Rick woke up to the sound of rain again, this time softer, gentler — like the sky was trying to wash away the night before.
He was still sitting on the couch, half-covered by a blanket. His arm ached, his knuckles were scraped, and his brain was trying to decide whether last night had really happened or if he'd finally gone insane.
Then he saw it.
The faint glow under his skin.
A light that pulsed like a heartbeat, fading and returning every few seconds.
So no, it wasn't a dream.
Across the room, Lira stood by the window, staring outside like a shadow with purpose. Her coat was off now, revealing a black suit and white shirt beneath — professional, cold, and clean. She looked like she belonged in both a boardroom and a battlefield.
Rick sat up slowly. "You stayed all night?"
She didn't look at him. "Had to make sure you were still breathing."
"That's comforting."
"It wasn't meant to be."
He rubbed his eyes and sighed. "So… this is real? All of it? Vampires, werewolves, glowing hands?"
Lira finally turned. "Every bit of it. You've stepped into the world behind the world."
Rick leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "Great. I can't even pay my rent, and now I'm some kind of freak."
"You're not a freak."
Her tone softened slightly, almost human this time. "You're rare. The Veil doesn't open for just anyone. It responds to something — pain, maybe, or a kind of truth. I don't know what triggered yours yet."
Rick met her eyes. "So what am I supposed to do? Pretend everything's normal?"
"You can't. Once the Veil lets you see, you can't unsee. And if you don't learn control…" She paused. "You'll burn out. Or worse."
"Worse?"
"The Veil will eat you from the inside."
He blinked. "That's… reassuring."
She ignored his sarcasm and crossed the room, pulling a small notebook from her coat pocket. It was leather-bound, old, with symbols carved into the cover that looked alive under the dim light.
"These are the rules of the Veil," she said, setting it on the table. "The Council teaches them to every operative. You'll learn them too."
Rick flipped it open. The first page was written in neat handwriting:
1. The Hidden must never be revealed to the Unseen.
2. The Veil must not be tampered with.
3. No mortal may wield Veil energy without permission.
4. The balance between light and shadow must be maintained.
He frowned. "Sounds like a supernatural constitution."
"More like survival instructions," Lira said. "Every rule was written in blood."
"Nice. Real comforting."
She ignored the jab. "Rule One means you can't tell anyone what you've seen — not your friends, not your family, no one."
"Because?"
"Because the Veil isn't just magic. It's alive. The more people know, the thinner it gets. The thinner it gets, the closer the Hidden come."
Rick shut the notebook. "You're telling me if I blab about this to my landlord, a vampire shows up and eats him?"
"Something like that."
He sighed, rubbing his face. "This just keeps getting better."
Lira watched him for a moment, studying him the way a scientist studies a new species. Then she asked, "When you used the energy last night, what did it feel like?"
Rick hesitated. "Like… I wasn't in control. Like something inside me woke up and decided to fight for me."
"That's not how Veil energy works for humans," she murmured. "It shouldn't respond that fast. Or that strong."
"Maybe I'm just special," he said dryly.
She didn't smile. "Maybe you're something else."
That made him look up. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Before she could answer, her phone buzzed. She checked it quickly, and her face hardened. "We have to move."
"Move? Where?"
"The Council wants to see you."
"Oh, great," he said, standing. "I just love secret magical committees. Do I need to dress up?"
"They won't care what you wear," she said. "But they'll care if you breathe wrong."
Rick froze. "That bad?"
Lira put on her coat and nodded toward the door. "Let's just say the last human who saw the Veil didn't last long."
"Fantastic."
They stepped outside into the rain. The city looked normal again — taxis rushing past, street vendors shouting, music echoing from open windows. But Rick could feel it now, the undercurrent beneath the noise. The energy that hummed through everything, faint but alive.
He could see faint symbols carved into lampposts, invisible to everyone else.
He could sense whispers in the shadows.
And every reflection showed something slightly off — like the city itself was watching him.
They walked in silence until they reached a black car parked at the corner. Lira opened the door for him. "Get in."
He hesitated. "Where are we going?"
"Under the city," she said. "Where the Council hides."
"Of course they do," he muttered. "Because normal offices are too boring."
Inside, the car smelled faintly of rain and metal. The windows were tinted so dark he couldn't see the outside world anymore. For the first time since all this started, Rick felt the weight of it settle in his chest.
"Lira," he said quietly. "Be honest. What are the chances I survive this?"
She looked at him, her face unreadable.
"That depends," she said. "On what you really are."
Rick frowned. "I'm human."
Her gaze didn't waver. "We'll see."