"If you've reached this point, keep moving.
"Walk south along the river toward the Low Ward and don't rush. Tie the blue cloth around your left arm where it can be clearly seen, and put on the beret with the peacock feather. Don't adjust it once it's on.
"When you reach warehouse 34A, stop and wait in front of it. Stand where you can see the river and the street at the sa ti. Don't lean on the wall, and don't pace.
"A carriage will approach you. The driver will speak to you first. "Rember the twin moons."
Lebu followed the instructions exactly as they were written.
He walked south along the Anumay toward the Low Ward at an unhurried pace, forcing him to blend in with the flow of people even as his mind raced.
When he reached a quiet stretch of the riverfront, he tied the blue cloth around his left arm and slipped the beret on his head, adjusting it once before leaving it alone.
With every step he took, his nerves couldn't help but involuntarily tighten.
The tradecraft was clean. It carried the unmistakable mark of soone who knew what they were doing and had planned for every outco, including the worst one. The realization made his heart churn all over again.
He stopped in front of warehouse 34A and stood still. His posture was relaxed, like just another man waiting for soone who might never arrive.
A few minutes later, a plain carriage rolled up along the river road and slowed to a stop near warehouse 34A.
The driver sat stiffly on the bench, reins loose in his hands. He glanced at Lebu, his gaze lingering on the blue cloth tied around his arm and the peacock feather on the beret.
For a mont, he said nothing.
Then, he cleared his throat and spoke in an awkward tone:
"Selene and Luna look beautiful tonight, ain't they?"
Lebu's pupils constricted.
"They do," he said with a nod.
He stepped into the carriage and instinctively tensed when he saw soone already inside. For a split second, his hand hovered near his concealed weapon.
But then… he froze.
The figure across from him had the sa build, the sa height, and the sa ginger hair.
Realization dawned on him all at once, and he couldn't help but subconsciously gulp.
"You…" Before Lebu could utter another word, the figure hurriedly waved his hands.
"I was instructed not to talk to you. Just… please hand over the blue cloth and the beret," he said in a panic. "And also give the clothes you're wearing."
Lebu couldn't help but study the stranger for a mont. He could see hints of fear in the man's eyes.
Could Kenny have coerced him into doing this? He wondered.
Without hesitating a mont longer, he handed over the cloth and the beret. Then, he swapped clothes with the man.
The carriage moved forward speedily, cutting through Trade Ward first, then plunging into the heat and noise of Forge Ward, before looping back again into the bustling streets of Trade Ward as if it were following no clear route at all.
Lebu stayed silent, feeling the turns and stops stack up in his mind, knowing this wasn't about speed but deception, about making sure no one could trace where he'd actually gone.
Without warning, the carriage ca to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road. The figure across from Lebu imdiately reached down, lifted a concealed hatch on the floor, and jerked his chin downward without a word.
Lebu looked through the opening and saw a manhole entrance directly beneath the carriage, already exposed. He understood instantly. He t the figure's gaze, gave a light nod, and dropped through the hatch and into the darkness below.
The carriage paused for only a couple of seconds longer. Then it rolled on, leaving no sign that Lebu had ever been inside.
***
"Once you're inside, head east and stay to the left side of the tunnel. You'll see white chalk arrows marked low on the walls, close to the waterline. Follow those and ignore everything else.
"If you co to a split with no markings, take the narrower passage and keep going until you see the next arrow.
"Don't rush and don't linger. If you hear voices above or feel vibrations from traffic, stop and wait until it passes.
"The arrows will lead you out."
Lebu moved through the sewer tunnels exactly as instructed, following the chalk arrows Kenny had left behind.
The tunnels twisted and branched, but the markings never failed him, and with each turn, he felt relief and a tightening ache in his heart at how carefully all of this had been planned.
Nearly half an hour later, he pushed up a heavy manhole cover and erged quietly into the open air. He found himself at the border between Trade Ward and Low Ward, the sounds of comrce fading into sothing quieter and more destitute.
Lebu stepped out, replaced the cover, and blended into the street, carrying Kenny's last trail with him.
"The dirt and stench from the sewers clinging to your clothes will work in your favor here. Don't clean yourself up. It'll help you blend in with the people of the Low Ward, and no one will look twice at you.
"Walk further south along the river and keep your pace steady. When you reach the third workhouse with a collapsed awning, go around to the rear wall. Near the base, you'll find a loose stone marked with a shallow scratch shaped like a crescent.
"Push the stone and turn it clockwise.
"That's where I've left behind everything."
As usual, Lebu followed the instructions to the letter. His nerves stayed taut the entire ti, a mix of dread and anticipation gripping his heart. Because every step brought him closer to whatever truth Kenny had died to uncover.
When he reached the third warehouse with the collapsed awning, he moved around to the back. On the way, he noticed an elderly holess beggar squatting near the corner, wrapped in ragged clothes, his appearance dirty and miserable, and an empty bowl set in front of him.
"Spare a copper, lad? Haven't eaten since yesterday." The beggar looked up at Lebu and displayed a fawning smile.
Lebu grabbed a handful of coins from within his inner robe and tossed them into the bowl, not even bothering to look. He then circled to the back of the workhouse, found the marked stone, and did exactly as instructed.
The compartnt opened with a soft click, and when Lebu glanced at what lay inside, he sucked in a shaky breath.
"Inside, I've copied all the evidence I managed to get my hands on. I checked everything more than once. You taught better than to trust anything that couldn't stand up to scrutiny. Rest assured, they're all legitimate.
"I don't know how this will end, or who will be standing by the ti the truth cos out. But I know you'll know what to do with this far better than I ever could. That's why I made sure it reached you, no matter what happened to .
"Thank you… for everything.
"For pulling out of the jungles. For helping avenge my family. For treating like I mattered, even when you pretended not to. I wouldn't have made it this far without you, and I don't regret a single step I took on this path.
"If this is goodbye, then I'm at peace with it.
"I hope this helps the Preservationists set right the wrongs done by the traitorous factions.
"With this, revenge will arrive slowly…
"Like twilight."
Lebu pushed his way through the crowded streets of Low Ward. He had finally secured the evidence.
People cursed as he brushed past them, but he did not care. He did not slow down.
Tears slipped free despite his control, trailing behind him like crystal drops, scattering in the air like sothing fragile and fleeting.
Far behind him, at the corner of the workhouse, the beggar happily counted the coins in his bowl.
A mont later, he raised his head and glanced at Lebu's departing back with a mischievous smirk.
And then…
He laughed.
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