Reinhard stood frozen behind his column, those words echoing through his mind with terrible familiarity. Doing unsavory things and joining despicable groups to generate enough gold to take care of your family.
His eyes closed involuntarily before images surfaced that were unwanted but undeniable. He saw himself standing in rooms where people were tied to chairs with pools of blood down below.
He recalled chasing targets through night streets, knowing what awaited them when caught.
Watching people smash stores apart while flames consumed the wreckage, all for territory disputes or revenge that had nothing to do with justice.
He has been through a lot for gold, for survival, for Anna and Klein. These teenagers were doing the same. Even with the different circumstances and different methods, it was the same fundamental desperation.
His eyes opened, refocusing on the present.
The silence broke. "Wait, it's 9:40... Shouldn't the person down below have come up to switch?"
