Good Friday.
A workday ends, but the work begins.
"Len, Gary—Captain Gary calls you," Margaret says.
I go to Gary's office.
"You called?" I ask as I step in.
"Come," he curls his fingers, gesturing me closer.
I approach his desk.
"Here," he taps a paper. "Someone gave IAMs to Aram. We don't know who, but we can meet someone who does."
"Where?"
"Next Monday. Come early. Bring your gun."
"I can do that?"
"Your badge already allows it," he says.
I leave Gary's office, the Hearthlight Building fading behind me.
Back at the hotel. Back to Ashlynn. Back to my seat.
"So," she begins quietly, "today… I went out with Tanya."
I tilt my head. "Oh?"
She shrugs, tapping her chin. "We went to that restaurant she likes. Very fancy. Very… proper. She expected me to behave a certain way. I felt… out of place. Like I didn't belong there."
I frown. "And?"
She exhales. "I tried to follow along. Smiled when I was supposed to. Nodded when I was supposed to. It's… exhausting. Everyone there knows the rules. I barely know any."
I glance at her. "Sounds rough."
She shrugs, letting out a soft sigh. "Yeah. I just wanted to eat."
I can't help but chuckle. "Fair enough. That's a tall order at Tanya's."
She leans back. "One day, maybe, I'll get used to it."
She rises and heads for the bathroom. "No peeking."
The door clicks shut. The sound echoes longer than it should.
The moment she disappears behind the door, I move. Slow, careful. Quiet.
Near the bed, her belongings wait. My eyes fall on one item.
Her registry.
Ashlynn Rose.
Good Saturday.
Yes.
Good Saturday.
I release a loud sigh.
"What's wrong, Len?" Margaret asks.
"Saturday? Work? Really?"
"LEN!" She yells.
She storms out from behind her counter and plants her hands on my shoulders. "Are you sick?"
"What?"
SLAP!
"Wake up, Len. Don't let the wrong people influence you."
"Wha—Why did you slap me?" I ask, truly baffled.
She releases her hands and points a finger at my nose. "That's what cultists would say."
She leans close, her whisper precise and practiced. "You're a good man. You work every day."
"I'm a good man. I work every day," I repeat.
She smiles and returns to her counter. "Remember to smile."
I force my best smile for the rest of the day.
Uneventful yet painful.
I return to my room and collapse onto the bed.
I hear the soft creak of Ashlynn settling beside me.
"Len," she says, half-smile, half-sigh, "today… nothing happened."
I raise an eyebrow. "Nothing?"
"Nothing," she repeats, tapping her chin. "I walked around the market. Bought some bread. Saw kids chasing a dog. The baker sneezed into his sleeve… twice. That's it."
I nod slowly. "And?"
"You walked through the Outskirt by yourself?" I ask.
"Mostly," she says. "The guards walk slower when there's no one watching."
I stay quiet, listening.
"Len," she says finally, "tomorrow I go to the City Heart with Tanya. Anything you want?"
"I'd like some new clothes. Casual ones," I answer.
She smiles, stretches her fingers, then rises. "I'll take a bath. No peeking."
Good Sunday.
Margaret takes me to visit houses near Hearthlight Building to help local community.
The houses are unnervingly identical—a row of gray stone faces with cataract-like windows. No trash. No stray dogs. No loitering. Each doorway bears a small, carved white bird—a raven nested inside a lantern. The emblem of Hearthlight Order.
The first door opens. A middle-aged woman appears.
"Good Sunday, Madam Serah." Margaret says.
"Good Sunday, Margaret." The woman answers.
"Hearthlight Order wants to help you. What kind of problem that you have today?"
"My brother was hit by a carriage." The woman replies. "We took him to a hospital. When he returned, he claimed to be my late husband."
"That's a scummy work of Mercy Vale Order. But we can help you,"
"Really?" The woman voice stutters.
"You have no problem, your brother is your husband," Margaret replies.
"You're right, he's my husband," the woman smiles. "Thanks for your service, Margaret,"
She pays Margaret one Phen. One rock.
Hospital. That word means building. A new word to remember.
We move on the second door then the next. To the last.
The white raven emblem on each door stares back at me as we leave. It never blinks.
I learn how to help the community and gather more rocks for Hearthlight Order.
We end the day with plenty of rocks. Phens. Money.
After the work ends, I return to my room sitting on the chair by the desk.
Creak.
Ashlynn slips the door open.
"Back," she murmurs, a little breathless.
I glance up from the chair. "City Heart?"
She nods, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "Yes… with Tanya. Exhausting. Proper in every detail."
I raise an eyebrow. "Did you survive?"
She chuckles softly, dropping her coat. "Barely. She has rules for everything. You sit, you stand, you sip… and smile at the right moment. I tried not to embarrass myself."
She lifts a small bag from the floor and sets it beside me. "For you."
I look inside. A neatly folded shirt, sturdy trousers. Simple, casual—nothing flashy.
I smirk. "Thanks."
She sinks onto the bed with a soft sigh, tapping her chin. "One day, I'll understand Tanya's world… but today isn't that day."
I nod, folding the clothes. "Better than nothing. I'll wear these tomorrow."
She watches me, half-smile, half-sigh. "Good. And… thank you, Len—for being patient while I ran errands."
I shrug. "You know me. Mostly quiet. Easy to manage."
She laughs quietly. "Tomorrow… maybe we try something easier."
"I can't. I have important job tomorrow," I say.
"Okay then."
She gets into the bathroom yelling. "No peeking~"