The Broken Halo

The second ShadowEye opened beneath the medical cart. and Simon continued walking without looking back.

His physical eyes saw the crowded street before him, while another view appeared at the edge of his mind. Through the Eye, the road rushed past from beneath the cart. Dark wheels rotated on either side, and the shadows of passing demons briefly merged with the one carrying his perception.

The changing angle would have made an inexperienced demon dizzy, but Simon adjusted after a few breaths.

He did not follow the cart directly. Instead, he turned into another street, bought a cup of bitter black tea from a roadside stall, and sat where he could remain within several kilometres of the western district.

His first Shadow Eye continued watching the service entrance from beneath the stone awning.

The second travelled with the cart.

By shifting his attention between both, Simon could watch the cart approach Black Horn while also observing the gate ahead of it.

The two masked workers at the front spoke very little.

One held the reins of the horned beast pulling the cart, while the other checked the seals on the medical cases whenever the wheels struck a deep crack in the road.

After several minutes, the second worker released a quiet sigh.

"We delivered enough marrow stabiliser this morning."

The demon holding the reins did not look at him.

"The order changed."

"Again?"

"Lower sections requested it. That is all we need to know."

The other worker glanced toward the rear of the cart.

"Two cases of stabiliser, three cleansing canisters, fresh binding cloth, and enough nerve medicine to keep a Greater Demon asleep for days."

His voice lowered slightly.

"What exactly are they treating down there?"

The driver’s jaw tightened.

"Do you enjoy being alive?"

The curious worker became silent.

Simon slowly placed the cup against his lips as he listened attentively to the conversation of the two demons.

However, despite the conversation they were currently having, it still did not prove that the supplies were meant for the vice-leader. Black Horn could possess several dangerous and important patients or prisoners beneath its building.

Still, the quantity of nerve medicine was interesting.

The cart soon entered the service lane behind the Office.

The four guards stepped forward before it reached the reinforced gate. One inspected the workers’ identities, while another examined the delivery strip attached to the front of the cart.

A third guard approached the rear.

He carried a short staff with an orb carrying a burning white flame inside of it.

Simon’s eyes narrowed slightly the moment he saw the staff.

The guard lowered the staff and transferred his demonic energy into it.

The flame brightened, and harsh light flooded the space beneath the medical cart.

The Shadow Eye’s vision immediately blurred.

Its black rune became faint, and Simon felt the connection begin to weaken as the shadows beneath the wheels shrank.

He closed the Eye and made it inactive before it completely disappeared.

The shadow rune remained hidden inside the thin darkness beneath the cart, but it stopped watching, listening, and releasing any noticeable fluctuation of mental or shadow energy.

The inspection flame passed over it without reacting.

A few seconds later, the light weakened.

Simon waited, and only after the cart began moving again did the black pupil reopen.

’So they inspect the shadows too... Interesting.’

The precautions at the service entrance were not limited to searching the cargo. Black Horn understood that danger could hide beneath objects as easily as inside them.

Had Simon kept the Eye active, the inspection staff might not have discovered its true nature, but the unnecessary risk could have exposed that something was wrong.

’From what I felt, the Eye would not have completely disappeared even if I didn’t make it inactive. But it’s still surprising that they check shadows. Well... they should know more about the Shadowgrave Clan compared to other minor and weak cities like Vashar City.’

Simon shook his head slightly as he shifted his attention from his thoughts back to the ShadowEye.

The medical cart entered the service courtyard.

To Simon’s slight disappointment, it did not continue deeper into the Office.

A circular formation lit up beneath the wheels and prevented the cart from moving beyond the unloading area. The external workers climbed down, while several Black Horn officials approached the medical cases.

Every seal was examined again.

The cases were then removed from the cart, placed on a black internal trolley, and sealed with a different set of runes.

’They are seriously not joking with their security.’

Black Horn did not allow an outside cart to travel through its inner corridors. Deliveries ended in the courtyard. From there, trusted officials and internal equipment carried the supplies deeper into the building.

The cart had revealed an entrance, but it had not given Simon a path to the prisoner.

Suddenly, three demons emerged from an inner doorway.

They wore loose grey-black robes that covered their bodies from head to toe. Even their horns and faces were hidden beneath deep hoods, while thick gloves concealed their hands.

Small copper tags hung from their collars.

One line.

Two lines.

Three lines.

The demons did not call one another by name.

"First Shroud," an official near the trolley said. "Check the cleansing canisters."

The demon with one line on his tag stepped forward.

"Second Shroud, verify the medicine seals."

The second obeyed.

The third stood behind the trolley and waited.

Simon’s attention sharpened.

From what he could see, the robes were not mere clothing. They concealed the identities of the workers assigned to wherever the contents of the cart where meant to go.

If a prisoner was able to escape, he or she would be unable to describe the healers, cleaners, or officials who entered the ward.

Footsteps approached from the inner passage, and the Eye looked in the direction of the footsteps.

A slim demon in the plain black coat appeared with two sealed duty slates beneath one arm, and Simon recognized him immediately.

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