Corin woke up early. Much too early. Years in the slums had trained his body to get up before the first light of dawn, ready to fight his way through the day. But here... everything was different.
He was lying on a mattress that was softer than anything he had ever slept on. The blanket was heavy and warm, the room large and elegant. High windows let the morning light fall across the floor in golden streaks. He hadn't slept this well in a long time. The first time in a long time without dreams.
A strange feeling.
His gaze wandered. The dark wooden floor shone immaculately, heavy curtains in dark red framed the window. A painting hung on the wall, a woman in a long black dress, a rose in her hand, her gaze both stern and gentle.
He slowly straightened up. His hand ran over the fabric of the blanket, as if he had to convince himself that he wasn't dreaming. The packet was still lying next to him.
Hopefully he would get some answers today.
Then his eyes fell on the clothes that had been laid out for him.
A shirt. A pair of dark trousers. A tie. A suit vest...
He grimaced.
Getting dressed took longer than he would admit. The shirt was unusually tight, the collar felt strange around his neck. The tie, he had no idea how to tie such a thing. In the end, he just let it hang open.
The shoes were polished, but heavier than his old boots. He felt... strange. Not like himself.
As he wandered through the halls of the mansion, he couldn't help but look around.
The walls were adorned with huge paintings, scenes from times long past. Fights, roaring balls, old portraits. Some faces seemed familiar to him, others strange.
One showed a man in a dark cloak, a sword at his side, a shadow behind him that almost seemed to be moving. Another showed a woman with bright pink eyes. A family member? An ancestor of Viviana's? Probably not. Instead of Vivianas golden like hair, the woman had this almost crystal like white hair color.
The air smelled of old books and polished wood.
He was so engrossed in the pictures that he almost missed the soft clearing of his throat.
"The gentleman is expected."
Corin turned around.
A servant stood a few steps away, neatly dressed, with an expressionless face.
"In the garden. The lady is waiting for you."
Corin blinked. It took him a moment to realize that "the lady" probably meant Viviana.
He just nodded and followed the servant.
The garden was huge. A mixture of tamed beauty and wild nature. Dark green foliage, manicured paths, a fountain in the middle.
And there, under a white pavilion, sat Viviana.
Her black dress clung to her silhouette, long leather gloves wrapped around her fingers, black stockings were visible under the fabric. She sat with a natural elegance, a teapot in her hand, her sparkling pink eyes standing out against the morning sunlight.
The most beautiful woman he had ever seen. But she certainly knew that herself.
"Ah, there you are at last."
She put her cup to her lips and took a small sip. Her voice was playful as always, but somewhere in it was an undertone of scrutiny.
"I hope you slept well?"
Corin stepped closer, crossed his arms.
"Too well." His voice sounded rough. "Felt... unfamiliar."
Viviana grinned slightly, setting her cup down.
"Yeah, I guess so."
Her gaze wandered over him briefly, lingering on his openly hanging tie.
"And this... is a crime against fashion. Shall I help you?"
He snorted. "Out of the question."
"Oh? Tough skin, huh?"
She leaned back, relaxed.
"Have a seat. Have a drink. You're a guest of the Virellis, after all."
Corin hesitated. Then he sank into the chair opposite her. The first morning in a new world had begun.
Corin left the tea untouched while his gaze rested on Viviana. Too many thoughts were buzzing in his head, too many questions that demanded answers.
"The men with the masks," he finally began. "Who were they?"
Viviana turned the cup slowly between her gloved fingers before raising her shoulders slightly.
"Good question. I don't know for sure."
Corin frowned. "But you have a hunch."
A thin smile flitted across her lips.
"Of course I do. I'm not stupid." She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "Valtror's people, perhaps. The Bear Path Bearers aren't exactly known for their subtlety, but... They have their fingers in enough dark corners of this city."
"Valtror?"
"A different family. Not like the Virellis. One of the greatest noble families. They seem to want to stand up for the city on the surface, but they're loud, brutal. They're in close contact with the Lord Protector."
She rolled her eyes.
"Yet they lack... Elegance."
Corin fell silent. That was an answer, but not a satisfactory one. And it immediately raised several questions.
'Bear path bearers? Probably the same ones who were chasing me.
He remembered the crest with the bear and the broken chain.
'And what does she mean by Lord Protector?
She seemed to sense his confusion.
"You'll learn more about the political intrigues in time"
His gaze wandered briefly to the ravens perched on a nearby branch. They were watching him.
Something stirred inside him.
"You spoke of a path," he finally said. "When we were fighting. What does that mean? I only know about Path Bearers and the short information you gave me yesterday."
Viviana blinked. Then she leaned back with an amused twinkle in her eye.
"Ah, now it's getting interesting."
She raised a hand and pointed to the sky.
"Eleven."
"Eleven what?"
"Eleven paths. Eleven constellations. Eleven paths that someone with different Blessings can follow."
She let her fingers dance as if she were tracing invisible lines between stars.
"The paths are our destiny, or our curse. They give us strength, but also burden us. Some of us are born with them. Others... come to them in a roundabout way."
Corin felt his heart beat faster.
"You follow one of these paths?"
A satisfied smile appeared on her lips. She raised a hand and a single, perfectly formed rose sprouted from the ground.
"Path of the Rose," she said softly. "Passion, beauty, poison and thorns."
He looked at the flower, then back into her pink eyes.
Something told him that was only a fraction of her true power. A logical conclusion after their fight yesterday.
Viviana now scrutinized him more closely. Her gaze traveled to his eyes, black with white pupils.
"But the more important question is..." she tilted her head, "how you came to follow the path of the raven."
Corin opened his mouth, then closed it again.
He didn't know. It had to have something to do with the ruin. He had dreamed of the woman . Not just about her, but about so much more...
He had done nothing. No consent, no conscious decision. It was as if he had been in Trace.
And yet... the ravens had come. He had only gotten involved with them.
"I didn't do anything," he muttered.
Viviana grinned. "Oh, I believe you, actually. The raven path is a strange one."
Her gaze narrowed.
"It shouldn't even exist anymore. And yet its constellation is still held by five stars."
Corin felt a strange chill in the air. He had asked a lot of questions. But now he wasn't sure if he really wanted all the answers.