The alley was a narrow vein of shadow carved through the heart of the city, where even lantern light dared not linger.
Damp clung to the stone walls, carrying the stench of rot and stale water. Every sound—water dripping, rats scratching—seemed to echo with unnatural weight.
A woman in a plain brown gown hurried down the cobblestones, a bundle of vegetables clutched tightly in her arms. She had only meant to visit a friend and collect her week's share, but she now regretted the detour through this wretched part of town.
Her bare head was uncovered, her dark hair pinned back simply, and she walked with forced composure, chin high, as if daring the shadows not to touch her. Yet her knuckles whitened on the cloth sack, betraying her unease.
The weather was just as bad as it began to drizzle down lightly enough to make a cold chill set in.
Yet beyond that she could feel it—the prickle of a gaze boring into her back. Someone was following her.
Her pace quickened.
