Rain streaked the city streets like silver threads, and the neon lights danced across puddles, turning the asphalt into a moving mosaic. Liora trudged through the wet night, notebook clutched tightly against her chest. Her first training session with Aiden had left her drained mentally and physically but restless energy still coursed through her veins.
A soft whistle cut through the rain. Liora looked up to see Seren leaning casually against a lamppost, hood pulled low over her wild hair. "You look like you've been dragged through a storm," she said, smirking.
"I feel like I have," Liora muttered. "Aiden says I need to focus on controlling the echoes, but I don't even know where to start."
Seren pushed off the lamppost and joined her on the slick pavement. "Then maybe you need a different approach." Her eyes glinted with mischief and something else something sharper. "Aiden's method is safe. Slow. But if you really want to see the truth… you have to step into it."
"Step into it?" Liora echoed, wary.
"Exactly," Seren said, leaning closer. "You've seen the shadows, the forgotten. But shadows are only part of the story. There's a whole network out there the people they control, the secrets they hide. I know it. I've been… involved, indirectly. And you? You've got the rare gift that can expose them. That makes you dangerous. And valuable."
Liora's stomach knotted. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because," Seren said, tilting her head, "I want to see how far you'll go. And also…" She paused, eyes flicking to the shadows at the edge of the street. "…because you're going to need allies if you survive what's coming."
Before Liora could respond, a faint ripple of air brushed past them soft, almost imperceptible. And then she saw it: a flash of movement, a shadow darting just beyond the streetlight.
"They're close," Liora whispered, heart pounding.
Seren's smirk returned, darker now. "I warned you. The Veiled Circle doesn't like being watched. But don't worry we'll handle it. Together."
For the first time, Liora saw Seren not just as an unpredictable friend, but as someone who might guide her into the very heart of danger. The girl was dangerous, yes but she was also fearless. And in this city of forgotten faces, fear was a luxury neither of them could afford.
The rain intensified, washing the city in streaks of light and shadow. Liora realized that she was no longer a mere observer of the hidden world she was stepping into it, and every choice from now on would pull her deeper into the echoes of the forgotten.