Night settled heavily over Ebonridge. The farther Bladehart and Aurora walked from the busy parts of the city, the quieter everything became. Streetlights grew fewer, and the buildings looked older, their paint fading and windows dark.
Aurora adjusted the strap of her backpack as they turned onto a narrower road.
"So," she said, glancing around, "this is the direction of Hollow Street?"
"Yes."
"It's… less welcoming than I imagined."
Bladehart kept his eyes forward.
"Stay close."
Aurora noticed the shift in his voice. It was calmer, quieter, but more alert.
"You've definitely been here before," she said.
"A few times."
"And?"
"Every time felt wrong."
Aurora gave a small laugh.
"That's not very reassuring."
Bladehart slowed slightly as they approached the edge of the district. A flickering streetlight cast long shadows across the cracked pavement.
"From here," he said, "we move carefully."
Aurora lowered her voice instinctively.
"Are there lookouts?"
"Sometimes."
She nodded.
"Okay."
For the next few minutes, neither of them spoke. The silence of the neighborhood wrapped around them like fog. Most of the buildings were abandoned warehouses or storage units, their metal doors rusted and half broken.
Finally, Aurora whispered, "This place feels like the city forgot it exists."
"That's exactly why it's useful."
Aurora pulled out her phone and quickly opened the map she had created earlier.
"We should be close," she murmured.
Bladehart stopped walking.
Aurora almost bumped into him.
"What—"
He raised a hand slightly.
"Listen."
She held her breath.
At first, she heard nothing.
Then—
Footsteps.
Not theirs.
Somewhere ahead.
Aurora whispered, "Someone's here."
Bladehart nodded slowly.
"Two people," he said quietly. "Maybe three."
Aurora looked at him in surprise.
"You can tell that?"
"Movement," he replied. "Different pace."
They stepped closer to the wall of a building, staying in the darker part of the street.
Two men appeared around the corner about thirty meters away. They walked slowly, talking in low voices.
Aurora leaned slightly toward Bladehart.
"Those are the guards you mentioned?"
"Possibly."
The men stopped near a parked van.
One of them lit a cigarette.
Aurora whispered, "That van wasn't on the street earlier."
Bladehart studied it carefully.
"No."
Aurora quickly opened her phone camera and zoomed in slightly.
"What are you doing?" he asked quietly.
"Evidence."
She snapped a photo.
The flash was off, but the faint movement caught one of the men's attention.
"Hey," the man said suddenly.
Aurora froze.
The man squinted toward their direction.
"Did you see something?"
The second man turned as well.
Bladehart spoke quietly but firmly.
"Stay behind me."
Aurora nodded.
The men began walking toward them.
"Great," Aurora muttered softly. "They definitely saw something."
Bladehart stepped forward slightly, placing himself between Aurora and the approaching men.
One of the men called out.
"Hey! Who's there?"
Neither Bladehart nor Aurora answered.
The men came closer until the dim streetlight revealed their faces.
One of them frowned.
"Kids?"
Aurora raised an eyebrow.
"Kids?"
The second man looked annoyed.
"What are you doing out here?"
Aurora shrugged casually.
"Taking a walk."
The man laughed harshly.
"Wrong neighborhood for that."
Bladehart spoke calmly.
"We're leaving."
"Yeah," the first man said. "You should."
But he didn't move aside.
Instead, he studied them more carefully.
Then his expression changed.
"You two were at the library earlier."
Aurora's eyes widened slightly.
"You followed us?" she asked.
The man smirked.
"We watch everything around here."
Bladehart stepped slightly closer.
"Move."
The man's smirk faded.
"Or what?"
Aurora felt the tension instantly.
Bladehart's posture changed subtly.
He wasn't just standing anymore.
He was ready.
The second man cracked his knuckles.
"I think these two are curious," he said. "Maybe too curious."
Aurora whispered, "This is the part where things go badly, right?"
Bladehart didn't respond.
The first man grabbed Aurora's arm suddenly.
"Let's ask some questions."
Aurora reacted quickly, pulling her arm back.
"Let go."
The man tightened his grip.
Bladehart moved instantly.
His hand grabbed the man's wrist and twisted sharply.
The man yelped and released Aurora.
"What the—"
Bladehart pushed him backward.
The second man lunged forward, swinging wildly.
Bladehart ducked and stepped aside, the punch missing completely. A quick movement of his leg knocked the man off balance.
Aurora stepped back, eyes wide.
"Okay," she said under her breath, "you definitely have training."
The first man recovered and reached for something in his jacket.
Bladehart saw it immediately.
"Knife," he said quietly.
Aurora's stomach dropped.
The man pulled the blade out and pointed it toward Bladehart.
"You should've just walked away," he growled.
Bladehart's eyes stayed calm.
"You should've let us."
The man lunged.
Bladehart moved faster.
He grabbed the man's arm, twisted it, and the knife clattered onto the pavement.
The second man, now realizing they were losing, grabbed the van door.
"Forget it," he shouted. "Let's go!"
Both men scrambled into the vehicle.
The engine roared to life, and the van sped away down the street.
Aurora let out a long breath.
"Wow."
Bladehart watched the van disappear.
"They'll report us."
Aurora nodded slowly.
"Yeah… probably."
She looked at him again.
"You handled that pretty easily."
Bladehart shrugged.
"They weren't professionals."
Aurora bent down and picked up the dropped knife.
"Still," she said, examining it, "this confirms something."
Bladehart looked at her.
"What?"
"These guys are definitely connected to the disappearances."
Bladehart nodded.
"Yes."
Aurora glanced down the dark street ahead.
"So… what now?"
Bladehart looked toward the deeper part of Hollow Street.
Now the area felt even quieter.
Too quiet.
"We keep going," he said.
Aurora smiled slightly.
"Good."
But as they walked farther into the darkness, neither of them noticed the small camera mounted high on a nearby building.
Inside a distant warehouse, a monitor displayed their movements.
A tall figure stood in front of the screen.
Watching.
Waiting.
And slowly smiling.