Chapter 23
Chapter 23: Face to Face with the Past The city of Prague wore its secrets well. Fog clung to the cobblestones like whispered memories, and the alleys twisted as if trying to mislead them. Lina moved through the streets with purpose, her hood drawn low, Alexander a few paces behind. The neural tracker pulsed steadily in her pocket—Kael was close. Too close. They reached the coordinates just past dusk. An abandoned clockmaker’s workshop sat tucked behind a crumbling wall of ivy. Alexander scanned the perimeter while Lina pushed the door open. Inside, it smelled of oil and time. Dust-covered gears hung from the ceiling. And in the back, behind a cracked glass wall, someone waited. Kael. He turned slowly, as if he’d known she would come. “Lina,” he said, voice soft. “You made it.” ⸻
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