Chapter 459: West of What Remains

The Day Before Sophia Regained Consciousness

Orion did not say anything at first.

The silence pressed into the room like a weight.

Jarek sat stiffly on the bed, his injured leg stretched out awkwardly, his hands folded together so tightly that his knuckles had gone pale.

Daniel was the one who finally spoke.

"Are you certain?" he asked quietly. "That Tobias went back to the Black Market?"

Jarek lifted his head at once.

"Yes."

There was no hesitation this time.

"I’m certain," he said. "He told us himself. He turned around after leaving us near the ravine and went back the same way we came."

Daniel watched his face carefully.

Orion did too.

Jarek swallowed.

"And... he wasn’t moving as himself," Jarek added.

That finally pulled Orion’s gaze back to him.

"He was in disguise," Jarek said. "He was dressed like one of the enclave men. Like Luna Victoria’s people."

Orion’s eyes widened before he could stop it. Just for a fraction of a second.

A faint, sharp breath slipped through his nose as his jaw tightened.

Dressed like them.

Moving among them.

Orion felt something cold settle low in his chest. The fact that Tobias went back dressed as one of the enclave men could only mean one thing—he went undercover.

After a few long seconds, Orion finally spoke.

"Thank you."

Jarek blinked in shock.

Orion’s voice was even.

"For your time," he continued. "And for answering honestly."

Jarek nodded quickly.

"I didn’t lie," he said at once, a little too fast. "I swear it. Not about anything."

"I know," Orion replied with a smirk. "If you did, you wouldn’t still be on the bed."

Jarek swallowed at that threat, then gathered what little courage he had left.

"Can I... see Tarin now?" he asked.

Orion looked at him.

"You said there was a boy in the pack named Tarin," Jarek added carefully. "I just... I need to be sure. I need to see him myself."

Orion nodded once.

"Yes."

Jarek’s shoulders sagged with relief.

Orion turned his head slightly.

"Daniel."

Daniel straightened.

"I’ll meet with the healers," he said immediately. "And I’ll have someone take him there."

He looked back at Jarek.

"We’ll take you to him."

Jarek bowed his head.

"Thank you."

He said it to all of them.

To Orion.

To Caspian.

To Daniel.

Orion only nodded and then rose from his chair.

The movement was unhurried, but it carried finality.

The questioning was over.

Caspian shifted forward as well.

Daniel stepped away first, already moving toward the door.

"I’ll inform the healers," he said quietly as he left.

Orion and Caspian left together.

The corridor beyond the small room was dim and narrow, lined with stone walls that still held the faint warmth of the hearths running through the medical wing. The low hum of quiet life lingered—soft footsteps, a distant murmur of voices, the clink of bowls and tools.

Orion did not slow until they were several steps away from Jarek’s door.

Only then did he lift a hand and rub roughly at his eyes.

His fingers dragged down his face.

"There are too many things to deal with," Orion muttered.

Too many threads.

Too many unanswered questions.

Caspian walked beside him.

"That is true," he said.

They turned a corner.

"But," Caspian continued, his voice lowering, "after what we just heard... I’m more concerned about Tobias than anything else."

Orion’s hand dropped.

Caspian glanced at him.

"If he went back disguised as one of the enclave," Caspian said slowly, "then I can only imagine what is going on."

Orion did not answer at once.

Caspian exhaled quietly.

"We should consider sending people to the Black Market," he told Orion.

Orion stopped walking immediately as Caspian spoke, and Caspian halted with him.

For a moment, Orion only stared down the corridor ahead of them.

"No."

Caspian frowned faintly. "No?"

Orion turned his head.

"One thing I am certain of," he said quietly, "is that Tobias is not at the Black Market."

Caspian’s brows drew together.

"You heard him yourself," Orion added. "Jarek said it was destroyed."

He let out a short breath.

"Why would Tobias remain in a place that no longer exists? A place that has been reduced to ash? What would he even be doing there?"

Caspian’s mouth pressed into a thin line.

"I don’t know," he admitted.

"But I know this much."

He looked directly at Orion.

"Tobias went back."

Orion’s jaw tightened.

"Yes," he said quietly. "He did."

They resumed walking.

"Which is exactly why we should not waste time searching ruins," Orion said.

Caspian’s head turned toward him again.

"Then where do you suggest we go?" Caspian asked him.

"To the west," Orion said softly. "You forget that we sent a letter to the Silver Creek pack and there has been no reply to date. Remember I told you all that Tobias would be going in to see what’s wrong."

Caspian stopped short, his eyes widened as realisation dawned on him. "He went to the west disguised as one of Victoria’s people in order to get the information we seek."

Orion nodded. It was careless of Tobias. He should have at least come back to the pack and informed them of what happened in the Black Market before going back. And there was also the fact that Orion had given him a hidden task too... to get information about Sophia.

They stopped beside one of the narrow windows.

Outside, the snow lay thin and undisturbed along the stone path below.

A pair of younger pack members passed by, laughing softly, unaware.

Caspian stared out through the window.

He let out a quiet sound under his breath.

"That makes this even more dangerous," he said. "Knowing Tobias, he wouldn’t return until he got the information he seeks." He paused, then added, "If something is truly wrong in the west and Tobias walked into it alone..."

He trailed off.

They did not need to finish that thought.

"We’ll need a strong team," Caspian said firmly. "One that would be as good as Tobias in disguises, one that can move stealthily."

Orion nodded. Tobias was the master of stealth in the pack, so finding people who could measure up, even a little, was going to be difficult.

Caspian straightened.

"I’ll begin arranging it immediately," he said as he walked away without a second glance at Orion.

Orion remained where he was for a moment. He stood there, unmoving, as thoughts layered themselves over one another.

He released a sigh, then began walking towards Sophia’s room.