Shinon carefully unfolded the letter, his fingers trembling slightly from anticipation and nerves. As he read his father’s words, the weight of the situation began to sink in.

[Miro,

I trust this letter finds you well, and I apologise for the abrupt communication. It pains me to keep my thoughts confined to a piece of parchment, but we both know Heaven’s Refuge is not a place where words can be spoken freely.

I’ve heard whispers of a new arrival, a young man in a city not too far from our borders. His appearance may not have gone unnoticed, and his skills have the potential to make an impact within these walls.

I dare not entrust the specifics to paper, but this person possesses the potential to alter our situation in precarious and promising ways. That is, if he is the one, I think he is...

Unfortunately, the circumstances within Heaven’s Refuge grow increasingly perilous.

It is no exaggeration to say that our communications may be monitored, so I chose this unconventional way of contacting you.

We must exercise caution in all matters, and I implore you to contact this newcomer without delay.

He may be an ally we need, a beacon of hope to navigate this labyrinth of darkness. I trust your judgment and know you will find the right moment to extend a welcoming hand to this individual.

I can’t tell you the person’s name, but you’ll know it’s him when you see him. Oh, and don’t forget to tell Jane I miss her tea. If everything goes well, we’ll meet again soon.

P.S. I need to get out of the city. The Eclipse is trying its best to control my actions. I can’t tell you any more at the moment. I’ll be sending you another letter soon.

Wishing you well,

Caleb.]

Once Shinon was done reading the letter, he stored the letter in his inventory while he took in everything he could from the letter. Once he had calmed down, he had a few questions he needed answered.

"The second letter, where is it?" Shinon inquired. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Burned it out of existence," Miro casually replied, crossing his arms before his chest. "That’s what the letter instructed me to do."

"Alright... but what did it say?"

"The same thing. We need to get Caleb out of there during the ball. He also requested he wanted to meet the newcomer, you, at least if we couldn’t get him out of there."

"But he is the Mayor, isn’t he?" Shinon mumbled, leaning against the window. "Can’t he just walk out?"

Miro laughed as soon as he heard Shinon’s words. He needed to learn much about Heaven’s Refuge, and thankfully, he was there to help him.

"I’m afraid leaving the city is not easy, my friend," Miro replied as he got to explain.

He told Shinon that once someone entered Heaven’s Refuge, leaving was not a matter of personal choice. No one was allowed to leave the place under any circumstance.

The Eclipse enforced strict policies to ensure their secrets remained safe within the city’s walls so they could fool the other settlements and destroy them after robbing their resources. No one was allowed to depart unless it was in a casket.

"To those outside the city’s walls, this place is heaven," Miro smiled wanly. "But for those inside, it’s a prison made of gold."

Strangely enough, at the moment, Shinon was reminded of Malakai, who managed to escape the clutches of the Eclipse. But even then, he was scared to come across them.

One could say that he had been haunted by the fear of the Eclipse ever since escaping and even till his final breath. Shinon also realised that he had severely underestimated the Eclipse.

If they could instil fear in his father, someone known to stand up against the top dungeon diver guilds back on their planet, they were a force to be reckoned with.

However, they didn’t know much about Shinon either. Hell, they probably didn’t even know that he was the Shadowbearer they were looking for outside their city.

"Hm... it finally makes sense," Shinon mumbled.

"What does?" Miro asked, intrigued by what was going inside Shinon’s head.

"There were quite a few guards posted inside and around the Admin building," Shinon responded, rubbing his temple in thought. "It seemed odd to me that they had such an extensive presence, especially considering the city’s overall security measures."

He went on, "But now that I think about it, it is evident they weren’t primarily safeguarding those inside but were rather focused on eliminating the risk of anyone attempting to flee."

The more Shinon thought about it, the more precarious the situation became. His father, the mayor of Heaven’s Refuge, was in a dangerous position where he was aware of the Eclipse’s sinister operations within the city. Yet, he couldn’t say a word about it.

"Mayor’s Ball... We need to get in there," Shinon finally decided to do what was necessary.

He needed to have a meeting with his father. After all, they hadn’t seen each other for years and also to free him from the clutches of the Eclipse. But the problem was securing an invite to the event.

"As I said, you don’t need to worry about my invite," Miro shrugged. "Just focus on getting one for yourself."

Shinon turned to look inside the forge, where countless workers were hard at work. The competition of creating something worth the Eclipse’s attention would be challenging, but Shinon wasn’t one to give up so easily.

"I’m in," Shinon declared, his voice unwavering. "I’ll create something no organisation like the Eclipse would be able to take their eyes off."

"I thought you might say that," Miro said and threw a key towards Shinon.

Shinon caught the key and stared at it, confused.

"This is the key to your father’s private workshop," Miro grinned and beckoned for Shinon to come closer. "It used to be where he spent most of his time, although not anymore, of course. I figured you’d want to see it. Follow me, and I’ll give you a tour."