Ethan Gray stood at the base of the weathered building, his neck craned at an uncomfortable angle as he squinted upward. The afternoon sun in Riverport was unforgiving, reflecting off the grime-streaked windows of the Red-brick tenement in the heart of The Old Quarter. Above him, on the third-floor balcony, a small, blurry figure was crouched near the edge, poking at something hidden in the shadows of the railing.
"A little baby?" Ethan muttered to himself, his brow furrowed in confusion.
From his vantage point on the cracked pavement, he couldn't make out any details. The distance was too great, and the glare of the sun turned the balcony into a silhouette of rusted iron and drooping laundry. He shielded his eyes with one hand, trying to get a better look at the small creature Blanche w
