Elsewhere, far from the Valemont estate, the night wore a colder face.
Inside a narrow alley lined with half-broken lanterns, a man stood cloaked in gray. His breath came slow, measured. Before him knelt a figure cloaked in black silk — the mask they wore reflected no light at all, only the faint shimmer of violet mana around its edges.
"So," the masked one said softly, voice smooth as oil, "the rumors were true. The Silver Spire… gone."
The man — Lloyd — bowed his head slightly, though his jaw tightened. "It was Xavier. The portal vanished the moment he stepped out. The guild has confirmed it."
"And?"
"They've promoted him. Gold Rank."
The masked one's silence stretched for a beat, then a quiet hum. "Gold… already? How fascinating."
Lloyd's hands curled slightly. "He's growing too fast. Even the nobles are whispering his name. Lady Seraphina—"
The figure tilted their head. "Still obsessed with her?"
Lloyd's voice hardened. "I serve her, not him."
