The conversation with the madam left Rein unsettled. Lenora's disappearance didn’t sit right with him, and the vague answers only deepened his suspicion. He stepped out of the brothel, inhaling the cold evening air, his mind already piecing together the next move.

  "We need to find where she lived," Rein said, his voice low.

  Shilley adjusted her newly purchased cloak, her usual smirk absent. "And what exactly are we hoping to find? A note that says, ‘Be back soon’?"

  "Anything that tells us where she went. Or why she left," Rein muttered. "People don’t just vanish without leaving something behind."

  Luxana glanced around at the passing enforcers before speaking. "It’s a risk. If someone important is asking questions about newcomers, searching her home could put eyes on us."

  Rein met her gaze. "We’ll be careful. I made a promise to her, and I keep my promises. That’s reason enough."

  Shilley sighed. "Fine. Let’s hope she didn’t have roommates."

  Rein hesitated for a moment before turning back toward the brothel. "Wait here."

  "Oh? Back inside so soon?" Shilley teased, but Rein ignored her, stepping back through the curtain into the dimly lit interior.

  The madam was still behind the counter, cleaning the same set of glasses as if nothing had changed. She barely looked up as Rein approached.

  "You again," she muttered, setting a glass down with a dull thud. "I already told you, she’s gone."

  "I know," Rein said, keeping his tone measured. "I just need to know where she lived."

  The madam’s gaze sharpened. "Why?"

  "She came to me for help before she disappeared. I made a promise to her. I just want to make sure she’s alright."

  The madam studied him for a long moment, then sighed. "Lenora didn’t have much. Rented a small place on the east side of the colony, near the tannery."

  Rein gave a nod. "Thanks."

  She waved him off, already moving to clean another glass. "Just don’t go knocking on the wrong doors. People around here don’t like strangers asking questions."

  The further they moved toward the east side of the colony, the more the environment changed. The streets grew narrower, the buildings more dilapidated. Many of them were patched together with scavenged materials, corrugated metal sheets, repurposed wooden planks, and stonework crumbling from neglect. The scent of dampness and decay thickened in the air, mixing with the acrid chemical stench wafting from the nearby tannery.

  Fewer people walked these streets, and those who did kept their heads down, moving with purpose. Conversations were sparse, spoken in low voices, if at all. A group of workers huddled around an old-world heating unit, its dim glow casting elongated shadows on the alley walls. The flickering neon sign of a rundown shop buzzed weakly, barely clinging to life.

  "Charming place," Shilley muttered. "Almost feels like home."

  "Your home was a slum?" Luxana asked dryly.

  "A slum would’ve been an upgrade," Shilley said with a smirk, though there was little humor behind it.

  Rein stayed focused ahead, scanning the worn buildings for the one matching the madam’s description. "That’s it," he said finally, nodding toward a narrow, single-story structure wedged between two taller ones. Its front door was slightly off-center, with peeling paint that once might have been blue. A small, shattered window rested beside it, the edges covered by an old cloth.

  They approached cautiously. Rein reached out and pressed his fingers against the door, it didn’t budge. Locked.

  "Figures," he muttered. "We’re not going through the front. Let’s check around back."

  Luxana exhaled. "And if someone sees us?"

  "We don’t look like enforcers. No one here is going to ask questions unless we give them a reason to."

  Shilley was already moving around the side of the building, scanning for another entrance. "I think I see a way in. But it’s not exactly welcoming."

  Rein followed, eyes narrowing as he spotted what she meant, a rusted back door, slightly ajar, swaying gently as if someone had passed through not long ago.

  Something wasn’t right.

  He exchanged a glance with Luxana before stepping forward, reaching for the hilt of his blade out of instinct. "Stay sharp. We’re not alone.

  Rein pushed the door open cautiously, the hinges groaning slightly. Inside, the small home was dim, illuminated only by the faint neon glow filtering in through the torn cloth over the window. The air was still, but something felt... disturbed.

  The room was sparsely furnished, a simple cot pushed against the far wall, a small wooden table with a single chair, and a few belongings scattered about. But something was off.

  Shilley ran a finger along the table’s surface and held it up. "Someone’s been here recently. Dust isn’t settled."

  Rein’s eyes moved across the room, catching small details, a cabinet door left slightly ajar, a half-drunk cup of water on the table, and faint scuff marks near the doorway, as if someone had moved through in a hurry.

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  Luxana knelt beside the cot, pressing her palm lightly against the sheets. "Still faintly warm."

  "Whoever was here didn’t leave long ago," Rein muttered. "And they were looking for something."

  A drawer had been pulled open but not closed, its contents rifled through carelessly, small trinkets, torn pieces of parchment, but nothing that immediately stood out.

  Then, near the foot of the cot, a small folded piece of paper caught his eye. He picked it up and unfolded it carefully. The edges were smudged, the ink slightly smeared, but a single phrase stood out:

  "The faithful seek answers."

  Shilley read over his shoulder and frowned. "That’s vague as hell."

  Rein exhaled, folding the paper back up. "Not if you know who the ‘faithful’ are. The cult is looking for her. They don’t know where she went either."

  Luxana stood, her gaze sweeping the room again. "Which means we might not be the only ones searching for answers tonight."

  Rein exhaled, rubbing his temple. "We need a place to think. Somewhere safe where we won’t be watched."

  Shilley crossed her arms. "You got somewhere in mind?"

  Rein nodded. "My place. It’s not much, but it’ll do for the night. We can figure out our next move there."

  Luxana gave a small nod of approval. "Then we move quietly. No more unnecessary attention."

  With that, they stepped out of Lenora’s home, slipping into the shadows of the colony’s dimly lit streets.

  Rein led them through a series of side streets, avoiding the main roads where Senthos patrols were most active. The colony’s artificial lights flickered overhead, their glow casting elongated shadows as they moved. His place wasn’t far, just on the outskirts of the market district, tucked between an abandoned storage building and what once might have been a repair shop.

  "This is it," Rein said, pushing open the metal door with a faint creak.

  Shilley stepped inside first, taking a quick glance around. "Well, I expected worse."

  The one-room dwelling was small and sparsely furnished, a cot shoved against the wall, a crude workbench cluttered with a mix of weapon parts and salvaged tech, and a small heating unit humming in the corner. A rusted ventilation fan struggled to keep the air moving, and an old-world console sat lifelessly in the corner, its screen cracked and long since useless.

  Luxana stepped in, glancing around. "Minimalist."

  "Functional," Rein corrected, shutting the door behind them.

  Shilley smirked, plopping herself down onto a chair that wobbled under her weight. "Functional is a word for it. Looks like a doomsday bunker with a personality crisis."

  Rein sighed. "It’s safe, and that’s what matters."

  Luxana pulled her cloak tighter around her. "We should talk. We’ve learned more than we expected today, and none of it bodes well."

  Rein nodded, moving to the workbench and leaning against it. "Alright. Let’s go over everything we know."

  Luxana folded her arms. "The cult is searching for Lenora. That means they don’t know where she is either. Maybe they think she knows something important, or maybe they just want to bring her back because she was one of them."

  Shilley leaned back in her chair, balancing it on two legs. "Right, and let’s not forget the little detail that some mysterious travelers have been asking around town about three people. I don’t think it’s a coincidence."

  "No," Rein agreed. "Whether it’s the cult or someone else, we’re drawing attention. That means we need to be careful about every move we make."

  Luxana nodded. "We also can’t ignore the corruption spreading. The signs we saw outside the colony, the way the land itself feels… unnatural. It’s not stopping. It’s getting worse."

  "And if the cult’s ritual actually did something different instead of going exactly as they planned?" Shilley said. "Maybe they don’t even know if it worked or not. Maybe they’re as confused as we are."

  Rein exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "So that leaves us with a few things to consider. First, we need to lay low. If people are looking for us, we can’t just walk around freely anymore. Second, we need to decide what our next move is, are we still looking for answers here, or is it time to leave the colony?"

  Luxana tapped a finger against her arm. "If we stay, we risk being found. But if we leave, we need a real destination, not just wandering aimlessly."

  Shilley sat forward, letting her chair fall back onto all four legs. "I might have an idea about that. There’s someone outside the colony who might know more about the corruption. Not human, though. Fae."

  Rein frowned. "You want to go to the fae for answers?"

  "I want to go to someone who might actually know what the hell is going on." Shilley shrugged. "If the world is breaking, the fae would feel it before most. They might be willing to talk."

  Luxana considered this. "It’s a risk. The fae are unpredictable."

  "And staying here isn’t?" Shilley countered.

  Rein sighed. "So our choices are waiting here until we’re hunted down, or trusting the fae. Great."

  Luxana shook her head. "It may be our best lead. If the corruption is tied to something deeper, then we need insight beyond what humans or cultists can provide."

  Shilley grinned. "Then it’s settled. We head for the Rogue Fae. But first, we rest. We’ll need to be at full strength for what comes next."

  Rein exhaled and glanced at the small stash of supplies he had left. "Before we rest, we need to talk practicalities. Travel isn't just about picking a direction and walking there. We need food, water, and we need to know how far this place is."

  Luxana nodded, ever the pragmatist. "How much money do we have between us?"

  Shilley patted her pouch. "Not much. Enough for a few days' worth of food, maybe. But if we’re leaving the colony, we’ll need a lot more. Traveling supplies don’t come cheap."

  "Then we’ll have to find a way to get more," Rein muttered. "Stealing is out of the question. Getting legitimate work will take time we don’t have. That means bartering, trading, or finding an opportunity."

  Shilley leaned forward. "I can handle some of that, maybe slip into a few games of chance and turn a few credits into more. I’m good at making sure the odds are in my favor."

  Luxana gave her a disapproving look but said nothing.

  Rein considered their options. "We also need to figure out how far this fae place is. If we leave unprepared, we’ll be in trouble before we even get there."

  Luxana pulled her cloak tighter. "I’ve heard of the Rogue Fae, but never traveled to them. If they are where I suspect, it’s at least a few days of travel, maybe more depending on the terrain."

  Shilley smirked. "And you don’t think they'd just let us waltz in, do you?"

  "No. Which is another reason we need to be prepared. The fae aren’t known for welcoming outsiders." Luxana’s tone was serious. "And they have little patience for human foolishness."

  Rein sighed, rubbing his temple. "So, to summarize, our funds are limited, our supplies are short, and we’re heading into unknown territory with no guarantee we’ll be welcomed. Sounds about right."

  Shilley leaned back in her chair, smirking. "Come on, where’s your sense of adventure?"

  Luxana pinched the bridge of her nose. "Before we do anything else, we need to address something important."

  Rein raised a brow. "What now?"

  She gave them both a pointed look. "We stink."

  Shilley laughed, lifting her arm and sniffing exaggeratedly. "Yeah, I’d say we’re ripe."

  "It’s been days since we’ve properly cleaned up," Luxana said. "If we’re traveling out of here, I’d rather not smell like a rotting corpse."

  Rein groaned. "Great. Now we have to schedule bath time?"

  "Yes," Luxana deadpanned. "Unless you want to sleep in your own filth."

  Shilley stretched, grinning. "I’m fine with that. But you two have fun."

  Rein shot her a look. "No, you’re not skipping this. We all take turns."

  Shilley feigned a sigh. "Fine. But I call first dibs. No way I’m washing up in water after you."

  Luxana shook her head. "You can go last. You’re the dirtiest one here."

  "Excuse me?" Shilley clutched her chest in mock offense. "I take pride in my filth."

  Rein ran a hand down his face. "Let’s just get this over with. And for the record, I’m sleeping on the cot. You two can figure out the floor arrangements."

  Shilley grinned. "Guess that means Luxana and I are cuddling."

  Luxana turned away. "I’ll take the farthest corner."

  Shilley smirked. "Suit yourself."""