"Two loaves or three?" The old man asked from behind the counter.
She paused, her fingers tightening around the strap of her worn bag. "Three. The shelter's fuller tonight."apr
"Two loaves or three?" the old man asked from behind the counter.
She paused, fingers tightening around the strap of her worn bag. "Three. The shelter's fuller tonight."
He nodded, already wrapping them. "Cold does that."
"It does," she agreed.
The bell above the shop door chimed as someone entered. She glanced back out of habit, then looked away just as quickly. The streets outside were busy in the quiet way…cars passing, voices overlapping, neon signs humming faintly against the night. Normal. Predictable. Safe.
The man slid the paper bag toward her. "You're out late."
"Someone has to be," she said lightly, reaching into her pocket. "How much?"
"Take it," he said. "You were short last time."
She frowned. "I wasn't."
He waved her off. "Humor an old man."
She hesitated, then nodded. "Thank you."
"Careful on your way back," he added. "Weather's strange tonight."
She smiled politely, slung the bag over her arm, and stepped back onto the street.
The air was colder than she expected. Sharp. It cut through the thin fabric of her coat, raising goosebumps along her arms. She pulled it tighter and started toward the corner.
Halfway there, something flickered and she stopped. It was not in front of her…above.
A thin streak of light blinked once across the sky, faint and fast. Gone before she could focus on it.
She squinted upward. Nothing. Just clouds, distant stars dulled by the city glow.
"A satellite," she murmured to herself. Or debris. Or one of those experimental things people argued about online.
She shook her head and kept walking.
The street narrowed two blocks later, buildings crowding closer, light thinning into long shadows. She didn't mind it. She'd walked this way a hundred times. The shelter was only ten minutes out, and she was already rehearsing what she'd say to Mrs. Callen about the missing blankets.
She smelled blood before she saw him and stopped short.
The alley to her left was darker than the rest, trash bags stacked unevenly against brick. At first, she thought it was an animal. A dog, maybe. Then she saw the shape of a body.
She swallowed.
"Hey," she called cautiously. "Are you… are you okay?"
No answer.
She took a step closer, heart thudding harder now. The smell was stronger here…metallic, sharp.
"Sir?"
Still nothing.
She set the bag down and knelt beside him, careful not to touch him yet. He was young, younger than she'd expected. Dark hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, clothes torn in places that didn't make sense, like fabric had burned rather than ripped.
Blood soaked through his shirt.
"Oh no," she whispered. "Oh no, no, no…"
She pressed two fingers to his neck.
There was pulse… it was weak but it was there.
She exhaled shakily. "Okay. Okay, you're alive."
His lips parted, his breath was shallow, his skin was cold…too cold.
She shrugged off her coat and dropped it over him, then reached for her phone.
No signal.
She stared at the screen, then up at the barrow strip of sky above the alley. "You've got to be kidding me."
She looked back down at him, her jaw tightening.
"I can't leave you here," she muttered. "You'd freeze."
His lashes fluttered and she froze for a second.
"Hey," she said quickly, leaning closer. "Can you hear me?"
His brow furrowed faintly, like he was trying to wake from a deep sleep.
"Don't move," she added. "You're hurt. Badly."
His fingers twitched. Then slowly, his eyes opened.
They were dark, too dark in the low light, almost swallowing the whites entirely.
He stared at her like she wasn't real.
"... You're bleeding," she said, because silence suddenly felt unbearable. "A lot. I need to get you somewhere warm."
His lips moved, but no sound came out.
She reached for his shoulder, then hesitated. "I'm going to help you up, okay?"
The moment her hand touched him, a sharp joly ran up her arm.
She sucked in a breath, yanking her hand back.
"What the…"
He gasped, his body arched violently, a sound tearing from his throat as if something inside him had snapped awake. She scrambled back, her heart slamming against her ribs.
"Hey…hey!" She said. "Easy! Don't…"
His hand clenched against the pavement, fingers digging in hard. He sucked in air like he was drowning, his eyes wide and unfocused.
"Breathe," she urged, instinct kicking in. "Slow. You're safe."
He shook his head like he didn't believe her.
Then he looked past her, not at her but like he was looking through her.
How gaze fixed on something only he could see.
Her stomach tightened.
"What are you looking at?" She asked quietly.
He swallowed, "...No," be whispered.
She followed his stare but the alley was empty. Just brick, shadow and trash.
"There's nothing there," she said, more firmly. "You're in shock."
His lips pressed together. His jaw tightened.
Something shifted in his expression…not fear or pain but confusion. Like he was trying to understand whatever it was.
She leaned closer again and tried to speak slow this time. "My name is…"
She stopped herself. Names could wait.
"I can help you," she said instead. "But I need you to stay with me."
His gaze snapped back to her. For a split second, something flickered across his face. Something like recognition.
Then it was gone.
A sound cut through the alley…a low laugh, somewhere beyond the mouth of it.
She stiffened.
"Hello?" She called.
But there was no answer.
The laugh came again, closer this time..
She turned, scanning the street. A figure stood under the flickering streetlight across the road, hands in pockets, posture relaxed.
He looked…normal
"Do you need something?" She asked.
The man smiled like it was the easiest thing in the world. "Just passing through."
Her skin prickled.
"Then keep passing," she said.
His eyes flicked past her, landing on the man at her feet.
Something shared flashed there.
"Oh," he said softly. "You found him already."
Her heart dropped. "You know him?"
"Not yet."
She stood, positioning herself between them without thinking. "He's hurt. I've called for help."
The man tilted his head. " Have you?"
She didn't answer.
Behind her, the injured man sucked in a breath, his body tensing again.
Her vision blurred for a half a second then she blinked hard.
Lettered hovered in the air in front of him like faint, translucent, broken glass.
She didn't see them but he did.
>JUDGEMENT INTERFACE— INITIALIZING
ERROR
CORE BALANCE: UNSTABLE.
His heart slammed painfully against his ribs.
"What's wrong?" She asked,.panic threading her voice.
He shook his head, eyes locked in the impossible text.
The man across the street chuckled. "Careful," he said. "He doesn't like being touched right now."
Her gaze snapped to him. "Step back."
He raised his hand in mock surrender. "Relax. I won't interfere. Not tonight."
"Then leave."
"In time."
The letter shifted.
> SIN PRESENCE: DETECTED CLASSIFICATION: ———
The letters shifted.
His breathing hitched.
"No," he whispered again.
The man under the streetlight smiled wider.
The nun didn't see the system but she felt the temperature drops.
She grabbed the injured man's hand, ignoring the sting, grounding herself in the contact. "We're leaving," she said firmly. "Now."
The man across the street watched them, his eyes gleaming. "We'll meet again."
She didn't reply, she hauled the injured man up with surprising strength, half-dragging him towards the brighter street.
Behind them, the man's laugh followed..soft and amused.
The lettered vanished as she pulled the injured man into the light, unaware of what she'd just brought into the world.
The letter reappeared again behind her as she dragged him along.
>JUDGEMENT SYSTEM BINDING COMPLETE!
: INITIALIZING SIN TRACKER—