The fire at the supply warehouse was only the beginning.
Over the next several days, small but calculated acts of sabotage spread throughout The Maxwell Dominion.
A weapons shipment to Ironridge went missing—later found dumped in a ravine, every blade shattered.
A poisoned water well in Emberhold nearly went unnoticed, but a watchful healer caught it in time.
A patrol near the trade route was ambushed—not by bandits, but by skilled fighters who disappeared before reinforcements arrived.
It was no longer a question of if there was a spy inside Emberhold.
There was.
And they were feeding Vale everything he needed to strike at The Maxwell Dominion's weakest points.
The Growing Paranoia
Security measures were increased across every part of the Dominion.
Elias doubled the number of night patrols, checkpoints were reinforced, and access to restricted areas was tightened. Soldiers were given new protocols—no one entered or left storage areas without clearance.
Silas implemented new measures in information control. Military orders and trade negotiations were only communicated through coded messages, known only to a handful of officers. False information was deliberately mixed into reports to catch anyone leaking details.
But despite all the precautions, the attacks continued.
The saboteurs always seemed to be one step ahead.
Someone was passing messages to Vale's forces in real-time.
And that meant they had to find the spy before real damage was done.
The First Clue
Three days after the fire, Tyrell's scouts intercepted a suspicious messenger.
Unlike regular couriers, this one carried no visible documents. His belongings were searched, and at first, there was nothing unusual—until a seam in his coat lining was cut open.
Inside, a hidden message was discovered.
Silas cracked the cipher that same night.
"Another shipment is ready. Await further orders."
Alexander stood over the decoded letter, his expression unreadable.
"It's not much," Silas admitted. "But it proves there's an active information chain. And that means our spy is still operating inside Emberhold."
Setting the Trap
"Rushing in won't solve this," Alexander said. "If we act too soon, we might catch one traitor—but we might miss the bigger picture."
Silas nodded. "So what's the plan?"
Alexander's voice was calm, calculated.
"We set a trap."
Within the next few days:
A fake weapons shipment was announced—one that did not exist.Only a handful of officers were informed about it.A disguised scout was assigned to watch anyone who took interest in the shipment.
If the spy took the bait, they would soon expose themselves.
Meanwhile – The Attacks Continue
As the investigation unfolded, Vale's forces escalated their attacks.
A food storage barn was set ablaze during the night—destroying nearly a month's worth of supplies.
One of Emberhold's chief engineers was nearly assassinated in broad daylight—only surviving because a passing soldier intervened.
Rumors began spreading. Fear took root.
"If the Maxwell Dominion can't even protect its own workers, how will they protect us?"
Alexander clenched his jaw as he listened to the latest reports.
This wasn't just a war of sabotage.
Vale wasn't trying to defeat them.
He was trying to break their confidence—to make people doubt The Maxwell Dominion's strength.
And if they didn't stop him soon, even their own people might start questioning if they were truly safe.
The Next Step – Uncovering the Traitor
The turning point came on the fifth night of the investigation.
Tyrell burst into Alexander's office, his face grim.
"We have a lead," he said. "One of my men saw someone sneaking near the barracks last night. We're watching them, but we need to be careful."
Alexander leaned forward. "How close are we?"
"Close," Tyrell said. "We just need one more move from them—one mistake."
Alexander nodded. "Then we wait. Let them believe they've gone unnoticed."
The hunt was on.
Vale's Perspective – Frustration & Escalation
At the same time, in his castle, Vale sat across from Baron Devrin, listening to the latest report.
"Maxwell hasn't cracked yet," Devrin admitted. "But our sources say his men are closing in on the infiltrator. If they find him, our information line is cut."
Vale clenched his jaw, swirling a glass of wine.
He had expected Maxwell to suffer under the weight of constant sabotage.
But instead, he was adapting.
His strategies were evolving.
And now, Vale's spy network was in danger of being completely exposed.
He turned to his messenger.
"Send word to our contact inside Emberhold. If they think they are compromised, they are to disappear immediately."
The messenger hesitated. "That might tip Maxwell off."
Vale's gaze hardened.
"If they stay and get caught, it won't matter."
The war in the shadows was nearing its peak.
And only one side would come out on top.
The Final Stage – The Bait is Taken
As the next day passed, everything seemed normal in Emberhold.
The guards maintained their patrols. The blacksmiths continued their work. The markets operated as usual.
But behind the scenes, everyone was watching.
And just before sunset, Tyrell arrived with the news Alexander had been waiting for.
"They took the bait," he said. "The fake shipment details were passed along."
Alexander exhaled. "Who?"
Tyrell's eyes narrowed.
"Lyle," he said. "One of the warehouse workers. He came in with one of the recent supply convoys—seemed ordinary enough, but he's the one who delivered the false report."
Silas folded his arms. "And where is he now?"
Tyrell smirked. "Waiting for nightfall. He thinks he's going to sneak out of Emberhold tonight."
Alexander's expression turned to cold determination.
"Then we don't let him."
The Final Hunt Begins
The moment had come.
That night, Alexander, Tyrell, and a team of handpicked warriors lay in wait near Emberhold's southern perimeter.
They didn't have to wait long.
Lyle moved cautiously, sticking to the shadows, unaware of the silent figures stalking his every step.
He passed through an alley, then into the treeline.
Alexander motioned to his men.
"Let him think he's getting away."
Further.
Further.
"Now."
Lyle had barely taken three more steps when the night exploded around him.
Tyrell's scouts cut off his escape path.
Elias and his warriors emerged from the darkness, blades glinting.
Alexander stepped forward, eyes cold.
"Going somewhere?"
Lyle froze. His mouth opened—desperate, scrambling for an excuse.
Then Tyrell punched him in the stomach, sending him to his knees.
Alexander crouched beside him, voice low.
"You're going to talk."
And this time, the spy had nowhere left to run.