The shack was behind him now, swallowed by trees and mist.
Asher moved like a ghost. The helmet stayed on—its mirror visor catching the grey light, reflecting a world that no longer saw him as human. The coat flared with every step, wind slicing through the gaps. His thoughts were quiet. Focused.
Parasight's interface shimmered into view.
> [Kill Points: 95]
[Entropy: 4.0%]
[Task: Acquire a Weapon]
[Stealth Subsystem: Partial Access Granted]
[Available Skills:]
Minor Healing – 50 KP
Adrenal Surge (Consumable) – 20 KP
Shadow Flicker – 100 KP (Locked)
Shadowform – 500 KP (Locked)
A task marker blinked softly—southwest, deeper into rural sprawl.
He followed it.
---
The house sat at the end of a dirt road. Two stories. Painted white once, now rotting and flaking. A porch light flickered weakly. A pickup truck in the driveway.
Asher circled wide.
> [Stealth Subsystem Engaged]
[Sensory Dampening: Active]
[Detection Risk: Low]
His outline blurred—not gone, just… forgettable. The mind skipped over him.
A window on the first floor was cracked open.
He slipped inside.
The living room was cluttered—TV on, static buzzing. Toys scattered across the rug. Plates on the table. Still warm.
Footsteps overhead. Laughter. A child.
> [Detected Threats: 3 | Civilian Tier]
[Moral Weight: Heavy]
Override Morality Filter?
[Y/N]
> Y.
He moved like a shadow.
Kitchen—he took a butcher's cleaver from the counter. Heavy. Blood-willing.
> [Objective Completed: Acquire a Weapon]
+10 KP
+1 Ritual Material (Blood-bound Metal)
+???
He climbed the stairs.
---
The hallway smelled like detergent and sleep. A nightlight buzzed near a door with cartoon stickers. He ignored it—for now.
Master bedroom.
The parents stirred but didn't wake. Until he pressed the cleaver into the man's neck and drove it down.
> [Kill Confirmed]
+15 KP
[Entropy: 4.1%]
The woman screamed.
He covered her mouth. Another cut.
> [Kill Confirmed]
+15 KP
[Entropy: 4.2%]
He didn't flinch.
Down the hall. The child's door.
He hesitated for half a breath.
Then opened it.
A boy sat up, maybe seven years old. Rubbing his eyes. Confused. Scared.
> [Threat Response: Terror]
The system flickered.
> [Skill Ready: Mercy (Locked)]
[Kill Confirmed]
+10 KP
[Entropy: 4.3%]
He stood in silence for a long time.
Then he took what he needed—clothes, food, a map. Left the front door open behind him.
---
He didn't look back.
> [Stealth Subsystem XP: +35%]
[Progress toward unlock: Shadow Flicker – 65%]
> [Skill Unlock Condition: Shadow Flicker – 100 XP + 100 KP]
Still a ways to go.
The road ahead was endless and dark.
He walked it anyway—coated, helmeted, blood drying under his sleeves.
Not a boy.
Not a victim.
Just a shape the world forgot to fear until too late.