The envelope weighed more than it looked. Nero carefully folded the paper and put it inside his jacket without taking his eyes off Merlin.
"A deal?" Lux repeated suspiciously. "You appear out of nowhere, follow us halfway across town, and now you want a deal?"
Merlin shrugged.
"Information has a price. Mine is cooperation."
Sunday crossed his arms.
"And why should we trust you?"
"You shouldn't," Merlin replied calmly, "but you don't have any better options."
The silence stretched between them. In the distance, laughter from a tavern contrasted cruelly with the tension in the alley.
Nero let out a slow breath.
"What do you want?"
Merlin's smile widened slightly.
"Access. I want to be there when I find them, and I want a share of the money."
Kōri tensed.
"That's not going to happen."
"They're dangerous," Merlin retorted, a new edge to his voice, "and they already know you exist."
Everyone froze.
"What do you mean?" Nero asked.
Merlin took a step forward and lowered his voice.
"The Echo doesn't just watch the city. It listens. What happened tonight wasn't a coincidence."
Lux glanced toward the alley entrance; the shadows seemed to be moving.
Sunday clicked his tongue.
"So, whatever we do, we're in."
Nero closed his eyes for a second and then nodded.
"Fine," he said, "but if you lie to us even once..."
Merlin raised his hands.
"I won't live long enough to regret it. I know it."
How clever... Nero thought, staring at Merlin with a poker face.
He sighed and said resignedly, "Let us talk."
The group moved a few meters away from Merlin, leaving the alley.
They remained in thoughtful silence. Their minds were working hard to discern Merlin's true intentions.
"Can we trust him?" Kōri was the first to break the silence.
"No... but we can't distrust him either," Sunday said, leaning against a wall.
"Hmm..." Lux murmured, seemingly thinking for the first time.
"What if we escape with the report?" Kōri asked.
"No..." Lux said, "that mage knows more than he's letting on."
"Lux's right," Nero said, peeking out to look at Merlin.
Merlin didn't move, just stared at the wall with a huge smile.
"We should accept..."
Everyone sighed wearily at Nero's words.
"Alright, the information is worth it," Sunday said, gesturing for them to go to Merlin.
The group returned to the alley with measured steps. The echo of their boots seemed too loud in the night silence.
Merlin barely turned his head when he saw them approaching, as if he had known from the start what the answer would be.
Nero stopped in front of him.
"We accept."
Merlin's smile didn't widen; that, strangely, unsettled Lux more than any exaggerated gesture.
"But with conditions," Nero added. Merlin inclined his head, attentive.
"Speak."
"You give us all the information you have. No omissions. No half-baked riddles," Nero continued.
"Don't make decisions on your own, and don't move without warning. If something goes wrong, everyone is responsible for their own actions."
Sunday stepped forward.
"And the money is divided when the job is done."
Kōri glared at him.
"And if they try to sell us out or play both sides, there won't be a second warning."
For the first time, Merlin's smile twisted into something more serious.
"Just what I expected," he said with a slight laugh. "Relax, I have no interest in dying young."
Lux frowned.
"That doesn't sound very convincing."
Merlin shrugged.
"My interest is in surviving. And for that, I need you as much as you need me."
Nero held his gaze for a few more seconds, as if trying to read something behind those calm eyes.
"Then it's settled," he said finally. "You walk with us… but you're not one of us."
Merlin extended his hand.
"A provisional agreement, then."
Nero hesitated for a moment before shaking it. The handshake was brief, almost symbolic.
"Provisional," he repeated.
Inside, he felt like he was making a deal with a demon... and he wasn't far wrong.
Merlin withdrew his hand and turned, starting to walk out of the alley.
"Good," he said without looking back. "If we're going to go into the Mouth of the Echo, we'd better not waste any time. There are things you should know before dawn."
Lux exchanged a glance with Kōri.
"Great," he murmured. "A smiling mage, an organization that listens to us, and zero margin for error."
Sunday sighed.
"Welcome to the deal."
Nero watched Merlin's back as he walked away, that smile that never quite faded.
The alley fell silent again after the handshake. The distant laughter from the tavern still echoed, but now it seemed even more distant, almost unreal.
Merlin adjusted his cloak and spoke as if the deal had already been sealed.
"Then let's not waste any time," he said, "the next step is a bar."
Lux raised an eyebrow.
"A bar?"
"A famous one," Merlin replied. "Too loud for people to watch what they say... and precisely because of that, perfect for eavesdropping."
...
The bar appeared before them like a beacon in the night. Warm light escaped through the fogged windows, and the murmur of voices, laughter, and clinking glasses filled the street. The hanging sign swayed gently in the breeze, displaying a name almost everyone in town knew.
Lux raised his head.
"Here?"
"It's the place," Merlin replied, still smiling. "If someone's eavesdropping... it's usually here."
They approached the entrance. Two guards flanked the door, enormous, with stony expressions. One of them stepped forward as soon as he saw them coming.
"Stop," he growled. His gaze swept over the group and settled on Merlin. "You're not coming in."
Sunday frowned.
"We just came to drink."
"The problem," the guard replied, crossing his arms, "is that this bar doesn't accept... onlookers."
Kōri took a step forward, visibly annoyed.
"Since when do you need an invitation to spend money?"
The guard didn't even look at her.
"Always. And you," he gestured to Merlin with his chin, "especially you."
For the first time, Merlin's smile became thin, almost strained.
"Come on," he said lightly. "Let's not make this awkward."
"It's not awkward," the guard retorted. "It's an order."
Merlin's smile vanished, replaced by a tense, calculating look.
"So... you're not going to let us through?" he said.
The guard took another step forward, completely blocking the entrance.
"No!" he repeated, his voice hoarse and dismissive.
The surrounding atmosphere seemed to continue as normal: laughter, music, clinking glasses. No one paid any attention to what was happening at the door.
Merlin watched the man for a few more seconds. Then she looked around, as if calculating distances, times... witnesses.
He moved a little closer to the guard and smiled again.
"There's no need to be so rough," he said with feigned kindness.
He placed his hand on the bodyguard's face. The gesture was so unexpected that it took the man a fraction of a second to react.
When he tried to push it away—
A golden flash crossed the air, a dark gold dagger pierced the man's face.
The bodyguard froze, eyes wide, then collapsed heavily to the floor, without making a sound.
The noise from the bar continued as if nothing had happened.
Lux froze.
Kōri held her breath.
Sunday tensed his shoulders, ready for whatever would come next.
What the hell is wrong with this guy... Nero thought, alert to any movement.
Merlin turned to them with his usual calm smile, casually wiping his hand.
"All done," he said cordially. "No more interference."
He gestured politely toward the door.
"We can continue."