The first week of a hunt was always the worst.
Not for the danger, Kael could handle that.
For the patience.
He moved through Myrefall's streets as another nameless figure among thousands. The city was too alive to stop for one man's curiosity, too loud to whisper its secrets without a fight.
Three nights ago, he'd followed a rumor about strange gatherings in the dockside warehouses, turned out to be smugglers playing dice. A day before that, he'd watched the rooftops over the old market for hours, convinced he'd seen a mana flare. It was just an overeager apprentice showing off to friends.
Today wasn't much better.
He lingered at a tea stall, listening to two older women bicker over the price of fruit. Their talk slid naturally into gossip about neighbors, someone's son getting engaged, someone's shop changing owners. Kael only half-listened… until one mentioned a «poor lad from down the lane» who had been gone for weeks, no farewell, no drama, just gone.
It was nothing special. Myrefall was big. People vanished. But her tone stuck with him, not fearful, not suspicious, just confused. The missing weren't the kind of people who caused trouble.
Later, at a tavern in the North Quarter, he heard two dockhands arguing about their old foreman. The man had been «the heart of the crew,» one said. «Could make you work twelve hours and still have you laughing.» Now, no one knew where he was.
Kael didn't leap to conclusions. Most would never link those stories together, different districts, different people, no signs of connection. But to him, the edges were starting to fit.
Bright people. Not in the literal sense, but in the way they affected others. People who pulled the gloom out of a room just by walking in.
A week passed like that, days filled with dead ends, hints buried under the mundane, and scraps of detail that felt too small to matter to anyone else.
The patterns came slowly, reluctantly, like prey leaving only the faintest tracks in the snow. By the seventh day, Kael had enough to trust his instincts: the Children of the Hollow Flame were targeting those with hearts that burned bright. And if they were doing it here, it wouldn't be long before they struck again.
Elsewhere – That Evening
The streets near the Guild Quarter buzzed with the warm hum of early evening. Lanterns glowed gold along the main avenue, reflecting off polished shopfronts and glass windows.
Three figures walked together but not together, their steps in loose rhythm. The tallest led, his long coat moving with a predator's precision. He didn't need to speak to radiate authority, every step, every glance, was deliberate. His face was hidden under a hood, but the set of his shoulders and the stillness of his stride marked him as someone who would never be jostled in a crowd.
Behind him, a man with a faint limp kept pace. His eyes roamed over the shopfronts, the carriages, the people. Not hunting, just observing, like the world itself was a puzzle he liked to take apart.
The third, a woman with hair tucked beneath her hood, moved lightly between them. She was the only one who smiled at passersby, though it never reached her eyes.
They didn't draw attention. They weren't trying to. Tonight, they weren't hunting. Tonight, they were simply looking for a place to eat.
They passed a bakery, its shelves still heavy with glazed bread. A fishmonger's stall with the day's last catch on display. And finally, a wide glass window spilling warm light onto the street. Inside, wooden tables were filled with diners, the air thick with the scent of stewed meat and herbs.
The tall man stopped. His head turned just enough to take in the place.
«This will do,» he said simply.
The limping man gave a shrug. «Better than the last two.»
The woman said nothing, only followed as the tall man crossed the street. The bell over the door chimed as they stepped into Liora's Hearth.
High Above – Same Moment
On the roof of a building across the street, a shadow crouched at the edge, the faint light of the city painting sharp lines across his mask.
Kael's eyes tracked the three as they entered the restaurant. His senses were already locked on them, not their faces, not their clothes, but the invisible stain in the air around them.
Mana always carried a signature. For most, it was subtle, a flicker, a shade, a flavor of their life's magic. For these three, it was wrong. Rotten. It carried the acrid bite of Void-taint, the kind that left scars on the weave itself.
He had spent the past week learning to sift for it, filtering the endless noise of the city's mana until he could pick out the faintest trace of corruption. That was the key. That was what told him, without doubt, who belonged to the Children of the Hollow Flame.
And these three…
He let his gaze rest on the tall one. The man's presence hit like a silent pressure, not in strength alone but in the weight of intent. Dangerous. The kind of dangerous that didn't care about witnesses or collateral. If Kael confronted him openly here, civilians would pay the price.
«Well… found you,» Kael murmured, his voice low, edged with a wry amusement that didn't touch his eyes.
He didn't need to guess their purpose. He'd pieced it together from the week's fragments, bright-hearted people, those who lifted others just by existing, were their prey.
And Liora…
His jaw tightened beneath the mask. She was the brightest flame he knew in this city. Even if they hadn't come here for her tonight, they were close enough to put her in danger by accident.
He couldn't let that happen.
Not as the Ghost. Not tonight.
Kael stood, stepping back from the ledge. Shadows clung to him until his form shifted, the mask vanishing into the vault, replaced by his unremarkable civilian guise.
If they saw the Ghost, they'd know they were being hunted. If they saw Kael… they'd see nothing more than another customer coming in for dinner.
He descended the side of the building, boots silent against the narrow brick ledge. By the time his feet touched the street, his expression was calm, almost bored, like a man simply heading to his favorite place after a long day.
Inside, the bell over the door chimed again, and Kael stepped into the warm, familiar light of Liora's Hearth.
The warm scent of stewed meat and fresh bread wrapped around Kael the moment he stepped into Liora's Hearth. The soft golden glow of lanterns spilled across polished wood tables, and the evening chatter of patrons filled the space like the hum of a well-loved home.
He'd barely taken two steps inside when a familiar voice reached him.
«Welcome back, Kael!»
Kael turned just in time to see Liora weaving between tables toward him, her snow-white hair bouncing slightly with each step, the ribbon at the back catching the light. Her smile was bright enough to melt the lingering chill from the night air.
«Thanks,» Kael said, returning the smile with a small one of his own. «You're always too quick to catch me at the door.»
«That's because you're predictable,» she teased, stopping in front of him. «Same time. I could set my watch by you if I had one.»
He chuckled. «Routine is a virtue.»
«Mm-hm. That's what boring people say.»
He raised an eyebrow, amused. «I'll try to be less boring then.»
She grinned and gestured toward his usual table. «Come on. Your seat's waiting, as always.»
As he walked toward it, Kael glanced around the room, and frowned. The table in the far corner, his table, was empty despite the place being nearly full. He lowered himself into the chair, still looking at the space around him.
«You know,» he said as Liora followed to take his order, «this seat is never taken by anyone else. Ever. Not even when I'm late. Is it cursed or something?»
She put a hand on her hip, eyes glinting. «Of course it's cursed. I'm the witch who cursed it so no one else sits here.»
Kael blinked, caught off guard. «What?»
She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice in mock conspiracy. «It's a very specific curse. Anyone who tries to sit here before you arrive feels an overwhelming urge to… go use the bathroom.»
That earned a startled laugh from him. «That's oddly specific.»
«It's called hospitality,» she said with a smirk. «And also, I'm just keeping my promise.»
«Promise?»
Her expression softened. «I told you once I'd always leave your place open. And I meant it.»
Kael felt heat creep up his neck, though he managed to keep his voice steady. «You're… surprisingly dedicated for a witch.»
She laughed, the sound light and unrestrained, and he found himself smiling despite the faint embarrassment curling in his chest.
«Usual?» she asked once her laughter faded.
He nodded. «Usual.»
With a playful salute, she turned and made her way to the kitchen, her apron swaying as she passed between tables. Kael's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than he intended, but eventually his attention shifted, past her, to a table on the opposite side of the room.
Three people sat there: a hooded woman, a man with a limp, and a tall figure whose posture was almost unnaturally straight. Kael's eyes locked on the tall one. Even from here, his gaze was sharp, following Liora as she moved through the restaurant.
The were Children of the Hollow Flame.
Liora had their attention.
Kael could end it. Right here, right now. Erase them so quietly no one would ever know. But not as Kael. Never as Kael.
He had made himself a promise: this life would be peaceful, filled with joy and quiet moments he'd never had before. The Ghost was for hunts, for blood, for the things that needed to be done in the shadows. Kael was for laughter. For warmth. For nights like this.
But if he did nothing, that warmth might be stolen from him.
When Liora returned with his meal, placing the steaming plate before him, he acted without thinking. Before she could step away, his hand caught hers, not tightly, just enough to make her pause.
«Sit with me,» he said, surprising even himself.
Her eyes widened slightly. «I can't. I'm working.»
«I'll pay for your time,» he offered. Kae thought to himself that the phrase sounded weird for some reason but he can't know why.
She gave a small laugh, shaking her head. «Kael, no. I can't just, »
He was already pushing back his chair. «Hold on.»
Kael got the not-the-brightest idea, he can hear his future self cursing him.
Before she could protest again, he crossed to the kitchen, where the cook, an older man with forearms like tree trunks, was ladling stew into bowls. Kael know that he is trespassing into a private space and can be sued for it or worst hated by liora for the disrespect to their restaurant but he will let his future self deal with the aftermath.
Kael leaned on the counter. «Can I steal Liora for a bit? I'll pay well for it.» and again, kael felt the same weird feeling saying this but he ignored it again.
The cook's eyes crinkled in amusement. «Steal her, huh? Sounds like someone's finally pursuing the moon of our restaurant.»
Kael felt the heat rise to his ears. «That's not, »
«Oh, it's exactly that,» the cook interrupted, grinning. «Don't worry, lad, I approve of you since I saw you in these past days coming for breakfast and dinner everyday and heard how good natured you are bro liora everyday too. And you don't need to pay me extra. Just pay for your meal and… take care of our Liora. She's like a daughter to all of us here.»
Kael hesitated, blushed, but nodded. «I will.»
«And someday,» the cook added with a wag of his ladle, «you're gonna meet the boss, her mother, and introduce yourself properly.»
That stopped Kael cold. «I, uh … thats » kael's mind short circuited for a moment.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Liora peek in, her face a shade pinker than usual.
The cook chuckled at the pair of them. «Go on, both of you. You're making me feel like I'm chaperoning teenagers.»
Back at the table, Kael gestured toward the chair opposite his. «Join me?»
Liora hesitated only a moment before giving a shy smile. «Just for a little while.»
It was then that Kael realized a glaring problem: only his plate sat on the table.
He stared at it, then at her, then back at it. «…I didn't think this through.»
Liora's lips twitched, clearly fighting a laugh. «I can see that.»
Before he could scramble for a solution, the cook appeared beside them and set down another plate, this one with a neatly arranged portion of stew, bread, and roasted vegetables.
«For the lady,» the cook said smoothly, giving Kael a quick wink before walking off.
Kael almost sighed in relief. Inwardly, he made a mental note, half joking, half serious, that he would bow toward this hearth every night before bed in thanks for its good people.
Liora picked up her spoon, still smiling faintly. «So… what should we talk about?»
«Anything,» Kael said, grateful for the distraction from the group across the room. «Tell me about your day. Or about the worst customer you've ever had.»
«Oh, that's easy,» she said, launching into a story about a nobleman who'd once complained that his stew was 'too warm' and demanded she cool it with ice magic she didn't even have.
Kael chuckled, occasionally adding his own dry comments. They traded small stories, her about growing up in the city, him about 'traveling between towns' (carefully edited, of course). Some moments made them laugh aloud; others were quieter, with Liora leaning in slightly over the table.
All the while, Kael's awareness never left the three at the far table. His peripheral vision tracked every movement, every subtle gesture. The tall man still watched Liora between sips of his drink, his gaze unreadable but steady.
Kael's hand curled slightly around his spoon.
He'd keep this moment warm. Light.
But if the Hollow Flame thought they could touch it, they were wrong.