Silence slowly fell over the alley.
A heavy feeling lingered in the air.
I tried to understand what had just happened.
My eyes were still fixed on the scorched wall.
The glyph had disappeared.
No trace.
As if it had never existed.
"…"
My heart was still beating too fast.
My hands were still trembling.
But deep inside…
excitement was growing.
This wasn't normal.
That glyph…
I didn't recognize it.
And yet, I had drawn it without thinking.
As if—
my body remembered it.
"Impossible…"
I lowered my gaze to my fingers.
Still slightly warm.
If it wasn't a glyph from Luz Noceda…
then that meant one thing.
I wasn't limited to what I knew.
I could create.
My breath caught.
Create… new glyphs?
A dangerous possibility.
But incredibly tempting.
I clenched my fists.
"Later…"
Definitely not here.
I wasn't strong enough.
And clearly not safe enough.
I gave the alley one last glance.
It was empty.
But for how long?
The explosion must have attracted attention.
Guards.
Or worse.
I pulled my hood over my head and started walking quickly.
Every sound made me flinch.
Every shadow seemed alive.
Welcome to the Boiling Isles.
…where everything can literally kill you.
After a few minutes, I reached a quieter street.
Less crowded.
Less noise.
Perfect.
I leaned against a wall and took out the vial.
Almost empty.
Just one sip…
I frowned.
"Too risky…"
But useful.
Very useful.
If I could understand how it worked…
I might be able to reproduce the effect.
Without limits.
But now wasn't the time.
I needed to get to the prison.
My gaze drifted.
Unknown glyphs.
Unstable power.
And no idea what the consequences were.
…
A smile slowly formed on my face.
"This is perfect."
Then—
a sound.
A footstep.
I lifted my head.
Someone was there.
Standing at the end of the street.
Still.
Watching me.
I narrowed my eyes.
I couldn't see their face.
But one thing was certain.
They weren't just a passerby.
A strange aura surrounded them.
Cold.
Oppressive.
As if—
they knew.
My heart skipped a beat.
Bad.
Very bad.
I took a step back.
Then another.
The figure moved.
One step forward.
Slow.
Calm.
Controlled.
"Interesting…"
A deep voice.
Unfamiliar.
"A human… using magic."
My blood ran cold.
How—
How did they know?!
I clenched my teeth.
Ready to run.
Or fight.
Even if I knew…
I had no chance.
The figure stopped.
Then—
smiled.
I could feel it.
Even without seeing their face.
"We will meet again."
And in the blink of an eye—
they disappeared.
As if they had never been there.
Silence.
Once again.
I stood frozen.
Breathing hard.
Body tense.
Then—
"…What was that?"
No answer.
Of course.
I ran a hand through my face.
Tired.
Stressed.
But deep down—
excited.
Very excited.
Because now…
I knew.
I wasn't the only one stepping outside the script.
And that…
made this world even more dangerous.