The night wind gently brushed against the cobblestones of Athélys, the floating city in this world where magic intertwined with the shadows of centuries past. The suspended lanterns cast an amber light, swaying slightly in the breeze, their glow reflecting on the facades of houses and shops. Daniel and Elise walked slowly, their footsteps echoing on the damp stones, while the distant murmurs of the city had almost entirely faded, as if Athélys itself was holding its breath after the recent events at the guild.
The city was a strange and fascinating mosaic: soaring towers with black slate roofs stood beside shops with garish colors and signs adorned with magical runes. Everywhere, humans went about their modest daily lives: merchants, artisans, curious-faced children, and a few low-ranking adventurers, still awed by the rumor of the victory over the S-rank serpent. The streets were lively but not overcrowded; every movement seemed deliberate, as if the city obeyed invisible rules dictating who could appear where and when.
—"Interesting…" Daniel murmured, his eyes scanning the alleys and squares like a predator on the hunt. "Everything looks normal, but…"
Elise looked at him, amused by his habit of seeking anomalies even in the calmest places.
—"But what?" she asked, adjusting her cloak.
Daniel suddenly stopped, turning toward her, and placed his hands on her shoulders. His gaze was serious, almost worried.
—"Wait, Elise… tell me. Tell me there are vampires here, demons… elves, yes, you're one… but I mean the others. Lamias, beast-men, half-human hybrids… everything that exists around us."
Elise remained silent, her eyes gleaming with a reflective light, as if weighing every word before speaking. But Daniel did not settle for this silence.
—"Why… why don't we see them here?" he asked, his voice low, almost a whisper, as if even the walls might be listening.
She slightly averted her gaze, and a shiver ran down her shoulders. The city suddenly felt heavier, the flickering lanterns casting menacing shadows.
—"Because…" she began, but Daniel interrupted her with a mere shake of his head.
He understood without a word: there were unwritten rules, zones and secrets not to be shared with E-rank adventurers. Invisible hierarchies governed every street, every market, every balcony where discreet silhouettes watched the passage of humans and more powerful creatures. Beast-men and elves, the ancient and noble beings, lived elsewhere, in protected quarters, far from the human base. Where ordinary mortals walked, only traces of them could be seen, never their presence directly.
The silence between them thickened, charged with a strange weight. Daniel felt the night's chill mingle with the chill of mystery. It was no longer a simple urban stroll but a labyrinth of rules and ancient memories, stretching back a thousand years. A thousand years during which forgotten conflicts, interspecies wars, and betrayals had shaped the invisible fabric of the city. And some secrets, apparently, must never be spoken aloud.
—"A thousand years…" Daniel murmured, more to himself than to Elise. "That's a long time… but… what could have happened that no one dares to talk about?"
Elise remained silent, letting the tension settle. She walked beside him, one hand gripping her cloak. Each step seemed to draw them closer to a past the city itself had chosen to forget, or at least to conceal.
Daniel lifted his eyes to the lit windows of the houses. Shadows, almost ethereal, moved inside. He wondered how many were ordinary humans and how many were creatures whose existence he still did not know. Each light seemed to tell a story, but a fragmented one, incomplete, that he would have to piece together himself.
Then, a quick movement caught his attention: a black-furred cat slipped silently between the shadows. Its glowing eye fixed on Daniel for a moment, as if warning him, then it vanished. He shook his head, a smirk tugging at his lips:
—"Even the cats here seem… more mysterious than any human I've met."
Elise offered a discreet smile, but her silence carried weighty implications. Daniel realized then that she was showing him, without words, that some truths could only be given to those willing to seek them and that he must be careful not to cross certain limits, for both his safety and the fragile balance of the city.
They continued walking, their footsteps echoing on the damp cobblestones, every sound amplified by the strange calm around them. Their shadows stretched and mingled with those of the lanterns, the ancient statues, and buildings adorned with forgotten runes. Daniel felt he was touching a part of this world few living beings truly knew.
Without a word, he understood that Athélys was not merely a transit point. It was a silent witness to centuries of history, conflicts, and secrets, where every alley could conceal a fragment of truth neither time nor power had erased.
Their walk continued like this, a balance of curiosity and caution, until an open square appeared before them, illuminated by a gigantic central fountain. The waters reflected the moon and the surrounding towers, creating a mesmerizing interplay of light, beautiful and unsettling at once. Daniel stopped, took a deep breath, and said:
—"You know… I think this world is a lot more complicated than I imagined."
Elise nodded silently, but her eyes sparkled in a way that said she shared the observation, without needing words. Daniel smiled, aware that with her by his side, he could face these secrets, one step at a time.