The guards of the Dominic empire searched through every nook and cranny of Menderly. No stone was left unturned, no shadowed alley unexplored. Posters and sketches of the man were thrust into countless hands, displayed on tavern walls, shoved beneath the noses of shopkeepers and wanderers alike. The city buzzed with the relentless hunt until persistence finally bore fruit.
A passerby, a grizzled old man with keen eyes, paused when the image was shown to him. His finger jabbed toward the page with certainty. “Oh, yes, that’s Albert. You’ll find his house right beside the street, just across the highway, at the back end of Menderly.”
The journey led them beyond the polished heart of Menderly, across the busy highway, and into a forgotten corner where poverty ruled unchecked. The streets na
