The rest of the squad sat for hours in Alora and Layla's room waiting for Thomas to return from his meeting with Zain. The three talked for hours about the days before the Vallath took over Sarania. 

"I just miss my mom you know.", Layla said, "I know it's been a few years but it's just such a fresh memory, worst day of my life." 

"Yeah.", Kai cracked open a bottle of the finest local brew and drank it. 

"I didn't know you drank.", Alora said. 

He looked her in the eyes and smiled. He continued to drown himself in the bottle. 

"It helps silence the voices.", he said, "My parents were never really around. They travelled alot from district to district. It was just me and my little brother Kalsi." 

"He died during the invasion.", his eyes teared up, " I could have saved him, I should have saved him but-", he fell silent and stared his bottle. "But the reason why I drink princess is because I hear him call me. Most nights and sometimes when I'm alone. He sounds so happy and other times he seems so petrified." 

Alora hadn't seen this side of him before. Kai was always Thomas's sidekick and always followed him around. He worshipped him. Thomas built an aura about himself over the years as this dominant alpha male and that rubbed off on Kai too. 

"The righteous ones.", Layla would always call their clique. 

Alora couldn't recognise this side of Kai, he seemed vulnerable and scared.

Kai put the bottle down and turned to Alora. 

"What about you princess?", he asked, "We all know what happened to your father. You could have fled with the rest of the royal bastards but why did you join Zain?" 

"Well uh.", Alora laughed ever so awkwardly, "Uhm when I escaped the attack on the palace i had no where to go and i kept on running and running. Eventually I found Zain and he took me in."  

"That doesn't answer my question.", he said "Why did you join this fight?"

Thomas walked into the room and everyone kept quiet. He looked around the room and was disgusted by the clutter. He saw the brew at Kai's feet.

"Why I'm I not surprised.", Thomas rudely said, "I don't have time to deal with this. So everyone get up we are heading to central district." 

Thomas left the room and stood outside. Kai was embarrassed and sat there in silence.  

"Bitch.", Layla said. 

Kai and Alora laughed so hard that Thomas could hear them on the other end of the door. He came back into the room furious as he always was.  

"Is there anything funny?", he asked with a rage in his eyes. 

"Chill out Mas.", Kai said, "We were just having a laugh."

"Let's just go alright.", Layla said. 

The squad left the camp and made their way through the tunnels. The tunnels ran all the way under Sarania. They walked for miles and miles and finally found the entrance under the old palace. They made their way up and saw what was once the mighty palace of Sarania turned to nothing but a heap of rubble and ash. 

The squad walked through the remains of the once mighty palace and into the central district. The central district had always been the oasis of the wealthy. Hundreds of Sarania's wealthiest lived under the glamorous lights of the district. Academic scholars, Priests, Merchants of high standard,The once mighty Royal Council and now the Vallath generals and Political representatives of Emperor Sebastien.  

The hundreds of Sarania's Elite were going about their daily live. The Academic scholars heading to their various schools, Merchants setting up their stands for the early business morning and Imperial Enforcers swarming around the place. 

The squad covered their faces with black masks. They moved in any shadow they could find. The Imperial enforcers were at every corner. Layla spotted the Supreme Academic Chancellor's House. A three storey house with a balcony on every floor, a roof top and had no Enforcers in sight.

They made their way to the front door. Thomas tried opening the door but it was locked. He pointed up and the rest of the squad went to the side of the house.  

Kai helped Thomas get up the first balcony. Layla climbed next and Thomas helped her land safely. Alora climbed, Thomas and Layla helped her get up nicely. Kai took a few steps back and ran up the wall. He had his hands on the guardrail but his fingers began to slip. Alora and Layla rushed to help him, they pulled him up. 

 The second balcony was right above their heads. They stood on the guardrail and clutched onto the bottom of the balcony above. They pulled themselves up and continued to climb up to the third balcony. The balcony door was left opened and they walked into the scholar's house. 

The room was filled with papers stacked upon each other and drawings all over the wall. The squad took a look around. Alora found the Scholar's desk and on it was a drawing of a large prison under ground prison with the Vallath Dragon seal stamped at the bottom. 

Thomas signalled for them to move. They found the door that led to the rooftop.

The view reached as far as the second district and they could get a pretty good view of the lavishing water fountain in the centre of the district. 

"Zain said that the messenger is a man named John Cale.", Thomas said, "A friend of the resistance. He is supposed to meet one of us at the water fountain." 

Thomas went at the edge of the rooftop and looked down on the district. The wealthy were going about their day In their flamboyant clothing and their excessive jewelry. 

Thomas saw someone in a blue hood and a big carrier bag that was nearly scraping the ground. The person was coming from the Communication Centre which wasn't too far away from the scholar's house. The person sat by the fountain and placed the carrier bag on their laps.  

"That's John.", he said, "Alora Kai go get the letter. Layla and I will stay here." 

They kept quiet and looked at each other. They all nodded their heads. Alora and Kai climbed down by the side of the house. They took off their masks and left the alley. 

They walked amongst the crowd with their heads down. There were armed enforcers left and right. 

"Only if my brother could see me now.", Kai whispered. 

They saw the hooded messenger but couldn't see the messenger's face. They sat side by side with the messenger with water splashing at the back of their necks. 

"Einar sent us.", Kai said. 

The messenger kept quiet and started to look around in the bag for the letter. Alora couldn't stop looking at the messenger's fingers. They were small and smooth too. The messenger removed the letter and handed it to Kai. 

Kai held to the letter and tried grabbing it but the messenger was still holding on to it. 

The messenger let down the hood and it wasn't John. The messenger was a young lady about Alora's age with dark long hair that barely hid her face. She had a red blind fold wrapped around her eyes and gentle pink lips. 

"Who are you?", Kai tried pulling the letter from her but her grip was just too strong. 

Flames engulfed the mystery woman's hand and the letter burnt to ash. Alora grabbed Kai and snatched the bag.  

"Let's go Kai!", Alora ran and Kai followed right behind her. The mystery woman got up and was on their tails. 

"Shit.", Thomas said. 

"What's wrong?", Layla said. 

"The mission has been compromised.",he said, "We need to go back to the Labyrinth." 

"What about Alora and Kai?", She said, "You want to leave them for dead!" 

"Might as well." 

Thomas moved from the edge of the rooftop. He was about to leave. Layla held his arm. 

"We can't let them die.", Layla said, "We need to help them."