Chương 7: A Thousand Years of Closed Doors

Lio's next stop was a narrow courtyard tucked between two crumbling tenements in Ring three. A group of kids sat there, sprawled across the broken stone steps and overturned crates. There were a total of seven of them, ranging from about eight to thirteen years old. They were all orphans. From the previous loops, Lio knew every single one of them. Though, none of them knew him. He'd never spoken to any of them before the loops started.

These kids had been useful in the early loops, just like Poluo, being his reliable sets of eyes scattered across the city. But after a few centuries, he'd never needed them again. And the creation of Rule 5 had also kept him at a distance. But today, Rule 5 could wait. Lio approached the group and stopped at the edge of the courtyard. The kids noticed him immediately, and the oldest of the group—a girl of about thirteen with dark hair pulled back in a messy knot—stood up and stepped forward.

She crossed her arms over her chest, positioning herself between Lio and the younger kids.

"What do you want?" she asked in a guarded tone.

"I have a job for you," Lio pulled out a handful of silver coins, holding them up where everyone could see.

"I need you to watch for someone." Behind the girl, several kids perked up at the sight of money.

"You guys know about the five main intersections in the market district, right?" Lio asked.

"I need one person at each of them. The remaining two can cover the checkpoints between Ring two and Ring three."

"How long?"

"From now until sunset."

"And what are we watching for?" Lio described the girl to her.

"If you see her," he explained, "don't approach her. Don't talk to her and don't follow her. Just note where she is, which direction she's heading, and find a way to get the word back to me."

"How much do we get?" the girl asked. Lio counted out the coins. Two silver Rels each, which was probably more than most of these kids saw in a month. He held out the total, letting them see the amount. The girl's eyes widened in surprise. Though she caught herself quickly, schooling her expression back into neutrality, Lio had already seen it.

"I'll give you half now," he said.

"The other half when you bring me the information." The girl looked at the coins for a long moment. Then she looked at her group. She turned back to Lio and nodded.

"Deal." Lio handed over the first portion of the payment and watched as the girl distributed it with great efficiency—dividing the coins fairly and assigning positions to each kid. She was a natural leader, Lio mused. He'd almost forgotten that aspect about her. In another life, in another world, she might have been something. But unfortunately, this was Crater City. The kids dispersed quickly, melting into the streets with ease. Within minutes, they'd vanished.

◈◈◈◈ As Lio walked toward the market district, he pulled out one of the waterskins he'd stolen from the merchant earlier, filled with the expensive spring water she'd been hoarding. He uncapped it and drank deeply, the cold and clear liquid soothing the dryness in his throat. He hadn't realized how thirsty he'd been until now. Between the panic at the Union building and the interrogation of William, he'd forgotten to care about his own physical state.

He also fished out one of the loaves of bread from his shirt and tore into it as he walked. It was already going stale—Lio had waited far too long to eat it—but it was still edible. He chewed robotically, barely tasting it, his mind already elsewhere. First, he would go around the third Ring. At the main market, five of the major intersections passed through there. Add the couple hundreds of useful stalls and vendors and it became a place that everybody passed through eventually.

Lio positioned himself at the central fountain, the heart of the market square, where the foot traffic was densest. From here, he could see three of the five intersections simultaneously. He stood and watched. People flowed past him in constant streams. Merchants shouted prices. Customers haggled loudly. Rowdy children darted through the crowds, giggling and laughing. But there was no sign of any blonde hair, nor any gold-ringed eyes. An hour quickly passed. Lio moved on to the second intersection.

This was a district filled with repair shops and equipment stores. Though average people often made their way over to buy the items, the majority of customers were Delvers. This was where they came for repairs, supplies, and last-minute purchases before descents. If girl was preparing to enter Ghenna, this would definitely be on her route. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Lio watched for another hour. And yet, there was still nothing.

Over the course of several hours, the sun rising deeper and deeper into the sky, he continued looking, methodically checking the third, fourth and fifth intersections. By early afternoon, the sun had climbed to its peak and the crowds had swelled to their maximum capacity. And yet, Lio still couldn't find a lead to where the girl could possibly be. This feeling was truly unfamiliar.

The systematic repetition that had defined his existence for a millennium was now useless, something he'd never imagined would happen before. The mid-afternoon brought one of the boys he had hired.

"I couldn't find anything," the boy reported, gasping as he was out of breath from running.

"I've been watching my spot for hours. But… I haven't seen anyone matching that description." Lio nodded and sent him back. About an hour later, another orphan arrived. This time it was a young girl with a long scar on her chin. Her report was just like the previous boy.

"Keep watching," Lio said. She nodded and disappeared back into the crowd. The sun had begun its descent toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the cramped streets. With it, the shade of light changed—it was the golden hour, as people called it. Finally, the pollution in the air was dispersing, as the cleaner and fresher coastal air from a nearby river blew in. Soon, the last of the orphans found him. It was the girl with the dark hair tied back, their leader.

"There's nothing," she said, a tone of frustration evident in her voice.

"We've all been watching our positions since you left. None of us have seen her." Lio looked at her for a long moment. Then he sighed, pulling out the remaining payment of one silver Rel and handed it over. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"But we didn't…we didn't find her."

"You did what I asked," Lio said flatly. The girl hesitated, then took the coins.

"Do you... want us to keep looking?"

"No." She looked like she wanted to ask more questions, but she wasn't going to let go of a chance like this. Quickly pocketing the coins, she left without another word. Lio stood alone as the sun began vanishing beneath the horizon, the buildings lit up with a warm amber light. The girl had vanished into Crater City like smoke.

Sure, Lio could possibly enlist the help of more shadowy, more professional organizations to help find her—like Kingmaker and Rose's Bloom, but doing so would cost him much more than just the couple of Rels he'd gotten from the bar. He turned away, his jaw strained with frustration. A full day wasted! The girl was either a ghost or she'd already left the city. Lio exhaled slowly, letting the tension release from his shoulders. The anger seeped out with it, leaving behind only the familiar numbness.

Either way, standing here wouldn't change anything. He started walking back toward his apartment in the fourth Ring. The sun had nearly set now, painting the cramped buildings in shades of amber and gold. The temperature was dropping too—night came fast in Crater City once the sun disappeared. His mind was already moving to contingencies. Tomorrow, he'd contact Rose's Bloom or Kingmaker. Lio would get the money somehow. Perhaps he would hit another gambling house or retrieve a hidden artifact to sell.

Whatever it took to find the anomaly. Lio turned down the narrow alley that led to his building, his bare feet silent on the cold cobblestones. He'd get changed first and put on his actual Delver gear instead of these sleep clothes. That way, he wouldn't be immediately kicked out if he requested a meeting with someone. Then he'd decide which organization to— He stopped. Someone was sitting right on the steps in front of his building. A girl.

Her strawberry blond hair was pulled back in a messy braid, a few strands escaping to frame her face. The fading sunlight caught in it, turning the edges almost gold. Her frame was thin but graceful, wrapped in the standard Delver uniform—brown and black, just like Lio's—but she'd personalized it with colorful stitching along every seam. Bright blues, greens, and yellows threading through tears and patches like she'd raided a seamstress's scrap bin.

Lio's left hand went to the knife at his waistband automatically, fingers curling around the crude handle. His right hand moved to his [Mach Heart] rune. Yet the girl didn't move. She just sat there with her elbows on her knees, chin propped on her hands. When she saw him notice her, she straightened up and smiled.

"Hi!" she said, waving like they were old friends. Her voice was light and bright—almost musical, like wind chimes or silver bells.

"You're… Lio, right? I heard you were looking for me." Lio stared at her. Like William had described, her eyes truly were stunning. They were a clear, icy blue, and the gold rings around them were even more striking, catching the fading light like coins at the bottom of a clear stream. It was like someone had painted a sunset into her eyes. There was no fear or wariness in those eyes, just an open, friendly curiosity. She tilted her head, still smiling.

"My name's Ophila. Is it true? Were you really searching for me?" Lio's mind was racing, trying to process what he was seeing. She was right here. After a full day of hunting, she'd just... appeared at his apartment. This was beyond just suspicious.

"How did you find this place?" Lio asked, his voice flat.

"Oh!" Ophila jumped up, brushing the dust off her pants.

"I just asked around. Lots of people saw you this morning—you know, walking around barefoot in your sleep clothes. You kind of stood out." She giggled.

"Someone mentioned you lived in the fourth Ring, and then it was just a matter of asking the right questions." She said it so casually, like tracking someone to their home was the most natural thing in the world.

"So, why were you looking for me?" Ophila continued, taking a step closer.

"The kid at the Union said you seemed pretty desperate. William, I think? He was really shaken up." Lio's eyes narrowed. She knew about William. Which meant she'd gone back to the Union Hall.

"You gave him a bottle of alcohol," Lio said.

"I did!" Her face brightened even more.

"He looked like he could use a drink. And he was so helpful too…"

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"Well," Ophila clasped her hands behind her back, rocking slightly on her heels.

"I came to Crater City to find a Delving partner. Someone experienced who knows Ghenna's deeper floors. I'm trying to get to Floor 15, but I've only made it to Floor 7 on my own." She paused, her smile turning slightly rueful.

"Turns out going solo is really dangerous. Who knew?"

"And how did you know who I was? I don't think I told William my name?" Lio pressed. Ophila blinked, then laughed.

"Oh, that's easy! After William mentioned someone was looking for me, I asked around the Union, and one of the clerks knew you."

"So… you went back to the Union," Lio said slowly.

"Asked questions about me and found out where I lived."

"Well, when you put it that way, it does sound suspicious." Ophila's smile didn't waver though.

"But I was just being thorough! You were looking for me, so obviously I wanted to know who you were before just walking up to you." She took another step closer, tilting her head.

"Which brings me to my question—why were you looking for me? William said you seemed really desperate." Her blue-and-gold eyes studied his face intently.

"I'm nobody special."

"And don't lie," she added.

"I've gotten pretty good at spotting liars."