MEMELAND

The fires burned long into the night.

Even after the flames had been extinguished, the smell lingered throughout the eastern district.

Burnt wood.

Ash.

Smoke.

Death.

Kai stood beside the remains of a collapsed warehouse as workers and soldiers cleared debris from the street. The attack had happened hours ago, yet the city remained awake.

Nobody was resting.

Nobody was celebrating.

Everyone was waiting for the next disaster.

---

Beside him, Andre kicked a broken crate.

"What a waste."

Kai glanced at him.

"You suddenly care about warehouses?"

"No."

Andre pointed at a pile of ruined food supplies.

"I care about food."

Kai sighed.

"Of course you do."

A soldier approached and saluted.

"His Majesty requests your presence."

Andre stuffed an apple he found into his pocket.

"See? People like me."

The soldier didn't respond.

The three walked through the busy streets of Yggdrasil.

Even at night the city remained alive.

---

Messengers ran between districts.

Guards hurried toward their assignments.

Citizens whispered among themselves.

Rumors had already spread.

Monster attacks.

Demons.

Cultists.

Sabotage.

Every person seemed to have a different version of the truth.

Eventually they arrived at a temporary command post established near the damaged district.

Akshay stood over a large table covered in maps.

Dozens of reports were scattered around him.

Several officers discussed strategy nearby.

The king looked like he hadn't slept.

Again.

"You two are late."

Andre immediately grabbed another apple from the table.

"We're not employed by you."

Akshay stared at him.

"One day."

"What?"

"One day I'm going to throw you off this mountain."

Andre took a bite of the apple.

"You say that every time we meet."

"Because you keep giving me reasons."

Kai sat down before the argument could continue.

Akshay pointed at the map.

"I've reviewed the attack."

Several locations were marked with red circles.

Warehouses.

Supply depots.

Guard stations.

Storage buildings.

Kai studied the map carefully.

At first it seemed random.

Then he noticed something.

The circles weren't scattered.

They connected.

"They form a route."

Akshay nodded.

"Exactly."

Andre leaned closer.

"So?"

The king rubbed his forehead.

"The attackers weren't targeting buildings."

His finger moved across the map.

"They were clearing a path."

The room grew quiet.

Kai looked again.

Now he could see it.

---

Every location sat along the same corridor through the city.

A route.

A deliberate route.

One leading toward a specific destination.

"Where does it go?" Kai asked.

Akshay pointed toward the oldest district of Yggdrasil.

The section carved directly into the mountain centuries ago.

"The underground."

Even Andre stopped chewing.

The underground.

Everyone knew about it.

Nobody liked talking about it.

Smugglers operated there.

Black market traders.

Assassins.

Mercenaries.

Criminals.

Anything the city couldn't control eventually found its way underground.

Kai immediately thought of Vice.

Akshay folded his arms.

"If the attacks were clearing a route, then whatever they were transporting likely came from there."

"You think someone smuggled something into the city?" Kai asked.

"I think someone wanted access to the city without being noticed."

Andre grinned.

"So we're going underground."

Akshay looked at him.

"We're investigating."

"Same thing."

"No."

"Basically the same thing."

"No."

Andre shrugged.

"Close enough."

The king decided not to argue.

"You two are coming with me."

Kai blinked.

"Personally?"

"I want answers."

Akshay glanced toward the map.

"And I don't trust anyone else with this."

Before Kai could respond, another voice spoke.

"Your Majesty."

Everyone turned.

A military officer had entered the command post.

Tall.

Broad-shouldered.

Clean uniform.

Confident posture.

Several soldiers immediately straightened when they saw him.

The officer saluted.

"Commander Jack."

Akshay nodded.

"Good timing."

Jack approached the table and studied the map.

---

Unlike most officers, he didn't speak immediately.

He simply observed.

Thinking.

Analyzing.

Kai watched him carefully.

Jack seemed calm.

Professional.

The kind of person people naturally trusted.

"You've made progress," Jack said.

"A lead," Akshay replied.

"We're following it tonight."

Jack nodded.

"A wise decision."

His eyes briefly shifted toward Kai and Andre.

Only for a moment.

Then they returned to the map.

"You'll need additional soldiers."

"No."

Akshay shook his head.

"The fewer people who know, the better."

Jack considered that.

Then nodded.

"Fair."

For some reason, Kai couldn't explain it, that answer bothered him.

Not because it sounded suspicious.

Because it sounded genuine.

Jack appeared completely reasonable.

Completely loyal.

Exactly the kind of man a king would trust.

The commander stepped away from the table.

"If you need reinforcements, send word."

"We will."

Jack saluted.

Then left.

The command post resumed its activity almost immediately.

Officers returned to their work.

Messengers continued carrying reports.

Nobody paid much attention to Jack's departure.

Nobody except Kai.

As the commander's figure disappeared into the crowd outside, Kai noticed something.

Just for a second.

A brief expression.

Gone almost instantly.

Disappointment.

It vanished before Kai could be sure.

Maybe he imagined it.

Maybe not.

Akshay rolled up the map.

"We leave in an hour."

Andre grinned.

"Now we're talking."

The king pointed at him.

"No unnecessary fighting."

Andre looked offended.

"What if fighting becomes necessary?"

"Then only a little."

Kai immediately knew that was the wrong thing to say.

Andre's grin somehow became wider.

Far beneath Yggdrasil, hidden beneath stone and shadow, something was already moving.

And for the first time, the king was getting close enough to become a problem.