Night had already fallen over the Smith Family residence. The streets nearby were quiet — too quiet. Lantern light flickered faintly along the stone paths, casting long, wavering shadows across the outer walls of the compound.
From within those shadows, two figures watched in silence, their presences concealed so thoroughly that even a trained fighter would have struggled to sense them.
Their eyes remained fixed on the Smith Family estate, observing every movement, every guard rotation, every flicker of light behind the windows.
One of them finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "He still hasn't returned."
The other man replied softly. "Yeah. It's already been four days. I think this is our chance."
The first man nodded reached into his robe and pulled out a pale-gray scroll. Unlike ordinary paper talismans, this one was smooth, almost metallic to the touch, with faint crimson lines running across its surface like veins.
A communication scroll.
