CHAPTER 6 — "THE MAN WITH THE QUIET EYES"
The day after the cliff incident, Lethra felt… slightly off.
Not broken. Not dangerous.
Just tilted, like the world was leaning a little too far in one direction.
Even the birds sounded confused — chirping slower, like they were gossiping about the weird ocean shimmer.
Dioka and Guakulia weren't talking about it either.
They didn't need to.
It hung between them like heavy air.
Instead, they walked toward the town square. Today was inspection day — the day traveling traders, teachers, and strangers passed through Lethra before heading deeper into the region.
It was usually boring.
Today, not so much.
---
THE STRANGE MAN AT THE WELL
Guakulia spotted him first.
"Yo Dioka… look at that dude."
Near the old stone well stood a man they had never seen before. Not a trader. Not a local. Not a wanderer.
Just… standing.
He wore a long grey coat, hood down, revealing messy black hair and a face that looked tired in a patient way.
Not old.
Not young.
Just… still.
And his eyes?
They weren't threatening.
But they were too calm.
Calm like someone who sees storms long before they appear.
Dioka and Guakulia exchanged a look.
"I hate how quiet he is," Guakulia muttered.
"You hate quiet people," Dioka replied.
"No, I hate ominous quiet people."
They approached casually — or at least Dioka was casual. Guakulia acted like he was walking into a boss fight at level 1.
The man turned his head slightly, as if he'd been waiting.
"You two…" he said softly. "You were near the north cliffs yesterday."
Both boys froze for a second.
Dioka's voice stayed steady. "How did you know that?"
The man didn't smile. Didn't blink. Just… looked at them.
"There are ripples forming across this land," he said. "Some people feel them. Others… attract them."
Guakulia leaned closer to Dioka and whispered, "Bro he's talking like a prophecy NPC."
The man's left eye twitched — not annoyed, more like amused.
"I don't mean to frighten you," he continued. "But you should stay away from the water for a while."
Dioka frowned. "Why?"
"Because the water is listening," he said simply.
He turned away, walked three steps toward the alley—
—then vanished.
Not in a magical flash.
Not in smoke.
He simply stepped behind a wall and didn't come out the other side.
Guakulia blinked violently. "Yo. YO. HELLO?? Did this man just— did he just vanish like he forgot to render properly?"
Dioka's heartbeat spiked. "I didn't even hear his footsteps leave."
Both boys stared into the empty alley, unsure whether to run or investigate.
Guakulia chose chaos.
He stepped forward.
"Bro, what are you doing?" Dioka hissed.
"If some mysterious dude with anime eyes tells me the water is listening, I'm not sleeping until I figure out who he is."
But the alley was empty.
Too empty.
Like someone wiped away footprints, scent, presence — everything.
---
TENSION THEY CAN'T EXPLAIN
They walked home quieter than usual.
Not scared.
Not panicking.
Just… aware.
The whisper Dioka heard.
The silhouette Guakulia saw.
The ocean pausing.
Now this man.
Four weird things.
Three days.
That's not coincidence anymore — that's a pattern forming.
Guakulia finally spoke. "Bro… you think we're in the middle of something?"
Dioka didn't answer immediately.
"…No," he said quietly. "I think something is trying to pull us toward the middle of something."
Guakulia stopped walking.
"Do you want that?"
Dioka looked up at the sky — clouds moving slower than they should, like the world was holding its breath.
"…No," he admitted. "But I think we don't get a choice."
The wind shifted, gentle but colder than expected.
And for the first time…
both boys felt like the world wasn't just reacting to them.
It was waiting.