[Author's note: They = unidentified gender]
The hooded figure trailed behind Vale closely, making sure not to lose him in a crowd of people. And they didn't, not even when Vale turned and twisted his path.
The figure was always able to find him. What surprised the figure was the fact that Vale hadn't boarded a carriage yet, he just seemed to be moving around aimlessly: sightseeing, maybe.
There was the possibility that they had been discovered and Vale was trying to shake them off.
But the figure dismissed that: the difference in strength between them was so much that even if they stood beside Vale, he wouldn't notice.
Still, the boy was awfully slippery and they didn't have the time for that.
The figure picked up speed, moving in quick and silent steps. They didn't run as that might attract unwanted attention, but even at this pace, they would get to Vale in a minute, at most.
That was when all of a sudden, Vale, who had been glued to the side of the road, abruptly turned and entered a shop.
It was a fragrance shop by the side of the road. It wasn't the largest but it definitely wasn't small by any means. Vale pushed the sliding glass door and after a glance from security, he was let in.
The hooded figure stopped. They couldn't enter such a building because of how conspicuous they looked.
So, waiting outside, the figure roamed aimlessly. It was adept at stealth so no one seemed to notice its existence. Still, there was the possibility that Vale had somehow sensed them.
To ignore that possibility would be foolish so the figure decided not to take a chance.
They spread out their soul energy to envelope the entire store: that way, the moment someone decided to exit through another entrance, they would notice.
This was very draining, even for someone of their rank. But this hit was a particularly unique one, so they were willing to accept the burden.
Just as their patience drew thin, Vale left the store with his head held low.
The hooded figure was a distance away but before it could get any closer, Vale boarded a carriage and hit the road. A smile bloomed on their face as they silently marked the carriage.
A few minutes later the carriage was stopped by a hooded figure.
It pulled over and the driver looked at his potential customer.
"So where am I taking you, pretty lady?" The man said as the figure removed her hood revealing a beautiful face with red hair and blue eyes.
The lady didn't say anything, she just tossed a gold coin at him.
Coins weren't outdated currencies, but they certainly weren't as common as Dons. And a gold coin was the rarest.
A gleam appeared in the man's eyes, as he frantically tried to catch the coin.
With the coin acquired, he looked at the lady with a bright smile. But she didn't even glance at him, she just let herself into the passenger section.
The man's expression turned weird.
"You still gotta give me a destination," he said to her, but there was no response.
He could only sigh and continue moving to drop off his first passenger.
"Got you," the lady whispered as she sat beside Vale who had his head on his lap in a resting position.
She wasn't planning to waste anymore time, but she wouldn't miss a chance to play with her victims. Her fingers turned sharp but she didn't attack just yet.
She ran her hand through his hair.
And Vale, who had previously been sleeping, raised his head to see who was touching his hair.
The lady's smile froze instantly as a heavy silence descended on the carriage. They stared at each other for an unknown amount of time until she finally couldn't hold it in.
"Fuck," she screamed, as her sharp claw-like fingers dug into her palm.
This caught the attention of the coachman, who asked, "Is everything okay in there?" He turned back to check what was going on, but the sight made his limbs quiver.
The lady had her entire left hand inserted into the head of his other passengers.
It wasn't a question if he was dead or not as the hand made a giant hole in the head. He watched her slowly remove her hand, and some blood mixed with pink brain matter slipped out of the hole. The boy's body dropped dead, as the carriage's carpet was stained.
It was only after a few seconds of staring at the boy's impaled skull that he started screaming.
But sadly for him, she had no plans of letting him go; she needed her gold coin back. This part of the city wasn't full of people, but there were certainly enough people to witness the tragedy that soon unfolded on the coachman.
None of them could do a thing as they watched the hooded figure disappear into the shadows.
But the news, as one would expect, spread like wildfire.
***
Vale slumped onto his bed as he let out an exhausted sigh. The events that happened today played in his mind.
He wasn't sure if he had made the right decision, or maybe he had been too paranoid. He was more inclined to the latter as that would be the better and more convenient circumstance.
If there was something Vale still had from his previous life that would prove to be a serious advantage to him now, then that would be experience.
And that experience was enough for him to notice when someone was looking at him with so much intent.
It started like a scratch on his back that he brushed off, but it persisted.
He tried to shake the person off by moving around, but it soon became clear that whoever was following him had a clear goal.
He couldn't see or sense the person, so they are most likely more powerful than he is.
Vale believed his dressing was to blame as it made him look rich, and whoever was trailing him most definitely wanted to rob him, but he had no plans of testing out his luck.
So he formulated a plan. He would go into a shop and watch the entrance for anyone suspicious. The fragrance store in particular was picked so he could hide his scent if that was being used to track him.
No one suspicious entered, but his paranoia wouldn't let him just walk out so casually.
He found someone with a similar build to him and similar hair colour. It took a while but he eventually found the right person. After giving him everything he had in his pocket.
The boy finally agreed. They exchanged clothes and Vale advised the boy to walk with his head held low.
It wasn't a foolproof plan, but it was the best he could come up with right now.
Surely enough, after the boy left the store, he went out a minute later, and that intense gaze that felt like a scratch on his back was gone.
After that, he had gotten home and headed for bed.
He was mentally stressed out. And although evening was just arriving, he needed to rest, as tomorrow's exam was too important for him to attend unprepared.
[Author's note: Ten power stones and I'll post an extra chapter today.]