Amber and Modir had vanished. The way they had come had vanished as well. He had been sent alone into this dim, enormous city, completely cut off from the outside world—this did not seem to be what Gawain had expected.
But for a journey into the domain of an ancient god, anything that happened could probably be considered "within expectations."
Gawain swiftly swept his gaze across his surroundings, taking in everything within sight. He tried to sense Amber or Modir's presence, but found nothing within range. He truly was standing alone in this vast, empty city, as if he had been the only one to come here from the very beginning. The road behind him had disappeared, and before him lay only layer upon layer of seemingly repeating towers and houses.
Gawain took a deep breath. He did not know where Amber had gone, nor did he know where Modir was at the moment. It would have been a lie to say he was not worried or nervous, but after that brief moment of tension, he forcibly calmed himself down. This had to be Night Lady's deliberate arrangement—in this City of a Thousand Towers, everything lay under Night Lady's dominion. After the Tide Receded vanished, nothing in this domain could affect that ancient god's authority. Since he found himself in such a bizarre situation, it could not possibly be an accident.
After steadying himself, Gawain felt his heartbeat gradually settle. He recalled the intelligence they had gathered before coming here, raised his head to distinguish the shadowy streets and distant silhouettes of buildings in the City of a Thousand Towers, and tried to find a direction to proceed in—since Night Lady had invited him here, She surely had not brought him here just to amuse Herself. Perhaps this was the