The morning light poured through the windows of Titans Tower, but for Raven, it did little to cut through the lingering weight in her chest. She sat at the breakfast table, fingers curled around a mug of tea, eyes downcast as steam coiled upward like fading whispers.
Across from her, Beast Boy chomped loudly on a tower of tofu waffles, his mouth full as he pointed a syrup-dripping fork in her direction.
"Yo, Rae… you look like you didn't sleep. Nightmares again?"
She didn't answer immediately, her gaze fixed on the rippling surface of her tea. The question was innocent, but it cut too close to the truth.
Robin, ever observant, leaned against the counter with his arms crossed. "Something happened," he said flatly. "What is it?"
Cyborg glanced up from his plate, brow raised. "Man, give her a break. Maybe she just needs more coffee."
But Raven knew Robin's instincts were rarely wrong. She exhaled slowly and set her mug down. "I… felt something last night."
The room quieted instantly.
"'Felt something?'" Robin repeated, his voice sharp.
"Not my father," Raven clarified quickly, sensing the panic spike in their eyes. "It was different. A presence. Strong, controlled, but…" Her voice trailed off as she searched for words. "…familiar, in a way I can't explain."
Beast Boy leaned back in his chair, trying to sound casual but unable to hide the edge in his tone. "Okay, so, creepy guy energy in the city. That's like… every Tuesday, right?"
"No." Raven's eyes lifted, dark and steady. "This was different. Whoever he is, he's powerful. And he knew who I was."
That silenced even Beast Boy.
Robin's jaw tightened. "Then we find him. If he's a threat to Jump City, or to you, we need to know."
Raven opened her mouth to argue, but closed it again. Part of her wanted to keep Muzan to herself—to hide that strange spark she had felt when his crimson eyes met hers. But she also knew Robin wouldn't stop until he had answers.
She lowered her gaze. "…Be careful. He's not like anything we've fought before."
Elsewhere in the city, Muzan walked among mortals as though he were one of them. The morning crowd bustled, business suits and students flooding the sidewalks, all of them oblivious to the predator in their midst.
He wore a black coat draped elegantly over his shoulders, his long white hair tied loosely at the back. His crimson eyes were hidden behind tinted glasses, but even then, people gave him space without realizing why. It was instinct. An unspoken fear.
He smirked. "So fragile. So unaware. This world truly is mine to reshape."
He paused in front of a café window, watching his reflection. His form was flawless—youthful, regal, timeless. No hint of the frail man he had once been in his old world.
But beneath that pride, a flicker of irritation sparked. His mind replayed Raven's voice, her suspicion, the way her aura had pushed back against his presence. Unlike these humans, she had felt him. She had seen him.
He found himself smiling faintly. "Raven…" he whispered her name, tasting it like a promise.
For now, he wouldn't confront her again. He was patient. He wanted her curiosity to grow, her guard to falter. And while she wrestled with her thoughts, he would spread his influence quietly through the city's underbelly.
Already, shadows whispered his name in places where the Titans rarely tread—abandoned warehouses, alley dens, hidden cults hungry for a master to follow. Muzan didn't need armies yet. He needed roots. Roots that would strangle the city from the inside out.
And when the Titans finally realized, it would be too late.
Back at Titans Tower, Raven stood on the roof, cloak fluttering in the sea breeze. The others were downstairs, planning, but she needed space.
Her eyes scanned the city skyline, searching for a glimpse of white hair, for a ripple of that aura. She found nothing, yet her chest tightened with the certainty that he was out there. Watching. Waiting.
Her hand clenched at her side. "Who are you really?" she whispered.
Down below, in the streets bathed by daylight, a pair of crimson eyes glanced up toward the tower and narrowed in amusement.