Two days prior
The Telgradian sighed as he folded the letter into quarters, slipped it into an envelope and pressed the back with the Brotherhood’s wax seal. One hand reached up to offer the memo to a waiting courier, who darted to his side without hesitation.

“Storm Veritas, as quickly as you can.”

The messenger was gone before Shinsou had the time to turn around.

In a nearby ashtray, the singed remnants of a document lay in charred repose. Ghost white, the co-commander of the Brotherhood ignored the tired aches in his muscles and rose to his feet, emerging into the dying twilight of a corridor from the cramped study in which he had ensconced himself an hour earlier. The letter he had received had shaken his world to its core, but he could share it with no-one, save Veritas. Even the ever-present blanket of cloud over him since Arius’s betrayal hadn’t darkened his mood like this before.

No. This felt like the onset of night itself.

What am I going to do…?

His head felt light through sickness. As he passed a window, deep in thought, he caught his reflection for long enough to notice how much he had weathered. The long days of travel and battle had begun to show on his form once again; creases in his forehead, bags under his eyes and his white coat was streaked with marks. It felt so long ago now that he had last been happy.

You have to kill this cunt, now. he reminded himself ruefully. He knew that he needed friends, but friends were short in supply. As soon as he left behind the town of Whitevale, he would not have the luxury of a friendly face every evening. The only people who could stand to be anywhere near him at the moment were Storm Veritas, who was often on official Brotherhood business elsewhere, Felicity Rhyolite, who was often giving him radiation sickness, or Philomel van der Aart, who was still torn about him at the moment. Through the window, the ivory coloured stone buildings of the Brotherhood complex loomed in a mantle of shadows as Shinsou gathered his belongings from his personal quarters a couple of doors down from the study. Suddenly, behind him, there was the creaking of a light, rhythmic tread on the wood. Raine, he decided after only a moment’s thought.

The thought warmed his soul for a moment, before it sent his mind into another spiralling tangent.

“Who’s Canen?”

Too late. His thoughts faltered as the beautiful redhead, dressed in her armoured Gilded Quint battle corset, invited herself in as she always did.

“So you’ve read my personal correspondence?” Shinsou muttered darkly, clearly annoyed, “That was marked Private and Confidential. Anyway, why do you care?”

“I’m your bodyguard,” the woman teased, much to the Telgradian’s chagrin. “I need to know about any threats to your safety.”

“Durandel takes care of my security, actually. Who appointed you my bodyguard, exactly?” For not the first time, Shinsou repeated to Raine his official refusal of her services. It was absolutely pointless, though, seeing as the Telgradian’s deal with the Lily and the Assembly to keep him away from Terrinore was to have Raine by his side, but he thought it necessary to remind her of this every single day. Secretly, though, Osiris was warming to her.

“So, who is he?” She pressed him again, relentless in her pursuit of a straight answer. He sighed, knowing that he was only delaying the inevitable.

“…I don’t really know, honestly…” The response was downbeat, and Raine knew he was telling the truth, “…but I don't think he is lying. I need to talk to him. Storm will be here soon, as will Felicity. Don’t say a fucking word to anyone, Raine, pl-”

“I won’t,” Raine nodded, coming closer to him. She put a hand tenderly on his shoulder. “I won’t, ok?”

Shinsou nodded solemnly. There was a moment’s pause, before he walked towards the door. He stopped short, his back to her as the white, frayed edges of his coat scraped the frame.

“If this is true, this could be bigger than anything we've faced before. I just want to establish the facts.”

The words shocked Raine out of her stupor, but before she could say anything to him, Shinsou’s tread had taken him through the door and out of the corridor.