Myth wasn't foolish enough to believe that saying a fake name would magically get the detective to cooperate and solve the unsolved puzzle.
He had done his homework.
Extensive research. Months of prep on every city connected to the Lawless Zones.
This was a life-altering decision. He couldn't afford to be sloppy.
And then—Ashfall.
More specifically, the portal.
A portal that led to a land in Redfall lawless, that even satellites couldn't track it.
A place unreachable by conventional means. The only way to reach it is via portal.
A place no human should've been able to enter without portal.
If someone had discovered the location, if they had made it back alive, it would've been an extraordinary feat.
A feat worthy of power.
That's when Myth dove deeper.
He began dissecting every report tied to the Ashfall Incident.
And the deeper he dug, the stranger it all became.
Official records didn't make sense.
Even the lead investigator had died under mysterious circumstances.
Myth didn't stop.
He hired a Seeker private detective based in Ashfall. It was the one of the most costly purchase Myth had ever made.
The man's job was clear: gather every scrap of information, every file, every unofficial whisper about the portal—
and more importantly, its current state.
That's when the pieces started coming together.
Buried among the intel were mentions of special forces units being deployed.
High-level operatives. Names wiped clean.
Then came the photos.
Group shots. Snapshots. Surveillance stills.
Ryan Reed appeared in many of them.
But in some… there were faces no one could identify.
No records. No names. No background.
One of those unknown faces was perfect.
That was all Myth needed.
He took that image, studied it,
and built a fake identity around it.
Sid Hayden.
And from that forgery… the journey truly began.
.....
"Let's take a one-hour break first… and get these documents and photos verified," Walker said, his tone firm.
Myth was jolted out of the rhythm he had worked so hard to build. He leaned back in his chair and exhaled quietly through his nose, hiding the frustration in his breath.
As Walker and Ashley stood up, preparing to leave the room, Myth spoke in a calm, polite voice.
"Ashley, could I get a cup of coffee, please?" he asked.
"Yeah, okay. I'll send someone," she replied distractedly, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.
It had been a soft win for Myth.
The earlier conversation had helped him build momentum—threading emotion and mystery just enough to pull Walker in. He was close… so close to slipping the noose around the detective's mind and steering the narrative his way.
But now—this break shattered the tempo.
Walker's suspicion will be sky-high, but if Myth's story is airtight enough it will force walker to keep digging.
Walker wasn't convinced—not even close.
But he was compelled to act.
And that was all Myth needed.
Walker would return with better questions. Sharper ones. Questions that cross-referenced every crack in his story.
And once the flow broke, once suspicion entered the room… rebuilding it would be ten times harder.
Myth stared at the door as it closed behind them.
'Right now, Walker is neutral.
That's good. Suspicion hasn't tipped the scale yet. But I need more.
Something to shift the weight—subtly.
I have to use Ashley as a bridge between me and Walker.
She's young enough to fall for emotions like justice and lost causes.
But it has to be subtle enough. If it's not subtle, Walker's disbelief will multiply tenfold.'
He had one hour to regain control.
He tapped his fingers on the table. Calmly. Quietly.
Soon after, Ashley entered with a disposable cup of coffee in her hand.
It was black. She held a few sugar packets loosely in the other.
Her back was turned to the camera.
But Myth was watching her—closely.
She glanced at him, their eyes locking.
"How much sugar should I put?" Ashley asked.
"Half a packet is good," Myth replied, still holding her gaze.
"Okay," she said softly.
As she began tearing the packet, stirring it into the coffee just the way Myth asked, she began to speak.
"You asked earlier… about my age. I'm eighteen," she said quietly. "I want to become a Seeker. That's why I'm here. Maybe if I solve an extraordinary case, something big, I'll finally be considered. This portal incident… it is extraordinary."
She sighed, glancing back to make sure they were still alone.
"The way things are going with Walker… you won't get what you want. He's too careful. Too boxed in. But I might be able to help. I have a feeling…" she hesitated, then looked directly into Myth's eyes, "…you and I want the same thing."
A pause.
"This is the only way. Trust me."
Myth held her gaze. For a moment, neither of them blinked.
"You know, Ashley…" he began, voice low. "I wanted to be a Seeker too. I even filed a transfer… to Goldrest safe zone in the Redfall Lawless"
His voice cracked slightly, just enough to betray emotion he didn't want to show.
"But… my brother is more important."
He inhaled sharply. Controlled the shake in his breath.
"Do you have any idea what it feels like—when the person you love disappears so completely it's like they never existed? Like every memory is just… a dream?"
His hands curled slowly into fists.
"It really, really hurts."
He exhaled, quieter this time.
"I just want to know what happened to my brother."
Ashley lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry " she said softly, then turned and walked out.
A few minutes later, the door creaked open.
Walker and Ashley returned. The air shifted.
They sat across from Myth again. The detective didn't waste time.
"As expected," Walker began, eyes cold, "the driver's license you gave us leads nowhere."
He leaned in slightly, voice calm but cutting.
"We've also requested academic and service records for Sid Hayden from the military school you mentioned. Should have them soon."
He let that hang for a beat before continuing.
"But here's what we did find."
Walker pulled out a thin file, slid it halfway across the table, and tapped it once.
"You're the only son of Nyelle Nyxen—one of Country's top lawyers. Now things make sense. The connections. The forged documents. The nerve to come in here and lie through your teeth."
He stared at Myth, expression unreadable.
"Because no matter what happens, your mother will make a call, and you'll walk out clean."
Myth didn't flinch. His voice was low, but steady.
"Why would I lie?" he asked, locking eyes with Walker.
A pause stretched between them—thin, sharp, and waiting to snap.
"What do I get from this? Attention? Jail time? A detective's suspicion?" Myth leaned forward slightly.
He let the question simmer in the air.
Myth wasn't naïve. He knew Ashley and Walker would play every angle—doubt his story, question his motives, try to shake him.
Detectives weren't saviors. They weren't here to believe. They were here to break him.