The moment stretched, thick with tension. Alex kept his stance loose, but his muscles coiled, ready to strike. The cloaked figure before him remained motionless, their face obscured by the hood's deep shadows.
Then, a quiet chuckle. "You're faster than I expected. Good."
The voice was distorted, masked by a spell. Alex's eyes narrowed. "Specter, I assume?"
The informant inclined their head slightly. "Names are fleeting in the Archives, but for now, you may call me that."
Alex kept his expression unreadable. "You led me here. Why?"
Specter stepped forward, their cloak barely disturbing the dust that blanketed the ancient floor. "Because you're different. Because you have the potential to break the chains that bind both humans and Saints alike."
Alex clenched his fists. "I'm not interested in speeches. If you have information, give it to me."
A pause. Then Specter lifted their hand, revealing a small, crystalline data cube. "This contains classified records on the Saints' true history and the S-Wall's origins. Information the empire would kill to keep buried."
Alex reached out, but Specter pulled the cube back. "Not so fast. There's one condition."
Alex's jaw tightened. "What condition?"
Specter leaned in slightly, their presence unnervingly calm. "Take this to Twilight's leader, the Phantom. But do not trust them blindly. The game is far bigger than you realize."
Alex hesitated. "You're saying even Twilight has its own agenda?"
A dry laugh. "Every faction has secrets, Alexander. Even your allies."
The words sent a chill down his spine, but he snatched the cube from Specter's grasp. "I'll deliver it. But if this is a trap—"
"You'll do what?" Specter's amusement was clear. "Kill a ghost?"
Before Alex could respond, a warning pulse of mana rippled through the air. Footsteps echoed from the hall outside. The Archive's guardians had detected their presence.
Specter stepped back. "Go. We won't meet again."
Alex cursed under his breath and sprinted into the maze of shelves, clutching the cube. The real game had only just begun.