Evening were peaceful in this world.
Unlike Seoul, there were no annoying honks, no maniacs trying to shout over those honks, and definitely not any lunatics blasting music from their speakers in the public square.
Instead, it was the sound of the purest form of civilizations. Merchants shouting for attention, children crying, goats screeching, horses neighing, and some system notifications...
Okay, maybe it was not that peaceful.
But it was still an upgrade.
I hummed a low tune—one i didn't even recognize anymore—as i wandered through te market square, hands in my pockets, eyes drifting lazily from stall to stall.
Nysa and i had split after dinner. Not for any deep strategic reason. She just needed space, and i needed air. And shirts. Preferably ones that didn't still smell like damp leaves and regret.
I paused at a fabric stall, fingers brushing across a few half decent tunic. Coarse weave, but they looked clean and—miracle of miracles—my size.
A grizzled vendor looked up from his stool. "You buying or touching?"
"Bit of both," I replied, holding up a dark shirt. "How much for this?"
He squinted. "Two silver."
A scoff escaped before i could stop it.
Yep, i was getting scammed.
"For this?" I held it up mockingly, high enough for the guy to see it clearly.
"Then don't buy it"
Before i could argue though, a soft clink of coin interrupted us.
Nyssa.
She appeared beside me, silent as a shadow, and dropped two silver onto the counter.
"I told you to replace your clothes," she said, already turning to leave.
The merchant snatched up the coin with a grunt. And i stared at her retreating back.
"..thanks?"
"Don't get used to it."
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Shared resouce exchange detected.
+2% Bond Progress.
I grinned. "You're very generous when you're pretending to not to like me."
She didn't turn around, but i swore i saw her shoulders twitch like she was fighting back a smirk.
I changed into the new shirt in a side alley—not my proudest moment—and kept the old one in a tied up bundle. The fabric didn't itch. The sleeves were actually even. I felt vaguely like a human again.
That moment of peace lasted for about two minutes...
Then i saw him.
He stood at the far edge of the square, too still, too clean. He wore a long white coat, hood pulled low despite the clear sky. And pale boots that hadn't touched mud in days. He wasn't looking at anyone—but somehow.... i felt looked at.
Every instinct of mine said he didn't belong.
Not here. Not in a place where people traded chickens for soap and stared at strangers like they might sprout horns.
And yet... No one else seemed to notice him.
[SYSTEM WARNING]
Unknown presence detected.
Affinity scan failed.
Advisory: Avoid direct engangement unless prom[ted.
Right.
That was new.
I blinked—and he was gone.
Just vanished. No exit, no footsteps, no sound. Just empty space where someone had been.
I took a slow breath and rubbed the back of my neck.
Yeah. Definitely time to find Nyssa.
***
So this... Mystery person just vanished into thin air?" Nyssa asked, her eyes skeptical as she eased down into the cot.
The sun had dipped below the horizon, letting Night bloom in it's entirety. The small town had eventually grown quiet, only the subtle whisper of the passing wind filling the silence.
"Yes…" I said slowly, dragging the word out like that would make it sound less insane. "One second he was walking in front of me, the next? Gone. No trace. Just… nothing."
Nyssa raised a brow, hands resting on her knees. "You sure you didn't just blink too long?"
"I blink all the time," I said, indignant. "And blinking has never made a whole person disappear before."
She didn't respond. Just reached for the dagger tucked under her pillow and gave it an absent spin between her fingers.
Comforting.
"I'm serious," I pressed. "He was… wrong. Clean coat, boots like he'd never stepped in mud. No one else noticed him.
Nyssa didn't say anything for a long moment. Her brows furrowed slightly. Not quite disbelief. Something closer to suspicion.
"Hm," she muttered.
"Not the kind of 'hm' I was hoping for."
She leaned back on her elbows, tilting her head toward the window. The moonlight carved soft lines along her cheek, her collarbone just barely visible beneath the loose neck of her shirt. Her expression was unreadable, but she hadn't brushed it off. That was progress.
"I didn't imagine him," I added, quieter now. "I know what I saw."
"I didn't say you did." Her voice was softer too. "But it doesn't matter. We're leaving tomorrow. If someone's following, they'll have to keep up."
That wasn't reassuring, but I knew better than to press.
She sat still for a moment, then lifted one leg up on the cot and pulled her hair to one side, twisting it into a rough braid. Her shirt shifted with the motion—riding up just slightly at the waist.
I looked away.
Probably too fast.
Nyssa noticed. Of course she did.
"…What?" she asked, not bothering to hide the edge of amusement.
"Nothing," I said quickly. "Just—uh. Thinking."
She snorted. "That's dangerous."
I risked a glance at her face. She wasn't glaring. In fact, her eyes had a faint, warm sheen to them. Something quieter than sarcasm. Heavier.
The kind of silence that filled a room right before something shifted.
"I really thought you'd ditch me back there," I said, surprising even myself with the honesty.
She didn't look away. "I considered it."
That made me laugh. Soft, short.
"But," she added, "you were useful. Barely."
"Ouch."
She shrugged a single shoulder. "Don't get used to me being nice."
"Noted."
A beat passed. Then another.
Nyssa exhaled through her nose, slow and measured, and lay back against her cot. Her eyes stayed open, fixed on the ceiling.
"You smell better now," she muttered.
I blinked. "…Thanks?"
"Didn't say it was a compliment."
"Oh. Right. Of course."
A pause.
Then, her voice—quieter now. "Shirt fits better too."
I looked at her again.
She didn't meet my gaze. But her tone had changed. Just slightly.
Heavier.
Sharper.
Warmer.
Her foot brushed against the floorboard with a lazy scrape, as though testing the room's silence. The wind outside carried a low whistle through the shutters. I swallowed and leaned back on my hands.
"You're not going to stab me if I say something dumb right now, are you?"
She turned her head just enough for one eye to catch mine. "Try me."
It wasn't a threat.
Not exactly.
More of a… dare.
Her eyes were still on me, sharp and unreadable.
I held her gaze. "You know, you're kind of terrible at compliments."
"Good," she said. "I'd hate to give you the wrong idea."
"You sure?" I leaned back slowly, arms behind my head. "Because if I didn't know better, I'd say you're being nice to me on purpose."
She scoffed. "Delusional."
"Maybe." I let the silence stretch. "But you haven't thrown anything at me in a while. That's progress."
She didn't answer right away. Just kept watching me from her cot, face half-shadowed in the dim glow from the window.
Then, very slowly, she let one arm drape over her waist. Relaxed. Casual.
Too casual.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Bond Progress with Nyssa: +5%
Observation Tier
Mood Detected: Heightened interest.
Proximity Suggested: Decrease physical distance.