Chapter 14 – Chasing Shadows

The chase began the moment the hooded woman disappeared into the alley.

Hikaru slipped through the crowded marketplace, moving at a relaxed pace even as his mind raced. The woman was fast but controlled—not running, but testing.

She wanted to see if they'd follow.

He adjusted his glasses with a flick of his fingers, suppressing a smirk. Classic misdirection. Lead them in, make them overcommit, then vanish before they realize they were played.

Budi, keeping stride beside him, murmured under his breath, "She's baiting us."

"Obviously."

"So, what's the plan?"

"We take the bait."

Budi sighed, shifting his mask slightly. "One of these days, your plans are going to get us killed."

Hikaru flicked a card between his fingers as they cut into the narrow side street. "Yeah, but not today."

The alley twisted and turned, leading them deeper into the city's underbelly. The woman's cloak fluttered in and out of view ahead of them, just enough to let them know she was still there. The path wasn't random. It was too smooth, too intentional.

The real question wasn't where she was going.

It was why she wanted them to follow.

They reached a junction where the alley split in two. A small flicker of movement darted left. Hikaru caught the hesitation in Budi's stance and made his decision in an instant.

"Fake." He turned right.

Budi followed without hesitation. "You sure?"

"No," Hikaru admitted, stepping over a broken wooden crate. "But she's too smart to make it obvious. If she wanted us to go left, that means the real path is—"

They rounded the corner—

And walked straight into a dead end.

A stone wall stretched high above them, smooth and untouched. No doors. No ladders. Just a perfect trap.

Budi exhaled. "Well, that's embarrassing."

Hikaru adjusted his glasses. "Give it a second."

Silence settled in the alley. The hum of the marketplace behind them felt distant, as if they had stepped into another space entirely. The walls loomed just a little too high, the air just a little too still.

Budi tilted his head. "You think she's still here?"

"She never left."

Hikaru flicked a card up. It spun midair—then froze.

For exactly one second, the world flickered.

Like reality had been paused.

Then, the shadows at the far wall peeled open.

Not like a door.

Not like a portal.

Like something had been hiding there all along.

And out of it stepped the woman.

She moved calmly, as if she had never been running in the first place. Her hood was lowered now, revealing sharp features, deep brown skin, and piercing silver eyes that glowed faintly in the dim light. Her cloak shifted unnaturally, like it was part of the shadows themselves.

Hikaru grinned. "Neat trick."

She ignored him, looking them both over. "You're reckless."

Budi exhaled through his nose. "People keep telling us that."

Hikaru slipped his card back into the deck. "And you're a stalker. Guess we all have bad habits."

She wasn't amused.

Instead, she studied them in complete silence. Not like someone analyzing an opponent.

More like someone evaluating whether they were worth talking to at all.

Finally, she spoke. "You stole from the Magisterium."

Hikaru smirked. "Borrowed. I'll return it when I'm done."

Her eyes flicked toward Budi. "And you?"

Budi shrugged. "I just like stealing things."

She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "You don't understand what you're dealing with."

Hikaru stepped forward slightly. "Enlighten me."

The woman crossed her arms. "That book is dangerous."

"Good," Hikaru said. "So am I."

She wasn't amused.

Budi sighed. "Can we skip the part where you threaten us and get to the real conversation?"

She finally narrowed her eyes.

"You've drawn too much attention. If you truly want answers about the Forgotten Ones, then you need to leave the city."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "That a warning?"

She stepped closer. "It's advice. Because if you stay—"

A bell rang in the distance.

Three times.

A cold, heavy sound that sent a ripple of unease through the air.

Budi tensed. Hikaru's fingers twitched toward his deck.

The woman exhaled. "They've found you."

Hikaru clicked his tongue. "Took them long enough."

Budi cracked his neck. "Time to run?"

The woman hesitated for the first time. Then she sighed. "Follow me."

Hikaru smirked.

"Now that sounds interesting."

And then—

The shadows swallowed them whole.

The world shifted instantly.

One second, Hikaru was in the alley. The next—darkness surrounded him.

Not complete darkness.

More like moving shapes, twisting patterns. A corridor made of shadows, flickering like candlelight.

He stumbled slightly as the sensation pulled him forward. "This feels awful."

Budi, walking beside him with his arms crossed, didn't seem phased. "You get used to it."

Hikaru shot him a glare. "Oh, now you're an expert?"

Budi grinned.

The woman walked ahead of them, completely unfazed by the shifting space. "We don't have much time. The Magisterium will be searching for you now. We need to move quickly."

Hikaru flicked a card between his fingers as they walked. "So. Are you finally going to tell us your name, or do I keep calling you Shadow Lady?"

She didn't stop walking.

Then, after a long pause—

"Selene."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Dramatic."

She ignored that.

They stepped out of the shadows into an abandoned building.

The air was damp, dust floating in the golden light filtering through the boarded windows. Broken furniture and old tomes lay scattered across the floor, but the symbols on the walls were what caught Hikaru's attention.

Strange markings. Circular, intricate. Familiar.

He pulled the stolen book from his coat and flipped through the pages, eyes scanning the faded script. Then, he stopped.

One of the illustrations matched the symbols on the walls.

Selene folded her arms. "Welcome to the last place in this city where the Forgotten Ones still exist."

Hikaru ran his fingers over the book's text.

Budi stepped forward, touching one of the carved symbols. "This place is… ancient."

Selene nodded. "It predates the kingdom. The Magisterium spent centuries trying to erase all traces of them, but some knowledge refuses to die."

Hikaru exhaled.

This wasn't just about history.

This was something bigger.

The bell rang again in the distance.

Selene turned to them, her silver eyes serious. "If you want answers, you're going to have to fight for them."

Hikaru grinned.

"Well, then."

He flicked a card into the air.

"Let's start the game."