The world wasn't a quiet place anymore.
Kael could sense it everywhere—even in the calmest moments. There was a quiet rustle of distrust, people whispering names they didn't dare say aloud. Reaper. Ghostblade. The masked man.
Nobody was certain, not yet.
But suspicion was growing sharper, hungrier.
He watched as Mira hung clothes under the rising sun. Alia darted after shadows in the grass, her barefoot joy wild and free, her face smeared with dirt, a drooping flower crown slipping over her eyes.
Kael tried to imprint the memory into his heart—every giggle, every burst of morning light. These moments were what he fought for. Not glory. Not some grand legacy. Simply, this.
He crouched down by the garden and tapped the edge of Alia's bucket as she hunted for make-believe monsters. "So, Captain, what's the mission today?"
She flashed a bright grin. "We're on a quest to save the last blueberry bush from evil worms!"
He nodded, serious. "An important mission. Any losses?"
Alia held up a squished worm. "Just this one. He put up a good fight."
Kael laughed—really laughed. The sound surprised them both.
Mira glanced his way, her face softening. "You should laugh more often, you know."
He raised an eyebrow. "Is that an order or a request?"
"Both."
Before he could answer, he felt something shift.
A faint wisp of smoke in the breeze.
His hand moved on instinct toward his side—where his weapon wasn't. He'd hidden it under the floorboards again. It didn't belong here, in this safe place.
But danger never cared about perfect timing.
Suddenly, a boy came sprinting up the path, out of breath and barefoot.
"Someone set fire to the Guild wall!"
Kael rose slowly. "Anyone hurt?"
"No…but there's writing, big letters. It's burned into the stone."
Mira came closer. "What did it say?"
The boy hesitated, sneaking a quick glance at Kael.
He whispered, barely audible, as if scared to say it aloud.
"The Reaper walks among you."
When they reached the Guild, the fire was out, but the message was still there—seared into the stone for all to see.
No one claimed it. Just burned words, a haze of smoke, and twenty villagers pretending not to stare at Kael.
Nobody spoke his name.
They didn't need to.
Guildmaster Ren stood by the scorched mark, arms crossed, scanning the crowd with sharp eyes.
Kael didn't go to her. He didn't have to.
Right now, he wasn't the story.
Let the rumors do their work. Let fear chase someone else's shadow.
That night, Kael tucked Alia into bed.
She was humming a nonsense tune—a melody all her own, part lullaby, part warrior song. Her tiny hand clutched his fingers, trusting and warm.
"Papa?" she mumbled, her eyelids heavy.
"Yes?"
"Are you afraid of monsters?"
He paused. "Sometimes."
She wrinkled her nose. "But you're big. And strong."
"Even grownups get scared," he whispered. "But being brave means protecting others, even when you're scared."
She thought about that for a moment.
Then, softly: "Like the Reaper?"
Suddenly, Kael's heart stilled.
She couldn't know. Could she?
"…Why do you ask?"
"I heard Uncle Thom say the Reaper fights monsters from bad dreams," she yawned.
Kael managed a small smile. "Maybe the Reaper gets scared, too."
Alia nodded, very serious. "Then he should come here. I'll protect him."
And just like that, she drifted into sleep.
Kael stayed by her side longer than he needed. Watched her gentle breaths, her little hands curled in dreams.
For the first time in days, he felt tears well in his eyes.
Later, beneath the stars, Kael took out the mask from his coat.
It felt unfamiliar. Heavy and cold in his lap.
Mira found him there. She didn't speak at first, simply sat beside him.
"Was it you? Did you write it?" she asked eventually.
He shook his head. "No."
"But you didn't deny it."
"No."
They both looked at the mask.
"You're not him, are you?" she whispered.
He said nothing.
Mira sighed, then leaned against him.
"I don't need the truth tonight," she murmured. "Just promise me something."
"Anything."
"Don't let the mask change who you are."
Kael swallowed hard. "I'll try."
They sat there until the moon drifted overhead.
Two people. One secret.
In a world filled with whispers.
And Kael, a father, determined not to let those whispers steal his family.
To be continued…