Thoren had come prepared to find the hideout of the hooded figures.
His original intention had been simple; find the people behind the strange creatures, uncover their plans before killing each and every one of them.
But the situation before him was far more complicated than hunting down a few rats hiding in the darkness.
There were three factions within the Federation, and two of them had already formed an alliance. Powerful awakeners above Level Ten were supporting them.
Many awakener families were secretly involved as well. Even the Knight Order, an organization that claimed to exist for the protection of humanity, was being suppressed.
The more Thoren listened, the more he realized the strange events happening in the city were only the surface.
Something much deeper lay beneath it, something that involved nearly everyone with enough power to influence the city.
Thoren remained silent for a while, his fingers resting loosely against the armrest of the chair.
"What do you think of the Governor?" he asked casually, though his gaze never left Lorwen’s face.
His voice sounded ordinary, without any hostility in it, but he was watching her closely.
Even a slight shift in her breathing could give her away if she meant to hide something.
Lorwen noticed the sharpness behind his gaze and understood immediately what he was doing.
He wasn’t asking out of simple curiosity.
He was testing her, trying to learn whether she trusted the Governor, suspected her, or already knew something she was unwilling to reveal.
Truely, the question didn’t surprise her.
Anyone in Thoren’s position would ask it.
The Governor was one of the most important people in Suncrest City, and if the threats facing them were powerful enough then her position couldn’t be ignored.
"I don’t know," Lorwen said slowly.
It was the truth, without hesitation and without anything hidden behind it.
Thoren kept staring at her, and she met his gaze without looking away.
"The Knight Order’s influence has been suppressed more with each passing day," she continued. "I used to get frequent updates from our branches in other cities, but now..." She paused.
"Everything’s gone silent. Even when I reach out, no one has time to answer." She leaned back slightly in her chair.
"That alone shows how grim things have become for us."
Thoren’s eyes narrowed slightly.
An organization spread across the Federation should have been constantly exchanging information, especially during a crisis.
Yet now, even the people Lorwen contacted weren’t responding. And that could only mean one thing, something significant had changed.
He stayed quiet for several seconds, digesting everything.. He had been shocked more than once since returning to the surface, but this was different.
The fact that even Lorwen couldn’t say whether the Governor could be trusted was deeply unsettling.
The Governor controlled Suncrest City. She had authority over the military and access to information ordinary people could never obtain.
She was supposed to be one of the pillars protecting the city, yet even the Knight Order’s leader couldn’t tell what kind of person she truly was.
If even the Governor couldn’t be trusted, what about the awakener families?
What about ordinary people, following orders without understanding what was really happening?
How many had already chosen a side, and how many were simply waiting for the chance to betray everyone else?
His thoughts moved rapidly through everything he’d learned.
Watching the stunned look on Thoren’s face, Lorwen sighed heavily.
"You might not know this, but the Suncrest City Governor isn’t from this city. She was transferred here by the Federation." Her expression was serious. "So little is known about her. Worse, no one knows what her agenda is."
Dropping the bombshell, the office fell quiet once again and Thoren took a slow breath.
He had already suspected the Governor’s position was unusual, but hearing she’d been transferred from elsewhere changed how he viewed her.
Someone with no deep roots in Suncrest City could act without the same attachments as someone born and raised there.
That didn’t automatically make her an enemy, but it made her difficult to understand, and people who were difficult to understand were dangerous when they held authority over an entire city.
His expression settled back to normal. There still wasn’t enough information to judge her. "Then do you know which awakener families are supporting the two factions?" he asked.
Lorwen didn’t answer right away, lowering her gaze as if recalling what she’d gathered over the past few days.
"There are many," she finally said, "but to you, they’re insignificant."
Thoren raised an eyebrow and she looked directly at him. "The ones that matter are the Silverthorn Family and the Blackspire Family."
The two names caught his attention immediately. He’d heard both before. They were among the most influential families in Suncrest City.
"Although the two top families haven’t fully supported them," Lorwen continued, "they haven’t opposed them either."
That answer was more troublesome than a clear declaration either way. A family that openly backed the two factions could be treated as an enemy.
One that openly opposed them could be counted as an ally. But a family sitting in the middle was far harder to deal with.
It meant they were waiting, watching to see which side gained the advantage, which side would survive, ready to shift their position the moment the balance tipped.
He leaned back slightly. "Silverthorn and Blackspire."
He repeated the names quietly.
Lorwen nodded. "Yes."
She looked at him a moment before adding, "They’re not the only ones, but they’re the ones you need to watch."
Thoren’s expression stayed calm. He had come to the Knight Order looking for information about the hooded figures. Instead, he had learned something far more important.
When he returned to the surface, he had planned to spend the few hours with his family and enjoy the rare moment before he descended into the abyss but now.
He realized his family was no longer safe. They were surrounded by enemies on both sides and if he did not act fast, when next he returned to the surface, he might not find his family again.
And that sent chills down his spine.
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