Noah looked up, just in ti to see Arlo drop from the nearby roof, his boots hitting the cobblestones with a dull thud.
His usual grin was gone, replaced by a grim look that didn’t suit him.
His eyes were hidden behind his blindfold, but his head was angled directly at Noah, making sure he knew he held the man’s attention.
"You disappeared." Arlo said, voice low, almost strained. "Where did you go? Where have you been?"
Noah stared at him flatly, the corner of his mouth twitching into sothing close to a smirk.
He’d noticed Arlo following him right from the mont he’d started wandering the city.
It had taken so maneuvering and a quick use of Null Stride, but he’d hidden himself from the person with the eyes that supposedly sees everything.
And now that he was done with his first task of the day, he’d appeared back in society.
"I don’t see how that’s any of your business," he said.
Arlo took a step towards him, then stopped, as if he’d changed his mind.
The air between them grew heavy.
A group of rchants passed by, their chatter fading quickly as they hurried along, sensing the tension.
"You’re planning sothing," Arlo pressed, stepping closer. "Sothing dangerous."
Noah said nothing in response.
"Don’t be stupid, Noah. I don’t care how strong you’ve gotten. There are things in this city you can’t fight alone."
Noah’s eyes narrowed. "Then leave alone. Whatever I do, it has nothing to do with you."
For a few seconds, Arlo’s jaw worked as if he wanted to argue, but then he exhaled and shook his head.
A humorless smile crossed his face. "You know what? Fine."
"I don’t know what you’re doing or why. And maybe you’ll never tell ."
His voice softened, serious in a way Noah rarely heard. "But I’ll trust you. Even if it kills , I’ll trust you."
Without waiting for a reply, Arlo turned and walked away, weaving through the quiet street.
Noah’s gaze stayed on him, shadows curling faintly at his feet.
Then he followed at a distance, silent and watchful, trailing Arlo through the twisting lanes of the capital.
It didn’t take long.
He confird it when Arlo flashed his ticket at the gates of the colosseum and disappeared inside with the tide of spectators.
"Figures," Noah muttered.
With that confirmation, he turned on his heel, heading back into the city streets.
It didn’t take him too long to retrace his steps, and he quickly found himself in the sa area that Bruno had turned just two days ago.
It had been due to pure luck that he had been there that day.
There was no guarantee that he would be at another place where a random person would also transform into a hybrid.
In fact, another one could’ve happened already, so he needed to get as much information as he could.
From what he currently knew, the Investigation Authority was suppressing news about Bruno turning.
Only a handful of people had been present at the scene, and the damage done hadn’t been on a large scale, so it was easier to keep under covers as they went about their investigation.
And Noah didn’t mind at all.
So there he was, standing in the shadows of a leaning tenent, eyes narrowed as he scanned the street.
The outside of the bar still bore faint scars of chaos.
Splintered wood patched over windows, a cobblestone replaced with fresh mortar where blood had seeped days before.
But what caught his attention more were the n scattered along the stretch.
So wore the distinct black and silver cloaks of the Investigation Authority, their insignias gleaming like a warning.
Others dressed plainly, feigning the look of rchants or vagrants, but their eyes gave them away.
It was always roving around, looking for anything that could be found.
"They’re crawling all over," Noah muttered under his breath.
It was clear Lord Rowe’s agents were taking their investigation seriously. It was a step up from Osiris Lawless.
He slipped away before any of them could take too much notice, weaving through alleys until he ca upon a narrow, smoke filled bar wedged between crumbling brick buildings.
The inside reeked of stale beer, a perfect haunt for idle tongues.
Noah took a seat near the back, studying the occupants.
A barmaid slid him a tin cup of watered ale, and he lifted it lazily, though his eyes flicked toward the group of dockhands crowding a table nearby.
Their voices were low and their words slurred with alcohol, and Noah sat there, listening intently.
A few minutes later, he heard what he was looking for.
"It’s just like the girl," one whispered. "My buddy was there. He swore he saw his eyes go black before he tore the place apart."
"That’s nonsense," another grunted, taking a long pull from his mug.
"The Authority shut it down quickly. I don’t think it’s the sa as that Rowe kid. If it was, the street would’ve been torn up."
"No, think about it." The man insisted. "The Rowe kid was a mage. Bruno was a normal human. Of course, he’s going to be weaker."
The others scoffed.
"Don’t believe . But you’ll see. When more of them begin cropping up, you’ll know."
"Then why haven’t more cropped up?"
Noah sat there, listening to them banter and argue among themselves.
A few details stood out to him as they chatted away in low voices.
The news about a potion that granted power was spreading. Sothing that made one as strong as a demon.
Noah leaned back, exhaling softly.
From what he could gather, Juniper and Bruno were the only two cases of demon human hybrids. Nothing else.
That ant Snake’s trail was cold. For now.
But it also ant the potions weren’t yet spreading uncontrollably. He still had ti.
He drained the last of his cup, the bitter ale sliding down his throat.
He stood, and without a backward glance, slipped back out into the city.
There was no rest for the wicked.
And that ant none for him.
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