I decided to head home.
After everything that had happened today, that felt like the only reasonable thing to do.
The walk back was quiet. Too quiet, in the way that makes you notice your own footsteps — each one sounding louder than it should in the dark. No creatures. No movement in the shadows. No smoke-covered things watching from the corners.
Just an empty street, a dog barking somewhere far away, and the kind of silence that comes after something goes wrong.
It should have felt like relief.
Instead, it felt like waiting.
I couldn't shake the sense that something was still following me — not the creatures, nothing like that. This was smaller. Quieter. Like feeling someone stare at you before you figure out where they are. I slowed down once, listening.
Nothing.
"I'm just being paranoid," I muttered.
After a day like this, that was honestly fair.
By the time I reached home, the sight of the gate settled something in my chest I hadn't even realized was still tight. The porch light was on. Through the window I could see the TV flickering, and someone moving in front of it — Mom, probably, or Clara.
And the smell of food.
For a second, the whole night felt unreal. Like something I'd imagined a little too clearly.
I almost laughed.
Before going in, I checked myself over out of habit. No wounds. Not even a scratch. That was… wrong, but I wasn't going to think too hard about it right now. I was pretty sure I'd taken a hit earlier. My forearm should've been bruised at least.
But nothing.
Clothes slightly messy. A bit of dust. Nothing that would raise questions.
Honestly, I looked better than I had any right to.
I brushed off the dust, fixed my collar, and pushed the gate open.
(Alice P.O.V)
She hadn't gone far.
The disappearing act was a simple spell — just enough to step out of sight without giving away where she went. She was three buildings away now, crouched near the edge of a rooftop, watching him walk down the street below.
It was precaution.
E-tier spectres were weak, but they rarely showed up alone. Sometimes the ones that got away came back. Sometimes they followed.
She wasn't going to let that turn into a problem for him without knowing.
At least, that's what she told herself.
She watched him slow down once — head tilting slightly, listening.
Her eyes narrowed.
Most civilians, after something like this, either broke down or shut off completely. They convinced themselves it wasn't real, or they panicked so badly they couldn't think straight.
He did neither.
He just… kept walking. Checked behind him once, calm, like he was taking note of things instead of running from them.
A normal person doesn't kill a spectre, she thought. Not even an E-tier. That's not how it works.
She had arrived expecting to step in and help.
Instead, she'd found him already fighting.
Already winning.
She had collected the soul remnants out of habit, but if she was being honest, he had handled the first one himself.
Before she even got there.
That feeling she'd gotten from him was still bothering her.
It had been faint. Easy to ignore at first. But once you noticed it, it stuck with you.
Something about him wasn't right.
Not dangerous in an obvious way.
But not normal either.
She had thought about questioning him. Even considered taking him in for evaluation, like protocol suggested.
She didn't.
Better to watch.
Better to understand first.
The house he stopped at looked completely normal — porch light on, TV glowing inside, the quiet signs of a family going through an ordinary evening.
She watched him pause at the gate and check himself over, quick and efficient, before going in.
Alice let out a slow breath.
She straightened, a faint white glow gathering around her without effort.
She was about to leave—
Then he came back out.
Just for a second.
Stepping through the door again.
Looking across the street.
Looking up.
Right at the rooftop she was standing on.
He didn't react. Didn't say anything.
Just looked.
For a second longer than it should've been.
Then he went back inside.
Alice stayed completely still for a moment after the door closed.
Then she disappeared.
This time for real.
(kray P.O.V)
I locked the door and stood in the entrance for a moment.
"Kray?" Mom called from the kitchen. "Is that you?"
"Yeah," I called back. "Coming."
I waited one more second.
Then I let the small smirk I'd been holding back show, just for a moment—
Before heading in.
The moment I stepped inside, I heard fast footsteps.
Then Rex came rushing into view and jumped straight at me, nearly knocking me back as he started licking my face.
"Hey—hey—okay—enough, Rex—" I laughed, trying to push him off.
He didn't listen.
Of course he didn't.
After a bit of struggle, I finally got him off me. He barked once, tail wagging like crazy, clearly proud of himself.
"…Yeah, yeah. Missed you too."
I gave his head a quick pat before heading to the bathroom.
No point getting questioned when I didn't even have the answers myself.
After washing up and changing into clean clothes, I made my way to the dining Table.
Mom was setting the table. Dad was already there, helping out. Clara, on the other hand, was in the next room, completely absorbed in whatever drama she was watching.
I sighed.
Seriously, this girl needed to stop watching so much TV. It was getting to her.
I walked over and leaned against the doorframe.
"I think you should focus more on your own life than these TV characters," I said.
"Hmph. What do you know?" she shot back without even looking at me. "It's not like you have any hobbies. At least I do."
I stared at her for a second.
Then decided it wasn't worth it.
"…Right. I'll pretend that made sense."
I let out a small sigh.
"Come on. Food's ready. You can watch the repeat later."
She hesitated for a second, then finally got up.
"Fine…"
We both walked back to the table.
Dinner started quietly.Not awkward.Just… peaceful.
A normal kind of silence.
And for some reason, after everything that had happened today…. It made me appreciate everything even more Mom,Dad, Clara and even Rex.
Then a thought slipped in.
What if it wasn't me?
What if something like that happened to Clara… or Mom… or Dad?
The image that formed in my mind—
I shut it down immediately.
No.
I didn't like that.
Not even a little.
My mood dipped for a second, but I didn't let it show on my face and kept eating ,talking when needed smiling occasionally .
Like everything was normal.
Like nothing had changed.
By the time dinner ended, I was already tired.
Physically.
Mentally.
Everything.
I headed to my room without much delay.
Once inside, I dropped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling for a moment.
"…If I want to protect them…"
My voice was barely a whisper.
"…then I need to understand this."
The power.
The changes.
Everything.
I needed control.
And right now, I had none.
Only one person came to mind.
The hunter girl.
Alice.
"I'll call her tomorrow…"
I exhaled slowly.
Whatever came next…
That was a problem for tomorrow.
Right now…
I was exhausted.
My eyes closed before I even realized it.
And just like that, I drifted off to sleep—
Not knowing that some of the answers I was looking for…
Were already closer than I thought.