Nathan returned to the inn just before dawn.
He slipped through the window of his room, dismissing [Invisibility] and [Silent Step] with a thought. Moonlight was leaning against the wall where he'd left it. The wooden token with his number sat on the nightstand. Everything was exactly as he'd left it.
He sat on the bed and stared at the wall.
The second summoning. The cumulative instability. The Void Between. The king's reckless greed.
He had five days until the tournament. Less than a month until the ritual that could tear the world apart.
Think, he told himself. What do you know?
He knew the tournament was his best chance to get close to the royal family. He knew the First Prince would be attending. He knew the archmage was against the second summoning.
But knowledge wasn't a plan.
He needed more information. He needed allies. He needed a way to stop the king before it was too late.
He spent the next day gathering what he could.
