Serika Vahn knew the narrow alley behind the inn "Linden Branch." A thin passage between stone walls. Morning sunlight didn't reach here—the space remained dim. The smell of dry moss hung in the air. A clothesline stretched diagonally overhead, and the remnants of yesterday's rain pooled thinly in the gaps between flagstones. Serika waited at the alley's entrance for the inn's door to open. Stark Blitz woke early. He'd spent the night confined to his room, though whether he'd actually slept remained unclear. His deep crimson eyes were faintly bloodshot. He kept his head low, black hair streaked with red, passing through the corridor without meeting anyone's gaze—and then he saw it. Purple hair at the alley's entrance. One eye gold, one eye silver. A serpent tattoo along her neck. "[gentle]Good morning, Stark," Her voice was calm. Something close to sympathy threaded through it. Stark stopped. He still hadn't made sense of what this woman had said in front of the research tower l