The monsters lay broken across the clearing, their heavy bodies twitching before finally falling still. The air was thick with blood and smoke, and the party of five collapsed onto the grass, their breaths ragged and shallow.
He stood at the edge of the battlefield, arms crossed, gauntlets humming faintly as they retracted back into their dormant state.
"…Thank you," the shield-bearer said after a long silence. His voice was strained, but steady. He planted his shield into the ground and leaned against it. "If not for you, we'd be corpses."
He gave a small nod, nothing more.
The healer, dirt smudged across her face, bowed her head. "We truly owe you. Please, may we at least know your name?"
His silence stretched before he muttered, "…I don't have one."
The group exchanged glances, unsure if it was truth or deflection. The archer smirked despite her exhaustion. "No name, huh? Then we'll call you something until you think of one yourself. How about… Shadow?"
The gauntlets snickered in his mind. "I like her. Sharp tongue. Let's keep her."
He ignored the voice and turned away, as though the conversation was already finished. But the group wasn't done.
One by one, they introduced themselves:
Kael, shield-bearer, their temporary leader.
Darin, the quiet swordsman, eyes always watching the surroundings.
Ryn, dual-blade fighter, fiery and brash.
Sera, the archer, quick with both arrows and words.
Lena, the healer, gentle but resilient despite her fragile appearance.
Once their names were exchanged, Kael spoke again, his tone more casual now that the danger had passed.
"We're not a permanent party," he explained, sliding his shield onto his back. "Darin and I were hired to escort these three while they completed their guild quest. Just bad luck we ran into those monsters on the edge of evolution."
Darin gave a curt nod. "Our paths won't cross again after tonight."
Ryn scoffed, sheathing his blades. "Good riddance. You're too stiff anyway."
Kael chuckled at the jab but didn't respond. Instead, he turned to the nameless man. "Shadow, then. I don't know who you are, but your timing saved lives. I'll remember that. Should we meet again, I'll buy you a drink."
With that, Kael and Darin took their leave, heading toward the distant glow of the city. Their silhouettes vanished into the trees, leaving only the three younger adventurers and the man called Shadow.
A silence lingered until Ryn broke it, pointing his blade at the stranger.
"You're strong. Stronger than anyone I've fought beside. Don't think you can just vanish into the night after showing something like that."
Sera rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. He just doesn't like owing anyone." She looked at Shadow directly, her gaze sharper than her tone. "But he's right in one thing—we don't see people like you often. That… weapon of yours, it's not something you find in any forge."
The gauntlets pulsed faintly, as if amused by the attention.
Lena stepped forward, her expression softer, more hesitant. "We're not trying to pry. It's just… if you're alone, maybe you'd consider joining us for a while? Not as a party, but… as company."
Ryn snorted. "Say it plainly. You want him to babysit us."
Lena shot him a glare. "That's not what I—"
But Shadow raised his hand, cutting her off. "…I work alone."
Disappointment flickered across her features, though she quickly masked it.
Still, he didn't walk away. Not yet. Instead, his eyes lingered on the three of them—their exhaustion, their scars, and yet their determination to keep moving forward despite nearly dying tonight. Something stirred in him.
"Don't lie to yourself," the gauntlets whispered. "You don't want to be alone. That's why you saved them."
He clenched his fists. "I don't need bonds. Bonds get you killed."
But even as he thought it, his gaze softened ever so slightly.
Sera caught it. She smirked, stretching her arms. "Fine. Keep your secrets, Shadow. But you can't stop us from crossing paths again. Fate's funny like that."
Ryn cracked his knuckles. "And when we do, I'm gonna make you fight me properly. Not this half-assed interference."
Lena just smiled warmly, like she already knew he would cave eventually.
He turned his back on them, disappearing into the trees. The gauntlets gave a low chuckle. "Three names you won't forget. I wonder… are they your allies, or the weight you'll carry when the world burns?"
He didn't answer.
But for the first time since his awakening, he didn't feel the silence pressing so heavily on his back.