Jana stared at him, surprised by the hostility in his words. But she didn’t answer. Her thoughts were already consumed by another, far more urgent concern—one that left no space to respond to his provocation.

  The room went silent, the tension palpable as everyone waited for Jana's response. Her gaze dropped to the floor, a storm of emotions swirling within her—a mix of anger, shame, and a heavy sense of responsibility. It made too much sense, too many connections falling into place. This event hadn't been in the timeline originally, and she would have never known about it if that aggressive man hadn’t confronted her. Was this an invitation from her brother, Jade? Had he found the orb? Questions flooded her mind, each one more pressing than the last.

  After what felt like an eternity, Jana finally glanced back at the group. She stood up, meeting their eyes, her resolve hardening. Without a word, she pulled her cloak tightly around her, the fabric whispering as she moved. As she pulled her hood up, she dismissed herself, her voice steady but charged with determination. "I will get to the bottom of this."With that, she left the room.

  Jack, gasping for breath as the duke's grip tightened around his throat, managed to choke out a desperate plea. "What would it take... to not die?"

  The duke stood in silence, his eyes cold and calculating. Jack's vision blurred, his breath cutting out entirely as the duke continued to strangle him. In a final, frantic effort, Jack shouted, "I can work for you! I’ll tell you everything about that woman—she’s more than just a guild owner!"

  The duke’s grip only hardened, Jack’s eyes bulging as he fought for air. Just as his vision began to fade, he noticed a figure entering the tavern. Desperately, he pointed toward the entrance, surprising the duke with the sudden movement. But Edmund didn’t loosen his hold.

  With his voice barely a whisper, Jack stammered, "It’s her..."

  Edmund’s grip finally slackened, allowing Jack to suck in a painful breath. As the figure approached the alley, the duke quickly dragged Jack into the shadows, hiding them both in the darkness, praying to go unseen. The figure passed by, oblivious to their presence, and continued on their way. Once she was gone, the duke sighed with relief, finally uncovering Jack's mouth.

  Jack collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air, his body trembling from the close brush with death. The duke stood over him, his expression inscrutable. Jack lay there, staring up at the sky, his chest heaving. But his moment of relief was short-lived as the duke’s shadow loomed over him, blocking his view of the stars.

  "Get up," the duke commanded coldly.

  Jack struggled to his feet, still shaken. "Where are we going?" he asked cautiously, his voice hoarse.

  "You wouldn’t want to talk here, would you?" the duke replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.

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  Jack collected himself, straightened his clothes, and followed the duke into the night, unsure of what awaited him. Part of him followed because he saw it as an opportunity to be useful again, to prove his worth, especially since he felt Jana had relegated him to the background with the arrival of her mysterious new friends. Another part followed out of a twisted sense of loyalty, fueled by other feelings. If he survived, he would have something valuable to report back to Jana, and perhaps even manipulate the duke for her benefit, proving how indispensable he could be.

  Deep down, Jack knew that despite the duke's cruelty, he was no ordinary noble. Edmund was one of the few who genuinely cared about his people. The taxes in his duchy were the lowest in the Valtorian kingdom, and his rule was known for its fairness. Perhaps, just perhaps, becoming an asset to the duke wouldn't be the worst fate, especially if it somehow allowed him to stay close to Jana and be useful to her again.

  As they walked through the dark streets, Jack’s mind raced. He was caught between fear and a strange sense of hope. He was still alive, and for now, that was all that mattered.

  By the time Jana emerged from the tavern, Duke Edmund and Jack were already gone. She moved quickly, making her way to one of the Foreseer establishments. Jana had always been careful to keep her businesses separate, and very few people knew she was in charge of all of them. Among the timekeepers, only Elowen and Agent Leon were aware, and as for the people of this era, only Jack knew that she was also the Foreseer.

  This time, her destination was a library, one of the many fronts she used. Once inside, she approached the librarian—a place where information gathered by the Foreseers that wasn’t stored in the bracelet was archived. She moved closer to the elderly librarian and asked to see the "Book of All Knowledge," the secret code used in this particular place.

  Entering the private section as if she were just another customer, Jana kept her cloak wrapped around her until she was alone with the Foreseer who knew her true identity. Upon seeing Jana, Elena, the timekeeper and the Foreseer of this palce, removed her veil and greeted her with a warm smile. "What do I owe the pleasure, Jana?"

  Jana winced slightly as she sat down, using her right hand for support on her left side. "Have you heard of any illegal auction taking place soon?"

  Elena stood up, her expression thoughtful. "Well, let me see... Do you have anything else that might help me narrow it down?"

  Jana shook her head. "No, that's all I have."

  Elena nodded in understanding, putting on her veil before stepping out of the room. The archives were hidden beneath the library, as they couldn’t store everything on the bracelet—there simply wasn’t enough space. Normally, they would store such information in a cloud, but without the orb, that wasn’t possible.

  Jana wanted to follow Elena but decided against it, trying to avoid exerting herself too much so she could heal faster. She would only move when necessary.

  After some time, Elena returned with a stack of papers in hand. She sat down, unveiling herself once more. "Well, Jana, you're in luck. There is indeed an auction happening next week... in the coliseum."

  Jana's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "In the coliseum? Out in the open?"

  Elena glanced at the papers again and nodded. "Yes, but there's a catch. It's not in the main arena; it's below, where the beasts were once caged and the gladiators prepared. Nowadays, they use it as an underground gambling house."

  Jana raised an eyebrow. "A casino?"

  Elena nodded. "Indeed.

  Entrances and exits?" Jana asked.

  "There's only a singular entrance, no back doors, and it will be heavily guarded," Elena replied.

  "What's the security level?" Jana asked.

  "Highly restrictive," Elena replied.

  Jana frowned, processing the information. An auction of that scale, in such a confined and secure location, was more dangerous than she had anticipated. But at least now she had a lead.