Li Fan stared at the crumpled letter in his hand, the weight of those words settling over them like the damp in the chamber. The Eternal Court doesn't collect keys. They collect people. It wasn't a threat. It was a claim.
Wei Shun broke the silence first, pressing a rag against his bleeding arm. "We need to move. Those three weren't alone, and I'm not waiting around for their friends to show up."
Rourou nodded, already scanning the shadows for another exit. "There's a stairwell behind the pillars. Leads up toward the docks. We can slip out through the cargo yards."
They moved quickly, boots echoing softly as they climbed the narrow stone steps. No one spoke until they pushed through a rusted grate and stepped back into the rain-soaked night. The docks were quiet at this hour, only the creak of moored boats and the distant clang of a bell cutting through the downpour.
Li Fan finally stopped under the shelter of a stacked cargo net, turning to face them. "That letter changes everything. They're not just watching us anymore. They've marked us. The question is, why? What do they want with three street-level cultivators like us?"
Wei Shun leaned against a crate, his broad face grim. "Power moves in the capital. Maybe they're building something. Looking for people who can work in the shadows, who already have a reputation in the lower districts."
Rourou crossed her arms tight across her chest, staring out at the black water. "Or maybe they're cleaning house. Tying up loose ends from old court games. Those northern letters they mentioned… some of them were offers I turned down. But turning them down doesn't always mean you're free."
Li Fan felt that familiar pull again—the instinct to protect them by pulling away. But after everything today, it felt like a coward's choice. "We don't run from this alone," he said quietly. "Whatever they want, we face it together. No more secrets if we can help it."
Wei Shun gave a short nod. "Agreed. But we need to be smart. Can't just walk around the city now with targets on our backs."
Before Rourou could reply, a soft splash sounded from the water's edge. A small paper boat floated up on the tide, perfectly dry despite the rain. On its sail was the coiled dragon.
Li Fan plucked it from the water. A single line was written inside.
The game is only beginning. Return to where it started at dawn. Come alone, Li Fan.
He looked up at the others, jaw tight. The snare hadn't closed yet.
It was tightening.