Chapter 27: No Such Thing as Simple Work (Mistakes Fixed)
"So where are we headed?" Corven asked, eager to earn some coin and shake off the tension still lingering from earlier.
"We’re heading topside," Irsted replied with an easy grin, adjusting the strap of his greatsword. "Client’s waiting there. Let’s not waste time, shall we?"
"Right up my alley," Corven said with a smirk.
And with that, the four of them set off.
They retraced Rose and Corven’s earlier path—moving through the narrow streets of Underzen, then up the winding staircase that led back to the surface. The steps were steep, and the further they ascended, the more musty the air became, like old parchment and rusted metal. Finally, they emerged into the open night air.
Cool wind greeted them. The sky above stretched wide and ink-dark, stars scattered like shattered diamonds across velvet.
"Quite odd, huh?" Irsted chuckled as he glanced between the two vampires. "You just got down there... and now you’re already back up."
"It’s fine," Corven said, rolling his shoulders. "We barely explored Underzen anyway."
"Nice to hear," Irsted replied, his voice light but with a trace of something unreadable behind it.
They kept walking, boots tapping against uneven stone roads.
The city above was eerily quiet. Only a few flickering lanterns lit their path, casting long, thin shadows that danced across the walls. The silence was thick—unnatural even. Not a tavern in sight. No idle chatter. Just the occasional flap of wings in the distance and the rustle of the cold night breeze.
"Is it always this empty? Even with the night still being young?" Rose asked, glancing around at the desolate streets.