West turned down a side street casually.
The lighting grew dimmer as neon reflections from nearby signs flickered against damp pavement. The sound of traffic faded behind him.
The footsteps followed as he rounded a darker corner where a broken streetlamp cast only half-shadows.
Then...
<[ Shadow Anchor Has Been Activated ]>
His body merged seamlessly with the surrounding darkness, anchoring his presence to the shadows cast by the buildings. His physical form dissolved into a still, silent imprint within the gloom.
A second later, the four men rounded the corner.
"Where'd he go?" one hissed.
They looked left and right...
Behind dumpsters...
Up the alley...
"He was just here!"
"No way he vanished."
One of them crouched, scanning the ground as if expecting footprints.
Another activated a faint glow around his eyes likely a perception-type ability but still, they found nothing.
West stood less than two meters away, perfectly blended into the shadow along the brick wall.
