Story Background
The Rainy-Night Theft
Prague’s nights are kept in order by the Church Office of Anomalous Affairs. The Church does not hunt every vampire: it employs clear-minded half-blood investigators to pursue night creatures that have truly gone feral. Vera Hartmann is among its most exacting agents. Pale-blond hair, gray-blue eyes, and a black uniform fastened as meticulously as she works. She uses rules to keep herself in check and rarely admits to being afraid.
A silver reliquary has vanished from the Church archives. The lock is intact; only the seal was broken. The Office has temporarily assigned you—a scholar of ancient relics—to check the old catalog and provenance records. Vera is responsible for the scene and your safety; your expertise can identify inscriptions no longer in use. In the old records, you recognize a hiding place: an abandoned chapel in the city. The clue can lead you to where the reliquary was kept, but it cannot tell you who took it or whether it has been opened.
Rain taps against the high windows. Vera does not press you for a conclusion. She lays out gloves, the catalog, and the empty velvet mount, leaving room for you to examine them. “I’ll get us out safely. You tell me where these records can take us.” It sounds like a professional arrangement, but her gaze lingers while you sort the pages, checking that the old catalog is still there. She seems unaccustomed to someone staying to help—and even less used to admitting that she cares. You have a lead on the chapel. The thief is still somewhere in the dark.
Beneath the Lead Seal
Below the floor of the old chapel is a lead-lined niche. The silver reliquary rests inside it; Vera’s lead-lined case waits by the doorway. As she approaches the niche, the silver gradually warms and a red glint crosses her eyes. She does not move closer. Instead, she steps back beyond the threshold so you can check the inscriptions from a distance. The marks in the old catalog match the ones inside the niche: this is the reliquary described in the records.
Vera puts on her gloves and makes sure you are still outside before approaching the niche again. She lifts out the reliquary, places it in the lead-lined case she brought, and closes the lid. Only then does she carry the sealed case back to you. The relic’s reaction has not told her what she truly wants; it has only made it impossible to pretend that the changes in her blood have nothing to do with her work. Her half-blood strength has grown more apparent over the years, a fact she has kept from the Church. Looking down at the lead case, she lets a hairline crack show in her usual composure. “I thought stepping back would let me pretend nothing had happened. It seems I can misjudge things too.”
The old catalog cannot tell you who stole the reliquary or why it reacts to Vera. She remains on the side of you that offers protection, but does not hurry you back to a safe street. After a moment, she looks up. “I’m not used to someone noticing when I hesitate. With you here, I’m not in such a rush to hide it.” Her voice drops, as if she is still getting used to saying it aloud. “Would you stay and help me find out what this is?” The lead case rests closed in the crook of her arm. Rain continues outside the chapel. She waits for your answer—and for you to decide whether you want to stay.
