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Chapter 83: Titus Goes to the Conference
Seven days passed in careful preparation.Marcus disseminated Julian's evidence through coalition channels. By the fourth day, everyone who mattered knew Councillor Valen of the third realm had been compromised by Vex for eight months.The response was immediate. Four realm leaders demanded emergency meetings. The Ancient Council sent observers. Valen went into hiding, confirming his guilt.But Vex was still preparing to strike in twenty-three days, and now he knew his third realm operation had been exposed. He would adapt.Marcus stood in his study on the morning of the eighth day, staring at the map on his wall. Red pins marked the three realms Vex had planned to attack. Blue pins marked allies. Yellow pins marked unknowns.The map was more yellow than Marcus liked.A knock came at the door. Titus entered, carrying a travel bag."I leave in an hour," Titus said. "For the historical society conference."Marcus turned. "Are you ready?""As ready as I can be to walk into a trap." Titus
Chapter 82: The Cemetery Gate Opens
They arrived back at the capital as the sun set.Marcus sent Julian to the palace physicians. Julian protested, but Lydia overruled him. "You have cracked ribs and have not slept in days. Let someone else worry about the evidence for six hours."Marcus locked the evidence satchel in his study's secure cabinet. Then he pulled out the convergence reader.Five disturbances across the city. But the cemetery wrongness had changed. Stronger. More defined. Crystallized into something solid.The gate was open.Marcus found Diana. "The cemetery gate just stabilized. It is active now.""Your people are in position. But nobody has crossed yet." She stood. "We go now."Marcus found Lydia. "The cemetery gate is open. I need you to stay here.""Absolutely not." She buckled her sword belt. "Argue with me later."She walked past him toward the door. Some battles were not worth fighting.The cemetery was quiet. Diana's watchers materialized from hidden positions. Two on the north wall, one in a tree,
Chapter 81: Eli's Way
They did not ride to the eastern gate.Two miles from the city, Eli led them off the main road onto a narrow track that wound through farmland. Marcus followed without question. Lydia, Garrett, and Iris did the same."Where are we going?" Lydia asked quietly."Around," Eli said. "Valen will have the eastern gate watched. He expects us to arrive there like good diplomats. So we will not."They rode for another hour, circling wide around the city walls until they approached from the south. Here the walls were older, lower, built in a time when the city was smaller. The gate was a simple archway with two guards who looked more bored than alert.Eli dismounted and walked forward alone. He spoke to the guards briefly, too quiet for Marcus to hear. Then he handed them something. Coins, probably. The guards waved him through without checking documents.Eli gestured for the others to follow.They entered as merchants and travelers, not diplomats. Nobody stopped them."Where did you learn that
Chapter 80: The Message That Came Late
The crystal flared at midnight.Marcus grabbed it immediately. Diana's voice crackled through. "Julian's message just arrived. Delayed transmission, sent three days ago but caught in a barrier fluctuation.""What does it say?""Decoding now." A pause. "Julian says situation deteriorated fast. Valen discovered someone was investigating and moved against clean councillors. Three are under house arrest. Julian went underground. He is hiding with Mira's contact, a merchant named Kael who runs a safe house in the lower city.""Is he injured?""Does not say. But he has the evidence against Valen. Eight months of coordination with Vex. Good enough to move against Valen, but the council is too compromised to act. He needs external pressure."Marcus was already moving toward the door. "Tell Lydia we leave in two hours. Full diplomatic party as planned. And wake Brutus. I need him coordinating with Diana's network to locate Kael's safe house before we arrive.""Already moving. Marcus, there is
Chapter 79: Julian's Silence
Two days passed. No message came from Julian.Marcus stood in his study at dawn on the third day, staring at the communication crystal on his desk. Dark and silent.Diana entered without knocking. Her face told him everything."Nothing," she said."The channels are clear?""I have checked three times. The network is functioning normally. Messages are moving between other operatives." Diana moved beside him. "If Julian could send word, he would have by now."Marcus picked up the crystal. It was cold in his hand. "He said to wait five days if no message arrived.""He did.""Today is day three.""Yes.""Which means we have two more days before we act." Marcus set the crystal down with careful precision. "But you think we should move now.""I think Julian is either captured or dead, and waiting two more days will not change that." Diana's voice was flat. "But I also know that moving early could compromise the entire shadow network if we are wrong. It is your decision."Marcus walked to th
Chapter 78: What Sora Sees
Sora waited in the east garden again.She stood near the same stone bench where Mira had first been revealed, her dark grey cloak blending into the evening shadows. Eli was with her, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed.Marcus approached alone, the convergence reader disc warm in his coat pocket."You asked me to come alone," Marcus said. "I came alone.""Good." Sora gestured to the bench. "Sit. What I need to show you works better if you are sitting."Marcus sat. Eli remained against the tree, watchful but quiet.Sora pulled out her own convergence reader. Hers was older than Marcus's, the edges worn smooth from decades of use, but the gold light at its rim was brighter, more defined."You have been practicing," she said."Every day.""Show me what you can see."Marcus pulled out his disc and held it flat. He focused outward, letting his awareness expand beyond his body, out into the city.The familiar pressure came. The weight of the city, solid and comfortable. Then, faint
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