MEMELAND

The guards wasted no time.

By the time Kai and Eric arrived at Alice's office, several officials were already waiting.

The large double doors opened.

Kai immediately regretted coming.

Alice was standing on top of her desk.

One foot planted on a pile of paperwork.

One hand pointing dramatically toward the city.

The sunset illuminated her silhouette.

Her cape fluttered despite there being no wind.

"I, the Crimson Queen of Asphyxia, shall—"

Raj kicked the back of her knee.

Alice disappeared behind the desk.

A loud crash followed.

Kai blinked.

Eric blinked.

Neither commented.

Raj sighed.

"Come in."

Alice slowly rose from behind the desk.

Pretending nothing had happened.

"Welcome."

"You saw nothing."

"We saw everything."

"Then forget it."

Kai sat down.

His body immediately thanked him.

The chair felt softer than any bed he had slept on recently.

Alice noticed.

"You look terrible."

"I feel terrible."

"Good."

Kai frowned.

"What?"

"If you looked fine after all that, I'd be worried."

Raj handed Eric a cup of water.

Then handed Kai another.

Kai finished it almost instantly.

Then another.

Then another.

Nobody stopped him.

Finally Alice leaned forward.

"Start talking."

Eric did.

The architect explained everything.

The hidden hatch.

The sewer patrols.

The strange pouches.

The hideout.

The stolen blueprint.

The cultists.

Fais.

The collapse.

Everything.

The room gradually became quieter.

Alice stopped joking.

Raj stopped interrupting.

Even the officials stopped writing.

When Eric finished—

Silence lingered.

Alice rested her chin on her hands.

Thinking.

A habit Kai hadn't noticed before.

"So."

"The cult has a sewer network."

Nobody replied.

"The blueprint is gone."

Nobody replied.

"And the giant bald man is still alive."

Eric nodded.

"Very alive."

Alice sighed.

"I hate hearing those words."

Raj folded her arms.

"What about the sewers?"

Alice looked toward the window.

"The collapse changed everything."

"Sending soldiers blindly underground now would be suicide."

Kai looked down.

Andre's face flashed through his mind.

The smile.

The jokes.

The shouting.

Then the collapse.

Alice noticed immediately.

She always seemed to notice.

For a moment—

The Queen's expression softened.

Only slightly.

"We'll investigate."

Kai looked up.

"But not tonight."

The softness disappeared.

Replaced by authority.

"You."

She pointed directly at Kai.

"Go sleep."

Kai blinked.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I'm fine."

Alice stared.

Raj stared.

Eric stared.

Kai suddenly felt less confident.

Alice pointed at him again.

"You can barely sit upright."

"I'm sitting."

"Barely."

"I've sat before."

"Not convincingly."

Raj nodded.

"She's right."

Kai looked at Eric.

The architect immediately betrayed him.

"She's right."

Kai felt attacked.

Alice smirked.

"Three against one."

"That's not fair."

"Life isn't fair."

"That's a terrible argument."

"And yet I won."

Kai hated that she was technically correct.

Alice walked back to her desk.

Then opened a drawer.

She pulled out a key.

Tossed it.

Kai barely caught it.

"A guest room."

Kai looked at the key.

Then at Alice.

"Why?"

Alice looked genuinely confused.

"Because you're about to collapse."

"Oh."

"Also because if you pass out in the hallway, Raj will make me deal with it."

Raj nodded.

"I absolutely will."

Alice pointed at the door.

"Go."

Kai remained seated.

Alice narrowed her eyes.

"Do I need to have guards carry you?"

Kai stood up immediately.

"No."

"Good."

"That sounds humiliating."

"It was meant to be."

Kai sighed.

Then slowly started toward the door.

Eric followed.

Before leaving, Kai paused.

Just for a moment.

"What if he's still alive?"

The room became quiet.

Nobody needed clarification.

Everyone knew who he meant.

Alice answered first.

"If he is."

Her voice was calm.

"We'll find him."

Kai nodded.

That was enough.

For now.

As the doors closed behind them, Raj looked toward Alice.

"You think he's alive?"

Alice stared out the window.

Toward the city lights.

Toward the darkness beneath them.

Then answered honestly.

"I don't know."

For once—

The Queen had no clever response.

Only uncertainty.

And somewhere below Asphyxia—

The sewers remained silent.