Dinner was… quieter than usual.
Not silent— Silva chewing methodically, Mira stabbing at her plate with focused intensity, but subdued in the particular way that meant someone was stockpiling questions and waiting for the right moment to unload them. The table itself was crowded with mismatched plates and half-filled glasses, the comforting smell of warm food doing its best to sell the illusion of normalcy. It failed. Tension clung to the air like steam that refused to dissipate, thick enough to taste if I focused on it.
Theo cleared his throat.
Then again.
By the third time, Mira finally snapped.
"So," she said, still not looking up from her plate, "you going to explain why you both came back looking like you nearly started a small war inside a church?"
Theo glanced at me. I glanced back.
Of course it was going to be me.
I sighed, set my fork down, and leaned back slightly. "Alright. So—short version? The merchant tried to overcharge us, things got heated, and a BAA Security Agent decided to make a very… dramatic entrance."
The sound of chewing stopped.
Silva froze mid-motion, fork hovering just shy of her mouth. Slowly—deliberately—she looked up at me, her eyes sharp despite the calm mask she wore.
"…A Security Agent?" she repeated.
"Probably the one Agent Vern is looking for," Theo added quickly, lifting his hands like he was bracing for impact. "Uniform, insignia, the whole thing. No doubt about it."
[You're underselling it,] Aetherion commented smugly.
[He lifted a grown man like a decorative lantern. Very theatrical. I approve.]
'You would,' I shot back mentally. 'Now be quiet.'
Mira finally looked up, brows knitting together. "And what then?" she demanded. "Don't tell me you guys just let him run off knowing we're actively looking for him."
Theo sighed, shoulders slumping. "Listen—it was either the supplies or chasing him down. We chose dinner."
"The city's center core," I added, tapping the table lightly. "I think he's looking for it too."
That earned me Silva's full attention.
She leaned back slightly, arms folding as her gaze sharpened. "What exactly did he do?"
I hesitated. Just long enough to be noticeable. "…He threatened the merchant."
Theo winced beside me. "Physically."
Silva nodded once, as if slotting the information neatly into some mental archive. Mira, meanwhile, stared between us like we'd just admitted to feeding anomalies after midnight.
"And you're both just… fine with this?"
[Define 'fine,'] Aetherion chimed in pleasantly.
[No casualties, heightened paranoia, bruised egos—by my standards, a very successful evening.]
'I swear,' I muttered internally, 'one day I'm finding a way to mute you.'
"I wouldn't say fine," I replied carefully. "We did try to stop him."
[Correction,] Aetherion added.
[Theo tried to stop him.]
'You are this close to being sealed in a metaphysical box.'
"But," I continued aloud, "the supplies are secured, the merchant's still in business, and we didn't get scammed."
"Surely you mean," Mira muttered, "we didn't get scammed more than usual."
Theo snorted despite himself.
Silva exhaled slowly, fingers tapping once against the table. "Anything noteworthy about the agent?"
"We left the church almost immediately after he did," I said. "But by the time we stepped outside, he was already gone. No sound, no trace. He moves fast."
The table fell quiet again, forks resuming their soft clinks against ceramic. The warmth of the meal felt distant now, overshadowed by the implications settling between us like an uninvited guest.
After a moment, Silva stood.
"I'll share this information with Agent Vern and the other Team Leaders," she said calmly. "Good work, all of you."
She turned toward her bedroom, pausing only briefly at the door. "The sun rises early—and so do we. Get some rest. We're heading out at dawn."
[Ah yes,] Aetherion mused.
[Another poetic threat wrapped in encouragement. Classic leadership.]
'Another rise-and-shine speech to close off the day,' I thought dryly. 'Typical.'
I rolled my eyes as Theo fought back a laugh beside me, the tension easing just a fraction as the night finally began to settle.
Morning came far too quickly.
I woke to the muted light of dawn pressing through the thin curtains, painting the room in pale gold and soft gray. For a brief, blissful second, I forgot where I was— forgot the Pale Shore, the missing agent, the merchant's greed, and the way this town seemed to breathe just a little too quietly at night.
Then reality settled back in.
[Ah, you're awake,] Aetherion chimed, far too cheerful for the hour.
[Another beautiful day to uncover buried truths and latent horrors. Try not to trip over them.]
'Good morning to you too,' I groaned internally, rolling onto my back and staring at the ceiling. My body felt heavy, like it hadn't fully agreed to the idea of being functional yet.
Somewhere down the hall, a door opened and closed. Footsteps followed. measured, efficient. Silva, already up. Of course she was. A moment later, I heard Mira moving as well, cabinets opening, the soft clink of metal. Theo, on the other hand, seemed to be fighting a losing battle with his alarm, judging by the muffled curse that followed.
I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed, movements automatic. Shirt. Jacket. Tie. By the time I stepped into the hallway, the house was slowly coming to life.
Theo emerged from his room, hair a mess, eyes half-lidded. "I hate mornings," he muttered.
"You hate everything before noon," Mira replied from the kitchenette, already fully dressed and alert.
Silva stood near the door, adjusting her tie, posture straight as ever. "Eat what you can. We leave in ten."
Simple. Direct. No room for argument.
We gathered our gear, the quiet routine oddly grounding. Whatever waited for us outside—whatever secrets the town was still hiding, could wait a few more minutes. For now, it was just us, the scrape of chairs, the rustle of fabric, the steady rhythm of preparation.
As I stepped outside, the cool morning air hit my face, crisp and clean. The town looked peaceful in the sunlight, almost too peaceful.
[Calm before the storm,] Aetherion mused.
[Try to enjoy it while it lasts.]
I adjusted my jacket and followed the others, ready or not.
Today however, our formation changed a little. Team Leader Silva split up and joined Agent Vern in the search of the missing Security Agent, Leaving the search for the Anomalies Core at the city center up to me, Theo and Mira.
It felt… wrong, somehow. Silva's steady presence had always been an anchor—quiet, unyielding, reassuring in that stern, rose-scented way of hers. Watching her walk away with Vern, their silhouettes swallowed by the early morning crowd, left an uncomfortable gap behind.
Theo noticed it too. "Hate splitting the team," he muttered. "Every time we do, something stupid happens."
"Optimistic as always," Mira replied, though her tone lacked its usual bite.
[He's not wrong,] Aetherion chimed in pleasantly.
[Statistically speaking, splitting up increases narrative tension by at least sixty percent.]
'You're not helping.'
[Oh, I know. That's the fun part.]
The city center greeted us with warmth and movement. Sunlight spilled between buildings, reflecting off shop windows and pale stone streets. Vendors were setting up their stalls, calling out prices with relaxed smiles. A pair of musicians tuned their instruments near the promenade, their notes drifting lazily through the air.
It all felt alive. Normal.
Too normal.
We walked without speaking for a while, letting our eyes do the work. I forced myself to slow down, to really look instead of scanning for the obvious. An anomaly that had gone this long without exposure wouldn't sit out in the open like a badly hidden trap.
[Good instinct,] Aetherion noted approvingly.
[The Pale Shore does not scream. It whispers. Sometimes it hums.]
'You're really leaning into the mermaid thing, huh?'
[A good brand is about consistency.]
Mira stopped near the fountain at the heart of the plaza. Water spilled gently over carved stone, its surface catching the sunlight in fractured patterns. "Anyone else feel that?" she asked quietly.
Theo frowned. "Feel what?"
"Like… pressure. Not hostile. Just… heavy."
I stepped closer to the fountain. The air did feel thicker here, almost imperceptibly so—like standing near deep water without realizing how far down it went.
[Ah, now that's interesting,] Aetherion murmured.
[You are close. Not to the Core itself, but to its reflection.]
'Reflection?'
[Even a monster admires itself now and then.]
I crouched by the fountain's edge, eyes tracing the stonework. The carvings were old—older than the rest of the plaza. Weathered figures danced along the rim: waves, abstract shapes, something vaguely humanoid with flowing lines where a face should've been. Not quite a mermaid. Not quite human.
"These carvings," I said slowly. "They don't match the rest of the town's style."
Theo leaned over my shoulder. "Huh. You're right. Everything else here is rebuilt. These look… original."
Mira's gaze sharpened. "Which means they survived whatever reshaping the town went through."
Or were preserved.
I straightened, scanning the surrounding buildings. The streets subtly curved inward toward the plaza, like spokes leading to a wheel. It was almost unnoticeable unless you were looking for it—but once I saw it, I couldn't unsee it.
[Architecture as a ritual,] Aetherion mused.
[Humans do love building altars without realizing it.]
'You're saying the city center itself is part of the anomaly?'
[Not part. A shell.]
Theo rubbed his chin. "Okay, crazy thought. What if the Core isn't in a building?"
Mira nodded slowly. "What if it's beneath one?"
The fountain gurgled softly, water flowing endlessly downward before cycling back up. My gaze lingered on the drain at its center, dark and deceptively small.
My stomach tightened.
"This whole plaza feels like a lid," I said. "Like it's covering something."
The sounds of the city dulled around us—not vanished, just… muted. Laughter seemed farther away. Footsteps echoed strangely, as if swallowed before they could fully land.
[You're learning, my friend,] Aetherion said, almost fondly.
[The Pale Shore hides its heart where everyone gathers. Safety in plain sight. A classic.]
'So where's the Core?'
A pause.
[Follow the pull,] he replied.
[Not the noise. Not the people. The places they pass without noticing.]
I exhaled slowly and turned away from the fountain, eyes drifting toward a narrow passage between two buildings—an alley too clean to be abandoned, too quiet to be used. No vendors. No foot traffic. Just shadow and cool air.
Mira followed my gaze. "…That alley wasn't there yesterday."
Theo swore under his breath. "Yeah. That's not suspicious at all."
'Weird. I feel like we passed this alley atleast ten times. Is it the anomalies doing?'
The sunlight didn't reach it. The sound didn't either.
I took a step toward it, pulse steady despite the tension coiling in my chest.
[Careful,] Aetherion warned, tone light but sharp underneath.
[You're entering dangerous territory. I don't recommend staying here for longer than necessary.]
I glanced back at my teammates. They nodded—no words needed.
Whatever the Pale Shore was hiding, we were finally close enough to feel its breath.
And for the first time since arriving in this town, the calm began to crack.