The plan

Back to the current day:

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, Jack. Just gazing at the city," I answered, my eyes still fixed on the distant tower. "Did you find what I asked for?" I asked, though I already expected the answer.

"No clue," Jack replied, sitting down beside me. "You know you won't find anything in this godforsaken place."

What I'd asked him to look for were books. But books, it seemed, were reserved for nobles. I'd scoured every corner of the slums for information about magic or Essence, but my efforts had been fruitless. "I guess the gang is the only one who might have some information," Jack said, his tone grim.

"The gang, huh..." I muttered, my mind drifting to Gorren's crew.

The slums were crawling with bandits and criminals, but Gorren is different. He'd arrived one day and subdued the entire slums under his rule. Rumor had it he could use Essence. I'd seen it myself once—I was slipping by when a man tried to stab him in the back. Gorren's skin had taken on a reddish hue, his muscles swelling unnaturally. With a single backhanded punch, he'd shattered the man's spine. The crack echoed in my memory, a chilling reminder of the power I was up against.

Jack sighed, breaking the silence. "You're not seriously thinking about going after Gorren, are you? That guy's a monster, Zeph. Even if he knows something about Essence, once he knows we go around digging in his secrets, we won't see the next day."

I didn't answer right away. My gaze remained fixed on the city, its towering spire gleaming like a distant dream. In my past life, I'd been a planner—someone who thought before he acts. That hadn't changed. If anything, this world had forced me to become even more calculative. Every move had to be weighed, every risk assessed.

"What other choice do we have, Jack?" I finally said, my tone measured. "The nobles hoard all the knowledge. The slums are a dead end unless we take calculated risks. I'm not going to spend my life hauling water and scrubbing floors in this place."

Jack ran a hand through his hair, his expression torn. "I get it, Zeph. I do. But charging headfirst into Gorren's gang isn't the answer. We need a plan. Something smart. Something that doesn't end with us dead in a ditch."

I turned to him, my mind already racing through possibilities. "Then let's make a plan. We don't have to confront Gorren directly—not yet. We just need information. If we can find someone who knows how he uses Essence, we can start piecing things together."

Jack leaned back, staring at the city lights flickering in the distance. "There's a guy. A former member of Gorren's gang. He got kicked out after a botched job. Rumor has it he's been laying low near the eastern edge of the slums. If anyone knows how Gorren uses Essence, it's him. But he's not exactly the friendly type."

I nodded slowly, already weighing the risks. A former gang member would be dangerous, but he might also be desperate. Desperate people could be manipulated—or bargained with. "We'll need leverage," I said, more to myself than to Jack. "Something to make him talk without putting ourselves at too much risk."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Leverage? What kind of leverage do we have? We're just a couple of slum rats, Zeph."

I smirked faintly. "Everyone has something they want, Jack. Even former gang members. We just need to figure out what it is."

Jack groaned, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. "You're going to get us killed, Zeph. But fine, I'm in. Just don't blame me when this blows up in our faces."

I grinned, but my mind was already working through the details. We'd need to scout the area, gather information, and figure out the best way to approach this guy without alerting Gorren's gang. It wouldn't be easy, but nothing in this world was.

As we sat there, the city's towering silhouette looming in the distance, I felt a surge of determination.

"Tomorrow," I said, my voice steady, "we start gathering information. We'll watch him, learn his habits, and figure out what he wants. Then we'll make our move."

Jack shook his head, but there was a glint of admiration in his eyes. "You're something else, Zeph. You know that?"

I didn't respond. My mind was already elsewhere, thinking of how to execute this plan.

"It's getting dark, let go back."

I stood slowly, my gaze lingering on the distant city lights one last time. Tomorrow, we'll take our first step toward unraveling the secrets of Essence.