The atmosphere of the day had begun to shift in a noticeable way. The closer Fri got to the site of the murder —and to the girl— the more something strange stirred in his head.
It felt like invisible hands were circling his brain, touching, feeling, squeezing.
"Oh, Fri, right? What brings you here? I guess you've heard the news."
The soft tone of her voice pushed the strange sensation away from his mind. The invisible hands were gone, but a lingering weight of unease remained inside him.
'It's like some part of me doesn't want to be near this place. Has that encounter after the murder left such a deep mark on me...?'
"You can tell how much commotion it's caused. Even someone like me, who only recently arrived in the city, already heard about it."
Then, out of the corner of his eye, Fri saw a group of sharply dressed individuals. They stood out from the crowd —not just by their tailored blue suits, but by the sheer number of jewels and extravagant details they wore.
"Don't look them in the eyes. They're part of the Royal Guard —Alexander's closest men. They're not exactly known for being... friendly with the public. But they're Awakened, and quite powerful at that."
Her lowered voice and the subtle gesture she made were enough to tell Fri this wasn't the kind of conversation people liked to have in the open.
Still, a golden opportunity had just landed in front of him.
"Would you mind telling me what you know about them? I'm new around here, and I'd like to learn more about the city's... important figures."
The girl nodded without hesitation. After all, it was public knowledge, and the young man standing before her didn't seem like a threat to an Awakened. Or so she believed. Once they had moved away from the busy street, she began to explain.
"They're captains of the Royal Guard. Their role is to serve as the personal shield of the royal family.
But don't be fooled by the title —it's commonly said that each of them is far more powerful than Admiral Alexander ever was, regardless of what official ranks say."
'Showing your hand like that... it's a terrible strategy in any situation. And it seems they love doing it.'
"Their group is also known as the 'Triple A'. The names of the men you saw earlier are Alfonso, Adolfo, and Arcón. Each one runs one of the city's most influential businesses."
'Now this is what i needed, names,asking more questions might raise suspicion. I should start moving —there's still plenty of sunlight left.'
"Thanks for all this. That's twice now you've helped me."
He gave her a wide smile, playing up a hint of shyness, like someone embarrassed to be asking about things that are probably common knowledge here. It was the perfect cover.
"No problem. If you ever need more help, just ask around the same booth I left you last time."
With a subtle wave of his hand, Fri signaled that he was leaving the scene, letting the girl return to her work.
'Next stop... the Old District.'
Broken-down houses, screams echoing from every direction at any given moment, people lying on the ground with their ribs visible through their skin —this was the reality for many cities, and Cassio was no exception.
Wherever wealth exists, its shadow will follow.
'If anyone knows something about the Triple A, it has to be here. Goren warned me that any kind of shady business or illegal activity tends to start in this place.'
It didn't take long after entering this part of the city for one building to stand out from the rest.
Fri felt strangely drawn to it. A poorly designed sign above the door hung crooked, close to falling off.
"God's Advocate."
'Any answer can be found. Any vision interpreted. Any dream fulfilled.
I have to admit, their slogan is catchy. Maybe it's worth a try —even if this feeling is off…'
As soon as Fri stepped inside, the entrance behind him vanished.
What looked like a multi-story building from the outside now seemed compressed into a single level.
The interior shimmered with hues of purple and black, like mist and shadows constantly shifting. The only visible object was a table —and someone sitting behind it, cloaked and staring directly at him.
"Take a seat, boy. Tell me, what is it that you seek? As long as you're willing to pay the right price I can help you."
The only thought running through Fri's mind was how misfortune always seemed to find him.
'How do I keep ending up in the strangest places without even trying?'
He approached the table and sat down across from the hooded figure.
There were only two items on the surface: an hourglass and a pendant.
"I'm looking for information about the captains of the Royal Guard."
Just as the figure was hiding their identity, Fri had taken precautions of his own.
Before entering the Old District, he had wrapped part of a torn cloth around his face like a makeshift mask, and added a pointed hat he picked out of the trash near the entrance —not exactly elegant, but it served as a decent disguise. With it, he could ask questions more boldly.
"I can tell this isn't your true goal," the figure said, voice low and calm. "It's like you're hiding something far greater. Why would someone like you seek something so... trivial?"
'Hiding something greater, huh? I guess that's not entirely wrong…'
Fri ignored the probing and stayed focused.
"Simple. I'm going to hunt them down."
The cloaked one paused, surprised by the bluntness of the answer. After a slight cough, he continued:
"I can give you the information you want. But the price… will be something special. Just for you.
I don't want coins. I want knowledge. And I have the feeling it'll be worth it."
'Great. I've stepped into the lair of a lunatic.'
But before he could ask why, the figure raised a hand, signaling him to remain silent —as if to say, I'll speak first.
"The first one you'll encounter is Arcón. I don't need to tell you where or when —you'll know soon enough.
Act like a proper magician watching a trick: don't be fooled by simple sleight of hand."
"The rest of them… are connected like a single mechanism. A gear that never detaches. Even when one appears to act on its own, it's only because you can't see the entire system behind it.
You'll find them in the Central Church of the God of Secrets. But take this advice: your target must be found before you go after them.
Now, it's your turn to pay."
As the final words were spoken, Fri's eyes turned completely black. His pupils dilated.
His vision ceased to function.
Yet, he still felt himself sitting in the same chair.
Then, from his darkened sight, a figure emerged —a girl in a black dress that looked like something a servant or slave would wear.
He didn't know how, but he could see her, even in that eyeless void.
His mouth opened automatically. The words poured out on their own.
"Emotion can change everything.
Fear hunts everyone, eventually.
Hunger will eat you from the inside.
Try to fight it, and you will find no easy path
Complete it and your dreams will come true."
When the phrase ended, the cloaked figure began trembling uncontrollably.
The sound of vomiting echoed from the dark hole beneath the hood.
With a shaky hand, he gestured for Fri to leave.
In the blink of an eye, Fri found himself once again outside the building he had entered, the problem is that there was no more building, it has been erased from the map.
'I'm honestly starting to get less surprised by this kind of thing… Who am I kidding? What the hell was that!? How am I supposed to not be surprised?!
That was the girl from my dream… is she helping me somehow?
I'm going insane at this rate.
Still, I got some information. Not sure how reliable it is, and doesn't looks like i will be able to come back, though.
I should head back and sort things out.'
Tossing the smelly hat back into the trash, Fri walked out of the Old District.
As soon as the crumbling houses gave way to more stable buildings, he knew it was safe to remove his improvised mask.