The silence that followed inside the bar was broken only by the irregular crackling of the candles and the distant sound of the wind hitting the exterior planks. But outside… there was something else.
Something they hadn't yet noticed.
A few streets away, atop a low building overlooking the outskirts, Kael watched.
He wasn't hiding.
But he wasn't visible either.
His presence was… faded. As if he simply didn't belong there, and therefore wasn't registered by it. His eyes were fixed on the bar's dilapidated structure, analyzing every detail—entrances, exits, movement patterns, energy flow.
And, above all… the presences inside.
Six.
Confirmed.
No aggressive movement.
No preparation for attack.
Just tension.
Survival.
"They're not hunting," Kael said softly.
Beside him, leaning casually against the edge of the roof, Inari observed the same scene, though her gaze was different—broader, deeper. While Kael saw physical patterns, she saw invisible layers.
