Brian woke to the hum of the city. The morning sun spilled across the balcony, warm and ordinary. Aurora was already in the kitchen, moving about with her usual cheerful efficiency, the smell of toast and coffee drifting through the apartment.
"Morning," she called, noticing Brian stepping out. "Sleep okay?"
"Yeah," he said, rubbing his forehead. The memory of last night's Crimson Wraith encounter lingered faintly at the edges of his mind. The street was quiet, the city alive as usual, and yet… he couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching.
Kira joined him, stretching lightly. "You look tired. Did you actually get any sleep after that mess last night?"
Brian shrugged. "I slept… sort of. But it's hard to relax when there's still something out there. Those shadows — they weren't just thugs. Someone's orchestrating them."
Kira frowned, scanning the city skyline with practiced vigilance. "Yeah… I felt it too. Their movements were too coordinated to be random."
Aurora placed a comforting hand on Brian's shoulder. "Maybe it's just a group of elite criminals? Nothing supernatural."
Brian wanted to believe her. He wanted to treat the encounter as an isolated incident, something they could handle in the normal world. And outwardly, everything appeared normal — the streets bustled, the weather was calm, and nothing seemed out of place.
Still, the unease persisted. He walked through HQ, checking the usual systems and reports. Everything registered as normal. No anomalies, no alerts, no signals of impending danger. The System confirmed: > [NO ERRORS DETECTED]
But Brian's instincts told him otherwise.
He gathered Kira and Aurora in the briefing room. "Listen," he began, voice low. "Last night's Wraiths weren't just random. Someone's sending them, testing us. For now, we keep everything routine, but stay sharp. Watch your surroundings. Don't let anyone slip past unnoticed."
Kira nodded. "Understood. We'll treat it like any other threat until we know more."
Aurora glanced at him, concerned. "Brian… are you sure we're not overreacting?"
He shook his head. "No. Something's off. I can feel it."
They spent the day as usual — patrols, training, maintenance, and community outreach. Everything seemed normal to the outside eye. Citizens waved, vendors sold their goods, traffic flowed without incident. And yet, Brian noticed subtle irregularities: a shadow lingering a second too long, a figure disappearing around a corner without a sound, reflections in windows that didn't quite match reality.
He dismissed them as paranoia. It's just the aftermath of last night, he told himself. The world is calm. It's fine.
By evening, HQ settled into quiet. The city lights flickered on, painting the streets in warm yellows and cool blues. Brian leaned against the balcony railing, watching the calm below. The Wraiths had vanished, leaving only whispers of their presence.
Aurora joined him with a cup of tea. "You're worrying too much," she said softly, offering him the cup. "Sometimes shadows aren't what they seem."
He took a sip, forcing a smile. "Yeah. You're right."
Kira appeared at the door, arms crossed. "Don't get too comfortable, boss. That calm won't last. I can feel it."
Brian nodded, staring at the horizon. The world was normal. Too normal. And that thought alone sent a chill down his spine.
He clenched his fists, shadow energy flickering slightly, almost instinctively. "Something's still out there," he muttered to himself. "And I'm going to find out what it is… when the time comes."
The night passed uneventfully, with HQ humming quietly. To everyone else, it was just another ordinary day. But Brian knew better — the Wraiths were only the beginning. And somewhere beyond the normal streets and city lights, a hidden hand continued to move, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.