Lilly quietly led Elira, Zivot, and Gulmory through the city.

“How long were you waiting for us?” Elira asked, trying to spur some conversation. She figured that it couldn’t have been long, since they were a couple hours earlier than expected.

“6 hours.”

“WHAT?! WHY?!”

“Just in case. My calculations made it clear that you could’ve been 8 hours early, but you let me down. Sad.”

HUH?! It’s our faults now?? What the...

“I do not wish to speak anymore. Respectfully, please remain quiet for the rest of the journey.”

“... Right... No problem...”

Elira was flabbergasted. This girl was... nothing at all like anyone she’d met before.

Still, this outcome was just as fine. Elira got a chance to look around the city as they travelled now.

The mundane within made for a stark contrast against the eventful without. Noises, colours, and community in general, were all lacking in many of the capital city’s roads.

But then they came up to the central junction that had roads splitting off from its middle, that all seemed to lead to the different districts within the city.

To Elira’s surprise, Lilly led them down towards the red light district. She wasn’t exactly opposed to having a good time, but this type of good time wasn’t all that high on Elira’s priority list at the moment. Both Zivot and Gulmory felt similarly about the direction they were being led down.

As they walked down the street, Elira took in the sights. She’d been in Aurum’s capital before, but this wasn’t one of the areas that she’d ever visited. Elira spent most of her time in the democratic district, where many of the nobles and politicians gathered in a recurring tribunal to discuss the issues plaguing each clan that didn’t require any intervention from the Aspects. Those were the only real reasons she had for visiting this city. None of her companions from her adventuring days were based here either, so the city always felt cold and barren to her.

However... as Elira looked around while Tempest clopped through the red light district, she found a kind of vibrance that wasn’t present much elsewhere in the city that she’d seen so far. People dressed freely, in fancy dresses, or even skimpy dresses. Some people wore barely anything but their undergarments and leather straps. Not only that, but the buildings were so well-kept with extravagant lighting and designs on the outside that it built up a completely different image of the capital in Elira’s mind. It was almost like this area was a different city entirely.

After a while, Lilly led them out of the district on the other side... for some reason.

Elira was confused about it, since they could’ve just gone round if this was the destination.

“You’ll leave your horses in our private stables, which are just outside the district over here. We’ll go back in on foot to the place you’ll be staying.” Lilly said, breaking the silence, and answering Elira’s unanswered question.

“... So we are staying in the red light district?” Elira asked.

“Yes.”

“... I see... thank you for your graciousness.”

“Don’t thank me, thank my d-... e-employer.”

“Demployer? What’s that?”

“No no, j-just employer.”

“Right... in that case, I hope I get an opportunity to do so.”

“And I.” Zivot added.

All 3 of them dismounted from their horses, and led them into the stables. The stablekeep took the horses in and ensured their owners that they’d be cared for, for however long they were to be staying. So the travelling party gathered their knapsacks from the horses and left them in the capable hands of the stablekeep.

Lilly swiftly turned around as they exited the stables.

“Come, you must be tired.” She said.

Elira took a quick look at her companions. Both of them looked tired, as Lilly said. They had bags around their eyes from the lack of sleep, and they were even slouching. For a noble or a highborn to slouch... it would’ve resulted in at least 15 lashes. Elira wasn’t either of those, so she didn’t have to deal with that in her childhood. Zivot wasn’t one either, but given his seemingly new disposition, he might as well have been one.

Lilly led them back into the red light district. Zenith’s twin suns were much closer to the horizon now. It gave the district a bit more of a sombre feel to it, Elira noticed. The incredible lights were drowned out in favour of a warm, textured tone. The image of fun and games that Elira associated now with this area quickly became one of beauty and freedom as night began to fall.

But she wouldn’t have time to witness the district’s change in spirit, as much as she’d wanted to. There’d be time for that before the Summit began.

Lilly stopped walking, causing the others to stop behind her. She’d stopped outside the biggest building in the area.

Elira looked up at the intricately designed front of the building. Huge stairs led into a massive plaza, guarded on the outside by a bunch more guards than Elira expected was necessary. Just above them was a light-piece of a horned girl, but the rest Elira couldn’t quite make out because of the suns’ light.

Just below the light-piece, however, was the establishment’s name.

Devil’s Secret.

The queue to get into Devil’s Secret looked absurd. Elira thought that the people she saw just outside the district were simply together for some kind of gathering... but they were a part of this queue!

Lilly started walking up the stairs, gesturing for Elira’s party to follow.

They did, causing a ruckus in the queue.

The guards had to throw a few people out of the queue for that. Literally.

Upon entering the building, Elira looked around the ground floor’s plaza that she only got a glimpse at from the bottom of the stairs outside. There were so many people. Not only that, but there was more than 1 bar! And a casino area, as well as a pathway that seemed to lead to an indoor dance club or 2. The plaza had an ambient jazzy song bouncing off of its walls, courtesy of the instrumentalists that were playing live.

“Come.” Lilly said.

Elira broke out of her stupor and followed Lilly with Zivot and Gulmory in tow.

They went through an archway off to the side of the plaza. The sign on the wall beside the arch said ‘VIP Reception’.

The room was completely empty, barring the receptionist. She was a pink-skinned succubus with red eyes that looked similar to Lilly’s, Elira noticed.

“Naam.” Lilly said. “Cypher D.”

So the receptionist’s name is Naam...

“Right... I’ll get the boss.” Naam said, leaving into the backroom behind the desk.

Lilly gestured towards the waiting chairs in the middle of the room.

“You can sit here until the boss comes to see you.”

Elira scooted over to Lilly’s side in a subtle way as the other two sat down.

“Who... is the boss? I was told by my... contact... that our stay would be under the radar...” She whispered.

“The plan’s changed. Your horse in the race is currently losing. By a lot. So the gamemaster decided that he’d try to directly intervene, for the sake of the integrity of... well... the whole society around horse racing.”

Code... She’s speaking in code so the other two don’t fully understand.

That must mean that the owner of this place, her boss, is someone VERY high up if they’re able to influence the ‘race’.

“Welcome to my humble abode, dear Warden.”

The three newcomers to the Secret all turned to the source of the voice.

A red-haired man who looked a bit like a wolf was sat at the desk.

Elira looked back where Lilly was standing, but she’d disappeared. There were remnants of her spell in the form of black motes of mana lingering in the air.

Damn, she’s strong... masking your presence completely while also teleporting away, with very little left behind is... not easy at all...

“You might know me as Kallad, the Deceiver.”

“Yes... I’ve seen you in a few Aspect meetings and Summits. We never talked much... which makes me wonder why you’ve decided to host us...” Zivot sounded apprehensive.

It’s a valid concern... though I’m sure I already know the answer.

“Consider it...” Kallad looked at Elira, “the returning of a favour.”

He’s looking at me... which must mean that it’s something... ah. Rai... Rai’s the reason. This must be where Rai’s staying, since he’s got an established relationship with that man’s daughter. It makes sense now...

“What? I know when I’ve done someone a favour. And I’m certain that I wouldn’t have done you a favour, so how could th-”

“Do not think so highly of yourself, Warden.” Kallad boomed.

The room fell silent.

Zivot was wounded. His pride took offense to Kallad’s words and tone. But he didn’t know what to say. After all, Zivot was the one to assume, and the one to be proven incorrect. Even looking at Gulmory, she was shaken.

Elira, however, seemed to be unfazed.

“Come. I’ll show you to your rooms. All three of you have your own separate rooms, with a personal kitchen, washroom, and assistance provided to you at the press of a button. You’re on 2 separate floors, but the Warden’s room has a lounge that can be used as a meeting place, if you so wish.” Kallad said.

He got up from the desk and led them towards the golden lift behind them.

“Thank you.” Elira said, surprising Zivot and Gulmory. “Thank you for having us, Deceiver.”

“For you, dear, it’s Kallad. Family is family, and shouldn’t be so formal.”

Elira bowed respectfully.

“Very well. Thank you, Kallad.”

Zivot and Gulmory looked at each other in shock. They didn’t know what the Deceiver meant by ‘family’, but they didn’t like the sound of it.

Elira noticed that Zivot’s plans to thank their ‘host’ were now somehow not present at all either.

*Ding*

The lift door opened.

Kallad entered, with the other three in tow. He pushed a button close to the top of the arcane symbols on the wall.

The lift began moving, and they went up the building.

Quickly, they arrived at their layer.

“Your area is broken up into two floors, as I mentioned.” Kallad said.

*Ding*

The door opened.

“The bottom floor has two rooms opposite each other. They are for your right and left hand, Warden. Both rooms are identical, but encoded to open only at the command of their designated individuals. If you look down the end of the hall, there’s an archway that leads to a staircase. You’ll go up those stairs to find your room, Warden. Just before your room is the lounge that I mentioned. Once again, his room will only open at your command.

Now... I hope you make yourselves at home. I must lea-”

“Wait...” Elira said.

She looked into Kallad’s eyes, almost pleading with him. After she figured out that Rai must be staying here, Elira had to see him. It’d been months since their last meeting. And she had a gift that she couldn’t wait to give him.

Kallad quickly figured out what she was trying to tell him.

The other two seemed apprehensive about this interaction.

“Alright. Come then Elira.” He said to her, before turning to the other two. “You two can get accustomed to your rooms.”

“... Thank you.”

Kallad led Elira into the lift.

*Ding*

“I don’t trust it one bit.” Gulmory said, moments after the lift began moving.

“What... Elly and the Deceiver? I think it’s weird but... is it really so untrustworthy?”

“Don’t you think it’s weird that the Sage conveniently has a place for us to stay, and it just so happens to be with another Aspect?”

“Well... I suppose so...”

“And those non-verbal communications! There must be something shady going on... I wouldn’t trust her.”

Zivot didn’t want to doubt his old friend’s allegiances, but Gulmory’s words rang true.

Her seeds of doubt now planted in Zivot’s heart, Gulmory was ready to play her game.