The night bled into dawn before Jack realized how far he'd walked. Neon reflections shimmered off puddles like electric ghosts trailing behind him, each one warping into distorted shapes as his boots slapped the wet pavement. His mask was off now ,he didn't need it. Nobody recognized him as the Void Walker; to them, he was just another tired young man in a black coat wandering through the sleepless veins of Neon City.
The Aegis Chrono X blinked softly around his wrist, its blue holo-interface flickering with quiet notifications.
"ETA to destination: six hours on foot," the watch chimed in its calm, synthetic female voice.
Jack groaned, rolling his neck. "Six hours? You serious? You trying to kill me or something?"
You could always rent a hover bike, Aegis offered, ever polite.
Jack smirked. "Nah, I'm saving that for after I'm rich enough to not care about potholes."
You currently have 41,700 credits. Statistically speaking, that qualifies as—
"Don't even finish that sentence," Jack muttered, dragging his hands into his pockets.
The street stretched ahead ;tall holographic billboards flashed across the skyline, the distant buzz of skytrains echoing above. Here, in the middle sectors, the city was calmer. Street food vendors were shutting down, their steaming carts sending off trails of spice and smoke that clung to the air. Jack's thoughts drifted as he walked. The events of the last few days blurred together. Luther, Elena, the bounty, the system. All of it felt unreal.
His legs began to ache two hours in. "Next thing I'm buying," he muttered under his breath, "is a damn hover bike."
Or stamina pills, the System teased, its voice flickering through his head like static humor. You're starting to sound like an old man.
Jack smirked. "Funny coming from a disembodied voice that doesn't even have legs."
Touché.
By the time he reached the transit zone, the glow of neon signs had dimmed into soft white lights of early morning. The roads shimmered with leftover rain. Jack stretched, feeling the ache crawl up his calves. That was when a bus rolled up beside him; a big, rattling, silver-and-blue transport drone with flickering lights and peeling paint. The doors hissed open, and the driver, a gruff older man with glowing cybernetic eyes, gave him a look that said get in or move on.
Jack sighed and climbed aboard. The bus was nearly empty ;a few night workers, a couple asleep against the window, and a woman with two kids sitting toward the back. He took a seat nearby, tossing his coat beside him.
Moments later, the smaller kid , maybe five . Started wailing. Loudly. A cry so sharp Jack felt it scrape across his skull. He stared at the ceiling, muttering, "Of course. Because peace is overrated."
The mother tried to calm him down, but the kid wouldn't stop. Finally, Jack leaned forward, his voice low and oddly calm.
"Hey, kid," he said. "Wanna hear a story?"
The boy sniffled but peeked up. "What kind?"
Jack leaned back, his eyes distant. "A story about a hunter who could walk through shadows. He chased monsters , real ones. He saved the good guys He was a voice to the voiceless,a hero to the saviourless.But one day, he got so tired, he fell asleep in the dark, and when he woke up, the monsters were gone. You know why?"
The boy blinked. "Why?"
"Because sometimes," Jack said softly, "the monsters are afraid of what's inside you."
The bus grew quiet. The boy stopped crying, staring in wide-eyed fascination ,listening to Jack's story animatedly about the hunter who defied fate,before curling into his mother's lap and falling asleep. Jack sighed, leaning back with a faint smirk. "Finally," he murmured.
That's when he noticed the girl sitting beside the sleeping kid — older sister, maybe fifteen or sixteen, big bright eyes and red wavy hair that glowed faintly with bio light enhancements. She smiled shyly.
"That was… kinda dark," she said.
Jack shrugged. "Worked, didn't it?"
She laughed softly. "Yeah. He never sleeps that fast."
They talked , just small things at first. Jack cracked dry jokes, mostly sarcastic, about how the city was full of fake smiles and overpriced noodles. She giggled at almost everything, and he realized she had a laugh that felt light, unfiltered — rare in this city. The System hummed faintly in his mind.
Charisma stat is clearly pulling its weight.
"Shut up," Jack muttered quietly under his breath.
I didn't say anything, it teased.
Jack found himself talking for nearly half an hour, about how he'd once lived in a place where stars were visible, about chasing dreams he didn't understand, about nothing and everything. When the bus slowed, his stop approaching, he stood up reluctantly.
"Hey," he said, glancing back. "Can I get your number? You know, in case the next bus ride needs a sequel."
She tilted her head, smiling. Looking at her mother who seemed non Chalfant about the whole matter."I don't give my number to strangers."
Jack raised a brow. "We've been talking for thirty minutes."
"Still a stranger," she said with a grin. "But… if we meet again, I'll give it to you."
Jack chuckled, stepping off the bus. "Then I'll pray to the God of Luck," he said as the doors hissed shut.
A hundred credits filtering off immediately.
Guess your Luck stat still isn't paying off, the System snarked.
Jack stretched his arms, looking up at the sky. "Says who?"
Then, as if on cue, rain began to fall. First a drizzle, then a downpour .The kind that swallowed the world in silver curtains. Jack just stood there, soaked, then started laughing. He dropped his arms, tilted his head back, and began spinning, dancing in the middle of the street like a madman, boots splashing through puddles. Neon reflections twisted around him in a thousand colors.
People peeked through windows, watching as this strange young man laughed and twirled in the storm. Jack didn't care. For the first time in a long time, the rain didn't feel cold ,it felt alive.
By the time he tired out, drenched and smiling, he ducked into a small coffee shop glowing with warm amber lights. The aroma of roasted beans filled the air. He ordered something cheap, a single-shot espresso and sat by the window, watching the rain slow to a drizzle. The mug warmed his hands. His thoughts, for once, were still.
When the storm cleared, he stepped back onto the street. The air was clean, cool. The sky was bleeding purple with dawn. He walked the last hour in silence, his boots squelching softly on the wet road, the city slowly waking around him , merchants setting up stalls, drones sweeping puddles, distant hums of traffic restarting.
At last, the Aegis Chrono X pulsed softly on his wrist.
Arrival confirmed. Estimated distance covered: 13.4 kilometers. Physical exertion: moderate to high. Congratulations, traveler.
Jack chuckled, shaking his head. "You make it sound like a damn RPG."
Aren't you the one who lives like one?
He smiled faintly, eyes glancing up at the rising sun. The city glowed with a faint orange sheen, and the world, for once, felt perfectly still.
Jack West . The Void Walker took one long breath, stretched his sore shoulders, and whispered to himself,
"New day. New start."
And as his Chrono X blinked in quiet acknowledgment, the System murmured softly in the back of his mind ,almost like a friend.
Let's see what kind of trouble you find next.
Jack grinned. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
He pulled his hood up, turned toward the road ahead, and kept walking ,the city shining before him like a promise wrapped in rain.