Chapter 89: The Observer in the Shadows
A month later.
The streets of the town bustled with life—merchants hawking wares, students rushing with armfuls of books, and the distant chime of the academy’s bells marking the hour. Among them walked a red-haired, handsome young man, his posture regal, his eyes alight with quiet fascination.
So this is a human city...
Nolan—for that was the name he had chosen for this guise—let his gaze drift over the crowded plaza, taking in the clamor, the scents of baked bread and meat, the way humans moved with such hurried purpose.
They really are different...
His attention was caught by a long queue stretching from the entrance of a particular building. People shifted impatiently, clutching papers and muttering amongst themselves. Above them, a sign swayed gently in the breeze:
[Knowledge Emporium.]
What is this place?
Intrigued, he approached.
A few in line shot him irritated glances as he passed, one even opening their mouth to snap at him, to tell him to wait in line—until Nolan met their gaze with a faint, disarming smile.
Their annoyance melted into dazed confusion, their words forgotten before they could even form. By the time he had slipped past, they blinked, looking around as if waking from a dream.