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A sharp knock broke the stillness.
Then another.
Louder.
Ravyn stirred, her brow creasing as her arm tightened around my chest. I was already sitting up, heart thudding like a war drum.
Another knock—followed by a deep voice.
"Open the door. City Guard."
Ravyn shot upright.
"Shit."
Her voice was a whisper, but her tone? That was panic.
"What is it?" I asked, even though the answer was already outside the door.
"They found me."
She swung her legs off the bed, grabbed her discarded clothes, and moved with sudden precision, her panic giving way to that cold, sharp grace I remembered from the alley.
Another bang—this one loud enough to rattle the hinges.
"In the name of the Crown of Lysereth, open this door or we break it down!"
Ravyn cursed under her breath. "They must've tracked me. Dammit, I knew I shouldn't have gone to the Winking Basilisk."
"Someone sold you out?"
She paused halfway through strapping on her daggers, eyes narrowing. "Yeah. And I think I know who."
Another slam against the wood.
Ravyn crouched behind the curtain, pulling it mostly closed. "Don't let them in. Stall. Maybe they'll buy it."
I blinked. "Stall? They're about to break the door down!"
She gave me a look. "You're the man of the house, remember? Act like it."
I pulled on my pants and moved to the door, exhaling slowly. My system-enhanced body was humming. I could feel it—my senses sharper, breath steadier, vision clearer. The world wasn't just noise anymore.
It was readable.
I opened the door a crack.
Three guards stood outside—armor etched with the city's sun-serpent crest. Spears in hand. Helmets glinting in the streetlight.
"Yes?" I asked, voice calm.
The lead guard squinted at me. "This residence belongs to one Ravyn Triss. We have reason to believe she's harboring stolen Crown property."
I blinked. "You've got the wrong place. This is my home. Just me here."
The guard frowned. "We tracked her here. Witnesses saw her enter."
"She's not here."
A pause. Then the second guard stepped forward and raised his boot.
And slammed it into the door.
I flinched back as they barged in.
"Wait—!"
Too late.
They were inside, weapons ready, scanning everything.
Ravyn hadn't made a sound.
The third guard was younger, more eager, less disciplined. He knocked over a stool, kicked open the curtain—and froze.
The room beyond was empty.
She must've gone out the window.
Good.
But then his eyes landed on something beside the couch. A small pouch, nearly hidden.
He picked it up.
"This," he said, holding it aloft, "is from the royal vault. Enchanted thief-sigil seal still active. Matches the report."
The lead guard turned to me, now truly suspicious. "You were harboring her."
I stepped between them. "I told you, I don't know who you're talking about. That pouch was left here when I bought this place."
He sneered. "Lie again, and I'll gut you."
His spear tip raised.
And in that moment—my body moved before my brain did.
⚡
[System: Reflex Boost I – Active]
[Speed Boost I – Active]
[Warning: Combat Engagement Initiated]
My hand shot up, grabbing the shaft of the spear just below the blade.
I twisted.
Hard.
The guard's grip slipped, and the spear spun out of his hands—slamming into the wall behind me.
Before the others could react, I moved again.
One step forward—then a pivot. My elbow crashed into the second guard's nose. He crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut.
The third guard lunged at me with a short sword, but I saw the strike coming a full second before it landed. I sidestepped, grabbed his arm, and flipped him over my shoulder. He hit the ground hard, groaning.
All three were down.
But not unconscious.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" one shouted.
Ravyn stepped out from behind the curtain, daggers drawn. But her eyes were on me—not them.
Shock.
Admiration.
And something else. Like she'd just seen me for the first time.
I grabbed her wrist. "Time to go."
She didn't argue.
We sprinted for the door—just as the lead guard recovered and lunged toward me with a backup blade.
Steel whistled.
My hand shot up.
Caught his wrist.
Slammed my palm into his chin.
He went down again, out cold this time.
Ravyn gave a low whistle as we reached the stairs. "Remind me never to pick your pocket."
"Noted."
Outside, the streets were darker now. Lanterns swayed. Far off, a bell rang midnight.
Ravyn took the lead, weaving us through side paths and rooftops. I followed easily, my body reacting before I could think. I vaulted crates, climbed ledges, balanced across laundry lines like I'd been doing it for years.
Every movement felt natural.
Sharp.
Alive.
We didn't stop running until we were four districts away, crouched in the shadows of a storage yard behind a tannery.
She leaned against the stone wall, panting. "Okay… okay, that was insane. You just… you moved like a ghost."
I smirked, rolling my shoulders. "What can I say? I guess I'm tougher than I look."
She gave me a look—half impressed, half suspicious—but didn't press.
"No shit."
She looked at me again—this time like I was a weapon someone had just unwrapped.
And maybe I was.
"Why did you cover for me?" she asked after a moment. "You didn't have to. They would've taken me. You could've walked away."
"Would you have walked away if it were me?"
She didn't answer.
"You said people in Lysereth lie," I added. "So maybe I figured I'd try something new."
"…Honesty?"
"Loyalty."
She looked away, but I saw her jaw tense. "They'll send more next time. Stronger ones. That pouch… it's not just any trinket. It belonged to Lord Kevrin. And I may have borrowed it without his permission."
"Borrowed."
"Okay, stole."
I laughed. I couldn't help it. "Of course you did."
She didn't laugh with me.
"Listen," she said, serious now, "they'll kill you if they think you're part of this."
"They already think that."
"Then you need to disappear."
I looked at her. "You running again?"
She hesitated.
Then nodded.
I stepped closer. "I'll come with you."
Her eyes widened. "Why?"
"I don't know," I said honestly. "But something tells me if I stay, the universe is just going to keep throwing more chaos at me. At least with you, I can see it coming."
A beat passed.
Then she reached for my hand.
"No falling in love, remember?" she whispered.
"Too late."
📣 SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
❤️ [Bond Level Increased – Ravyn Triss: 51%]
🔓 [Passive Ability Unlocked – Danger Sense I]
🌀 You now sense incoming threats moments before they happen.
Ravyn blinked, watching me tense.
"What is it?"
"We've got company," I said.
A shadow moved across the rooftop opposite us.
Ravyn cursed. "Already?"
A squad of guards—this time armored differently. Black cloaks. No insignias.
"Not city guards," Ravyn murmured. "These are enforcers. Private bounty hunters."
I smirked. "Good. I needed to test my new skills anyway."
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