The rain had stopped, leaving the city drenched and heavy with mist. Elias moved through the alleys silently, shadows clinging to him like armor. Every step was careful, calculated, but a flicker of something darker burned behind his eyes—something that hadn't existed before.
A distant voice caught his attention. He froze, blending into the darkness.
"…Seraphina stabbed him back then… how's he still alive?"
The words were casual, almost careless, but for Elias they struck like a blade to the chest. His jaw tightened. His mind replayed every moment—the cathedral, the ambush, the near-death, the betrayal—and a cold clarity settled over him. He was alive. Somehow, against every expectation, against every knife, he had survived.
Elias didn't move. He let the soldier's footsteps fade into the mist, letting the words sink deeper. A smirk tugged at his lips—part disbelief, part satisfaction. They thought he was gone. But now, everything had changed.
A shadow detached itself from the wall behind him. Varekk. Fast, silent, imposing—but there was a hesitation in the younger assassin's stance, a subtle tension in the way he held himself.
For a heartbeat, Elias thought it was over. That this was the moment his luck ran out. But Varekk didn't strike. Instead, he let Elias pass, his eyes betraying a silent urgency, a secret motive that remained hidden. Elias noticed it, the unspoken weight pressing down on the young assassin—but he didn't yet understand it.
Seraphina appeared moments later, drenched, panic and determination in her eyes. She had no idea that Elias had overheard the soldier's words. She didn't know that he now understood the truth—that the knife, the betrayal, the death of Silas… she had played a role in it. Her guilt was tangible, but Elias said nothing, letting her believe he remained in the shadows of confusion.
By the time he returned to his mansion, the rain still dripping from his coat, the quiet hum of familiarity greeted him. Henry was there, as always—observant, unshaken.
"You're back," Henry said, voice calm as ever, but eyes sharp, reading Elias like a book he had already memorized.
Elias removed his coat, letting the water run into the marble floor. A moment of silence hung between them.
"Yes," Elias replied, voice low, carrying the weight of every secret he now held. "I'm back."
And for the first time, the pieces were starting to fall into place.