Chapter 29: Whispers in the Dark
The city had returned to uneasy calm, but beneath the surface, fear still lingered. People whispered about the battle at the cathedral, some calling it divine judgment, others fearing it was only the beginning of something worse.
Le Wai and Mei Lin walked through the silent streets. Lanterns flickered faintly, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch unnaturally.
"You feel it too, don't you?" Mei Lin asked quietly.
Le Wai nodded. "The shadows haven't left. They're watching."
Indeed, every step carried a subtle tension, as though unseen eyes followed their movements. The battle against Jian had ended, but its echoes refused to fade.
When they reached an abandoned marketplace, Le Wai halted. Something tugged at his senses—the faint residue of the same energy he felt in the cathedral rune.
From the shadows, a cloaked figure emerged. His movements were deliberate, his presence unnervingly calm. The hood concealed his face, but his voice was sharp as a blade.
"You've done well," the stranger said, his tone laced with mockery. "Jian's downfall was… expected. He was weak, clinging to grief. But you, Le Wai—you've proven far more interesting."
Le Wai drew his blade instinctively, its faint glow cutting into the darkness. "Who are you?"
The stranger chuckled. "Names are meaningless. What matters is the design. Jian was but one piece of the board… and now, you're stepping into the game."
Mei Lin stepped forward, sword ready. "If you're the one behind this, then you'll fall just like him."
The figure tilted his head, unbothered. "Fall? Oh, no. I am not here to fight. Not yet. I came only to see the man fate has chosen to oppose me."
His words sent a chill through Le Wai's spine. "Why target me?"
"Because your past," the figure whispered, his voice echoing like a thousand whispers, "is the key to unlocking the future I seek."
Before Le Wai could react, the cloaked man dissolved into smoke, vanishing into the night.
Silence pressed down on the empty market. Mei Lin lowered her blade, her brow furrowed. "He was testing you. Measuring you."
Le Wai tightened his grip on his weapon. "Then he knows too much already. And if my past truly holds the key… then I have no choice but to face it."
Far away, atop a distant spire, the cloaked figure reappeared, his eyes gleaming crimson beneath the hood. Around him, more shadows stirred—an army waiting for the signal.
"The board is set," he murmured. "And soon… the true game begins."