Chapter 800 - 802
Jude turned and started walking. The entity followed without question.
The man didn’t stop him, didn’t say another word. But as Jude left the chamber, he could feel the weight of his gaze lingering on him, as though he was already watching the future unfold.
Jude didn’t look back.
The streets of Leonork were quieter than usual, the night settling over the city like a heavy blanket. Jude moved with purpose, his mind still reeling from what had happened. The entity followed, silent and obedient, its presence like a second shadow clinging to him. It still unnerved him, the way it existed without existing, how it responded without hesitation. He had control, at least for now. But how long would that last? And what would happen when it began to think for itself?
Jude had no answers, only instincts, and right now, those instincts told him to keep moving. The underground chambers where he had first encountered the entity were far behind him, but the weight of that moment clung to him. He needed space. He needed time to think. But Leonork was not a city that granted such luxuries easily.
As he walked, he caught the flicker of movement from the corner of his eye. His senses sharpened. He wasn’t alone. The narrow alleyways were always a risk at night, but Jude had learned to navigate them without drawing too much attention. Still, tonight, something felt off. The usual distant hum of city life was too quiet. The usual dangers that lurked in the dark felt closer.
He didn’t break his pace, but he kept his guard up. If someone was following him, they were careful. Trained, maybe. But Jude had spent too many years surviving in the shadows to be caught off guard easily.
He took a turn down a less traveled street, leading towards one of the old districts. The buildings here were remnants of another time, crumbling yet stubbornly standing. Fewer people came this way, which was exactly what he wanted. But as he moved forward, the presence behind him didn’t fade. If anything, it grew stronger.
Jude exhaled slowly, then stopped walking. The entity, ever silent, stopped with him. The night pressed in around them. Then ,