Arc 1 - Sands and Steel
CHAPTER 4 (traumatic flashback?)
The deeper they moved into the twisting alleys of Rhea-Hold, the quieter the city became.
The roar of the bazaar faded into distant echoes, replaced by the low hum of aging generators and the steady drip of leaking pipes.
Eren walked a step ahead, eyes scanning every corner, every shadow.
Then—
A voice slid out of the darkness.
"Able to control the cybernetics yet?"
Both of them froze.
At the far end of the alley stood a figure—tall and unmoving.
A long, tattered coat hung loosely from his frame.
His mask resembled a warped skull, its eye lenses glowing a faint, unnatural blue.
Eren reacted instantly, stepping in front of Avelin.
"What do you mean?" he asked, one hand slipping beneath his cloak, fingers hovering near his swords.
The masked man tilted his head.
"Not you," he said calmly.
"The girl."
Avelin went rigid.
The color drained from her face. Her fingers clenched around Eren's arm, trembling.
"Eren…" she whispered.
"We need to go."
She didn't wait for an answer.
She pulled him hard, her hurried walk breaking into a near run. When Eren glanced back—
The man hadn't moved.
He didn't follow.
He only watched.
---
THE BAR
They didn't stop until they reached a rundown bar welded together from old mining scaffolds and scrap shuttle plating. Inside, the air was thick with smoke and exhaustion. A few workers sat in silence, drinking without conversation.
They took a seat in the far corner, half-hidden behind stacked crates.
Eren leaned forward.
"Who was that?"
Avelin stared at the table for a long moment before answering.
"That mask," she said quietly. "I've seen it before."
Without realizing it, her hand drifted to the cybernetics fused into her back.
"People wearing masks like that destroyed my home."
Eren stayed silent.
"Wherever they appear," she continued, voice tight, "people go missing. Cybernetics like mine start showing up. Experiments. Abductions."
She swallowed.
"Then they vanish."
Eren frowned.
"You think they're connected to what's inside you."
"I don't think," she said.
"I know."
Silence settled between them.
Finally, Avelin straightened, resolve hardening her voice.
"We need to leave this city."
"Because of him?" Eren asked.
"Because of all of it."
She exhaled slowly. "I was trying to reach the Eastern-Northern region. There might be someone there who understands cybernetics. Someone who can tell me what this thing is."
Her jaw tightened.
"But Balor controls every route. I couldn't get through the sewers alone."
Eren leaned back, unbothered.
"Then we try again."
Avelin blinked.
"You're serious?"
"This time," he said simply, "you're not alone."
A small, genuine smile crossed her face.
Outside, Rhea-Hold continued breathing under Balor's rule.
Somewhere in its alleys, the masked watcher waited.
And beneath Avelin's skin, something ancient pulsed—aware.
They couldn't stay.
They had to move.
Soon.