Vivienne had done her best to find something suitable for her new charge to wear, but the endeavor roving more frustrating than she’d anticipated. Most of the servants were, at the very least, uled by Renzia’s presence, which made any iion slow and awkward. After a string of half-hearted refusals and polite excuses, Rava had taken it upon herself to search for apparel elsewhere, leaving Vivienne and Renzia alone in her quarters.

  The mannequin stood he window, her frame unnaturally still as she gazed out at the gardens below. The se beyond was serene, a stark trast to the straension that lingered in the room. Vivienne leaned ba her chair, one leg crossed over the other, her fiapping an irregur rhythm against the armrest as she kept an eye on her charge.

  Her thoughts wandered, but not in a f way. The hunger was starting to gnaw at her, a familiar yet unwele ache that coiled i of her being. The fight with the Nexus Arbiter had left her drained—running on fumes, or whatever her equivalent was. Her patience was wearing thin.

  When a knock came at the door, Vivienne perked up, a mischievous glint fshing in her eyes. Finally, something to break the monotony. And if it meant sg whoever was unfortunate enough to knock, all the better.

  She swung the door open with perhaps a bit too muthusiasm, her smile sharp enough to ule a stoanding oher side was Narek, looking signifitly less disheveled tha time she’d seen him. He clutched a few rolls of part in his hands, his expression shifting briefly to unease as her gaze settled on him.

  “Rava’s ht now,” Vivienne said, her smile not quite softening as intended. Judging by the way iffened, it hadn’t e across as particurly friendly.

  Not that it mattered. She caught a faint wisp of fear aether drifting her way, and she it, the taste bright and fleeting, like the first drop of rain in a drought.

  “I’m actually looking for you,” Narek said, his voice steady but guarded. The admission caught Vivienne off guard, though she masked her surprise with a pyful tilt of her head.

  “Oh?” she replied, her cwed hand rising to rest against her cheek. “What could little ol’ me possibly do for you?”

  Narek sighed, his posure faltering for just a moment. “I have an issue, and your… ualents might be more useful than the few guards I spare to assign to it.”

  Vivienne arched an eyebrow, intrigued despite herself. “Go on,” she said, stepping aside to let him in.

  That sounds like a fantastic setup for intrigue and character development! Here's a tinuation:

  epped into the room, gng uneasily at Renzia, who remained motionless by the window. His voice was low as he began. “This isn’t something I’d normally bring to you, but I believe your particur talents might help uhe truth.”

  Vivienne crossed her arms, her smirk fading into a serious expression. “You’ve got my attention. What’s the issue?”

  He hesitated for a moment, then tinued. “There’s reason to believe that Lady Ravanyr’s capture wasn’t just a matter of bad timing. Someone—possibly from one of the Serkoth protectorate families—may have passed along information about her movements to Kaelen’s work of informants.”

  Vivienne’s eyes narrowed, her posture shifting. “A mole? In your own nds? That’s quite the accusation.”

  Narek sighed, rubbing his temple. “It’s more than just suspi. Rava’s departure was sudden, yes, but it was also urict fidence. Only a handful of people knew. A, Kaelen’s forces kly where to strike. It doesn’t add up.”

  “And you wao root out the leak,” Vivienne said, her voice thoughtful. “Why me? Surely you have your own spies.”

  “This requires... discretion. Our own people are too closely tied to the families—too many eyes, too many loyalties. You, oher hand, are an outsider, but as far as has been demonstrated, you seem loyal to Ravanyr at least. Also, your methods are... unventional.” He g Renzia again, visibly uneasy. “And effective.”

  Vivienne chuckled dryly. “Fttery will get you everywhere, darling. But you’re askio poke around ih’s inner circles. I imagine Rava might have a thing or two to say about that.”

  Narek’s jaw tightened. “Rava trusts you, whether she admits it ht or not. And if this mole exists, they’re a dao her and to the . We ’t afford to let this go unanswered.”

  Vivieapped a cwed finger against her cheek, sidering. “All right. I’ll take a look. But if I’m doing this, I need full access. No half-truths, no stonewalling.”

  “Fine,” Narek said. “Start with the ret reports we’ve intercepted. They suggest someone from the Veiss family—one of the more promi bloodlines—may have ties to Kaelen’s work. But tread carefully. If the leak senses we’re onto them, they’ll vanish.”

  “Veiss family,” Vivienne murmured, filing the name away. “Got it. And don’t worry, I’ll be the soul of subtlety.”

  She turo Renzia, who had been silently watg them with her unblinking gaze. “Looks like you’re ing with me, sweetheart. Time to see how well you handle sneaking around.”

  Renzia tilted her head, I will follow, Mistress, she wrote oe, her stiff, deliberate handwriting trasting with the fluid elegance of her movements.

  Vivienne smirked at the mannequin before turnitention back to Narek. “Also, I should make ohing very clear—I’m not doing this for free.”

  Narek blinked, his brow furrowing as if the words had physically struck him. “Pardon?”

  “o look so sdalized,” Vivienne said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’m not asking for the treasury or anything. Just enough for the essentials— clothes for my dear Renzia here, the occasional indulgence like a meal for a friend, maybe a few other odds and ends. You know, basic operational costs.”

  Narek’s frown deepened. “This isn’t a merary arra, Vivienne.”

  “No,” she replied, leaning casually against the doorframe, her smirk widening. “But it’s also not charity. You came to me because I do what your people ’t—or won’t. If you was, you i in them. Simple as that.”

  He hesitated, weighing her words, then exhaled sharply. “Fine. I’ll allocate a discretionary fund for your... ‘expenses.’ Within reason.”

  “Within reason,” Vivienne echoed, her toeasing. “Don’t worry, darling. I’m not pnning to bankrupt you. I’m far more useful than expensive.”

  Renzia’s ste appeared again, clothes? she wrote, her head tilting slightly further.

  “Of course,” Vivienne replied without missing a beat, gng at Renzia. “You ’t go around looking like something dragged out of a hautic. First impressions matter, and we’re about to mih some very uptight, well-dressed people.”

  Narek shook his head, muttering something under his breath about etric allies, but he gestured toward the door. “The reports are in my office. You review them there. I’ll arrange for your... operational needs.”

  Vivienne gave a mock boleasure doing business with you.”

  As Narek exited, leaving them alone in the room, Vivieuro Renzia, her lips curling into a spiratorial grin. “Looks like we’re going shopping ter. But first, let’s find out which lovely aristocrat thinks they py both sides.”

  Renzia, ever posed, raised her ste and began writing. Wheur around, the letters read, Do we elimihem?

  Vivieilted her head, the pyful glint in her eyes fading as the weight of the questioled in. “Have you been made to kill before?” she asked carefully, her tone softer now.

  Renzia’s movements were slow and deliberate as she wrote her reply. Sometimes past-mistress made me make people not breathe anymore.

  Vivienne’s brow furrowed deeply, her earlier smirk repced with an expression of uneasy . She reached out, gently pg a cwed hand on Renzia’s shoulder. “That must have been... difficult.”

  The mannequin’s head tilted slightly, the motion almost childlike in its curiosity. I do not know. I did not feel then. I only obeyed.

  Vivienne’s grip on Renzia’s shoulder tightened slightly, more for her own reassurahan anything else. “Well, let me make ohing clear: you’re with me now, and we’re going to do things differently. I’ll decide how we hahis, and I’ll make sure it’s dohe right way. Uood?”

  Renzia wrote oe again, her script appearing quickly. I will follow, Mistress.

  Vivienne sighed, releasing her grip and leaning back. “We’re going to have to work on that ‘Mistress’ thing, but for now, let’s keep moving.”

  Vivieioned for Renzia to follow, her footsteps eg lightly ione corridor as they made their way toward Narek's office. Her mind ed as she pieced together the implications of a mole withih nds. If someone had betrayed Rava, their treachery likely went deeper than a si. Feeding information to the Aegis Snty was no small matter—it endangered not just Rava, but the bance of power iire region.

  Renzia followed silently, her wooden joints moving with a mix of fluidity and the faint creak of age. She seemed uurbed by the tension in Vivienne’s stride, though her head occasionally tilted toward the tall windows lining the hall, her bnk face catg faint slivers of light.

  By the time they reached the main hall outside Narek's office, the lekine schor had already arranged a colle of parts, maps, and sealed letters across a long wooden table. He looked up as they entered, clearly anticipating their arrival.

  “Find anything ii?” Vivienne asked, her tone breezy, though her sharp eyes flitted across the cluttered table, taking in the markings and notes.

  “These,” Narek begauring to the dots, “are reports of unusual movements and intercepted messages. We suspect the leak es from one of the lesser families. Likely someoruggling financially—a prime target for the Aegis Snty’s manipution. Their agents thrive on exploiting desperation.”

  Vivieepped closer, pig up one of the worn parts and holding it at arm’s length like a critic examining a dubious painting. She squi the text, written in a but indecipherable script. “I see,” she said, nodding as she pced it ba the table.

  “If there’s a mole withih nds, particurly within a family like the Kelyths, we need proof. Ag without it could destabilize more than just this region.”

  Vivieepped closer to the table, gng at the maps and dots id out before her. “Right. So where do we start? Send someoo snoop around? Maybe crack a few heads?”

  Narek sighed. “No. Subtlety is required. This isn’t a battlefield where brute force or intimidation will suffice. We o uncover hard evideters, intercepted messages, anything that ties them to the Aegis Snty.”

  Vivienne smirked. “Subtlety? You do realize who you’re talking tht?”

  “I do,” he said, his tone pointed. “And that’s why I’m asking you to try.”

  Renzia, standing silently at Vivienne’s side, raised her ste and began writing. When she held it up, the words read: What if they discover us? Do we make them stop breathing?

  Vivie out a small ugh, shaking her head. “No, Renzia. We’re not in the business of murder. Not today, anyway.” She ruffled the mannequin’s wooden hair gently. “We’re just going to snoop around and see what we find. Think of it as... a game.”

  Renzia tilted her head, her crimson hair catg the light. I will follow, Mistress.

  Vivienne grihough it held a sharper edge. “Good. Let’s see how much trouble we get into without breaking anything. Yet.”

  Narek watched the exge, his expression thoughtful but wary. “Be careful. If the Kelyths are indeed feeding information to the Snty, they’ll likely be expeg retaliation. Don’t uimate them.”

  Vivienne gave him a mock salute. “Don’t worry, boss. I’ll py nice. For now.”

  “I’m sure.” Narek said, his voice ced with skepticism as he eyed Vivienne. He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a small sack of . “This should do for your… operation costs, and a little bonus, as promised.”

  Vivienne’s lips curled into a faint smile as she grabbed the pouch, weighing it in her hand. She could already tell it was more than enough to cover her needs for the task at hand, and then some. The hunger gnawing at her would have to be sated with a little more fier. “I have so much to learn,” she said with a mock sigh, flig the sack of s with her fingers. “Speaking of which, tell me what you about the first target.”

  Narek sighed, running a hand through his hair, clearly torween frustration and resignation. He gestured to the papers on his desk, scattered and open to pages Vivienne couldn’t decipher. “The first target is a lower-tier member of the Kelyth family, a financier named Lysandro Kelyth. His ats don’t add up, and he’s been known to frequent Aegis-affiliated establishments. He’s not in the inner circle, but he has es. We suspect he’s been funneling information to Aegis, helping them gain leverage over us.”

  Vivienne raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a calg smile. “Sounds like the type to hide behind a wall of money and influence. Any ots I should know about?”

  Narek leaned ba his chair, tapping his fingers on the edge of the desk. “Lysandro is a coward at heart. He’s terrified of being exposed, which makes him predictable. He’s also proo… excess. He frequents the underground clubs ih’s capital, where they indulge in gambling and illicit dealings. It's the perfect panipute him.”

  Vivienne’s eyes narrowed with i. “Underground clubs, huh?” She g Renzia, her mind already turning over the possibilities. “Sounds like just the sort of pce to find something iing... and useful.”

  Narek looked at her with a mixture of caution and curiosity. “Are you sure you’re ready for that? The people you’ll be dealing with there won’t hesitate to make things ugly.”

  Vivienne shrugged, the fai hint of a smirk on her lips. “Ugly? I’ve seen ugly.” She g Renzia, whose eerie stillness was oddly reassuring in this moment. “I’m sure I’ll fit right in.”

  udied her for a moment, then nodded relutly. “Just don’t uimate the danger. Lysandro is dangerous in his own way. If Aegis is involved, there’s more at py here than you might realize.”

  “I’m not uimating anything,” Vivienne replied, her voice low and smooth. “But I’ll make sure he uimates me.” She turo Renzia. “We’re heading to the city then. It’s time for a little fun and games.”

  Renzia’s ste flicked up again. I will stay hidden.

  Vivienne gave a sharp nod, her expression being focused as she turned back to Narek. “Anything else I should know about Lysandro?”

  Narek hesitated, clearly weighing his words. “He’s… a creature of habit. Always does the same rounds, follows the same schedule. Every evening, he retreats to a private room at the Bck Veil—a high-end, exclusive club here ih. It’s notorious for catering to a certain kind of tele. He spends hours there, gambling and indulging in excess. His patterns are predictable, and that’s something we use against him.” He pointed out the location on the map spread across the table.

  Vivienne’s lips curled into a sly smile. “A creature of habit.” She looked back at Renzia, whose expression remained as passive as ever. “We’ll get close to him, get him talking, find out what he’s hiding. He won’t eve ing.”

  Narek seemed to sider her words for a moment before speaking again. “There’s one more thing... his family’s debts. The Kelyths are in serious financial trouble. If they’re not careful, they’ll be exposed as frauds. Lysandro’s been hiding it, but the pressure’s mounting. If you find a way to use that—make him think his own family might turn on him—it could break him.”

  Vivienne’s eyes gleamed with i. “A man with a lot to lose? That’s eveer. Shame, desperation, and especially the delicious emotion of fear—they all make the best ons. I work with that.”

  Narek’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, a little unease creeping into his expression. “Indeed.” He cleared his throat, though his voice faltered slightly as he spoke again. “Just remember... he’s not the only oh a lot to lose. Be careful how far you push him. If the Kelyths fall, it could drag others down with them.”

  Vivienne gave him a nod, though it was a slow one, as if sav something he didn’t quite uand. “Don’t worry, Narek. I know what I’m doing. I won’t let this get out of hand.”

  He didn’t seem vinced. “I hope so,” he muttered under his breath as she turo leave. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again, his tone quieter this time. “I hope so.”

  "What does he look like?” Vivienne asked, her tone casual but her crimson eyes gleaming with curiosity.

  Narek didn’t gnce up from the part he was anizing, but his answer recise. “He’s shorter than the average lekine. Long bck hair, usually tied back. Slim build—not particurly strong, but not frail either. Most would say he hovers somewhere between handsome and pretty, depending on who you ask.”

  Vivienne’s lips curved into a sly griourning teasing. “And if I ask you?”

  That made Narek pause. He lifted his gaze, giving her a deadpan look that radiated the same exasperation his sister often dispyed. “I’d say I’m too busy dealing with traitors and Snty scheming to waste my thoughts on frivolous things like that.”

  Vivie out a soft chuckle, clearly amused by his rea. “Ah, the stoitellectual type. Very practical.” She leaned forward slightly, her grin widening. “But e on, you’ve never once looked at him and thought, ‘Not bad’? Or even ‘What’s he hiding under all that hair’?”

  Narek sighed, ping the bridge of his nose. “I don’t have time for suonsense.”

  “Uh-huh,” Vivienne replied, unvinced but clearly eained. “You know, you and Rava share that same world-weary ‘I’m above this’ attitude. Makes me wonder what you’d both be like at a party.”

  Narek didn’t dignify that with a response, instead returning his attention to the part in front of him, his movements pointedly deliberate. Vivienne, however, tio watch him with a grin, enjoying the subtle cracks in his posed demeanor.

  “You are impossible!” He hissed.

  Vivienne only grinned wider, showing a generous glimpse of her toothy maw. “Just like your sister.”

  “I guess I better get to work.” The air around her felt like a charged storm as she stepped out of his office, Renzia trailing behind her in that same uling stillness. She had her target, and the pieces were already falling into pce.

  The Bck Veil was their destination, the perfect pce for a predator like herself to make her mark. She was already thinking of the ways she’d worm into Lysandro’s mind, how she’d twist his fears as to her advantage. He would break, just like all the others. It would be simple. . And she wouldn’t even have to get her hands dirty.

  But as she walked away, a small voice whispered in the back of Narek’s mind. Was this really the right choice?

  His eyes drifted to the maps as on his desk, to the half-fotten threads of spiraraveling around him. He had asked Vivieo hahis—he had asked a predator, a creature of nightmares, to navigate a game of deceit and fear. What had he done?

  A soft exhale escaped his lips as he sat ba his chair, rubbing his eyes. He knew what Vivienne was. He knew what she could do. But in that moment, it became abundantly clear just how much she thrived on manipution, on breaking the wills of others, on bending their very souls to her whim.

  As Narek watched Vivienne disappear down the hall, a quiet regret settled i of his stomach. He had sent her—his moo dismantle Lysandro Kelyth. But the real question remained: What would be left of him, of everyone around him, after Vivienne was finished?

  His gaze hardened, but the unease didn’t fade. He didn’t know whether he had made the right call, or whether he’d just sealed a much darker fate for all of them.

  SupernovaSymphony