliness that came with his eyes belonging to a child in a town of mortals, he relished the advantage. Those few would-be bullies that got scared when he pinned them with his gaze were never worth his time anyway.
And the ones that didn't run? They learned fast not to throw a punch at Fate.
Now, he was using this integral part of his being once more, only this time, HE was the one in power here.
Her Skill and fists couldn't harm him, her Stage was too low to use any enchanted item above the Seed Grade, and Fate was confident that he could overpower her physically.
And after what she and her family had done to Venden, he had no qualms about exerting his superiority.
To her credit, she stood her ground, even as the faint trembling in her hands spread to her shoulders. Her large green eyes gazed into Fate's blue pupils, and Fate could see her resolve strengthening with every second.
She opened her mouth, speaking slowly and firmly. "We need to talk. It's important."
Fate held her gaze for another full minute, searching for any hint of treachery or malicious intent within them. No matter how hard he searched, he found neither of those things.
He could only concede, breaking eye contact as he glanced down the hallway. No one was there to see them. "Come inside," he told her, ushering her into his room.
When the door clicked shut, he turned and regarded her with crossed arms and skepticism, Kravoss' hat-adorned head twisting to the side to eyeball her better as he settled into his new bed.
"This better be as important as you say it is," Fate said.
"It's about Venden," Kathrin replied.
She gripped her upper arms with her small hands, clenching the sleeves and the flesh below as she started studying the wall to her right. She took a deep breath, then another, waiting for the tremors of her arms to cease.
"I know where he is," she said after regaining control of herself.
"Where?" Fate asked, eyes narrowing. He still hadn't thrown out the possibility that this was all a ruse.
"I did some digging, and found evidence of a basement under our estate, sealed off decades ago so there was less space for the servants to clean and to stop the constant cold drafts that seeped into the mansion from below."
"And Venden is there?"
"I haven't been able to confirm it. I didn't want to believe it, but after an unpleasant interrogation of the head butler – he always had a soft spot for me – I learned of what my mother did."
Her eyes left the wall, locking onto Fate's and resuming the staring contest from earlier. Only this time, the shaking was nowhere to be seen. Instead, all Fate could see was the warring emotions in her green gaze.
Confusion, betrayal, anger, but above all else, a deep-rooted revulsion at what she had found.