Chapter 74: Hidden Pathway.
The slums lay behind them like a rotting memory as Ethan, Reyna, and Daniel moved into the wider streets, the air easing from the thick stink of sewage into the cool breeze sweeping between crooked rooftops.
The morning light broke through ragged clouds, glinting off rooftops patched with tin and rotting planks.
Ethan walked a little ahead of them, dark coat flowing behind him, eyes narrowed in thought. He felt the weight of the day pressing on his shoulders, every instinct in his body humming with quiet tension.
Reyna trudged along beside Daniel, arms crossed, giant sword bobbing on her back with each step. Daniel’s grey eyes were low, his mind still reeling from the truth Ethan had shown him the night before.
They passed a market where vendors shouted half-heartedly to passing customers. A child darted past them, clutching a stolen apple, chased by a butcher roaring curses. Ethan barely glanced at it—his mind was locked on bigger problems.
Suddenly, Ethan stopped, turning on his heel to face Daniel. "Now that you’re with us... I’ve got to ask you something important." His voice dropped lower, serious. "We’re not just fooling around here. We’re investigating the corrupted monster incidents. The ones popping up all over these regions."
Daniel lifted his gaze, blinking as though dragged from a distant place. "The corrupted monsters... yeah, I’ve heard whispers.
The kids in the slums keep talking about shadows with eyes... and creatures howling in places they shouldn’t be."
Reyna stepped closer, her eyes sharp, a spark of challenge in her tone. "Ya know anythin’ useful, don’t ya? Spit it out."
Daniel hesitated, lips parting as if the words were struggling to escape. He rubbed the back of his neck, jaw clenched.
Then, slowly, he nodded. "Actually... a few days ago, I saw people in black cloaks messing around in the slums. They were scratching weird markings on the wall. I thought they were thieves or gangs, so I tried to scare ’em off... but as soon as they noticed me, they ran away."