By the time they reached the south of Velkaris, the city had already changed its face.
The broad avenues and polished storefronts were long behind them now. The streets here were narrower, dirtier, with old stone darkened by time and neglect. There were fewer people around, but the ones who remained watched more closely. A few beggars sat near corners with worn blankets around their shoulders, hands stretched out toward passersby. Others stood farther back in silence, eyes following the four of them as they walked past, weighing them in that quiet way people did when they were deciding whether someone looked worth the risk.
Vivienne led the way without slowing.
