Raelis strolled through the alley and emerged on the opposite side.
He was looking for one of the local libraries. The security was usually very lax there during night time, so he didn't need to put much effort into his appearance, as the disguise ring handled most of it.
After a few minutes of walking, he arrived in front of the library known as The Hall of Lanterns.
It was as simple as the rest of the libraries in the capital, with only one notable difference: it was open all hours of the day.
Since it's a library frequented by powerful nobles, no one questions a thing, Raelis mused as he quietly swung open the doors and stepped inside.
It was extremely quiet, yet the distant flipping of pages rang out in his ears every now and again.
He approached the reception desk and spotted a lone librarian who didn't even look up from the book he was reading.
The man wore a composed expression, long black hair covering his eyes. Despite that, a single monocle remained visible.
Raelis cleared his throat and tapped on the desk, drawing the librarian's attention.
The librarian turned toward him, lifting the monocle slightly as he gave a small nod.
"How can I help you?" the librarian whispered.
"I'm searching for the violet shard. Do you happen to know where I might be able to find it?" Raelis asked.
The moment he did, the librarian's brow rose. Yet despite that, he maintained his calm demeanor.
"The violet shard?" he repeated, tilting his head. "We haven't seen it in our collection for quite some time. I'm afraid you'll have to check the Lost History section. I believe it might have what you're looking for."
"I see. Thank you," Raelis said, glancing around.
It didn't take long to find the Lost History section, and he soon made his way toward it.
Unlike the others, this section was specifically meant for transactions.
And the violet shard he had mentioned earlier was nothing but a code word the people from this organization used.
Raelis was well-versed in underworld signals. His father had documented their codes, patterns, and even the names of their leaders.
And in this case, he was trying to get in contact with the Black Lotus organization.
They operated as both an assassins' guild and an information network.
A library was a good disguise for their operations, and it clearly worked well considering they had been active for the last five decades.
And their leader... Raelis glanced subtly back at the librarian. Is a very cautious man. He doesn't meet with anyone unless he gauges their intentions first.
The violet shard was a code word for the initiation request. It was a signal used when someone wished to make direct contact with the upper echelon of the Black Lotus.
A simple request to have a chat.
Raelis looked through the bookshelves until he stumbled upon a book that had a single violet fingerprint on its cover.
He carefully took it out, then opened the book. Even though it seemed like a full book, once opened, it revealed a single page.
On it, a single sentence was written.
– C N 52 Red Roof, arrive within 1 hour. –
The "C" stood for Center, and the "N" for North.
He needed to find the 52nd house with a red roof, starting from the center of the capital and heading north.
Raelis decided to follow their protocol, since if he didn't, he'd be dead before he could even leave the city.
Therefore, he ripped the single page out of the book and put it in his pocket.
Raelis then simply walked toward the exit of the library.
He could feel the librarian's gaze lingering on him, but for his own sake, Raelis ignored it as he exited.
After he left, he silently sprinted to the very center of the capital, which wasn't too far away.
And once he finally arrived, he was met with a majestic obsidian statue of the first emperor. He wore a regal robe, and on his shoulder, a single bird-like Mana Beast was perched.
That Mana Beast was none other than the Cinder Phoenix, the being whose bloodline ran through all of the Varekan imperials.
Raelis spent no time admiring it as he navigated north, then swiftly jumped from balcony to balcony and arrived on the roof of a random building.
No one so much as batted an eye, thanks to how silently he moved. Even his presence was barely noticeable unless someone was actively trying to look for him.
He ran across the rooftops, and mere minutes later, he finally saw a single building with a red rooftop.
It seemed freshly painted, and that was indeed the case.
Black Lotus was a special organization, and they had the means to set up such meetings at incredibly short notice.
He made his way down, landing in a deserted alley with a single door in front of him.
Raelis stretched his hand out to knock, but before he could, the door opened, revealing a slim figure in a full black bodysuit.
They wore a swirling black rose mask, seemingly made of glass, with petals delicately twisting outward mid-bloom, revealing only a single eye.
"Come inside," the figure said in a low, distorted voice. "You are limited to one request. Any more, and you must offer something of equal value."
"Understood." Raelis nodded and stepped past the figure, entering the building. It was dark, and he couldn't see much. The longer he remained, the more his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
And after just a few more seconds, he was able to see clearly.
Another figure came into view, sitting on a sofa cross-legged. They had the same outfit as the person who had just let him in, but there was one key difference.
The color of their mask was Blue, not Black.
That alone confirmed their rank. They were someone high up in the Black Lotus. Even his father's notes hadn't uncovered what it took to earn a primary color, but whatever the requirements were, they had to be brutal.
Raelis steadied his breath and moved to sit across from them.
The figure's single pink eye shone through the mask, observing him.
And after just a few more minutes, the Blue-masked figure spoke.