The Time Keeper

Chapter 51 - Crawling

As we waited for Caius's return, Fleur leaned back in her chair, deep in thought. The prospects of the event intrigued her. I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she considered the possibilities it might hold for our investigation.

Soon enough, the busy Red Anchor Bar door swung open and Caius stepped inside, his expression filled with exhilaration from his exploration of the Entertainment District.

"Fleur! Eli! Lucas!" he said as he came over, his voice brimming with excitement. "You wouldn't believe the wonders I've seen! The performers, the food, the—"

Fleur chuckled, interrupting his enthusiastic recount. "Caius, save the details for later. We've been discussing what we've found, and it seems like there's very little information going about."

Caius's enthusiasm deflated slightly at the mention of our lack of progress. He took a seat, his face a mix of curiosity and disappointment. "Really? That's surprising. I thought Eli found something."

Fleur looked at Caius, putting her fingers up to her lips as to tell Caius he was being a bit too loud. Others might be listening in.

She leaned forward, her gaze focusing on me. "He did overhear something interesting. This so-called event. I don't doubt it's connected to the markets in some way."

Caius leaned in, his interest piqued but cautious. He kept his voice low, mindful of Fleur's warning. "Did we figure out what the event could be?"

Lucas, who had been quietly listening, interjected. "We don't have all the details yet, but it's something happening in secret, invite-only. We think it might be related to the underground markets, but we need more information to be sure."

Caius nodded, absorbing the information. "Invite-only? That sounds interesting. We'll have to figure out how to get in."

"We should definitely inform Darius about this," Fleur said. "He might have some resources or contacts that can help us dig deeper. It's our best lead so far."

"Our only lead," Lucas sarcastically quipped. "Maybe we can work on getting an invite. If it's exclusive, we'll need to find a way in. I say we continue looking before bringing this to Darius."

Fleur still in thought brought something important up. "This will mean we will be possibly bumping into King again. We're going to have to stay sharp for this one."

Caius nodded. "Of course, I'm ready for anything."

As we discussed our next steps, I realized I had the knobby scroll casing lid I had snatched earlier in my pocket. The scroll casing was still securely hidden beneath my uniform. I excused myself, deciding it was an opportune moment to inspect the strange object privately.

"I'll be right back," I said, pushing my chair back and standing. "I just need to use the bathroom."

My companions acknowledged my departure with a nod, and I made my way to the restroom. Once inside, I locked the door and reached into my pocket to retrieve the scroll casing lid. It was still cold to the touch.

Closing my eyes and focusing on the glass bowl in my mind, I searched for the scroll lids past.

I channelled my abilities, my thoughts honing in on the knobby lids' history. As the familiar sensation of water-like energy surged through me, I opened my eyes to the webbed scene, as if looking through a shattered mirror.

Before me, darkness loomed, broken only by a slender sliver of horizontal light that pierced through. It was like gazing into the heart of the night. With a surge of determination, I peered through the slit, letting my eyes finally adjust to the sight before me.