The streets of Windrest thrummed with life—too much life.
Reynar had seen cities before in his old world, but this felt different. The towering stone buildings and the swirl of merchants shouting prices gave the illusion of prosperity, yet something in the air felt... wrong. A little too pristine. A little too watched.
"Stay close," Liora said under her breath. Her eyes swept the streets not with awe, but with caution. "This place isn't as safe as it looks."
They passed a group of armored guards patrolling with too much rigidity in their stride—eyes cold, expressions unreadable. Reynar frowned. "You've been here before?"
"A few times," she said. "Long enough to know how to keep my head down."
Just as Reynar opened his mouth to ask more, a sudden shout drew their attention.
"Thief! Stop him!"
A young boy, no older than ten, sprinted down the cobbled street with fear etched on his dirt-streaked face. He clutched a piece of bread to his chest, but something was off—there was no urgency in the shopkeeper's tone, who stood back looking confused.
Before the boy could even turn the corner, two guards tackled him to the ground. One of them slammed a gauntleted fist into the boy's stomach, making him yelp in pain. Blood trickled from his lip as the guards hauled him up roughly.
"I didn't take anything!" he cried. "I swear—I didn't!"
Reynar took a step forward instinctively, but Liora's hand gripped his wrist.
"Don't," she warned, voice low. "It's not just about the bread."
Reynar's brow furrowed. "He didn't even steal anything. The vendor didn't say a word."
"Exactly." Liora's eyes were on the guards, who exchanged a brief nod with a cloaked man standing near the alley. The man gave the faintest gesture, and the boy was dragged away without further explanation.
"He looked weak," Liora said softly. "Alone. Easy to blame."
Realization clicked in Reynar's chest like ice. "They're not arresting him because he stole…"
"They're labeling him a criminal to disappear him," she finished grimly. "And no one will question it."
Reynar clenched his fists. He wanted to step in—to protest, to demand justice—but the cold eyes of the guards scanned the crowd like vultures. He wasn't ready to fight an entire city.
Not yet.
"They do this often?" he asked after the boy was out of sight.
"Only when they need new 'resources.'" Liora's voice was bitter. "Criminal records here can be forged. All it takes is a whisper, and you vanish."
She didn't need to say more.
As they walked in silence toward the potion shop, the illusion of Windrest's safety shattered in Reynar's mind. Behind the well-dressed nobles and polished stone buildings, something far darker pulsed beneath.
A town built on invisible graves.
Later, they returned to the shopping district. The streets were too crowded for quiet conversation, so they blended in, gathering supplies. Reynar tried on a new lightweight set of battle leathers, enchanted with minor shadow resistance. Liora purchased a pair of wind-etched throwing knives that whistled in the air with deadly precision. They restocked potions, dry rations, and glowshroom lanterns for the darkness of the rift.
Even as they moved through the market, Liora's unease didn't fade.
"You're still thinking about that place, aren't you?" Reynar asked as they sat down to eat at a quiet inn terrace overlooking the central square.
"I can't forget it. Not when I know what lies beneath those streets," she said, stirring her stew. "The prisons. The rituals. They're connected to something bigger. My parents suspected that Windrest wasn't just a pawn, but a gateway—one of several towns used to feed sacrifices to empower the Void King's arrival."
"And now a rift is opening near Eidenweld," Reynar added quietly. "It's not a coincidence."
Liora looked at him. "It's not. The summoning is accelerating. Someone's pushing it forward."
"And if the government's involved," Reynar said, "we can't rely on help from any official forces."
They fell silent for a while.
After dinner, they left the inn and made their way toward the outskirts. The sun had begun to dip, casting Windrest in a warm orange glow, shadows stretching long behind them.
As they passed the outer wall, a group of armored knights in pristine white and gold passed them in formation, headed toward the central tower. They bore no insignia of any guild Reynar recognized.
"Who are they?" he asked.
Liora frowned. "I don't know. But they don't feel like ordinary guards. We'll need to be careful when we return."
"If we return," Reynar said.
Liora looked at him with an unamused stare. "Don't joke about that."
He smiled faintly. "Sorry."
That night, as they camped just outside the town's borders, the air felt heavier than usual.
Liora stared into the flames of the campfire, arms wrapped around her knees.
"Thank you, by the way," she said softly.
Reynar looked up from his system screen. "For what?"
"For earlier. With the boy. And... everything. You're not the same weakling I found bleeding out in the woods."
Reynar smiled wryly. "Was I really that pitiful?"
"You couldn't even hold a knife properly."
He laughed.
"But now," she said quietly, "you make me feel like we might actually stand a chance."
They both looked up at the stars in silence.
[System Notification]Affinity Update: Companion Affinity with Liora has increased to 85%.