The city was different at night.
The streets were quieter, but not empty.
The glow of neon lights and hovering signs flickered against the stone-paved roads, creating long shadows that stretched endlessly.
Even in the darker corners, figures road around—so wrapped in cloaks, others leaning against walls, eyes sharp and watchful.
The energy of the city didn’t die down just because the sun had set.
It simply changed.
Sylvie and I walked down the narrow streets, sticking close to the walls.
The air slled of oil, tal, and sothing faintly bitter—probably the smog from the towering structures in the distance.
I glanced up at them, taking in the way they stood over the lower districts, their shining exteriors a stark contrast to the worn-down buildings around us.
The difference between the wealthy and the poor was impossible to ignore.
"Stay close," Sylvie murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded, adjusting the strap of the small bag slung over my shoulder.
After resting and recovering for a full day, we had decided it was ti to move. The portal wasn’t far, but we still needed more supplies before we left.
The healing potions had helped, but they wouldn’t be enough once we stepped into the unknown.
The marketplace was still open, though it was a different crowd at this hour.
Less families. More criminals.
Stalls lined the narrow streets, their owners eyeing every custor with barely hidden suspicion.
Strange items were displayed under dim lights—beast cores, chanical parts, weapons, and potions of varying colors. So rchants whispered hushed offers, promising "miracle" drugs and enhancents, while others simply stared, daring anyone to try and steal from them.
I had never been in a place like this before. The town I grew up in was nothing compared to this sprawling, chaotic city.
I glanced at Sylvie.
She didn’t seem fazed. If anything, she blended in effortlessly, her posture relaxed but sharp.
"Where are we going?" I asked quietly.
"A safe place," she replied. "Sowhere to rest before we leave."
I frowned. "We just rested."
She shook her head. "Not properly. That room was temporary. We need sowhere more secure, at least for tonight."
I wanted to argue, but I knew she was right. The place we had rented before was cheap and barely maintained.
The lock on the door could’ve been picked by a child. If soone had wanted to kill us in our sleep, they wouldn’t have even struggled.
As we walked deeper into the city, the streets narrowed even more, buildings pressed together in ways that felt suffocating.
The lamps overhead flickered, their artificial glow weak against the dark night.
Then, finally, Sylvie stopped in front of a small, ordinary building wedged between two larger ones.
"This is it," she said.
I raised an eyebrow. "Looks abandoned."
"That’s the point."
She knocked on the wooden door, twice in quick succession, then paused before knocking again—slower this ti.
For a mont, nothing happened.
Then the door creaked open just slightly, revealing a single wary eye peeking through the crack.
Sylvie didn’t say anything.
The person behind the door let out a low grunt before opening it wider, allowing us inside.
The interior was dimly lit, a small lantern casting faint golden light over a cramped space filled with crates, worn furniture, and old maps pinned to the walls.
A woman sat behind a desk near the back, her hair tied up in a ssy bun, a lit cigarette between her fingers.
She barely glanced at us before gesturing toward the stairs.
"Sa room as always," she muttered.
Sylvie nodded and led the way.
I followed without question.
The room was small but clean. A single bed, a chair, and a desk—nothing more, nothing less.
The window was covered by thick curtains, blocking out the city’s neon glow.
"This place is safe?" I asked as I dropped my bag on the floor.
"Safer than most," Sylvie replied, sitting down on the chair and stretching her legs. "The owner doesn’t ask questions. As long as we pay, we won’t be bothered."
I humd in acknowledgnt, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
For a while, neither of us spoke. The silence was comfortable, a brief mont of peace in a city that never truly rested.
Then Sylvie stood up.
"I’m going out," she said, grabbing a pouch from her belt.
I blinked. "Where?"
"To get more supplies. The gold from the rcenaries won’t last forever, so I need to be careful with what I buy."
I frowned. "Should I co with you?"
She shook her head. "You need to rest. And…" She paused, her black eyes eting mine.
"You need ti to think."
I stiffened slightly.
Sylvie saw more than she let on.
Before I could respond, she turned and left, shutting the door behind her with a soft click.
I let out a slow breath.
Alone again.
Leaning back against the bed, I stared stry up at the ceiling.
She wasn’t wrong. I did need ti to think.
Everything had changed so quickly.
The mont I awakened, the mont I found myself thrown into this cruel, unforgiving world, my life had beco sothing unrecognizable.
I had survived so far, but for how long?
I clenched my fists.
I needed power.
More than what I had now.
And so, without hesitation, I called out in my mind.
"Damien."
There was no response.
I frowned, waiting.
One minute.
Two.
Three.
Then—
[You called?]
Damien’s voice rang through my mind, carrying that sa detached, almost amused tone he always used.
I exhaled slowly, still staring up at the ceiling. The room was still, the muffled noises of the city outside barely reaching through the thick curtains.
A part of had been hoping he wouldn’t respond, that I could push these thoughts away for another night.
But now that he was here, I had no excuse to keep running.
"I…" I hesitated, the words stuck in my throat. "I’m not ready to et him."
A pause.
[Him?]
"My grandfather."
Another silence. Longer this ti.
Then—
[And?]
I frowned. "What do you an and?"
"..."
***
A/N:
limited ti offer:
1 Bonus Chapter for every gift worth 1000 Coins each!!
Magic Castle = 7 Bonus Chapters~
Reviews
All reviews (0)