Firelight, Eyes in the Dark

The air of Elmsbrook had changed.

The once-muted village, scarred by grief and fear, now pulsed with life and joy. Bonfires crackled in the village square, casting golden light across the stone-paved courtyard. Villagers sang, danced, and raised mugs of frothy cider, the laughter of children echoing between wooden cottages. For the first time in months, hope returned to Elmsbrook.

Selena stood beneath a hanging lantern, holding a wooden bowl filled with roasted potatoes and herb-seasoned venison. She was laughing with Lita and a few other girls she had helped earlier while gathering herbs, but her eyes kept drifting.

Across the square, Red stood near a fire, his armor left behind for the evening. He wore a plain black tunic with rolled sleeves and simple slacks. His presence was still commanding, more so without the cold gleam of steel to hide behind. The firelight painted sharp edges across his face, and his eyes, usually shaded by his helmet, reflected the flames.

Beside him, Sarah stood.

The young woman, once bound and bruised, now wore a clean white dress lent to her by the villagers. Her long black hair had been washed and brushed, and though the hollowness of captivity had not yet left her eyes, there was a spark in them now. A spark that flared brighter each time she looked at Red.

Sarah laughed softly at something he said. Her fingers brushed his arm.

Selena's smile wavered.

She blinked and looked away quickly, stuffing a bite of venison into her mouth. But her ears stayed trained on their conversation, no matter how she tried to tune it out.

Sarah's voice reached her.

Sarah: You saved me. All of us. I...I don't know how to thank you.

Red: You don't have to

Red replied simply, his voice calm and low.

Sarah: But I want to, Sarah said, eyes wide.

Sarah: No one else came. No one even knew we were still alive. And you...You were like something out of a story.

Red was silent for a moment.

Red: Just doing what had to be done.

Sarah stepped a little closer.

Sarah: You're more than that. You're… you're a hero.

Selena shoved another forkful of food into her mouth, then another, cheeks puffed out like a squirrel trying not to look bothered. Lita blinked at her.

Lita: Selena? You okay?

Selena: I'm fine, she said quickly, forcing a grin.

Selena: Really tasty~mmph~so good.

But her gaze flicked back toward Red.

Sarah was still smiling up at him. Red, to his credit, hadn't encouraged anything, but he also hadn't stepped away.

Something sour twisted in Selena's stomach.

Eventually, Sarah was pulled away by her mother and a few other villagers eager to honor her survival. Red stepped back from the fire, quiet and withdrawn as always. Selena saw her chance.

She started toward him.

But Red had already turned, drifting into the shadowed edges of the square where the firelight began to fade.

He walked calmly, purposefully, through a narrow side path behind the bakery. Past the fences. Past the edge of the light. Until the sounds of celebration dimmed into nothing but distant murmurs.

There, beneath the boughs of a crooked elm, stood the figure.

The Mysterious Man.

Cloaked in gray, his face shadowed by a hood, he leaned against a crooked fence post. His gloved hands held a small leather pouch, and when Red approached, he stepped forward without a word.

The pouch fell into Red's palm.

It was heavy.

Mysterious Man: Fifty gold coins

the Mysterious Man said with a low rasp.

Mysterious Man: Just as promised. The camp was purged?

Red nodded.

Red: Cleaned. No survivors. Slaves freed.

Mysterious Man: Excellent.

The figure looked around briefly, ensuring they were alone.

Mysterious Man: We've already cleared the bodies. The cart will be discovered abandoned in the riverbank come morning, and the villagers will believe it was a highway raid gone wrong.

"Efficient," Red muttered.

Mysterious Man: We're nothing if not precise.

Red narrowed his eyes slightly.

Red: What about the others?

The man tilted his head. "Everyone's done their job. South outpost, dealt with. East branch, purged. The capital sleeper cell...neutralized.

Red's hand clenched the pouch.

Red: That was fast.

Mysterious Man: It had to be. The Grand Circle is stirring. The next phase needs...less noise.

There was a moment of silence between them.

Then Red asked

Red: What's next?

The Mysterious Man smiled beneath the hood.

Mysterious Man: Just wait. The next task is already being carved. We'll deliver it when the time is right.

Red gave a slow nod.

The man took a step back, melting once more into the shadows.

Mysterious Man: Until then, Sable Wolf.

And then he was gone.

Red turned and began the walk back through the dark alleyways of Elmsbrook, the firelight guiding him back to the crowd. But before he stepped into the celebration again, he paused.

Selena stood near the fire now, arms crossed, her expression somewhere between sulking and sleepy. When she noticed him, she tried to stand taller and smile again, too quickly.

Selena: You were gone for a while,

she said, forcing a light tone.

Red: Needed some air

Red replied simply.

Selena glanced at the crowd, then back at him.

Selena: Sarah's been talking about you all night.

Red looked at her.

Red: Did she?

Selena: She said you were like something out of a story.

Selena muttered, folding her arms tighter.

There was a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

Red: Do I look like a storybook hero?

Selena opened her mouth to answer, then stopped, because the firelight was making his face glow golden and strong, and his smile, rare and faint as it was, did things to her stomach she wasn't ready to admit.

She scowled instead.

Selena: You're too grumpy for a hero.

Red raised a brow.

Red: So what am I?

She blinked.

Selena: Umm...

He didn't wait for an answer. He just gave her that faint, half-smile again and walked toward the fire. After a moment, she scrambled after him, flustered.

And in the shadows, where the elm tree grew crooked and cold, something watched. Not the Mysterious Man...he had vanished.

But something else was coming.

And the Midnight Pact would soon call again.