Captain Seria Thornwood had a problem.
For three weeks, she'd been documenting Lord Damien Valcrest's activities with professional thoroughness. Every public appearance, every use of his shadow magic, every interaction with the Saintess – all meticulously recorded in her investigation journal.
The problem wasn't lack of evidence. The problem was that the evidence refused to support her conclusions.
She sat in her small office at the guard headquarters, reviewing her notes by lamplight. Outside, the night watch was changing shifts. Inside, her careful documentation was creating a pattern she couldn't ignore.
Incident 1: Demon attack on charity dinner. Valcrest eliminated ten elite demons in seventeen seconds. Method: disturbing shadow magic that looked demonic. Result: Forty-seven lives saved, including the Saintess.
