Rick didn't sleep that night. He tried. He really did.
But every time he closed his eyes, he saw glowing eyes in the dark, claws flashing, and that pale, red gaze burning straight through him.
By dawn, he was sitting in a corner of his small apartment, wrapped in a blanket, staring at his phone. Lira's last message still glowed on the screen:
"They'll be looking for you now."
He'd met Lira six months ago when she hired him for what she called "off-book deliveries." They paid twice the normal rate, no questions asked. She always wore black, always paid in cash, and always met him at night. He'd assumed she was part of some underground courier network or maybe even something illegal.
But now, he wasn't so sure.
At 7 a.m., his door buzzer rang.
He jumped, nearly spilling the cup of cold coffee in his hand. For a second, he considered ignoring it. But the buzzing came again—longer this time, urgent.
Rick crept to the door and peeked through the peephole.
Lira.
She stood in the hallway, black trench coat dripping from the rain, sunglasses still on despite the dim light. She looked like someone who didn't care if she was followed because she could handle whoever tried.
Rick opened the door halfway.
"You texted me at two in the morning and disappeared," he said. "You wanna explain what the hell that was about?"
She walked in without asking. "You saw the Veil," she said simply.
Rick shut the door. "Yeah, that's what the voice in my head said, too. Thanks for confirming I'm insane."
Lira took off her glasses, and her eyes shimmered faintly—not brown, not blue, but something in between. Like sunlight reflecting on water.
"You're not insane," she said. "You're… awakened."
"Awakened?" Rick laughed dryly. "I'm not a monk, Lira. I just saw two monsters trying to kill each other in an abandoned warehouse."
"They weren't monsters. They were beings from the other side of the Veil." She crossed her arms, her tone calm, rehearsed, like she'd explained this before to others who didn't believe her. "The Veil separates the human world from what we call the Hidden. Vampires, werewolves, fae—they exist, but humans aren't meant to see them. The Veil keeps our worlds apart."
Rick rubbed his temples. "And I saw through it."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"That's what we need to find out."
He sat down on the couch, staring at the floor. "This is insane."
"Insane or not, it's happening," she said. "You crossed into sight. That's not supposed to happen naturally. Something woke you up."
Rick looked up at her. "You mean something did this to me?"
Lira nodded slowly. "Probably."
The silence stretched. The only sound was the dripping of her coat onto the tile.
Finally, Rick sighed. "So what now? Do I start glowing too? Grow fangs?"
"Not if you're careful," she said, and her voice dropped to a whisper. "The more you use the Sight, the weaker the Veil around you becomes. That's how they find you. The ones who live in the dark—they hunt Seers."
"Hunt?"
"Yes. A human who can see both worlds is… dangerous. You're proof that the barrier can be broken. Some will want to use you. Others will want to erase you."
Rick leaned back, his mind spinning. "You sound like you've seen this before."
Lira hesitated. "I've lost people before."
There was something in her tone—grief, maybe—but she quickly masked it.
Rick tried to laugh again, but it came out tired. "So, what, you're my babysitter now?"
"Your protector," she corrected. "At least until we figure out who did this to you."
"And you work for… who exactly?"
"The Hallowed Council," she said. "We keep the balance between both worlds. We make sure the supernatural doesn't spill into human life."
Rick snorted. "And how's that working out?"
Her lips curved slightly. "Until last night? Quite well."
Before he could reply, her head tilted. Her expression shifted instantly—alert, tense.
"Someone's here," she said.
Rick blinked. "What?"
She moved to the window, drawing back the curtain just enough to see the street below. A black car sat idling by the curb, no plates, tinted windows.
Lira cursed under her breath. "They found you faster than I thought."
Rick grabbed his jacket. "Who found me?"
"Eclipse Order." She turned toward him. "They're not like the Council. They want to destroy the Veil completely. To merge both worlds."
"That doesn't sound good."
"It isn't."
The doorknob rattled. Someone was trying to open it from outside.
Lira reached into her coat and pulled out what looked like a small metal rod etched with faint runes. She pressed a button, and blue energy hummed across its surface.
"Stay behind me," she said.
The door burst open. Two men in black suits stepped in. Their faces were pale, but their eyes gleamed faintly red. Not human.
Rick froze.
Lira raised the rod—it unfolded into a short blade crackling with magic. "Council jurisdiction," she warned. "You're trespassing."
The first man smiled, revealing sharp, unnatural teeth. "He's marked," he said, pointing at Rick. "You can't protect him."
Lira moved faster than Rick could see. The air shimmered, and she slashed upward. The man flew backward into the hallway wall. Sparks scattered as her blade met the second one's clawed hand.
Rick didn't know what to do. He ducked as glass shattered, the world suddenly a blur of motion and sound.
One of the creatures lunged toward him—but something instinctive surged through his veins. He raised his hand without thinking.
The air bent.
A pulse of invisible force exploded outward, throwing the attacker across the room.
Lira turned, eyes wide. "Rick—what was that?"
"I… I don't know!" he shouted, breathing hard. His arm was glowing faintly with a strange light.
The man on the floor hissed, retreating into shadow. The other followed, their bodies dissolving into black mist that seeped out through the broken window.
Rick collapsed to his knees, his pulse racing. "What the hell just happened?"
Lira stared at him, eyes sharp with both fear and wonder. "You didn't just see the Veil," she whispered. "You touched it."
Rick looked down at his trembling hands, the faint light still pulsing beneath his skin.
Somewhere deep inside, he knew she was right.
Whatever had happened last night… it had changed him.
And it wasn't done yet.