Heisen's Eye

Chapter 31

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Ryu's POV
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I stand at the side of a street for a few minutes to allow my eyes to adjust to the darkness of the slums.

Because of the little care given to the slums of Alzibria, street lamps are rare, usually only found on the border of the normal town and this area.

But, even then, a lot of them are broken, leaving the residents of the slums in perpetual darkness at night.

Despite being barely able to see my hand in front of me, I hear more activity now than I did during the day, which isn't surprising, considering the little security that walks around town at night.

The safety of the darkness allows anyone who has familiarity with these streets to slip into them and disappear, becoming mere shadows in the light of the moon.

Having adjusted to the night, I start moving, slipping between streets and alleyways, making little noise.

It'd be pretty easy to get lost in this area of town, the night makes it seem like a labyrinth, an endless maze.

Each street looks distinctly different, but the amount of turns in the alleyways makes retracing your steps next to impossible.

Right now, I'm at a disadvantage to anyone ready to attack me. I'm merely a trespasser to them, someone who doesn't know these streets like the back of their hand.

I haven't grown up here. I haven't suffered here. I don't know the pain of the people who live here.

Because of that, I'm at a disadvantage. I know nothing about anyone who could be watching right now.

I'm like a rat in a box.

But I keep moving, I use my speed to lower the chances of getting attacked.

After a few minutes of dashing through alleys, I stumble upon a small hut in what seems to be the wreckage of several houses.

It stands alone, several metres from every house in every direction.

Its figure seems to illuminate in the darkness, an atmosphere of death surrounding it.

Every nerve in my body seems to react to it, telling me to run away, but I ignore them, choosing to take a step closer towards it. Then another. And another.

In no time, I'm standing in front of the door to the hut, its wooden handle decaying.

I open the door, wincing at the loud creak it made when it swung.

Taking a step inside, I'm blinded by the light that is being emitted from the roof of the hut.

Light magic.

A simple ball of light illuminates the inside, casting shadows over the corners.

My eyes dart across the interior, intrigued as to the specifics of the shack.

Why was it here?

The question seems to eat at my mind as I examine further.

Dust seems to cover everything inside, making it considerably hard to breath.

Running out of breath, it decide to leave for a few moments, trying to have a taste of fresh air.

I step outside the hut, wind blowing into my face.

I take a deep breath, trying to get rid of the excess dust in my lungs.

I stand outside for a few moments, taking in the silence of the town, memories of the city contrasting deeply.