[table][row][cell][img]https://i.imgur.com/20Q9FLv.png[/img][/cell][cell][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/241207/12cf164eb0204fbd7bfe1f9acec90dc5.png[/img][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][sub]Location: Jail[/sub][/cell][/row][/table]Zeph made his way back toward the eastern gate, helmet held under one arm. Each exhale turned to fog in the crisp night air as his mind circled back to his interaction with Nesna. He had taken a chance by trusting her, letting her walk free instead of locking her up. It was a gamble, sure—but then, Zeph had always been a gambling man, and something about her didn’t scream criminal to him. Aliseth probably wouldn’t be pleased when he found out. But luckily for Zeph, he didn’t really care what Aliseth thought. 

As he scanned the area, several guards rushed past him, heading west—toward where Abel had lost his life. A heavy sigh escaped him, the weight of guilt pressing like an iron hand on his chest. Abel’s death would forever hang over him like a storm cloud. The urge to draw his sword and join the search for the blight-born that had killed Abel tugged at him, but he knew he’d already spent too long away from his post. If he wanted to keep a job, he’d better get back to the gate. 

[color=FA8072]"Hale!"[/color] a familiar voice barked. Zeph paused, turning to see the archer from the gate shift earlier, jogging towards him with a torch in hand. Their joint shift had likely rotated out by now. 

[color=FA8072]"They’re looking for you,"[/color] the other guard said, stopping a few feet away and slightly out of breath.  

Zeph furrowed his brow. [color=98A869]"Me? Why?" [/color]

The archer shrugged. [color=FA8072]"Volkov’s orders. Said you’re wanted for watch at the jail."[/color]  

Zeph groaned. [color=98A869]“Of course.”[/color] he muttered under his breath, already pivoting toward the half-finished jail. That old man had a knack for making Zeph’s life harder in subtle, irritating ways. If their shift had rotated, then Zeph should’ve been off-duty by now, yet here he was, trudging towards the jail.   

As he arrived, he looked over the building, lit up by torchlights and surrounded by guards and construction workers alike. Parts of the roof were still incomplete, but the cells were operational. A guard stationed at the entrance gave him a nod.  

[color=98A869]“Am I taking over for you?”[/color] Zeph asked, scrutinizing the guard under the torch light. What manner of illness had this man befallen that he couldn’t complete his shift?  

The guard gestured inside. [color=FA8072]“You’re on prisoner watch. Enchanter’s on the way.”[/color]  

[color=98A869]"Prisoner watch?"[/color] Zeph muttered with a hint of annoyance, his brows knitting in confusion. [color=98A869]‘[i]They already caught Abel’s killer?[/i]’[/color] He thought as he stepped through the stone doorway, boots clicking against the floor as he made his way to the back of the jail.   

Opening the door to the holding area, his gaze landed on a blonde-haired woman in radiant armor, unmistakably that of an Aelios Champion. She stood at the furthest end of the hall, glaring at a man lounging behind bars. [color=98A869]‘[i]Shame someone that stunning is so devout—especially to Aelios[/i]’[/color], he thought, crinkling his nose slightly at the sight of her armor. 

[color=98A869]“Guess I’m here to relieve you, eh?”[/color] Zeph asked as he approached, his eyes flicking between the prisoner and her. [color=98A869]“Can’t imagine this is your usual scene. Seems a bit beneath you.”[/color] he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice and a playful smile to match. 

[color=98A869]“So, what’s this guy in for? Besides showing off... or are you here just for the show?”[/color] The man behind bars looked smug, shirtless as he did sit-ups and stared back at the Champion. Zeph raised an amused eyebrow, the scene almost making him burst out laughing. There was no way this guy was responsible for Abel’s death. Perhaps he was just a drunk from the tavern, sent here to sober up. 

Zeph cocked his head and smirked. [color=98A869]“You cold in there, buddy? Or is this your idea of impressing a Champion of Aelios? Futile, by the way—I tried it once. Trust me. [i]Not[/i] a good idea.”[/color]

The prisoner smirked back, but before he could retort, the door at the opposite end of the hall opened. Soft footsteps echoed, and Zeph turned to see an older brunette woman enter, her hair streaked with faint silver threads. Her brown eyes darted around the room as she introduced herself, though she barely made eye contact with any of them as she bowed her head. 

[color=FDFD96]“Enchanter, at your service.”[/color] she said softly, lifting her head only briefly to meet their gaze. [color=FDFD96]“Give me a moment, please.”[/color]

She moved past them and to the corner of the wall, pulling out a piece of charcoal from a satchel. [color=FDFD96]“Didn’t think I’d have to do this so soon,”[/color] she muttered to herself before getting to work. Zeph watched as she scrawled precise and intricate runes horizontally along the wall, her fingers steady. As she shuffled down the length of the back wall, she muttered some kind of incantation under her breath, too softly for anyone to hear, her expression entirely focused on the runes. 

Gradually, the runes glowed to life, a lavender light pulsing brightly before softening to a faint hue. A strange sensation crept over Zeph, and his gaze narrowed on the enchanter. With each rune that illuminated, the air grew heavy, his limbs sluggish, and an invisible force drained him. By his sides, he flexed his fingers, unsettled by the sudden void where his magic used to hum faintly under the surface. Though he had never heavily relied on his limited magical ability, its absence felt wrong all the same. Anti-magic fields had always unsettled him—an unnatural intrusion that never ceased to feel fundamentally wrong, no matter how often he encountered them.

The Sage finished her scrawls along the interior walls and slipped out the door as quietly as she’d arrived, continuing the runes along the exterior. Zeph’s smirk returned despite the heaviness in the air, turning his attention back to the Champion. Waiting for her to break the silence, his eyes glinted with mischief, met only with her steely and unamused gaze.

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[sub][b]Interactions:[/b] Dyna [@Queen Arya], Gadez [@Dezuel][/sub]