The Hired Rogue

The wind whipped around us as we moved further from the Thieves' Den, the night air carrying with it a biting chill that seemed to seep into my bones. The mountains loomed in the distance, jagged peaks slicing into the sky, silhouetted by the pale glow of the moon. Somewhere up there, hidden within those dark crevices, lay the Bandit Lord's fortress, our next target.

Aria walked beside me, her footsteps silent on the rough terrain, her cloak billowing slightly behind her. She had an aura of calm confidence about her, the kind that only came from years of experience. I could see it in the way she moved, the way her eyes constantly flicked to the shadows, always alert, always aware. I hadn't fully wrapped my head around it yet—that she was no longer an NPC, but someone who felt as real as any living person. She was more than just pre-programmed dialogue and set paths now; she had free will, thoughts, feelings, and motives. That thought was both unsettling and fascinating.