It was him.

Valis froze mid-step. His heart pounded violently, breath uneven, panic seizing him for a fleeting second. He clenched his hand into a fist inside the pocket of his coat and whispered to himself in thought: 'Get a grip. Seven years have passed. I am no longer that defenseless boy. Today, I could crush him.'

He drew a deep breath, composed his features into indifference, and slowly turned, locking eyes with Raven.

Only now did he realize how much Raven really had changed. That boy he once knew had long since vanished. In his place stood a man full head taller than him, strikingly handsome, his black eyes cutting through him as though they could pierce his very soul. There was no trace of sympathy or warmth in that gaze, only mockery. The high prince looked down on him with visible disdain, judging every detail: his stance, his clothes, and his demeanor.

But Valis did not falter. He held his head high, returning the stare, and somehow could not tear his eyes away from Raven's face.

At last, Raven spoke, his tone dripping with contempt.
"So this is where you've been hiding, little bird. I searched for you for so long... and all this time, you were right under my nose."

He stepped closer. Close enough for Valis to catch his scent, a heavy, masculine musk laced with the salt of the sea. Valis's heart thumped wildly in his chest.

"Judging by your clothes and your boots, you seem to be doing rather well," Raven sneered. "You must have caught yourself a fine fish. Pays you well, doesn't he?"

"Wait... what?" Valis asked, with shock and disbelief in his voice.

"Don't play innocent. I know where you work. Remember?" Raven responded immediately.

Thoughts clashed inside Valis's mind. 'The brothel? Does he truly think I work in THAT place?' A part of him wanted to deny it, to prove him wrong, to show what he was capable of. Rage swelled within him, but he held it back with effort. Through clenched teeth, he managed only one question:
"What do you want from me? To kill me?"

Raven's brows arched in amusement. "Kill you? No. That would be far too merciful."

He seized Valis's wrist and slid his hand slowly down his own chest, across the fabric of his shirt, until it reached the line of his trousers.
"Looking for entertainment?" Raven whispered mockingly. "I can give you that. And I might even toss you a few gold coins too..."

Valis ripped his hand free, clenching his fist in fury.
"Fuck off," he hissed through clenched teeth.

Above them, the skies darkened. Clouds gathered, heavy and restless, threatening a storm.

"Ah... rain is coming," Raven muttered, glancing upward. "Very well. I'll go. But if you change your mind... Tomorrow." He slipped a small piece of paper into Valis's hand and sent him a wink. Then, without waiting for the response, he turned and left, disappearing into the docks, leaving Valis standing alone.

...

It was late evening when Valis finally returned to the building. His clothes and boots were soaked through from the downpour. Without a word, he slammed the door behind him and went straight into his office.

Adam and Reggie exchanged a glance, silently feeling the tension radiating from their boss. Neither dared to ask questions. Reggie quietly fetched a rag to wipe the mud from the entrance, while Adam went to make tea, hoping it might soothe his commander's nerves.

Valis sat for hours in the office. At times, he leaned over the map, moving pieces and pondering his next move. At others, he paced the room in anger. Just the sight of Raven had been enough to enrage him. But the insult, the mere suggestion that he had been working as a common prostitute, boiled his blood.

In his hand, he still clenched a crumpled scrap of paper, a cheap inn flyer, one of those that street boys handed out. The Queen of Hearts tavern. What did it mean? Should he meet him again? Or would that be walking straight into the lion's den?

Valis did not need to see him. The day would come; soon, Raven would be the one begging for mercy. Yet... perhaps it could be an opportunity. A chance to outplay him and to learn what had happened to his family and why Raven had abandoned him.

But the risk was too great. Raven might uncover his true identity, his ties to Avene, and destroy everything he had been building. Still uncertain, Valis left the office and made his way to the very cliff from which he had once been cast into the sea. He needed to remind himself: his path was set and he should not stray from it.

The rain poured the entire night. By dawn, Valis still sat at the very top, staring at the sky, occasionally stirring the sea with his power. Eventually, his attention was drawn to a vessel on the sea, a large merchant ship, heavy with cargo and sailing from Eldermere under the Ladven family crest.

A black raven with an emerald eye ensign. A mark he could never mistake.

Valis's lips curved into a smile. He studied the ship, noting the two lifeboats and lifebelts on both sides. 'How thoughtful of them to care for their crew when they never cared about me,'

His anger swelled, and with a flicker of power, the waves beneath the ship surged violently, rocking the vessel. The crew panicked, running across the deck and preparing for the storm. Amused, Valis swung his legs idly, watching them scramble for ropes.

He struck the ship with a little bolt of lightning, then another. A towering wave rose, stronger this time. He wanted them to abandon ship and then send it to the depths.

Eventually crew filled both lifeboats, lowered them into the sea, and rowed them across the black sea towards the shore, struggling with heavy wind. As the last mast broke and disappeared beneath the storming waves, Valis felt a wave of satisfaction. His mood lightened instantly.

'That hit the spot,' he thought with a smile as some weird sense of happiness surged through him.

But when silence settled over the waves, this feeling of triumph disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. He sat right there on the cliff edge, legs dangling, staring at the empty waters. An unsettling emptiness seeped into his chest.

'Was this a victory? A drowned ship?' He sighed. 'Perhaps I should meet Raven after all.'

...

Evening came swiftly. Valis stood before the mirror, deciding what to wear. 'White shirt, or black? No, definitely black.' He couldn't risk Raven seeing the scars beneath a light fabric.

Valis paused before the mirror, when his fingers brushed the edge of his shirt, hesitating. For an instant, he pulled the fabric aside, exposing the pale lines of scars etched across his skin, jagged reminders of betrayal and survival.

A quiet voice urged him to stay, to lock the door and burn the leaflet Raven had given him. To pretend the man no longer had any hold over him.

But he had already made up his mind.

He drew in a slow breath, smoothing the black shirt back into place, covering the scars as though sealing them behind armor. His calm and composed reflection stared back at him.

He polished leather boots and fastened a leather belt. He had to look the part. Expensive, not like someone who could be bought for a handful of silver coins.

'Perfume? No, that would be too much. Let's not overdo it.' He thought.

Descending the stairs, he met Adam lounging on the couch. The young man's eyes widened at Valis's appearance, but he held his tongue. Val, however, spoke first.

"I'm going out. Business matters."

Adam nodded.
"Then I'll keep my fingers crossed for a good negotiation."

Valis smirked faintly.
"Oh, I'm certain it will pay off."

With that, he stepped out, closing the door softly behind him.