The night draped over the capital like a shroud, thick and silent. The farther they walked from the heart of the city, the more the streets twisted into decay. Broken windows, flickering lamps, alleyways that stank of mold and rot.
Noel moved through the shadows, light on his feet, keeping a measured distance behind Lereus and Laziel. The two hadn't spoken since leaving the academy gates. That, more than anything, put Noel on edge.
They passed the last of the lit avenues and entered a district forgotten by the crown. No guards. No merchants. Just shivering shapes curled in corners, the homeless, the drunk, the discarded.
'Where are you going...? This place reeks of trouble.'
He slowed when they turned a corner and stopped before a derelict structure. The building looked like it had been abandoned for years—windows sealed with crooked wooden planks, the front door half-torn from its hinges. No sign, no light, no life.
