Kael had grown used to walking home quietly, unnoticed, blending into the background like a shadow that never mattered. But tonight felt different.
The air held a tension that wasn't there before.
Not danger.
Not threat.
But attention.
Someone was aware of him.
He could feel it the same way he could sense the hum of his skills. A faint prickle behind his neck. A quiet pressure—like standing under a warm lamp, not hostile but present.
The same presence he felt after helping the girl with her photos.
Kael didn't look up.
He didn't speed up.
He didn't tense.
Awareness meant curiosity, not necessarily danger.
He turned down a quieter block lined with small convenience shops, their neon signs flickering lazily as dusk settled into deep evening. A few people milled around—someone locking up their store, an older couple walking their dog, a teenager listening to music too loudly.
Kael walked normally.
His mind tracked every nearby sound.
His perception widened without appearing alert.
Energy Regulation steadied his breath.
Trade Instinct whispered softly—*not now… not threat… just watch.*
Whoever was observing wasn't closing in. Whoever it was seemed patient. Waiting.
Kael kept walking until the street dipped toward an old overpass, the kind that creaked under traffic even when nothing moved. Shadows pooled beneath it. A cold breeze brushed past.
He was about to cross when a voice whispered urgently from behind a dumpster.
"Help—please—someone—"
Kael stopped.
Trade Instinct pulsed **hard**.
Danger.
Emotion.
Potential value.
He scanned the shadows carefully.
A boy—maybe twelve—sat curled behind the dumpster, clutching his arm. His jacket sleeve was torn, blood dripping between his fingers. His breathing was sharp and uneven.
Kael approached slowly.
"What happened?"
The boy flinched at the sound of his voice. His eyes were wide, wild with pain.
"T-they had knives," he choked. "Said I-I was in their territory… I was just walking home."
Kael's stomach tightened.
Not Gotham—but still dangerous.
"Are they still here?" Kael asked.
"N-no… they ran when a car came by."
Kael crouched beside him. "Let me see."
The boy hesitated, then pulled his hand away. A deep cut stretched across his forearm—not fatal, but long and bleeding freely.
Kael's mind processed everything instantly.
He needed to stop the bleeding.
He needed to stabilize the boy.
And the kid needed comfort—badly.
Trade Instinct chimed again.
A system window glowed faintly.
Trade Opportunity Detected
Value Type: Emergency Assistance, Emotional Stabilization
Potential Reward: Defensive or Supportive Skill
Kael focused.
"I'm going to help you," he said quietly. "But you need to stay calm. Can you breathe with me?"
The boy swallowed. "O-okay…"
Kael guided him through slow breathing. Energy Regulation kept Kael's presence steady and soothing. The boy's panic softened.
Kael tore a strip from the inside of his own shirt and wrapped it around the boy's wound, tightening it carefully—not enough to cut circulation, but enough to slow the bleeding.
"That should hold for now," Kael said. "We need to get you home or to a clinic."
"My house is just two blocks…" the boy whispered.
"We'll go together."
Kael stood and helped him up. The boy winced, but steadied. Kael positioned himself so the boy leaned slightly on him for support.
As they walked, the system flickered.
Trade Ready
Kael accepted silently.
The window opened.
Offering: First aid, calm stabilization, rescue
Receiving Options:
– Pain Resistance (Minor)
– Adrenal Control (Weak)
– Situational Awareness (Basic)
– Guardian Instinct (Very Weak)
Kael considered each option.
Pain Resistance could help in combat.
Adrenal Control would pair well with Energy Regulation.
Situational Awareness would widen his understanding of danger.
Guardian Instinct would make him respond faster to others.
He needed something that kept him alive without being obvious.
He chose:
Situational Awareness (Basic)
Trade Complete
Skill Gained: Situational Awareness (Basic)
EXP +20
Kael felt the change almost instantly.
The world expanded.
Not in a supernatural way—no psychic senses, no magic—but his brain mapped the environment faster. Angles. Escape routes. Movements. Risks. Cover points. He didn't have to consciously track them; the information simply settled somewhere accessible.
He kept walking, the skill settling into his perception like a second layer of vision.
When they reached the boy's home—a small brick townhouse with a flickering porch light—the door burst open.
A woman ran out, panic all over her face.
"Jaden?! Oh my god—your arm—what happened?"
Kael stepped back slightly as she rushed forward, examining her son with desperate hands.
"He had a bad cut," Kael said evenly. "It needs stitches, but he'll be okay."
The woman looked up at him, tears in her eyes.
"Thank you… thank you so much."
Kael nodded. "Please get him to a doctor."
"I will. I promise."
The boy managed a weak smile. "Thanks…"
Kael stepped off the porch. "Take care of him."
As he turned to leave, the system pinged softly.
Bonus EXP +5
High Emotional Gratitude
Kael didn't react outwardly.
Inside, the experience bar rose again.
80 / 200 EXP
He walked back into the street, the wind colder now, shadows deeper.
And the presence returned.
Not hostile.
Curious.
Watching.
Kael knew better than to look back this time.
He kept walking toward the overpass—until a voice drifted from the rooftop above.
"You move strangely for someone your age."
Kael stopped mid-step.
The voice didn't echo.
Didn't threaten.
Didn't hide.
It simply existed—quiet, confident, and logical.
Kael raised his eyes slowly.
A figure crouched on the rooftop edge.
A young woman—maybe eighteen or nineteen—with black hair pulled into a tight braid, a sleek dark-blue suit with grey plating, and a small domino mask. Her posture balanced, ready, calm.
Bat-family.
But not one of the main ones.
**Cassandra Cain.**
Or a variation of her.
A silent living weapon.
A girl who read body language better than anyone alive.
A vigilante with unmatched instinct.
And she was staring directly at him.
Kael's breath caught—but stabilized quickly thanks to Energy Regulation.
He didn't run.
Didn't speak first.
Cassandra tilted her head.
"I saw you help the boy," she said softly. Her voice was gentle, almost curious. "You moved like someone trained. But not trained."
Kael stayed quiet.
"I watched you," Cassandra continued. "Your body… it changes. Adapts. Like it learns too quickly."
Kael forced his eyes to remain calm.
Cassandra wasn't accusing.
She was analyzing.
She hopped down from the roof—landing perfectly lightly—and approached him with slow, silent steps. Not predatory. Observing.
Kael didn't flinch.
Cassandra stopped two meters away.
"You're not a threat," she said simply.
Kael blinked. "…Thanks, I guess?"
She nodded once, satisfied with her own assessment.
"You are something else," she murmured. "Different. Not bad."
Kael's heart thudded, but he kept his face neutral. Cassandra Cain was unpredictable—not in violence, but in intuition. She could read people better than anyone.
She stepped back.
"I will watch you," she said. Not a threat. A statement. A promise.
"Why?" Kael asked.
"Because you help," Cassandra answered. "And because help attracts danger."
Then she vanished.
One silent leap.
One shadow.
Gone.
Kael stood alone again.
This world was changing around him.
And someone like Cassandra Cain noticing him this early?
That meant his window of invisibility was already shrinking.
He took a slow breath.
He needed to grow faster.
One trade at a time.
---
KAEL STATUS – END OF CHAPTER 7
Level: 2
EXP: 80 / 200
Physical Stats
Strength: 7
Speed: 8
Endurance: 7
Agility: 7
Durability: 6
Stamina: 10
Regeneration: 2
Mental Stats
Intelligence: 25
Memory: 30
Perception: 17
Willpower: 20
Instinct: 14
Multiversal Awareness: 5
Energy Stats
Energy Capacity: 20
Energy Recovery: 5
Energy Type: None
Energy Compatibility: High
Energy Control: Basic
New Skill
• Situational Awareness (Basic)
– Enhances environmental mapping, threat assessment, and positional awareness
– Helps in crowds, alleys, combat, and surveillance-heavy areas