The warded silence in the room pressed in like invisible walls as Lauren straightened, her sharp gaze sweeping across the others seated at the obsidian table.
The soft hum of activated artifacts coated the air with a faint, rhythmic vibration—a reminder that their secrecy came at the cost of constant vigilance.
"We all know why we're here," Lauren began, her voice calm but unwavering. "The bounty, of course. Alex."
The name dropped into the room like a weight.
"Or whoever he is now."
She turned slightly, pacing slowly down the length of the table. "Nearly a month ago, we were tasked with locating a high-value target from the bounty made by the Wind Clan.
The information surrounding him is null, redacted, and riddled with contradictions.
Despite using top-tier association trackers, mana analysts, shadow tags, and three separate spy teams, we haven't found a single usable lead that didn't end in a dead end—or a false flag."
