[Jevan Perspective]

The masked figure standing in front of me looked strangely familiar, so familiar it unsettled me. This was the first time since taking over Jevan's body that I felt I actually knew someone. Confusion froze me, keeping me from reacting quickly. Before I could fully grasp the situation, the raven flew from her shoulder and landed on mine. It spread its wings over my face as if trying to embrace me, then said:

"Master, this is truly you."

Well, that was strange. The phrase "this is truly you" I've heard plenty of times recently, but this was the first time I heard it from a raven.

I fixed my gaze on the masked woman before me. She stepped closer, stopping right in front of me without saying a single word. She only stared with her bluish green eyes through the mask's openings.

Words slipped out of my mouth without thought:

"You?"

She simply nodded in reply.

She turned toward the man standing beside her, clearly confused by my exchange with her. I strained my memory and barely recognized his face: wasn't he the same man I had interrogated last time after escaping from the Broken Glass Tavern?

I had an ocean of questions and honestly, that had become my daily routine since I took over this body. But at least, this time it looked like I might get some answers more easily. I gestured toward the staircase leading to the second floor and said in a neutral tone:

"Let's talk upstairs."

***

[Corvin Perspective]

I barely managed to keep myself together during the carriage ride with that deranged masked man. It was just me and him, which made things ten times worse. With every jolt of the carriage wheels, I counted the seconds left until my death. But finally, we reached the shop.

The problem was that now I was assigned to monitor this lunatic. Monitor him?! I, who barely had dealings with him for years! During those years he often disappeared for months, sometimes even a year at a time. And now he had officially joined the Night Wolves? Why? I could never understand his logic, but he always seemed like someone who preferred to work alone. Did he do this just to torment me personally?

No, no, Corvin, you're exaggerating. Maybe he has broader plans. Maybe there's some logical reason. Maybe he's not the same madman he used to be. I tried to convince myself with those words as I watched him talk to some of Verona's guards like a normal human. He didn't stab anyone, didn't sever any heads. Maybe… maybe he changed.

But those illusions shattered the moment we opened the shop door.

Inside, two men stood in the darkness. The first wore a long black robe with a hood, and perched on his shoulder… a raven? The other's features were impossible to distinguish in the gloom.

The robed man turned toward us. His face was hidden behind a black mask painted with a wide white grin. As soon as he turned, the raven immediately flew to perch on the masked one's shoulder. It spread its wings as if to embrace his head, then spoke:

"Master, this is truly you."

My head nearly exploded from the shock. Master? This is truly you? A talking raven? By the Creator of earth and sky, what was happening here? I hadn't even recovered from my shock before I heard the masked figure speak:

"You?"

You? Was this a woman? Before I could make sense of the storm of questions in my head, the masked man gestured toward the stairs leading up and said:

"Let's talk upstairs."

They all moved toward the staircase and climbed one by one, while I stood frozen, staring at the wall. What on earth was happening?

I stepped forward and noticed the man who had come with the masked one earlier. He was tied to a chair in front of the counter. On his lap, the cat was sleeping peacefully.

His mouth was gagged with a piece of cloth. I approached, untied the bindings, and pulled the gag away. He inhaled sharply, then panted before saying:

"Thank you."

I asked him while staring at his face:

"What happened here?"

He shook his head and replied:

"I don't know exactly."

***

[Jevan Perspective]

We climbed to the second floor. The raven was still perched on my shoulder, and somehow it seemed almost… happy. I pushed the door open and entered, then sat on the bed while the masked woman stood facing me. I knew her. The moment I saw the mask on her face, a stream of memories flashed in my mind. They weren't clear, but one thing connected them all her presence.

I asked her:

"What are you doing here?"

She didn't answer, only kept staring at me. Strangely enough, I didn't feel annoyed by it.

I turned to the raven and asked:

"What are you two doing here?"

It answered immediately, full of excitement:

"We were searching for you, Master."

"And why were you searching for me?"

"Master, have you lost your memory? Of course your loyal follower would search for you."

Well… that was odd. Even after everything I'd been through, this was beyond strange. My loyal follower? Since when did I have followers, and from ravens no less?

I gestured toward the masked girl:

"I'm not talking about you, I mean her."

The raven rubbed its beak with its wing, then turned toward her. They stared at each other in silence for a moment before the raven finally said:

"She speaks of a kind of promise you made to her."

"What kind of promise?"

"To help her achieve a certain goal."

I didn't ask more. If I kept probing like this, they might start suspecting me. So I changed the subject right away:

"Anyway, I have a few objectives to take care of here before I can leave."

"That's fine, Master. I'll stay by your side!"

I turned toward the man standing in the corner of the room and asked:

"And what's his story?"

The raven replied:

"Don't worry, Master. Just a foolish servant who sold his soul."

I looked at the man. His face was seething with anger, as though he was about to explode at any moment. I almost laughed. Selling your soul? Was that really possible? What kind of rotten luck lands you as the servant of a talking raven?

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