As they walked deeper into the capital, Leo's eyes kept drifting toward the right side of the street. The contrast between rich and poor was jarring—like two different worlds stitched together by force. The scent of expensive perfume from the left clashed with the staleness of unwashed bodies and rotting food from the right.
Eventually, Leo stopped in front of a small weapons shop nestled between two crumbling buildings. Its wooden sign swung crookedly in the night breeze, and rusted blades hung behind a cracked window.
"I'll check something," Leo said, stepping toward the open stall.
The old man at the counter—a skinny, balding shopkeeper with trembling hands—looked up and gave a nervous smile. "Welcome, young man. Looking for a weapon?"
Leo glanced at the worn blades, most barely sharp. "Yeah. What's the price for that small sword?"
The man's eyes darted around before replying, "Ah… that one? Ten gold coins."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Ten? That's ridiculous. It's not even in good shape."
The seller's hands fidgeted under the counter. "W-We don't have a choice, sir…"
Leo narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"U-Um, nothing!" The man forced a strained chuckle. "I meant that's the standard capital pricing, yes. Everything's just more expensive these days…"
Just then, Lyra stepped forward, her voice calm but cutting.
"Can I ask something?" she said softly.
The seller turned to her, visibly uncomfortable. "Y-Yes, miss?"
"Why," she asked, "does the left side of the capital look like a royal parade while the right side looks like a battlefield? Is this how the capital treats its own people? Is this some kind of… discrimination?"
The man stiffened. His sweat glistened under the lantern light, and his forced smile cracked.
"N-No, of course not," he stammered. "You're just imagining things. This is how the capital's always been. T-Two sides, yes, but all part of the same glorious kingdom!"
Leo watched the man fumble his lies, the truth written all over his face.
He didn't need Echoes of Forgotten or Teleknesis to see the fear.
He'd seen this before people too scared to speak, too broken to resist.
He didn't press further.
Not yet.
But silently, he turned back to Lyra and nodded slightly, then gave the seller a look—not of anger, but of understanding.
Leo, Lili, and Lyra left the small shop in silence, their expressions unreadable.
As they walked through the poorly lit streets of the capital's right side, Leo asked quietly, "What should we do, Lili?"
Lili, still in her human disguise, slowed her pace. Just then, something tugged at her senses—a faint whisper in the wind, almost too low to be heard, but heavy… heavy with fear. A shiver crawled down her spine. Her eyes widened.
"Leo—!"
But before she could finish, Leo's gaze had already sharpened. He'd sensed it too. Something was wrong.
Without a word, he glanced at Lyra and Lili. They both nodded, already understanding.
The three of them moved quickly—running, but not like warriors or assassins. Their steps were light, human-like, careful not to draw attention from the already anxious crowd.
They turned corner after corner, deeper into the forgotten part of the capital. Here, the stench of neglect hung in the air. The houses were barely standing—mud walls cracked, rooftops torn, no proper lighting in sight. The only thing thriving here was silence, wrapped in misery.
Leo muttered, "This place… What the hell is this?"
But then he stopped mid-sentence. His eyes narrowed. The voice—he'd forgotten it for a moment, but now he felt it again. It wasn't just sound… it was the pressure of someone crying without hope.
"Lili! Lyra! This way!" he barked, dashing ahead.
They followed, and soon they reached a narrow alley, where the faint orange light of a flickering lantern revealed a scene that froze their blood.
Three capital guards surrounded a girl—barely twelve, trembling, barefoot, her face streaked with dirt and tears. Her voice cracked as she pleaded for them to stop.
Leo's voice cut through the alley like a blade. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
The three guards turned, clearly intoxicated on both power and drink.
One sneered. "Well, well, look what we got here. You new, boy?"
Another chuckled. "Hey, he brought two women with him too."
The third guard licked his lips. "What do you say, boys? Let's have some fun tonight."
Lili clenched her fists, her usually playful face darkening. "You bastards…"
Leo's rage ignited like fire. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, hand reaching for the hilt beneath his cloak. "Say your last words."
Just as he moved to strike—
Thwip.
An arrow came from the shadows, silent and fast.
Thunk.
It struck through the neck of two guards at once, pinning them to the stone wall like discarded trash.
The remaining guard spun around, panicked. "Who did that?! You?!"
Leo, still gripping his blade, shook his head calmly. "Not me."
Suddenly—shnk!
A small knife sliced through the air, embedding itself in the final guard's forehead.
He collapsed instantly, eyes still wide in shock.
Leo turned to Lyra and Lili. "Was that one of you?"
But both of them shook their heads.
"Nope," Lili said, her tone curious.
"Not me," Lyra added, eyeing the rooftops.
Leo's eyes scanned the shadows, alert. Someone else was watching. Someone fast… and deadly.
He knelt beside the terrified girl, covering her gently with his cloak. "You're safe now," he whispered.
But inside, he wasn't calm.
Someone had struck before him.
And that someone was close.
Leo slowly knelt beside the trembling girl, his cloak still draped around her small frame. Calmly, gently, he wrapped his arms around her, giving her the warmth and safety she hadn't felt in a long time.
"It's alright now," he said softly, his voice like a steady flame in the cold night. "Do you know where your home is?"
The girl nodded faintly, her lips quivering. "Y-Yes…"
Lyra stepped forward, kneeling beside them. Her voice was gentle, her eyes filled with warmth. "It's okay. You're safe. Just tell us where your house is, and we'll take you there."
But the girl didn't answer. Her eyes darted to the blood-soaked alley, the corpses of the guards still slumped on the ground.
Leo immediately understood—she was scared. Not of them, but of death.
He stood, carefully lifting the girl into his arms and walking out of the narrow lane into a calmer part of the street, away from the violence. Once they were a distance away, he knelt again and smiled.
"Alright. It's okay now. Can you tell me where your house is?"
Still, the girl hesitated.
Then Lili stepped in with her usual flair, placing her hands on her hips. "Hey, little one, don't mind that scary-looking guy. He may look like a villain in a bad romance novel, but he's just a grumpy grandpa on the inside."
Leo shot her a glare. "Seriously?"
Lyra chuckled, and even the girl let out a soft giggle. That one laugh broke the fear like glass. Her shoulders relaxed, and she finally whispered her address.
Together, the three escorted her to the edge of the poor district, where a tiny, crumbling home sat beneath the flicker of a broken streetlamp. The door burst open before they could even knock—her parents rushed out, overwhelmed with relief. Tears flowed freely as they embraced their daughter, thanking Leo and the others with cracked voices and bowed heads.
After a few parting words, Leo turned and walked a little farther away into the shadows of a nearby alley, stopping under a quiet rooftop.
"I know you're still there," he said, his voice calm but cold. "Come out. Unless you want to die."
Lili leaned beside him with a smirk. "Oh~? You noticed them? Since when, my talented little student?"
Leo rolled his eyes. "Since the beginning."
"Well, well! Someone's improving!" she grinned. "Look at you, all grown up and threatening strangers. Makes a teacher proud!"
"Shut up, Lili…"
As the two bickered, Lyra spoke, her tone serious. "Guys. Focus."
All eyes turned forward.
In the darkness ahead, two figures stepped into the faint light—one with a bow strapped to her back and sharp eyes that matched the cold of night. The other, a demi-human with short silver hair and a relaxed posture, but sharp instincts.
Sara and Zack.
They stared back at Leo, Lyra, and Lili—equally wary.
Strangers in the same city. Unfamiliar with each other.
And in that moment—silence.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
But the tension could've split the air in half.