Lucien retraced his steps for the third time.
Same alley.
Same broken light.
Same silence.
The masked figure had vanished without leaving so much as a ripple behind—no heat signature, no energy residue, not even the subtle disturbance the Shadow System usually picked up when someone moved unnaturally fast.
It was like the encounter had never happened.
"Tell me you have something," Lucien said quietly.
Negative, the Shadow System replied.
Target left no trace consistent with known movement patterns.
Lucien clicked his tongue. "So I wasn't imagining it."
Confirmed.
That didn't make him feel better.
He crouched, fingers brushing the damp concrete where the blade had struck earlier. The cut in the ground was clean. Too clean.
"Who trains like this?" he muttered.
Data insufficient.
Lucien stood, scanning the rooftops again.
"Then start expanding your data."
The System hesitated.
That was new.
Expansion acknowledged. However, increased awareness increases exposure.
Lucien smirked faintly. "Story of my life."
As he moved deeper into the district, the city seemed to react to him—lights flickering, shadows stretching just a little too far. The Shadow System fed him paths that didn't exist on maps, guiding him through blind spots in surveillance and foot traffic.
And yet…
Observation:
You are being observed.
Lucien froze.
"By who?"
Unknown.
He exhaled slowly and kept walking, posture relaxed, senses sharp.
If someone was watching, he wanted them to underestimate him.
Across the city, in a far cleaner sector, Kai paused mid-step.
A strange pressure brushed against his perception—faint, distant, but unmistakable.
Something moved.
Not near Iris.
Not near the academy.
Elsewhere.
Kai frowned.
"That's new," he murmured.
He turned his gaze toward the city skyline, instincts stirring. Whatever it was didn't feel hostile.
It felt… similar.
Lucien reached an abandoned transit platform just before dawn. The air was colder here, heavy with old dust and forgotten movement.
The Shadow System pulsed.
Location significance detected.
"What kind of significance?"
Historical.
Lucien raised an eyebrow. "You're really not helping tonight."
This location was previously used for early System integration trials.
Lucien's breath caught.
"You never mentioned that."
Access was restricted.
"For what reason?"
Another pause.
Because you were not ready.
Lucien stared into the darkness of the tunnel.
"And now?"
Now the board is active.
Lucien smiled grimly. "Yeah. I noticed."
Something crunched behind him.
He spun—
—but found only an old data shard half-buried beneath debris. He picked it up, brushing dirt away until faint symbols flickered to life.
Not Shadow System code.
Something older.
Rougher.
Warning, the System said sharply.
External framework detected.
Lucien's grip tightened.
"So I'm not the only one," he whispered.
Back at the academy, Iris woke with a sharp intake of breath.
Her heart raced.
She didn't know why.
Only that somewhere, two forces had shifted—one wrapped in shadow, the other standing openly in the light.
And both were moving closer.
Lucien slipped the data shard into his pocket and stepped into the fading night.