Alexander didn't chase like a man.
He chased like a force.
The alley smelled like damp stone and old refuse, the kind of place where the city forgot itself. Alexander's boots hit the ground hard enough that the sound echoed back like a warning.
His guards followed in a tight formation, but Alexander was faster. He was always faster when it mattered.
Ahead, the alley split.
Two directions. Two shadows. Two men disappearing like smoke.
Alexander didn't hesitate.
He pointed. "You, left. You, right. Find tracks. Find witnesses. Bring me answers."
His men surged without argument.
Alexander kept moving straight, because the center was where lies liked to hide.
He turned a corner and saw nothing but empty stone and a closed wooden door.
He didn't slow.
"Lock the gates," he barked to the guard sprinting behind him. "Palace gates, city gates, river exits everything. Now."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Another guard appeared from a side street, breathless. "We saw movement"
