Much later, when the room had fallen silent, Joe lay awake beside Clara.
He should have been pleased with how the evening had gone. He had gained Clara’s trust, strengthened his position in the investigation, and brought their relationship to a point that would have been difficult to achieve through conversation alone. More importantly, their investigation had finally begun producing useful results.
Yet an uneasiness had settled over him.
A faint pressure gathered behind his eyes.
Author’s Intuition activated.
Joe’s attention sharpened.
There it was again, that strange sensation he had experienced when the story began behaving in ways he couldn’t explain. It wasn’t a vision, exactly. It was closer to the feeling of standing on a path and hearing footsteps approaching from somewhere beyond the bend.
A line of text appeared before his eyes.
Narrative Divergence: 20%.
Joe’s smile vanished.
Twenty percent. The number hadn’t changed since his failed attempt to infiltrate House Vellmore. He had hoped the warning would fade as he learned more about the events unfolding around him.
Instead, his instincts were telling him that another shift was approaching.
He glanced at Clara, who was sleeping peacefully beside him.
The world was filling in details he had never written. Clara’s family history. Maren’s existence. The network surrounding the Vellmore initiative. Those discoveries weren’t necessarily signs that the story was breaking. They could simply be gaps being filled.
His own actions were different.
He had left the tavern alive when he was supposed to die. He had interfered with the plot, changed relationships, and set events moving in directions his original manuscript had never anticipated.
What if the narrative was trying to correct those changes?
And what if every correction created new consequences that forced it to adjust again?
A cycle. One disruption causing another, until neither the original story nor the world that had grown around it resembled what he had written.
Joe rubbed his eyes.
He could still influence events. He could still make plans. But the manuscript in his Author’s Archive ended at Chapter 418, and the world beyond it had never been written.
He had no idea what came next.
The pressure behind his eyes intensified for a moment.
Author’s Intuition: A narrative shift is approaching.
Then the sensation disappeared.
Joe stared into the darkness.
For the first time since arriving in this world, he considered the possibility that the story was doing more than changing around him.
Perhaps his actions were causing the changes. Perhaps the narrative was responding to him.
Either way, he needed to understand what was happening before it became another threat to his survival.
He turned his attention back to Clara.
She had become useful to him in more ways than one. She trusted him, her father had begun accepting his involvement in the investigation, and through the Dale family he had gained access to information he could never have obtained alone.
He had no reason to discard an advantage simply because it came with expectations.
Joe closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, he would continue investigating the Thorn Collective. The narrative could do whatever it pleased in the meantime.
He would adapt.
He always did.
...
[Ren’s POV]
I had a problem.
Actually, I had several, but one of them was beginning to get on my nerves more than the others.
I needed to find Joseph and the Dale sisters, and wandering around Haremdale asking random strangers about them wasn’t exactly a brilliant strategy. The last time I’d tried asking for directions, I’d stumbled straight into the Thorn Collective.
On the bright side, I’d found their leader.
On the less bright side, I still hadn’t achieved anything useful.
Sera Voss.
Even thinking about her made me remember that study, the expensive furniture, and that ridiculously attractive woman sitting by the window with a teacup in her hand. Her black bob was still living rent-free in my head.
More importantly, my System had identified her as a companion candidate before I’d even met her.
New Companion Bond Available.
The notification had been clear. Approach and build trust to establish the bond. Then, during our meeting, another notification had confirmed that she was a candidate.
I hadn’t forgotten either message.
Of course, a candidate wasn’t the same as a completed bond. I understood that much. I would have to earn her cooperation before anything else could happen, and I wasn’t stupid enough to assume that being the hero automatically made every woman fall into my arms. Even though they should, and Sera did not seem like the regular NPC. She reminded me of Clara’s hot sister, Maren.
Besides, I had a more immediate reason to return.
Sera was the leader of the Thorn Collective. If anyone could locate Joseph and the sisters, it was her.
I straightened my clothes before leaving my room and made my way towards the northern district. I had already spent more than two hours travelling to her estate once. At least I knew the route now.
The city was busier than it had been the previous afternoon. Merchants shouted over one another, carts rattled across the uneven roads, and people hurried between shops with the usual determination of people who had things to do and places to be.
I passed through the wealthier streets, where the buildings grew larger and the guards looked increasingly expensive.
Eventually, the familiar golden gates came into view.
The estate was just as ridiculous as I remembered it. Tall walls surrounded the property, and four guards stood at the entrance beneath the crest of thorns wrapped around a bird.
One of them stepped forward when I approached.
"Valiant Traveller. Her Ladyship was not expecting you."
"That’s fine. I was hoping to speak with her anyway."
The guard studied me for a moment before glancing at his companions. Whatever silent conversation passed between them, it ended with him opening the gate.
"Please follow me."
Well, that was convenient.
I followed him inside, through the grand entrance hall and along the corridor lined with paintings. The estate was still impressive, but I had less time to admire it today. I needed information, and I intended to get it.
The guard led me to the same pair of wooden doors as before.
He knocked three times.
"Her Ladyship, the Valiant Traveller has returned."
"Send him in."
I entered.
Sera was seated beside the window again, though this time she wore a dark dress rather than her nightgown. Her black hair framed her face neatly, and a stack of documents rested on the table beside her teacup.
She looked up as I entered.
"Valiant Traveller," she said, setting down her cup. "You seem to have developed a fondness for my estate."
I laughed lightly.
"Can you blame me? It’s a beautiful place."
"Is that why you’ve returned?"
"Not quite."
Her gaze remained on me, calm and attentive. There was something unsettling about the way she watched people. She didn’t seem impressed by my title, nor did she appear particularly concerned about the reputation that had preceded me.
It was as though she were waiting for me to reveal something interesting.
I pulled out the chair opposite her and waited for permission before sitting.
"I was hoping you could help me find two women," I said. "The Dale sisters. Clara and Maren. I’m also looking for the man travelling with them."
Sera’s expression changed only slightly.
"Joseph," she said.
I blinked.
"You know him?"
"I know of him."
That was more than I’d expected.
I leaned forward. "Then you can find them?"
"Most likely."
I nearly grinned. Finally, some progress.
"That’s great. I don’t need their entire life story. I just need to know where they are."
"And what would you do with that information?"
"Speak with them."
"About?"
I hesitated.
How was I supposed to explain that I needed to confront Joseph because he was an NPC who had somehow escaped the role I’d written for him? Telling her that would probably get me thrown out, assuming she didn’t have me locked in a basement first.
"I have some questions for Joseph," I said. "Questions that he hasn’t been particularly willing to answer."
Sera studied me for another moment.
"And the sisters?"
"They’re involved in the same matter."
It wasn’t a complete lie. I just wasn’t interested in explaining the whole situation to a woman I’d met only recently.
Sera lifted her teacup and took a small sip.
"Yes," she said at last. "I can help you find them."
I sat up straighter.
"Really?"
"Did I give you the impression that I was joking?"
"No. No, of course not."
I cleared my throat, trying to recover some dignity.
"Well, I appreciate it. What do you need from me?"
Her lips curved into a faint smile.
"Something in return."
Of course.
Nothing in this world came for free. I’d barely been here long enough to appreciate the scenery, and already I was learning that every favour came with a price.
"All right," I said. "What is it?"
Sera placed her teacup on its saucer.
"One of my couriers has failed to return from a routine delivery. He was carrying a document that should never have left my possession for long, and I would prefer to recover it before the wrong people discover its contents."
I frowned.
"Can’t you send your own people?"
"I could."
"Then why ask me?"
"Because the people I employ are known to me, and to anyone who might be watching my house. You, on the other hand, are an outsider. A man with an unusual reputation who has already demonstrated that he can walk into places without everyone knowing what he intends to do."
I wasn’t sure whether that was a compliment or an insult.
Probably both.
"What exactly am I supposed to do?" I asked.
"Find my courier. Recover the document. Bring both back to me if possible."
"And if the courier is dead?"
"Then bring me the document."
Her answer was so calm that I found myself looking at her more carefully.
She hadn’t raised her voice or threatened me. She didn’t need to. Something about her manner made it clear that she was accustomed to giving instructions and having them followed.
I wasn’t entirely comfortable with that.
Still, this was the Thorn Collective’s leader. If I wanted her help, I couldn’t expect her to hand over information without asking for anything in return.
"Where was he last seen?"
"Near the old counting houses east of the merchant quarter. He was expected to return yesterday evening."
"Do you have a description?"
She gave me his name, his appearance, and the route he had been instructed to take. I listened carefully, repeating the details in my head so I wouldn’t forget anything important.
When she finished, I leaned back in my chair.
"So I find your courier, recover your document, and bring it here. Then you’ll help me locate Joseph and the Dale sisters?"
"If you complete the task, I will give you what information I can."
"What information you can?"
Sera smiled.
"I would rather not promise you something before I know what can be provided."
Fair enough. Annoying, but fair enough.
I stood and adjusted my clothes.
"All right. I’ll find your courier."
"I thought you might agree."
There was that smile again. The one that made it difficult to tell whether she was amused by me or simply pleased that things were unfolding as she’d expected.
As I reached the door, her voice stopped me.
"Traveller."
I turned.
"Yes?"
"Do not assume that everyone you meet in Haremdale is as accommodating as I have been."
I gave her a confident smile.
"I’ll keep that in mind."
Then I stepped into the corridor, and the doors closed behind me. For a moment, I stood still, thinking through the arrangement.
I had come here looking for Joseph and the Dale sisters. Instead, I’d agreed to track down a missing courier for the leader of a secretive organisation.
Somehow, this was becoming a pattern.
Still, Sera had agreed to help me, and the task sounded manageable. If I handled it properly, I might finally get the answers I’d been looking for. And perhaps, in the process, I’d make some progress with my potential companion.
One step at a time.
I headed towards the estate gates, already planning my route to the old counting houses.
For once, I had a lead.
Now I just had to make sure it didn’t turn into another disaster.