Liam Hart sat in a dimly lit corner of the tavern, his low quality bear untouched. The smoky air buzzed with quiet conversations, but he paid them no mind. His thoughts churned with questions, each more troubling than the last.
As he had ascended to sequwnce 8, he now had a moment to sit and reflect on the current timeline of the original novel.He had already met Audrey Hall when he first awekend in Tingen. Their brief encounter had been cordial but left him uneasy. She was a noble from Backlund, tied to the Tarot Club as Miss Justice and a Spectator. By now, she should have just begun her journey into the mystical world. Yet her presence in Tingen and their peculiar meeting hinted at a deeper undercurrent in this altered reality.
And Liam knew the truth—this world wasn't following the plot he remembered.
---
The Codex whispered to him faintly, its voice like rustling paper: Threads unravel and reweave themselves. Destiny bends to unseen hands.
Liam leaned back, his eyes scanning the room. He had read Lord of the Mysteries with rapt attention in his past life. He knew Klein Moretti should have been a passive observer, still adjusting to his transmigration and the supernatural. He knew Audrey Hall should have been in Backlund, navigating her initiation into mysticism.
Yet Audrey was here in Tingen, far from where she should be.He didn't even want to begin to imagin what could have changed with klein.
Liam exhaled, running a hand through his dark hair. If the story had shifted, it meant he couldn't rely solely on his prior knowledge. Worse, he didn't know how much of the altered plot was deliberate or if his presence had disrupted the natural flow.
---
Just when he was about to stand up and leave Audrey Hall entered the tavern like a gentle breeze, her noble aura out of place among the boisterous crowd. She had an uncanny knack for commanding attention without trying, though tonight she moved with an air of subtlety and she was by only a single guard that stopped at the door.
Her gaze swept the room, pausing briefly when she spotted Liam. A faint smile curved her lips as she approached, her emerald-green eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Mr. Hart," she said, her tone light. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Liam forced a smile, gesturing for her to sit. "Lady Hall. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Audrey seated herself gracefully, her posture impeccable despite the rough wooden chair. "I've been curious about you since our last meeting. You don't seem like the typical travellar."
"I could say the same about you," Liam replied, watching her carefully. "The famous gem of Backlund wandering Tingen's streets… It's almost as if you're looking for something."
Audrey tilted her head, amusement flickering across her face. "You're perceptive. Let's just say my interests have broadened recently."
Liam's brow furrowed. If she was already a Sequence 9 Spectator, her enhanced intuition might allow her to sense the oddity about him. He had to tread carefully.
---
"Broadening interests can be dangerous in a city like this," Liam said casually. "Especially for someone unfamiliar with its... undercurrents."
Audrey's smile didn't waver, but her eyes sharpened. "And yet you seem to have navigated those undercurrents just fine."
Liam chuckled. "I've had practice."
Their conversation continued, a careful dance of words and subtext. Audrey probed gently, her questions seemingly innocuous but laced with intent. Liam deflected where he could, offering vague answers while trying to gauge how much she knew.
She's testing me, he realized.
The Codex hummed softly in his mind, warning him of the growing tension. Audrey was no ordinary noble—her connection to the Tarot Club and her budding abilities as a Spectator made her a dangerous ally or opponent.
---
Eventually, Audrey leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Tell me, Mr. Hart. Do you believe in fate?"
Liam froze, his mind racing. The question was innocent on the surface, but given her connection to the Fool, it felt loaded.
"I think fate is... flexible," he said carefully. "It bends to the will of those who understand it."
Audrey studied him for a moment before smiling. "A pragmatic answer. I like that."
She rose from her seat, her movements fluid. "Perhaps we'll meet again, Mr. Hart. Tingen is full of surprises, after all."
As she walked away, Liam exhaled, his shoulders relaxing slightly. She hadn't pressed further, but the encounter left him with more questions than answers.
---
When he finally left the tavern, the cold night air bit at his skin. The streets were quiet, the fog thick and cloying.
The Codex stirred again, its voice a low murmur. The Spectator watches, but the game is larger than her gaze.
Liam frowned. The world had changed, and he was now part of its tapestry. Audrey's presence in Tingen and her budding connection to the Tarot Club were deviations from the story he knew. Yet they felt deliberate, as if some unseen force were orchestrating these changes.
He would have to be careful. The path ahead was dark, and the shadows were watching.