The city looked the same as always. Lively streets, children playing, merchants shouting over prices. Yet for Shadow, everything had changed after that fleeting glimpse in the forest.
For the next few days, he lived as though nothing was wrong. Training in the mornings, wandering the guild halls with the trio, taking on minor quests. To the average adventurer, he was blending into city life. But beneath that mask, his instincts screamed.
---
Restless Days
"Shadow, you've been quiet lately," Sera said one afternoon as they left the guild. Her golden eyes studied him with concern.
"I'm always quiet," he replied, his usual dry tone drawing a laugh from Ryn.
But Lena wasn't fooled. "It's different. You're watching the corners too much. Something's on your mind."
He didn't answer. He couldn't—not yet. The watcher's intent was still unknown, and drawing attention to it would only make the trio vulnerable.
---
A Test in the Alley
That night, on his way back from the blacksmith's, Shadow cut through a narrow alley. His steps halted when he felt it again—a pressure, faint but deliberate, like invisible eyes crawling across his back.
Slowly, he slipped into the shadows, pressing himself against the wall. His breathing slowed, his heartbeat sinking into the rhythm of silence.
The gauntlets whispered faintly in his mind, their tone half-curious, half-anxious. There. Above. Watching again.
Shadow's eyes flicked up. On the rooftops, a figure crouched, cloaked in black.
For a tense moment, neither moved. Then the figure tilted their head, almost in acknowledgment, before vanishing into the night. Not a leap, not a sound—just gone, as though they had melted into the dark.
---
At the Inn
Back in his room, Shadow sat cross-legged, unstrapping his gauntlets. The surface still bore faint scars from the battle with the guardian beast, though the core had strengthened since his repairs.
"Whoever they are," he murmured, "they're not ordinary."
The gauntlets pulsed softly, as if in agreement. Stronger than us, for now. But curious… they could have struck, yet didn't.
Shadow lay back on the bed, eyes on the wooden ceiling. "Then it's a game of patience. Whoever they are, they'll show themselves again. And when they do…" His lips curled into the faintest smirk. "…I'll be ready."
---
A New Day
The following morning, the trio greeted him at the guild with bright smiles. A new set of quests had been posted, ranging from escort missions to exterminations.
"Come on, let's grab something easy today," Ryn urged. "We deserve it after that troll business."
"Or we could try something harder," Lena countered. "It's boring otherwise."
Shadow listened absently, but his gaze flicked to the crowd. For just an instant, he swore he saw the same cloaked silhouette slip among the adventurers before vanishing again.
The watcher was not gone.
And Shadow knew it was only a matter of time before they moved from silent observation to direct confrontation.