Chapter 193

There wasn't much to the preparations for catching Julia. We increased the number of actors and performances to keep her on edge, readied recording orbs to capture her wrongdoing, and mapped out escape routes in case anything went wrong. That was all there was to it.

Am I doing this right?

As the fake plague performance dragged on, fear in the plague-stricken region had climbed to a fever pitch. The people there grew more and more closed off, and watching it happen didn't sit easily with me either.

"I need to end this quickly."

"It'll be over soon."

At the welcome voice, I lifted my head toward the door. Cassion came toward me, carrying the chill of the dawn air with him.

"Isn't it too early for you to be up?"

Cassion came over to where I sat, knees drawn up to my chest, in the chair by the window.…