Surprisingly, the other maids did not encounter the strange woman.

  Throughout the entire night until morning, a quietness unusual for the city took hold.

  The sirens of vehicles vanished, arrests ceased, and citizens remained cooped up inside their homes.

  Maybe this was how the city usually was at that hour. Everyone needed rest at some point.

  While the maids kept their eyes peeled for any suspicious individual approaching them, one of them quietly followed a man.

  Keleanos and Eden marched together through the empty alleyways, damp and exceptionally dark.

  “If I take this path…” Keleanos opened a notebook and scribbled into it. Raindrops sullied parts of the sketch, but he did not care. This was merely a way for his mind to memorize the layout.

  “I see. This part leads to this road, so the next area should be…” Turning to the right, he looked into a narrow passage between two open garbage cans, overflowing with water and trash.

  Eden, walking without a word, watched in the same direction.

  What diligence. Walking through the entire city, cartographing every nook and cranny of its streets and alleys.

  They had already covered more than seventy percent of the city, moving at an incredibly smooth pace.

  No one dared to approach them, even those with peculiar backgrounds, reinforcing the idea that no one paid attention to these outsiders.

  And even if they were noticed, Eden alone would be enough to deal with any opponent.

  As she followed Keleanos through the garbage-strewn passage, Eden glanced over her shoulder, a sharp and sneaky gaze directed at someone unseen.

  “I told you not to follow us.” She spoke normally, yet Keleanos did not react, fully focused on his observations.

  Through the dim lights bleeding in from opposite alleys that led toward a brightly lit street, the space wavered slightly.

  “I can’t believe you ignored my order,” Eden sighed, her eyes drifting to Keleanos’ back. “Well, whatever. Just make sure you’re not being seen at all costs.”

  The hazy figure continued walking behind Eden. Only Eden and Keleanos appeared reflected in the puddles, and only their footsteps echoed through the darkness.

  Keleanos’ mumbling voice was the only thing preventing the rain from being the sole sound around them.

  The eerie silence—usually replaced by sirens, barking dogs, and constant movement—made the atmosphere far more nerve-racking.

  Even Eden, although composed, couldn't help but catch herself on edge.

  “This is… a house. We can’t go in this one either.” The sound of scribbling continued, unstopping, tickling Eden’s ears—and those of the unseen figure.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “I’d bet there’s a dead body in there. The smell alone is a clear indication.” His observation made their spines shudder. Simple deductions drawn from his five senses were accurate nearly every time.

  He looked up, and at the same time, a window's light shut off the moment Keleanos looked at it. He scribbled silently on his notebook.

  “This one’s a trap. I don’t know many people who would leave their door barely open, especially in an area like this.” He crossed out another square in his notebook.

  Eden noticed him come to a stop. In a serious tone, she asked,

  “Isn’t there a possibility nothing is amiss? Maybe the individual we’re looking for is living normally in one of those houses?”

  Tapping the tip of his pen against the page, he turned around.

  “I doubt it. To begin with—well.” He lowered his voice, mindful of listening ears. “You understand what I’m trying to say, right?”

  She nodded. Even she avoided speaking openly in places like this.

  They shared the same conclusion: the Devourer was not human.

  There was no reason to believe it would live like one.

  As they stared at each other, they noticed something.

  "This is... a dead end." Keleanos immediately wrote the finding into his notebook. "I suppose we should turn back."

  Both he and Eden turned their backs and attempted to return to the intersection.

  Then, at that exact moment, footsteps echoed behind them—from seemingly nowhere.

  "Eden..." He called her name with a trace of nervousness. "I think we've hit the jackpot."

  "I have to unfortunately agree." A bead of rain ran down her cheek as she glanced toward him.

  They both stopped in their tracks, carefully listening as the steps grew more pronounced.

  I can't hear this person walking in puddles.

  Eden’s simple observation instantly increased the danger of the encounter. Unable to control her instinct, she took a step to the side, closer to Keleanos.

  "Hello. Would you care for a little chat?"

  The voice of a kind woman slithered into their ears, almost enticing—like a snake’s deceit.

  Looking over their shoulders, they noticed a lone woman standing in the center of the dead end: a wide opening filled with nothing but trash and broken asphalt.

  "—!"

  Keleanos suddenly froze, his eyes visibly trembling.

  Eden noticed immediately, but there was nothing she could do. Instead, she chose to draw the woman’s attention to herself.

  "Who might you be? I don't remember seeing anyone here a moment ago." She asked calmly, already preparing to grab him and run.

  "Me? I was on a stroll and noticed you. I thought you were interesting and couldn't help but strike up a conversation." Her umbrella spun once, scattering beads of water onto the ground.

  Keleanos’ feelings hardened—and with them, his thoughts.

  Mother...

  He confirmed it with his own eyes. The person standing before him—her appearance—was none other than Rakia.

  But the one speaking was not the mother he cherished.

  It was a monster parading as her.

  I wasn't entirely certain, but by a weird flow of circumstances, I was forced to meet it again. Yivern, you...

  The shadow of an avian monster, barely visible, flickered in his vision. The woman’s shadow twisted, morphing into a deranged, predatory creature.

  Only Keleanos saw it.

  Because he knew.

  He knew what stood before him.

  No amount of mind-altering spells would make him forget the tragedy that had occurred—nor was he interested in forgetting.

  "Oh?"

  The woman lifted her umbrella and stared at Keleanos for a brief instant.

  "I have a growing feeling we've met before." She said, pressing a finger to her chin.

  But Keleanos shook his head.

  "I believe that would be impossible." He said calmly. "I come from a very distant land. If I had ever met someone as gorgeous as yourself, I wouldn't have forgotten."

  The woman laughed charmingly.

  "You flatter me. I agree, I wouldn't have forgotten someone as straightforward as yourself either." She noticed something, but failed to identify it. Her umbrella came to a stop as she squinted her eyes.

  "I have a pretty good memory." He smiled faintly, lowering his gaze. Light shone in his eyes, as if fighting back the darkness in his heart.

  I'm surprisingly calm. I don't even feel panic in front of this creature.

  Being face to face with our country’s destroyer, I thought I would feel more... angry. I thought I would be sobbing and screaming.

  His mind was as calm as a still pond. Not even a ripple disturbed its surface.

  Beside him, however, Eden was anything but calm.

  How are we going to leave this place alive? She felt the alley narrower than ever.

  Within the most secluded corner of the city—where no eyes could see and no ears could hear—a face-off was about to begin.