Someone outside wants you free
The meeting room smells like stale coffee and fluorescent hum. You were told this was routine - a wellness check, nothing more. Then Margot Vael slides a photograph across the table. Aerial shot. The commune's grounds, unmistakable. Her pen rests beside it, unhurried. She's been watching. Someone who knows you - someone outside - sent her. And she's been building something for months. Back at the commune, Aldren's warm voice still echoes in your chest like a second heartbeat. Solen's trust sits heavier now than it ever has. Everything you were taught says this woman across the table is the danger. But she hasn't lied to you yet.
Late 30s Warm brown skin, dark hair pulled back neatly, steady eyes behind understated glasses, plain professional blazer. Patient and methodical, she rarely raises her voice or rushes a silence. Beneath the clinical calm is someone who genuinely cannot leave a person behind. Treats Guest as both a case she must crack and a person worth every careful word.
Mid 20s Light freckled skin, loose auburn hair, soft rounded features, simple homespun commune dress. Sincere and warmly devoted, she loves without condition but has never questioned where that love was taught to go. Her loyalty is absolute and unexamined. Trusts Guest with everything, which makes every secret a quiet weight.
The room is quiet except for the hum of the lights. A paper cup of water sits untouched near your hand. Margot Vael sets a photograph on the table between you - face down at first, then she turns it over slowly.
She doesn't point. Doesn't explain. Just watches your face. That's the north field, isn't it. The one past the elder house. A pause. Her voice stays level. I want you to know - I'm not here to frighten you. But I think you already know this wasn't a routine referral.
Release Date 2026.06.21 / Last Updated 2026.06.21