The very next day, Valis, this time wearing a mask, went straight to the brothel.
In broad daylight, the building looked even more dismal both outside and inside: dusty curtains, a sofa covered in cheap red fabric, the smell of mildew and cheap perfume, probably from the girls who worked there. Valis wondered if anyone had ever opened a window in this place.

His thoughts were interrupted by a woman sitting across from him. "Excuse me, sir, did you say something about renting a room?" She looked to be in her fifties, her face heavily made up with layers of rouge and powder that had long since settled into the lines around her eyes and mouth. Her hair was streaked with gray, pulled back tightly, and her expression was flat, unamused, as though she had seen every kind of client imaginable. She didn't flinch at his mask or strange attire; clearly, this wasn't her first incognito visitor.

"Yes," Valis said. "I need... Something for... romantic meetings. You understand."

The woman nodded once, her unblinking eyes assessing him with professional detachment, and handed him a key.
"Room 107," she said briefly, making sure he left her the right amount of coin.

Valis handed over the entire pouch Raven had given him, took the key, and, without even bothering to find the room, left the building at once.
He thought the bedroom was probably ten times worse than the sitting room, and perhaps that was for the best.

He didn't have time to dwell on it. On his way toward the docks, he overheard two thugs asking around about a red-haired boy.

Finally.

...

Later that same day, they set out with the bait.
Reggie walked down the middle of the street with one hand in his coat pocket, pretending to be carefree. But he knew that behind him, just a few paces back, walked Valis and Adam. They didn't look at him. They didn't need to.

"Keep your distance," Valis had said earlier. "Not too close. They've got eyes everywhere."
"You think they'll take the bait?" Adam frowned.

Valis smirked faintly. "I'm sure they will. Pride blinds them."

Reggie stopped by a fruit stand, pretending to choose an apple. In his trembling hand, he held one that was slightly bruised, staring at its skin as if he could read his fate there. Somehow, he felt it was only a matter of time.

The crowd thickened. Children darted between stalls, merchants shouted over one another, and amidst the noise, there was something else, men's footsteps that didn't match the rhythm of the street.
Two men who were moving too steadily and too confidently were heading straight for Reggie.

He saw them for only a heartbeat. Then someone grabbed his arm and covered his mouth.
The world spun. The apple rolled away across the cobblestones, leaving a faint red smear.

Adam moved first, but Valis stopped him with a gesture.
"Not yet. Wait."
"You're just gonna let them take him?!"
"I want to know where they're going." Valis's voice was cold and measured.

They followed through a maze of alleys, where smoke and the smell of dirty streets mixed into one choking stench.
After half an hour, the men reached the eastern district and dragged Reggie into an abandoned warehouse near the port.

Valis glanced at Adam.
"This is it."
"Do we go in?" Adam whispered.
"Not through the front," Valis said, pointing to a side door. "We need to remain unseen."

They slipped inside silently. The air was heavy, thick with rust, mildew, and old oil. Broken glass crunched underfoot, and a faint light was visible through thin cracks in the boards.

Adam scanned the room cautiously.
"Empty," he whispered. "They must be farther in, maybe the main hall."

Valis didn't answer. He stood still, listening. His hand brushed along the wall and over a rusted chain. An old hanging hook swayed slightly, creaking softly. 

'...This sound.' His breath shortened.

"Come on," Adam said, pointing down the corridor. "They're probably at the end."
Valis didn't move.
"Not that way," he said sharply.
"What?"
"Not that way," he repeated, lower now.

He turned toward a narrow space between two walls. Adam followed, saying nothing, but unease grew inside of him. Valis moved like someone who already knew this place.

They stopped before a few crates and a rusted barrel. Valis shoved the barrel aside in one smooth motion, revealing what he seemed to have been expecting. Behind it, they found a handle. A door, nearly invisible, was disguised as part of the metal plating. Only a faint outline and the rusty handle gave away its presence.

"Here," Valis said.
Adam frowned. "How did you-"
He stopped mid-sentence. He saw Valis's face and that coldness in his eyes, and he understood immediately.

"Ready?" Valis asked, drawing a hidden dagger.

Adam nodded, stepping aside and clenching his fists.

"Let's open it," he murmured, and yanked the handle.

The hinges screeched. The door gave way, and a wave of damp air and sweat hit them. Reggie was sitting on the ground, chained by the ankle to the wall, with his lip split and eye already swollen. Two thugs stood nearby, one of them holding a club.

"Well, well. Another hero?" the one with the club sneered, seeing Valis in the doorway.

Valis didn't reply. He stepped forward, fast, slashing at the man's side. The thug blocked the strike with his club, the impact rattling Valis's arm to the bone. The other attacker lunged at Adam.

Adam took the first hit on his shoulder, but didn't back off. He swung wildly, punching the man in the gut, but the thug only grunted and slammed his fist into Adam's ribs. Adam wasn't trained for close combat; his movements were heavy and uneven. He cursed under his breath for neglecting his hand-to-hand drills in favor of archery.

Meanwhile, Valis circled between crates, dodging the swings of the club. Each blow sliced the air with a dull whistle. He twisted, ducked, and shifted his weight, keeping just out of reach, but the larger man was relentless, striking again and again with brute force. 

Then one of the swings caught his hand. The dagger slipped from his grip, spinning through the air before clattering loudly to the floor. For a heartbeat, Valis froze, aware that the thug was closing in, ready to take advantage of his momentary vulnerability.

The thug grinned.
"Not so confident without your toy, huh?"

Valis didn't answer. Instead, he lunged with incredible speed, twisting the man's wrist, slamming his shoulder into his chest. They collided; each movement was hard and brutal.

At the same time, Adam was losing his ground. The bigger thug pinned him against the wall, fingers digging into his throat. Adam fought back with everything he had, but the man's strength crushed him. 

The thug leaned in closer; his breath was hot and rancid. "It's over," he growled, tightening his grip. Adam's knees began to buckle.

Reggie, still chained, grabbed a length of old chain lying nearby. He yanked it forward, just enough for it to tangle around the attacker's legs. The man stumbled.

"Now!" Reggie shouted.

Adam didn't hesitate. He threw himself forward, ramming his full weight into the man. They crashed to the floor, and a few desperate punches later, the thug went limp, finally still, while Adam knelt over him, breathless and shaking.

Valis regained balance. The man with the club swung again, but Valis blocked it with his forearm, rammed an elbow into the thug's jaw, then a knee into his stomach. Before the man could recover, Valis grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

The thug's eyes widened.
"It's you..." He rasped, recognition dawning too late.

He didn't even finish his sentence when Valis's fist answered for him. It cracked across the man's face with deep force, cutting off whatever truth he'd been about to spill. The thug crumpled instantly, unconscious before he even hit the floor.

Adam knelt beside Reggie, his hands were trembling from exhaustion, adrenaline, and maybe even disbelief that they'd survived. The chain was rusted, tightly fitted around Reggie's ankle, cutting into the skin.

"Hold on... almost," Adam muttered, tugging at the lock. After one more hard pull, the chain gave way with a clank.

Reggie exhaled shakily, pain twisting his face, but his voice was soft, pleading.
"Don't... don't hurt them."

Adam froze, startled.
"What?"
"Please," Reggie said, looking up. His lips were split, one eye swollen shut, his face was a complete mess, yet his tone carried a strange gentleness and maturity. "It's over. Don't kill them."

For a moment, only their breathing filled the room, and the faint drip of water from the ceiling.
Adam turned toward Valis. The question was clear in his eyes.

Valis stood a few steps away, still in shadow. His face was unreadable. He looked at Reggie, then at Adam.

"Of course not," he said quietly.

But there wasn't a single trace of mercy in his eyes.