Sira never truly slept. Even in the quietest hours, shadows shifted, buildings creaked, and faint hums of the Veil rippled through the streets like whispers.
Nasir moved along a narrow alley near the Lantern Inn, each step deliberate, cataloging every detail—the angle of a shutter, the faint residue of old sigils on walls, the subtle sway of an iron lamp. The city was alive, layered, observing.
An Unexpected Ally
Lyra waited at a hidden courtyard, her silver eyes sharp in the faint glow of scattered lanterns.
"You've been busy," she said, voice low, almost teasing. "Factions converge faster than expected. Someone—or something—is orchestrating their moves carefully."
Nasir inclined his head. Calm. "I've seen enough to understand patterns. Knowledge is the first weapon."
Lyra smiled faintly, but the tension in her eyes remained. "Knowledge isn't enough here. Control is rare, and patience… rarer. If you want to survive in Sira, you'll need both."
Testing the Veil in the Field
They moved toward an abandoned square, where faint sigils glimmered along walls and the cobblestones held traces of recent energy flows. Nasir paused, extending awareness subtly. The Reflection Avatar flickered, sensing the patterns, probing wards, and recording anomalies in real time.
A faint pulse in the air—a sigil, half-buried in shadows—reacted to his presence. Someone had manipulated it recently, leaving subtle traces of control over the Veil currents.
Experimentation. Nasir noted it. Not just observation. They are probing limits, studying responses.
He extended the Avatar, letting it interact with the threads carefully. The sigil twisted slightly, then relaxed, acknowledging him without resistance. Knowledge had been gained without confrontation.
A Dangerous Hint
A soft rustle from the rooftops above drew Nasir's attention. Masked figures—enforcers, watchers, collectors—moved in precise formations. They were aware of anomalies in the threads, testing for intrusions.
One paused, sensing something he could not yet see directly. His Reflection shifted slightly, drawing attention away. The figure hesitated, then moved on.
They are patient. They are careful. But they are predictable, Nasir thought. Observation first, calculation second.
The Veil's Warning
A faint vibration touched him—not in the city, but deeper, beyond Sira. Threads of the Veil, older and stranger, pulsed faintly, responding to the patterns he was tracing. Something beyond the factions, beyond the city, was aware.
Not malevolent yet. Patient. Watching. Waiting.
Nasir exhaled slowly. Sira had revealed another fragment tonight: factions were converging, sigils were alive and manipulated, and the Veils themselves whispered of something larger.
Patience, observation, understanding. Always first. Action would come later.
The Lantern Inn's glow faded behind him as he melted into the shadows. Knowledge had been gained. And the city—layered, alive, and patient—had taken note.