Arin found himself in a cold, bare room. The walls were gray stone, the air dry and still.
He had signed the temporary license minutes ago.
The old man in robes hadn’t said a word, just took the paper and turned away, as if Arin was no longer there.
He had no idea what he was waiting for, but he waited anyway. Then the door opened.
A man in a dark uniform entered. He didn’t speak. He gestured once, sharply, and turned around. Arin stood up and followed, heart tight in his chest.
At another door, he finally spoke: “Your Observer is in here. He’s received direct orders from the Central. He will be the authority assigning the cases you are to undertake.”
He opened the door and immediately left.
When Arin saw the man standing in the room, he caught his breath. For a moment, it didn’t feel real. The man was tall and broad-shouldered, but his face was strikingly handsome. His dark brown hair was slicked back neatly, not a hair out of place.
His eyes were dark gray, almost black, with a strange, almost unreal look.
His black suit had gold stripes on the collar and cuffs.
“Mr. Ravenscar,” he said, his voice smooth but distant. “I’m Kael Corwin. Your Observer. Nice to meet you.”
Arin hesitated briefly, caught off guard by how strikingly handsome he was. After a moment, he gave a slight nod. “Call me Arin. Pleasure. I don’t get the sense that you use magic.”
Kael studied him quietly, not focusing on his youth or size, but on the confidence in his demeanor. There was no hint of condescension, only measured curiosity. He gave a faint smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“I don’t use magic. These days, users are few and far between these days. I’m not with the Magical Oversight Council; I’m with the Central Enforcement Bureau.”
Arin looked puzzled. “So?”
“That means I rely on technology and tactics rather than magic. My mission... is to understand you. To observe you. And, of course, to intervene if it comes to that.”
Now Arin looked even more puzzled and narrowed his eyes. “Understand me? And what do you mean by intervene?”
“Yes,” Kael replied. “Aethelgard Empire doesn’t just require strict laws; it needs the right perspectives. And you… You’re the youngest of your kind. They want to study you. By ‘intervene,’ I mean they have ways to step in and control situations when things get out of hand.”
“This man… is not what he seems,” Azimushan whispered. “And his pulse… it’s strange.”
Arin studied Kael. There was something beyond his handsomeness and self-assured demeanor. He couldn’t just be a handler. If the Empire truly wanted to figure him out, there were far more efficient ways. His curiosity itched at his instincts.
He forced a polite smile, but he could feel the Empire breathing down his neck.
Kael stepped aside and opened the door. “Your lodging, your orientation, your documents… all of it will be under my supervision. Also, any magical activity or jinn involvement must be reported to me. Officially. So… I suppose that makes us partners now.”
Arin and Azimushan shared a quiet snort at the word “partners.”

***

Half an hour later, they were walking through the older quarters of Ardalis.
Kael had directed him to a nearly historic lodging house. The building was sandstone, once home to minor nobles, now clearly reserved for those with “temporary licenses.”
For Arin, the important thing was simply having a roof over his head. Still, he found himself quietly pleased with how this part of the city felt less industrial, less mechanical and more colorful. As he walked between the worn stone walls, he couldn’t help but think that the place, despite all the years, still carried a certain dignity.
As they approached the building’s entrance, Arin noticed a man coming from the opposite direction. At first, he looked like anyone else on the street, head lowered beneath his hat, steps quiet, shoulders slouched. But as they drew closer, a sense of unease settled in his chest. He cast a quick glance at Kael, wondering if he, too, had picked up on the tension.
At that moment, Azimushan’s voice whispered in his mind, like a quiet warning.
“Be careful, master. He’s one of us.”
Arin frowned and turned his eyes to the man. He had already lifted his head and was looking directly at him. A stranger, of course; they had never met. But Arin recognized that kind of look. A hunter’s gaze. Measuring, weighing, always alert.
The man’s eyes lingered on him for a moment, and in that brief span, they had already understood what the other was. For a heartbeat, their gazes held. When Arin gave a slight nod, the man returned it in kind before continuing silently on his way.
“Someone you know?” Kael asked, finally noticing him.
“No,” Arin said without thinking.
His room on the third floor was plain but sufficient: a bed, a desk, a small work area, and a barred window overlooking the crowded square below.
He dropped his bag onto the bed and turned to Kael.
“So why did you really bring me here?”
Kael kept his distant expression. “The Empire knows best,” he said.
Arin rolled his eyes and sat on the bed. “I’m sure it does. But you could still throw me a bone.”
Kael was quiet for a moment, then spoke. “There’s more going on in Ardalis than usual. Something not under the jurisdiction of the Arcane Oversight Council.”
“Jinn?” Arin asked.
“Maybe,” Kael said. “But what happened doesn’t make sense. The first case assigned to you is one of them. Two days ago, three children went missing in Yellowlight District. No blood, no bodies. Nothing. Nothing turned up in the standard investigation.”
Arin shivered. “You think it’s connected to magic?”
“Could be. That’s why they need your expertise and your jinn’s.”
Azimushan whispered in his mind. “This city reeks. It’s pregnant with something foul.”
Arin stood and slowly approached the window. Even the towers of Ardalis, reaching for the sky, couldn’t hide the truth anymore. Something was wrong here.
“What aren’t you telling me?” he said, not turning around.
“You’ll understand when we get to the scene,” Kael replied.
Arin turned to look at him, hoping to catch something in his expression.
Kael met his gaze with quiet defiance. “Any other questions?”
“How is it your miraculous tech hasn’t solved this already?” he asked. He was already annoyed by Kael’s smug demeanor.
Kael didn’t flinch. “Every problem has its own solution.”
Scripted lines, Arin thought bitterly. “When do I start, then?”
Kael put his hands in his pockets.
“Tomorrow morning. But this time… you won’t be working alone.”
“So I guess you’re done here. See you tomorrow morning,” Arin said, unable to hide a hint of sarcasm.
“Of course,” Kael replied. “There’s a bathhouse at the end of your street. You can relax there. Also, a stipend for meals has been arranged.” He took a sealed envelope from his pocket and placed it on the table, then turned and walked to the door.
Arin called after him without thinking, “Hey, wait a sec!”
Kael paused and turned slowly to him.
“Where are you staying?”
“Somewhere nearby,” he said without hesitation.
“You’re not going to accompany me in a strange city?” Arin asked curiously.
Kael ignored it and went on explaining as if he hadn't heard. “The bathhouse is separated by gender.”
“Ok...Great. What about meals?” he said, narrowing his eyes.
“You may eat wherever you like,” Kael replied.
“Let’s say I’m attacked by a jinn while dining and you’re not around. What then? How exactly is this supposed to work?” Arin asked, clearly annoyed. Is this guy an idiot or just pretending? he thought.
Kael, as if he finally understood his concern, nodded slowly. “You won’t be able to summon it.”
Arin waited for him to elaborate. “And?”
“You’ll wait for me,” Kael said calmly.
Arin scanned him from head to toe, trying to gauge if he was serious. He folded his arms. “So you expect a jinn hunter to sit tight and wait for his babysitter?”
Kael’s expression didn’t waver. “Yes. That’s exactly what I expect.”
“Maybe this is just a way to restrain me,” Arin said with a smirk. “A leash disguised as a mission.”
Kael tilted his head. “Perhaps. But remember… sometimes a leash is the best way to protect someone.”
Azimushan chuckled in his mind. “This one’s playing a game. But not with you… with his life.”

***

Moonlight spilled across the floor as Arin lay in bed thinking about what was to come.
Just one year, he reminded himself. One year, and he could legally work wherever he wanted. No more border towns; he could go anywhere. That thought gave him some comfort.
Then Kael’s image crossed his mind again, with his arrogant face and impossible calm. His muscles tensed again.
What a peacock, he thought, just before falling asleep.