The cafe was one of those places that tried too hard to look expensive but ended up looking cheap.
Fake marble tables. Plastic plants in the corners. A menu with prices that made me wince.
But it was open, relatively clean, and most importantly—no one was trying to kill us inside it.
Small victories.
Melissa sat across from me, scanning the menu. I wasn't even pretending to look. My mind was elsewhere.
Helena's documents. Gerard's involvement. The Treylows. Vera's authentication.
Too many pieces. Not enough connections.
"You need to eat," Melissa said without looking up.
"I'm fine."
"You look like death. When's the last time you ate?"
I thought about it. Yesterday? The day before?
Time loses meaning when you're being hunted.
"I'll get something light."
She flagged down a waiter. Ordered some kind of breakfast platter for herself and coffee for me.
The waiter looked at my coat—the new one Melissa bought, already slightly dirty—and his nose wrinkled.
Yeah, I know. I look like shit.
When he left, Melissa leaned forward.
"So. What's our next move?"
"We need to—"
DING.
The sound echoed in my skull. Not external. Internal.
My Premier Detective System.
I pulled it up mentally, keeping my expression neutral.
ALERT: DEBT PAYMENT DUE IN 18 HOURS
AMOUNT OWED: 200 GOLD ARGENTUM
CURRENT FUNDS: 65 SILVER ARGENTUM
RECOMMENDATION: SOLVE CASE AND COLLECT PAYMENT IMMEDIATELY
My stomach dropped.
Eighteen hours.
I'd been so focused on the case, on survival, on not dying, that I'd almost forgotten.
If I don't pay, I get evicted. Lose the office. Lose my detective license probably.
And even if I solve the case... Regiran hired me to find the Lens and return it. If it's destroyed or kept by the Archivists, he can't pay me.
Shit.
"Hiroto?"
I blinked. Melissa was staring at me.
"What?"
"You zoned out. You okay?"
"Fine. Just thinking."
She didn't look convinced. "About what?"
About how I'm eighteen hours from being homeless.
"About the case," I lied. "We need to interview the Treylows next. Lord Varian and Lady Cordelia. They were at the viewing."
The waiter returned with Melissa's food and my coffee. Black. Cheap. Perfect.
I took a sip. Bitter.
Blegh… Anything to get caffeine in the system..
Melissa started eating, but her eyes stayed on me.
"Why'd you become a detective?"
The question caught me off guard.
"What?"
"You heard me. Why detective work? You could've done anything else. You're smart enough."
I thought for a while then answered.
"I like puzzles," I said finally. "Mysteries. Finding answers when no one else can."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
She studied me for a moment, then went back to her food.
"Liar."
"Excuse me?"
"You're lying. Or at least not telling the whole truth." She took a bite of eggs. "But that's fine. Everyone has secrets."
I didn't respond. Just drank my terrible coffee and watched people outside the window.
Normal people. Going to normal jobs. Living normal lives.
Must be nice.
A woman walked by with a kid. Maybe seven years old. The kid was laughing about something.
It reminded me of Belle. Regiran's daughter.
If I can't solve this case, what happens to them?
Regiran loses the Lens. He can't pay his debts to the Syndicate. They come for him. For Belle.
The thought made my chest tight.
Melissa noticed me staring. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing."
"Liar."
"Seriously, it's nothing."
Then she spoke again, quieter this time.
"Vera used to babysit me when I was young."
I looked up. "What?"
"Vera Blackwood. The authenticator." Melissa's expression was distant. "When my parents were busy, Vera would watch me. Tell me stories. Teach me about artifacts."
"You never mentioned that."
"Didn't seem relevant." She pushed food around her plate. "She was like an aunt to me. The only person from my mother's old life who didn't abandon us when everything fell apart."
Family friend. Close to the Voss family for years.
Something about that nagged at me. I filed it away mentally.
"We should get moving," I said, finishing my coffee. "The Treylows won't interview themselves."
Melissa nodded, signaling for the check.
The waiter returned with the check. Melissa paid.
"You're being quiet again," Melissa said after a few blocks.
"Just thinking."
"About?"
"The case. The timeline. Who had access to what."
"And?"
"And I don't know yet. Something doesn't fit."
She was quiet for a moment. Then: "You think we'll solve this?"
"Yes."
"You sound certain."
"I am."
"Why?"
Because I have to. Because people are depending on me. Because if I don't, I'm worthless.
"Because we're close," I said instead. "I can feel it. The pieces are there. We just need to put them together."
Melissa nodded. "Okay. I trust you."
You shouldn't.
But I didn't say that.
We walked in silence for a while. The streets got nicer as we approached the Azure District. Cleaner. Fewer cracks in the sidewalk. People dressed better.
Melissa seemed more tense here. Her hand kept drifting toward her crossbow.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Fine."
"You don't look fine."
"I'm fine." Her tone said drop it.
I dropped it.
We passed two Stage 3 guards standing outside a government building. One of them sneered as we walked by.
"Low-path trash," he muttered.
Melissa's hand went to her crossbow.
I grabbed her wrist. "Don't."
"He just—"
"I know. Let it go."
She pulled her hand free but didn't draw the weapon.
We kept walking.
One day. One day I'll be strong enough that they won't dare.
But not today.