The night stretched too long. Neither Kai nor Matt could sleep. The room was dark, lit only by the dull ember of Kai's cigarette. Velnix hovered behind him like a blot of smoke that refused to disperse, while Matt stared at the ceiling from the top bunk, shadows clinging to him in restless waves.
Then Dualmind broke the silence.
[Would you like to summon the runes without entering Soulprint?]
Kai blinked. "We can do that?"
[It's part of the most recent update. Just push resonance into your eyes and say properties or status.]
Kai let out a thin breath, then muttered, "Status."
White runes flared across his vision, floating lines of Sovereign's script. His Soulprint unfolded in front of him, familiar yet slightly changed. Three new lines caught his eye.
The first was an attribute.
[Attribute: Spiritflow]
Your spirit guardian evolves passively, without demon cores.
Kai frowned. "So that's how Flicker started talking… wasn't Dualmind at all. Spiritflow just lets them grow on their own."
Velnix rippled behind him, as if pleased.
The second was a boon.
[Boon: Quiet Step]
Your footsteps make no sound, even if you want them to.
Kai smirked faintly. "Well, that's useful."
Matt leaned over the edge of the bunk, scowling. "That's unfair. You already move like a ghost. Now you're literally silent? I want that."
Kai didn't answer, but his grin said enough.
The last was a soul item.
[Soul Item: Pain Ledger]
A black ledger with two pages. Stores one to two major injuries. Works in tandem with Velnix.
Kai's grin faded. He stared at the description, shoulders tight. "That's… big. Being able to take damage and just… shelve it. Velnix can hold pain, but this—this changes everything."
Matt's gaze sharpened. "That's busted. You're basically unkillable if you use it right."
Kai let the runes fade, cigarette burning low between his fingers. "What about yours?"
Matt pushed resonance into his eyes. Runes shimmered in front of him, revealing what he already knew.
[Boons]
– Shadowstep – Short-range teleport through shadows.
– Shadow Chain – Step onto someone's shadow to stop them from moving.
[Soul Item: Compass of Knowledge]
A bronze compass that points to what the user desires most.
Matt tapped the air where the lines floated. "Shadow tricks as usual. But the compass… it points to whatever I want most. Not sure if that's a blessing or a trap."
Kai smirked again. "Depends on what you're looking for."
Matt shut the runes with a flick of his hand. "And what if it points somewhere I don't want to go? That's the part that worries me."
They sat in silence a while longer, comparing the weight of their new gifts. Kai's ledger sat like a promise in his thoughts, while Matt's compass felt more like a question.
Eventually, Kai stubbed out his cigarette and climbed onto the lower bunk. "Get some rest. We'll need these soon enough."
Matt lay back, shadows curling quiet beneath him. "Yeah. Tomorrow's going to hurt either way."
The runes faded, the room returned to dark, and at last, sleep took them.
The next morning we got dressed in our black leather, Matt noticed my scars but I didn't care.
we were ushered into Omen's meeting room. The place smelled of smoke and steel, maps and contracts scattered across the table. At the head sat a burly black man, arms crossed, gaze sharp.
"Renn," he said, voice low but carrying, "I see you recruited. Good work."
"They're only here for a couple jobs, then I'm sending them home," Renn replied. She jerked her chin toward him. "This is Alboro. Our leader."
Alboro nodded once. "You've already proven yourselves. Word is you and Renn helped tear through Red Circle's headquarters in that Flowride assault. That's no small thing."
He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "So let's talk today's work. Omen's got three open contracts: escort shipments through the docks, retrieve a lost runner, or suppress one of Red Circle's remaining stash-houses. You choose your poison."
"If you chose shipments you'll be with me on my boat, the lost runner is a hunting job and the stash house is self explaintory and client wants use to destroy chain supplies in the city."Alboro adds
The room went quiet, the weight of the city pressing in through the walls. Renn just watched us, waiting to see what we'd say.
We decided.
Matt will destroy the stash house.
Renn will look for the lost runner.
And I'm helping Alboro with shipments