Duncan woke with a slight headache from the beer he had drunk the previous night. The three women who had attended to him were already gone. He got dressed quietly and stepped outside. The Crimson Lantern was still as lively as ever despite the morning sun. Music echoed through the halls while servants cleaned the tables and replaced empty bottles. It was as though the place never slept. Duncan didn't linger. He left the brothel behind and returned to the Noble District.
On the ride home, his thoughts refused to rest. Nicholas's confession replayed in his mind over and over again. Lord Skender... Was he truly a victim, or was he hiding something far worse? Then another thought crossed his mind. Was Lady Althaia really happy with him? Duncan sighed, unable to find an answer.
After reaching home, he bathed and rested briefly before heading to the palace. He hoped to speak with Lord Skender immediately, but the servants informed him that he had not come to work. Duncan then rode straight to Skender Manor, only to receive the same answer.
"My Lord has gone out for an important meeting, sir," one of the servants said politely.
Duncan nodded. As he turned to leave, he noticed Lady Althaia chatting with a group of noblewomen in the courtyard. He almost walked over to her, but seeing how occupied she was, he changed his mind. There was no point questioning her in front of everyone.
Halfway back home, another idea struck him.
Chief Zion's manor.
If there was anywhere that still held answers, it had to be that abandoned house.
The manor looked even lonelier than before. Dry leaves rolled across the courtyard, and dust covered the entrance. Duncan pushed the heavy wooden door, surprised to find it unlocked.
"Strange..." he muttered.
He searched the living room first, but there was nothing except broken furniture and dust. The bedroom was no different. Feeling slightly disappointed, he walked into another room and realized it was Chief Zion's office. Shelves lined the walls, filled with books and old documents. Duncan began searching through the papers carefully, hoping to find something everyone else had overlooked.
Just then, he noticed movement in the corner of the room.
His hand immediately went to the sword hanging from his belt.
Someone else was inside.
Slowly, Duncan stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the shadow. The moment the figure moved, Duncan swung his sword.
Clang!
Another blade blocked the attack.
"Lord Skender?" Duncan exclaimed, lowering his weapon.
Skender let out a relieved breath and sheathed his sword. "Easy there. Another second and one of us would have lost a head."
"I could say the same," Duncan replied with a faint smile before becoming serious again. "What are you doing here?"
"The same thing you're doing," Skender answered as he glanced around the office. "Looking for answers. I searched this room already but found nothing useful."
Duncan frowned. "Answers? I thought you already had them."
"If I did," Skender replied quietly, "I wouldn't be standing here."
The two men exchanged a long look before Duncan nodded.
"Then let's search together."
The two men searched every corner of the office. Duncan carefully opened drawers and flipped through ledgers while Skender inspected the bookshelves one after another.
Minutes passed, but they found nothing except old financial records and dusty journals.
"It doesn't make sense," Duncan said, placing another book back on the shelf. "Chief Zion was too careful to leave without hiding something."
Skender nodded in agreement. "I thought the same. If he kept any secret, it wouldn't be in plain sight."
Just as Duncan was about to search another cabinet, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Both men froze.
The footsteps were slow... cautious.
Without saying a word, Duncan rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. Skender did the same. They exchanged a quick glance before quietly moving toward the office door.
The footsteps stopped.
Then the door slowly creaked open.
Two men dressed entirely in black stepped inside. Their faces were hidden beneath dark hoods, and strange symbols were stitched onto the sleeves of their clothing.
"They're not here by accident," Skender whispered. "Stay alert."
The strangers immediately noticed them.
Without exchanging a single word, both men drew their swords.
Steel flashed.
The first attacker lunged at Duncan, aiming straight for his chest. Duncan quickly sidestepped and blocked the strike, the clash of metal echoing throughout the manor. Before he could counterattack, the second man charged at Skender, forcing the two fights to split apart.
Duncan exchanged several blows with his opponent. The masked man was fast and surprisingly skilled. Duncan managed to push him backward with a kick, but as he rushed forward to finish the attack, pain shot through his injured leg. His movement slowed for only a second.
That second was enough.
The masked man spun around and drove a powerful kick into Duncan's injured leg. Duncan lost his balance and crashed against a wooden table, sending books and papers flying across the room.
"Duncan!" Skender shouted.
Seeing Duncan in danger, Skender forced his own opponent backward with a powerful strike before turning toward the second attacker.
The masked man swung at him, but Skender ducked beneath the blade, stepped inside his guard, and drove his sword deep into the man's stomach.
The assassin's eyes widened.
He staggered backward, looked down at the blade piercing his body, and collapsed onto the floor.
The remaining attacker glanced at his fallen companion, then at Duncan, who was struggling back to his feet.
Realizing the fight was lost, he turned and fled.
"I'm going after him!" Duncan shouted, trying to give chase.
Skender grabbed his shoulder before he could take another step.
"No."
"He'll escape!"
"And if he has more men waiting outside?" Skender replied calmly. "You're injured, Duncan. Chasing him now would be suicide."
Duncan clenched his fists in frustration but eventually nodded.
Skender was right.
The two men knelt beside the dead assassin and removed his hood.
Neither of them recognized the face.
Duncan searched the body, but there were no documents, no coins, and nothing that could reveal his identity.
"Nothing..." Duncan muttered.
"They came prepared," Skender replied. "If they were willing to die without carrying anything, then someone trained them well."
Duncan stood silently, his eyes fixed on the strange symbol sewn onto the assassin's sleeve.
"This wasn't an ordinary attack," he said.
"No," Skender answered. "Someone knew we would come here today."
The realization sent a chill through both men.
Without wasting another moment, they left Chief Zion's manor and returned to Skender Manor before more enemies could arrive.
By the time they arrived at Skender Manor, several servants had already rushed outside after seeing the blood on their clothes. Lady Althaia hurried down the front steps, panic written all over her face.
"What happened?" she asked, her eyes moving between the two men.
"We were attacked at Chief Zion's manor," Skender replied as he lowered himself onto a chair. "Two masked men were waiting for us. One escaped."
The maids quickly brought warm water, clean cloths, and ointment. One carefully cleaned the cut on Duncan's arm while another examined his injured leg.
Althaia sighed deeply. "I feared this would happen. Whoever is behind this must have known you were investigating."
"We wanted to chase the second man," Skender said, "but Duncan's leg was already injured, and we had no idea if more enemies were hiding nearby. Retreating was the wiser choice."
Duncan nodded. "Thank you... you saved my life back there."
Skender smiled faintly. "You would have done the same for me."
Silence settled over the room before Skender suddenly looked at Duncan.
"So... how did you escape Nicholas? Last I heard, he was following you."
Duncan couldn't help but smile. "Not to brag, but Nicholas wasn't the right man for the job. He was skilled at following people, not fighting them."
Skender chuckled softly before his smile faded.
"Then... I suppose you already know."
"I know enough to ask questions," Duncan replied. "What exactly happened between you and Chief Zion?"
Skender glanced toward his wife, she immediately understood.
"Let's continue this inside the office," Althaia said. "There are too many ears in this room."
The servants quietly bowed and left before the three entered Skender's office.
For a few moments, no one spoke.
Skender finally broke the silence.
"Years ago... I built the Crimson Lantern with my own hands," he began quietly. "Back then, no noble wanted to step into the commoners' district. Business was poor, and I was already considering shutting it down."
He sighed before continuing.
"Then Chief Zion approached me. He believed the place had potential. He suggested expanding it, attracting merchants, nobles, and wealthy visitors from neighboring kingdoms. I agreed. Together, we worked tirelessly, and before long, the Crimson Lantern became one of the busiest establishments in Valtheris."
Duncan listened without interrupting.
"After our success," Skender continued, "Chief Zion came to us with another opportunity. He claimed he had connections with traders from another kingdom who dealt in rare gold and valuable goods. He showed us rings as proof and promised enormous profits if we invested."
Skender's voice grew heavier.
"We believed him."
He lowered his head.
"That was the greatest mistake of our lives."
Duncan quietly placed the ring on the table.
"So... this ring belonged to one of those investments?"
Skender nodded.
"Yes. It belongs to me."
Silence filled the room.
"Do you know what it's like," Skender suddenly asked, his voice trembling slightly, "to watch everything you've built begin to collapse before your eyes?"
Duncan looked at him but remained silent.
"The Crimson Lantern wasn't just another business. It was my dream. Every stone, every beam, every coin I earned went into building it. When Chief Zion offered us another investment, I thought it would secure my family's future."
He laughed bitterly.
"Instead... it destroyed it."
Althaia slowly reached for her husband's hand.
"At first, everything seemed genuine," she said softly. "Chief Zion kept asking for more money, saying delays were normal. We trusted him."
Skender nodded.
"We invested more... and more... until there was nothing left."
Duncan frowned.
"Nothing?"
"I sold lands... borrowed money... even placed this mansion as collateral."
Duncan's eyes widened.
"You risked your own home?"
"I was blinded by greed," Skender admitted. "I thought one final investment would recover everything."
Althaia lowered her head.
"When we had nothing left, we became desperate. We secretly used palace funds to keep the Crimson Lantern running and to pay the workers. We told ourselves we would return every coin once the investment succeeded."
"But it never did," Duncan finished.
"It never did," Skender replied quietly.
"And when Chief Zion realized we had used palace funds..." Althaia continued, "...he began blackmailing us."
"He threatened to expose everything," Skender added. "If we reported him, he would report us first. My hands were tied, Duncan. I couldn't move."
Duncan slowly leaned back in his chair.
"You should have trusted me."
"We wanted to," Althaia replied, tears forming in her eyes. "But when you returned with the ring... we panicked. If the King discovered it belonged to Skender, our family would lose everything."
Duncan picked up the ring once more, turning it between his fingers.
"Then answer me this."
Both husband and wife looked at him.
"If this ring belongs to you... why was it found beside Chief Zion's body?"
Neither of them answered immediately.
Finally, Skender shook his head.
"I don't know."
Althaia looked uneasy.
"Whoever killed Chief Zion wanted the investigation to lead to us."
Duncan stared at the ring for several seconds.
"So... someone is moving us like pieces on a chessboard."
Skender gave a slow nod.
"And whoever that person is... they're always one step ahead."
Late that night, Duncan stood by the guest room window, gazing into the moonlit sky. His body ached, but it wasn't the pain keeping him awake.
The Crimson Lantern, chief Zion, Lord Skender's secret, the mysterious ring, the masked assassins.
Every answer only uncovered another mystery.
Duncan slowly clenched his fist.
"Whoever you are..." he whispered into the night, his eyes fixed on the stars, "...I'll uncover every lie you've hidden."