"Valthar may look beautiful, but don't you dare forget what they've done to us."
"They abandoned us," Tia spat, her fists clenched at her sides.
"They took everything from us—our resources, our land—and now they stand here, thriving, while we suffer."
Her eyes flashed with hatred.
"Valthar is vile. It's built on our backs!" Her voice rose in fury, her breath heavy with the emotion she could no longer hold back.
"They are evil, Danny! Don't you ever forget that."
The force of her words slammed into him, and Danny felt his head droop and his gaze fell to the ground.
Zach's eyes narrowed as he saw the way Danny's posture slumped, the light draining from his face.
"Tia, shut up." Zach stepped forward, his hand gripping Danny's shoulder, urging him to lift his gaze.
He couldn't let Tia destroy the little bit of hope Danny had found in this place.
"We're not here to argue about that. We're here to find the black-robed guy."
Tia and Matilda, startled by the coldness in Zach's voice, exchanged an uneasy glance.
They nodded, the words unsaid but understood, and quickly began to move away.
Zach turned back to Danny, his voice gentler now, but still firm.
"Don't listen to her," he said, his hand squeezing Danny's shoulder as if to anchor him.
"We just need to find him. That's all."
Danny nodded weakly with a Hm.
...
The city stretched out before them like an endless maze of rooftops, each one a new vantage point.
The group moved swiftly, climbing from one rooftop to the next, eyes scanning the streets below in search of the robed figure.
Their feet barely made a sound against the cold stone, their breathing shallow as they crept along, hearts pounding.
"Look!" Danny's voice broke through the silence, his finger pointing toward a narrow alley below. His breath caught in his throat.
"There! The black-robed man!"
Everyone's gaze snapped in the direction he indicated.
The robed man was striding confidently toward the heart of the city, unaware of the pursuit.
The group moved quickly, leaping from one rooftop to another, closing the distance.
Zach and Danny landed on a nearby building, crouching low as they watched the robed figure approach a structure—three stories tall, its windows gleaming in the sunlight.
"Tia, check the building," Zach muttered, his voice tinged with a sense of urgency.
Everyone could see the Sentinels—a squad of guards clad in violet shirts and white pants, their batons gleaming ominously in the light.
The Sentinels' presence made their mission even riskier.
The Sentinels were Valthar's law enforcers, the city's iron fist, and no one was allowed to slip past them, especially not people from Vargath.
They were brutal, unyielding.
The stories about their prison—a place so secretive, so impenetrable, it was said to be hidden in the middle of the sea—sent a chill down everyone's spine.
No one ever came back from there.
No one even knew if it was real.
Tia hesitated, her gaze flicking to the Sentinels.
Without a word, she sprinted to the next building, her agile movements barely making a sound.
She scaled the side of the structure with practiced ease, reaching the roof before dropping down silently to a vantage point overlooking the building.
She crouched low, peering through the windows with sharp eyes.
There!
Her heart raced as she saw him—entering the second floor, walking with purpose down the narrow hall. He stopped at the last door on the left and disappeared inside, closing the door quietly behind him.
Fear tightened in Tia's chest as she crouched at the edge of the roof, gazing down at the dizzying drop below.
The height made her stomach lurch, but she forced herself to steady her breath, her eyes flicking toward the others. With a quick, cautious motion, she gestured for them to join her.
Zach and Danny exchanged a look before jumping across the gap, landing silently on the roof of the building. They moved quickly, adrenaline coursing through their veins.
They reached the balcony in seconds, slipping inside with practiced ease.
Tia followed, her body tense as she entered the building.
The air felt thick with tension as they crept toward the door to the room where the robed figure had disappeared.
...
From behind the door, Tia pressed her ear tightly against the wood, straining to catch every word.
Inside, the muffled voice of the man filtered through, tinged with frustration and panic.
"Ugh, I have a presentation tomorrow!" the man groaned, his tone agitated.
"Why did I even go to Vargath? What was I thinking?"
"I told Alice I'd meet her at the café today!" His voice rose in exasperation.
"It's already afternoon—I need to get ready!"
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from within, followed by a cacophony of clattering and shuffling as if the man was frantically throwing things about.
Drawers slammed, items clattered to the floor, and the tension in the air grew thicker with each passing second.
Then, the footsteps grew louder, heading toward the door.
Tia's eyes widened, and her body tensed.
She motioned frantically to the others, waving her hands in sharp, urgent gestures.
Without hesitation, Zach, Danny, and Matilda leapt silently back onto the roof, disappearing.
Tia followed swiftly, her movements as quiet as a whisper.
BAM!
The door swung open with force, and the man's voice spilled into the hallway.
"I'm late! Alice is going to kill me!" he muttered, the click of a key in the lock following his hurried steps.