Back in Stockholm, Renekom and Obadiah, along with Mystics Dustin Flores and Amara Becker, had made their way into the Hotel Regentia. It was nearly 2 a.m. there. They found the lobby café still open but only barely. It was running on a quiet night shift. Overhead lights were dimmed to a warm amber, throwing long shadows across the empty chairs and polished floors, creating a peaceful contrast to the arcane world's turbulent nature.
They walked in and were immediately recognized by the lone attendant standing behind the counter, rinsing glasses with the slow, unhurried movements of someone used to the silence. He did not panic – he smiled and continued rinsing. All of Fallon's establishments had been alerted by then. They were expecting the contingent.
Most of the lounge seats were empty, arranged in careful symmetry around low marble tables. The quartet took to the far corner – Renekom sat, the others stood waiting. The steady hum of the ventilation system filled the quiet, broken only by the occasional soft click from the coffee machines cooling down for the night.
Outside the tall windows, Stockholm lay dark and unmoving, its streets empty, its buildings dimmed to silhouettes. At this hour, the hotel felt sealed off from the world – quiet, pristine… yet expectant.
Renekom looked through the glass toward the hotel lights beyond, his jaw tight. "Let us hope," he said quietly, "that old enemies still remember how to be useful allies."
After thirty minutes of waiting, the Seear saw a message appearing on the Seeker's Scroll paper placed on the table in front of him – 'party incoming.'
"It's Michael," Obadiah whispered.
Stationed on the top of a nearby building, Michael had spotted the masters of the Order walking into the hotel.
Two men approached the café. Renekom nodded. "They're here."
The bartender finally stopped rinsing glasses.
The older of the two gentlemen led. He was just a few inches short of six feet tall and moved closer with his stooped back calmly, his cane tapping softly ahead of each careful step. The wrinkles on his face were masked by a thick, full, untrimmed white beard. His white hair was nicely contrasted by the black hat, black derby shoes, black three-piece suit, and a shocking red tie. The shaky Ki radiating from his body was evidence of his old age, but also of an experienced mind.
The young man close behind him, barely in his 40s, had donned the same outfit just without the hat. But his short hair was dark black in colour and he had a clean beardless face. He also appeared taller than his stooped leader, and his Ki was stable, strong, and showing immense control.
Renekom moved ahead and shook hands with the old man.
"Mr Weiss," he said, smiling. "So nice of you to meet us on such short notice."
Zev Weiss was an Archon of the Order – one of the family heads who sat on its ruling council and quietly steered the world from behind closed doors.
"It's a pleasure, Master Mujin," he replied. His voice sounded raspy, his tone monotone, dull, and tired. "And I see you've brought the honourable Primarch and even the old-man Zaatsu, Master Brown."
Renekom looked at his partners with a smile. Michael was hidden atop a neighbouring building. A senior Zaatsu of his calibre should not have been spotted or sensed. But the Order had its ways.
"Have a seat," the Seear said and then proceeded to shake hands with the Warden. "Good to see you again, Lior."
"Always a pleasure," he replied. Lior Baroch, a Warden of the Order, was the man who quietly oversaw their operations across half a continent and made sure every unseen string was pulled on time. And since it was a Warden's job to liaise, he had met the leadership of the Eye many times.
They all sat down to discuss.
"The White Bolt has been a ghost, as always," Zev explained. "He has evaded detection. Even satellites and CCTV cameras, the ones watching Michael right now, could not pick him up."
Renekom exhaled slowly. "How is he able to do all this?"
"He understands how our systems work just as well as he understands how your systems work."
Lior crossed his legs. "Last hint we received was in Athens."
Obadiah looked at the Seear and then at the Warden. "What do you mean by 'hint'?"
"It was a partial facial match. But it was of no use. We couldn't even locate the half."
"Yes, but we hardly put the resources into it." Zev placed a hand on the table. "I must repeat, Master Mujin, that the Hearth is a bigger threat for now. Your people always let the Cults live free."
Renekom dropped his head. "That is why I have called you here, Mr Weiss." Looking up he added, "I want you to let us worry about the White Bolt while you deal with the Devil's Hearth."
The patriarch thought for a moment. With a hand under his chin, he turned his head slightly to his right. His Warden, sitting to his right but a few paces behind, leaned closer.
"What is your current status on the Devil's Hearth situation?" Zev asked, in a hushed voice.
Lior replied in kind saying, "Agents are looking at the black markets and gathering intel."
"How long?"
"I'll submit the report within a week."
Zev looked at Renekom. "Then let us meet next week. Is Friday suitable?"
The Seear nodded. "Of course." After a pause, he asked, "Anything else you can tell us about the White Bolt?"
"Mr Baroch…"
Lior pushed his chair ahead. "Sir?"
"Hand over the search of the White Bolt to them. Give them everything you have."
They had picked up a Ki signature but there was no way to be sure whether it belonged to the White Bolt or not. They had a partial picture captured by a CCTV camera which they had sent to Operatives inside intelligence agencies around the world but had found no match with that either. However, there was one way…
"Mobile signal receivers picked up spikes of electromagnetic interference in three different locations," Lior explained. "Naples, Italy, then Mitrovica, Kosovo, and finally Athens, Greece. The one in Athens was picked up just three hours ago."
Amara asked, "What do these signals mean?"
"It's how they found a trace the last time," Renekom explained. "Then it took two Zaatsus several days to catch up with him."
"It is consistent with the patterns." The Warden leaned back. "These interferences are created by the extravagant use of his signature lightning bolts."
Zev looked at Renekom. "But be careful, Master Mujin," he warned. "This man is no ordinary threat. What worked once may not work a second time. And it may even backfire."
The Ki-signature behind the electromagnetic interference was transferred to the Masters of the Eye and then the Archon and the Warden left.