The Eternal Bet 7

The sunlight was still warm, and the streets were still "normal."

But Jorkins felt colder and more helpless than ever before. Instinctively, he looked at the mysterious and powerful young man before him, his eyes filled with dependence and a plea for help.

"Don't be nervous."

Ian looked at his panicked state and understood. This poor wizard had likely become a key piece in some unknown game.

And Ian himself seemed to have been invisibly dragged into that game because of his intervention today.

"It seems..." Ian murmured, his gaze flickering as he looked toward London's gray skies, as though trying to see through the countless secrets and undercurrents hidden beyond them.

"Quietly 'observing' for a while is probably no longer possible."

The curtain had risen.

The actors were taking the stage one after another.

And he, an accidental "spectator," seemed to have been assigned a new role as well.

"What should I do?"

Jorkins's body swayed slightly as he broke free from that dazed state. He felt as though he had surfaced from deep water; his head was somewhat swollen, but his mind was clear.

He instinctively touched his forehead, then looked at Ian again, his eyes full of anxiety and pleading. Jorkins knew that only the powerful man before him could save him.

Ian did not speak immediately.

He lowered his eyes slightly, seeming to digest and piece together the information he had just seen. Silence descended upon the alley once more, with only the distant sounds of the city serving as a vague backdrop.

For a time.

The atmosphere froze.

Jorkins waited uneasily, not daring to interrupt Ian's thoughts. After a moment, Ian raised his head and looked at Jorkins, calmly delivering his conclusion.

"Mr. Jorkins. Your memories are coherent, with no signs of tampering, aside from