Minutes later, the tailor returned from the backroom, hands trembling slightly as he held out a folded bundle of cloth. "It's ready," he said, voice tight with pride.
Zane took it and unfurled the hoodie. Midnight black, sleek and lightweight, stitched with faint blue trims that pulsed almost imperceptibly under the lantern light. Shadows seemed to cling to it naturally, swallowing the edges like the fabric was born from night itself.
Zane slipped it over his head. The hood fell low over his brow, and for the first time in years, the boy who had been caged inside walls and blindfolds looked like a phantom meant for the world outside.
The tailor cleared his throat, gesturing toward a small rune stitched discreetly at the collar. "We added an enchantment. A… presence-veil, you might call it. It'll make your presence fifty percent less noticeable. Anyone looking your way—so long as you don't draw attention—will overlook you. That's the best we could do in such short time."
Zane tugged at the sleeves, feeling the way the hoodie almost merged with his shadow as if it was alive. A slow smile crept across his face. "This will do."
He reached into his pocket again and tossed another gold coin onto the counter. The tailor caught it midair, eyes widening like it was the most beautiful jewel in the world.
"Keep the stitches tight," Zane said casually, heading for the door. "We'll keep in touch."
The bell above the door chimed as he slipped out into the night, the shadows around him folding tighter as if welcoming him home.
The moment the door closed behind him, the tailor whirled around, clutching both coins to his chest.
"WE'RE RICHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed, his voice cracking as his workers erupted into chaotic cheers. Bolts of fabric went flying, scissors clattered to the floor, and the backroom turned into a festival of disbelief.