Just then, suddenly the weather turned bad and the rain had turned the streets into mirror-like surfaces, each puddle reflecting the broken lanterns above in fragments of light. My boots splashed through the water as Selene and I pressed deeper into the Darker Districts. The city felt hollow, like the bones of some giant beast long dead, its carcass still crawling with scavengers.
Every shadow looked like Kael. Every gust of wind carried the phantom echo of his voice. I hated that part of me still searched for him in the dark, hoping against reason that I'd see the man he used to be instead of the predator he had become.
Selene kept her silence, but I could feel her glances. Measuring me. Testing me. Not with words, but with the way she adjusted her pace—sometimes leading, sometimes letting me walk ahead. She was giving me space to choose, to show her what I would become.
At the end of the alley, the buildings gave way to an open square where the rain had pooled into a shallow flood. Broken signs floated like corpses. A toppled statue of some long-forgotten councilor Suddenly lying face down in the mud—all of this happened in one incident.. The only light came from a fire burning in an oil drum, its glow casting crooked shadows across the square.
That's when I saw them.
Figures, three of them, waiting in the light. Their hoods were soaked, their hands hidden in long coats. Not Wardens—their stance was too loose, too careful. But not ordinary civilians either. My pulse quickened. Allies? Rivals? Or something worse?
Selene slowed, her hand brushing the hilt of her blade. "Stay behind me," she whispered, though she knew I wouldn't.
One of the strangers raised a hand, palm open. A signal of peace, or bait for a trap. His voice carried over the rain, low and deliberate.
"You're Lysandra."
My stomach tightened. My name shouldn't have been theirs to know.
Selene's blade half-drew with a metallic whisper. "Who sent you?" she demanded.
The man chuckled softly, stepping closer into the firelight. His face was sharp, angular, with eyes that reflected too much of the flame. "Not who. What. The city itself sent us. was waiting for you so eagerly.
Something inside me clenched. The memory of Kael's words came back sharp and clear—You've seen things no one was meant to see.
The strangers weren't here by chance. They were here because of me.
Selene shifted her weight, ready to strike. But I lifted a hand, stopping her.
"Then talk," I said.
The man's smile widened, thin as a blade. "Oh, it does. But reasons carry prices. And you'll have to decide what you're willing to pay."
The fire crackled louder, as though the city
And in that moment, I knew—the betrayal, the running, the killing—it had all been the prologue. The real game hadn't started yet.
The man stepped closer, water dripping from his hood, his smile never faltering. Behind him, the other two shadows lingered near the fire, unmoving, like sentinels. Selene's blade didn't lower, but I could feel her attention shifting—not to their weapons, but to their posture. They weren't here to ambush us. They were here to bargain.
"What do you want?" somewhat more stable than I thought felt.
"Not want," he corrected softly. "Need. The city doesn't waste itself on wants"Oh no, what has happened?" Her eyes glanced at Salin, then somehow returned. to me. "We've been watching you. The fire, the fight, the betrayal. You're still standing. That makes you dangerous. If you hold even the slightest value to them…."
The words struck too close to Kael's. My jaw tightened. Valuable. Useful. Was everyone in this city going to weigh me like currency?
Selene's patience snapped. "You've said nothing worth listening to. Step aside, or—"
"Selene." My voice surprised both of us. It was sharp, commanding in a way I didn't know I had. She froze, eyes narrowing, but she didn't interrupt.
I turned back to the man. "You know my name. That means you know more than you should. So here's your choice—you tell me who you are and why you're here… or you stop breathing before the rain does."
His smile faded—not fear, but recognition. For the first time, I felt like I had spoken the right language.
"My name," he said, lowering his hood, "is Darius. We are Echoes."
The word hung heavy, unfamiliar yet filled with weight.
Selene's eyes flickered, a rare crack in her composure. "They're real?" she muttered, almost to herself.
Darius tilted his head. "Real enough to keep the Wardens awake at night. Real enough that the Council pretends we "They are not present, or maybe they are, we cannot say." His eyes suddenly met mine.. " know what this is and about it.Kael wanted you alive, then you are eitherIt could be called a weapon, or a very big impending danger."
My stomach twisted at his name. Kael's shadow reached even here. I opened my mouth, but Selene stepped forward, voice cold. "If you think we're joining another faction, you're wasting your breath. We've seen what happens when ideals turn to chains."
Darius didn't flinch. He looked past her, at me. "We don't offer chains. We offer truth. And truth is rarer than air in this city."
For a moment, the rain filled the silence between us. I felt Selene watching me, weighing whether I'd speak or stay quiet. I thought of Kael's smile, of his blade, of the way the Wardens circled like wolves. Truth. Lies. Survival. It all blurred together until I wasn't sure what I wanted anymore.
But I did know this—I was tired of being everyone's pawn.
"Fine," I said finally, my dagger lowering just slightly. "Tell me your truth. But if it smells like another lie, you'll bleed for it."
Darius's grin returned, faint but sharp. He gestured to the alley beyond. "Then walk with us. The city is shifting, Lysandra. And whether you want it or not—you're standing on the fault line."