Chapter 175: Fold
Denzel didn’t move.
The paper remained between his fingers, the words staring back at him.
Don’t trust the people who tell you they’re helping.
He had read the sentence three times already.
It hadn’t changed.
Unfortunately.
He folded the paper once, then unfolded it again.
The Knight noticed.
"You’re thinking."
"I do that occasionally."
"You’ve been staring at that sentence for almost a minute."
"That’s because it’s a particularly annoying sentence."
Her eyebrow lifted.
"Annoying?"
"Vague. Dramatic. Completely lacking useful details."
"You’re complaining about a warning because it didn’t come with instructions?"
"Preferably numbered."
A faint smile touched her lips, but it disappeared quickly.
Denzel slipped the paper between his fingers and looked at her.
"Who knew Sophia was missing?"
The question came without warning.
The Knight’s expression changed slightly.
"Why?"
"Answer first."
She studied him for a moment.
"The people involved in the search."
"That’s not a number."
"Denzel—"
"How many?"
She exhaled.
"Not many."
He stared at her.
She stared back.
Neither blinked.
Denzel sighed.
"Apparently everyone in this city has decided that’s an acceptable answer."
The Knight folded her arms.
"I don’t have a list memorized."
"Then give me the names you do remember."
"Why?"
Denzel lifted the paper.
"Because Sophia didn’t write that for decoration."
The Knight’s eyes dropped to the message.
Denzel continued.
"She knew someone would come looking for her. She knew enough about what was happening to leave instructions. And now she’s telling me not to trust the people who claim they’re helping."
He paused.
"That includes whoever is organizing this search."
The Knight’s expression tightened.
"You think they’re involved?"
"I think I don’t know enough to say they’re innocent."
"That isn’t the same thing."
"No."
Denzel slipped the paper into his coat.
"It’s more useful."
She frowned.
"You’re becoming suspicious of everyone."
"I’m becoming suspicious of information."
"That sounds worse."
"It usually is."
The Knight looked toward the door.
"The people helping us aren’t enemies."
"Maybe."
"You don’t sound convinced."
"Because Sophia doesn’t sound convinced either."
That silenced her.
Denzel turned away and looked around the room again.
Something about it bothered him.
The bed was made.
The cup was still on the table.
The half-eaten bread sat untouched beside it.
Nothing had been overturned.
Nothing had been broken.
There were no signs of a struggle.
He walked toward the bed.
The blanket was folded neatly at the foot.
He touched it.
Still warm enough to feel recently used.
"She wasn’t dragged out."
The Knight looked at him.
"No."
Denzel crouched beside the bed.
There were faint marks in the dust beneath it.
He followed them toward the doorway.
"Sophia packed."
The Knight came closer.
"How can you tell?"
"Because she didn’t leave anything scattered."
He glanced toward the small table.
"She had time."
His eyes moved across the room.
"She ate."
He pointed toward the bread.
"Then she waited."
His gaze settled on the chair.
"Then she left."
The Knight was quiet.
"You’re sure?"
Denzel stood.
"If someone forced her out, they didn’t do a very good job of it."
He walked toward the window.
The latch was undamaged.
The curtain hung neatly.
No broken glass.
No signs of anyone climbing through.
He looked down at the street.
"Whoever came for her didn’t need to force her."
The Knight’s voice lowered.
"You think she went with them willingly."
Denzel looked at the silver hairpin in his palm.
"I think we’ve already established that."
He turned away from the window.
"And I think that’s what bothers me."
The Knight watched him.
"Why?"
"Because if she was afraid of them, she would’ve left something else behind."
"What?"
"A struggle."
Denzel looked around the room again.
"Something."
He walked toward the table.
"But she didn’t."
He ran his fingers across its edge.
"She left a message."
Then his eyes narrowed.
He crouched.
Something had caught his attention beneath the table.
A small strip of paper was tucked against the underside.
Denzel pulled it free.
The Knight leaned closer.
"Another one?"
"Looks like it."
He unfolded it.
There were only a few words.
Denzel’s eyes stopped moving.
For the first time, his expression changed.
The Knight noticed immediately.
"What?"
He didn’t answer.
He read the line again.
Then once more.
A place.
Not a random place.
A place only one person would have connected to him.
Sophia.
His fingers tightened slightly around the paper.
The Knight waited.
"Denzel?"
He finally looked at her.
"What does it say?"
Denzel folded the paper.
"Nothing important."
Her eyes narrowed.
"That was a terrible lie."
"I know."
"Then why say it?"
"Because I haven’t decided if I trust you with it."
Silence.
The Knight stared at him.
Denzel met her gaze without blinking.
For once, he wasn’t joking.
Sophia’s warning had changed something.
Not between them.
Not yet.
But inside his head.
If someone was feeding them information, he couldn’t afford to let that information travel freely anymore.
He slipped the second note into his coat.
The Knight crossed her arms.
"So now you’re hiding things from me."
Denzel glanced at her.
"I’m testing something."
"What?"
He walked toward the door.
"You’ll find out."
She followed him.
"You know, for someone who wants answers, you’re becoming remarkably difficult to talk to."
Denzel opened the door.
"I’m told it’s one of my better qualities."
She stared at his back.
"Who told you that?"
Denzel stepped into the hallway.
"No one."
He paused.
"That’s why I believe it."
The Knight sighed and followed him down the stairs.
Behind them, the room remained exactly as they’d found it.
Except now, Denzel knew it hadn’t been abandoned.
It had been waiting.
They reached the first floor without speaking.
Denzel stepped into the main room and stopped beside the table.
The Knight nearly walked into him.
"What now?"
Denzel ignored the question.
His eyes moved across the room.
The fireplace.
The shelves.
The empty chairs.
The cup.
He had already noticed most of it when they entered.
But now he was looking at it differently.
If Sophia had left the second message for him, then the room itself might have been part of the message.
He crouched beside the fireplace.
The ashes were still warm.
He pushed them aside with two fingers.
Nothing.
He moved to the table.
The cup was empty now, but a faint ring of moisture remained around its base.
Recently used.
He looked at the chair beside it.
Then at the blanket folded against the wall.
Everything was too orderly.
Denzel’s eyes narrowed.
"Something’s missing."
The Knight glanced around.
"From this room?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"I don’t know yet."
"That sounds useful."
"It will be when I figure it out."
He walked toward the shelves.
Most were empty.
A few old books remained, their covers swollen from moisture.
Denzel pulled one free.
Nothing.
Another.
Nothing.
He put it back.
Then his gaze dropped.
There was a thin line in the dust beneath the lowest shelf.
He crouched.
His finger traced it.
The shelf had been moved.
Recently.
Denzel looked at the Knight.
"Help me."
She grabbed the side.
Together, they shifted the shelf forward.
Dust scraped against the floor.
Behind it was a narrow gap.
Inside sat a small leather pouch.
The Knight reached for it.
Denzel caught her wrist.
"Wait."
She looked at him.
"What?"
"There’s no dust on it."
"So?"
"So someone put it there recently."
Denzel took a cloth from the table and used it to pull the pouch free.
He placed it on the table.
The Knight leaned closer.
"Trap?"
"Probably."
"You say that like you’re hoping it is."
"I’d rather know someone tried to kill us than discover someone simply wanted to waste our time."
"That is an incredibly unhealthy preference."
Denzel opened the pouch.
Inside was a single folded piece of parchment.
Nothing else.
He unfolded it.
There was a name.
No explanation.
No warning.
Just a name.
The Knight read it over his shoulder.
Her expression immediately hardened.
"You know him?"
Denzel stared at the parchment.
"Yes."
"Who is he?"
Denzel folded the paper.
"Someone who shouldn’t have anything to do with Sophia."
The Knight waited.
Denzel looked at her.
"And now we know why she didn’t want us trusting the people helping us."
Before the Knight could respond, a faint vibration came from her pocket.
She pulled out a small communication device.
Denzel watched her face as she read the message.
Her expression changed.
"What?"
She didn’t answer.
She read it again.
Denzel held out his hand.
"Give me that."
She hesitated.
Then handed it over.
The message was short.
We’ve found another possible location connected to Sophia. Come immediately. Do not tell anyone else.
Denzel read it twice.
Then looked at the Knight.
"Who sent this?"
She told him.
Denzel’s expression didn’t change.
That was worse than anger.
"You know them?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"They’re part of the search."
"Were they told where we were?"
"No."
Denzel looked back at the message.
"Then how did they know?"
The Knight frowned.
"I don’t know."
"Exactly."
She took the device back.
"You think they’re tracking us?"
"Maybe."
"Or?"
"Someone is feeding them information."
The Knight’s jaw tightened.
"They wouldn’t."
Denzel glanced at her.
"You said that very confidently."
"Because I know them."
"You knew them."
She went quiet.
Denzel turned toward the door.
"We’re not going."
The Knight blinked.
"What?"
"We’re not going to their location."
"They may have found Sophia."
"If they had, they wouldn’t have sent us a message telling us to come immediately."
"That doesn’t prove anything."
"No."
Denzel slipped his hands into his coat pockets.
"It proves enough."
She stepped in front of him.
"Then where are we going?"
Denzel looked at her for a moment.
He reached into his coat and pulled out the second note.
The one he’d refused to explain.
He unfolded it.
The Knight read the words.
Her expression changed.
"That place?"
Denzel nodded.
"Sophia left it for me."
"You’re sure?"
"I’m sure."
"And you didn’t tell me because...?"
"Because I wanted to see who else knew about it."
The Knight stared at him.
Denzel folded the note again.
"If someone knew where we were going before I told you, we’d have a problem."
She slowly understood.
"You were testing me."
"I was testing the information."
"That’s not what it felt like."
"Unfortunately, tests rarely do."
She gave him a flat look.
"You’re impossible."
"So I’ve heard."
Denzel opened the rear door instead of the front.
The Knight followed.
"You really think Sophia left that clue knowing you’d find it?"
Denzel stepped into the alley.
"Yes."
"Then why didn’t she just tell you where she was?"
He stopped.
That question had been bothering him too.
Denzel looked back at the building.
Because Sophia hadn’t wanted to be found yet.
She had wanted him to understand something first.
The key.
The cloak.
The hidden passage.
The building.
The messages.
None of it had been random.
She hadn’t simply disappeared.
She had built a trail.
A trail only he was supposed to follow.
Denzel looked down at the note.
"She wants me to find her."
The Knight came to a stop beside him.
"But?"
Denzel’s eyes hardened.
"But she doesn’t want me following the people who think they’re helping me."
He folded the note and put it away.
"Let’s see where she wants us to go."