Night Walk

Night Walk

The street lamps of Ravenhold were lit one by one.

The remnants of the day still lingered, though no longer crowded. The sound of cart wheels came from a distance with long pauses between them. What conversation remained was only low murmuring from the corners of the streets. Cool air moved slowly between buildings of stone and wood.

In one of the simple rooms at Halvor Inn, a small oil lamp burned dimly.

Its light was only enough to illuminate part of the floor, a small table, and a narrow bed.

Zio sat on the edge of the bed.

His back was straight, both feet set on the floor. In his hand was a small pouch. He did not open it.

He only held it, feeling its weight in his palm. When his fingers shifted slightly, the coins inside touched one another. A soft metallic sound was heard for a brief moment, then returned to silence.

Zio looked at the pouch without lifting it. His gaze was calm, as if weighing something he had already understood.

The routine ended here.

There was no lingering regret. No attempt to hold on to what had already passed.

His fingers closed a little tighter around the pouch, then loosened.

Zio stood.

His movement was calm. Not hurried. He placed the coin pouch inside his wardrobe and closed it.

The room remained quiet.

He walked to the door, opened it carefully, then stepped out.

The inn’s corridor was nearly dark. An oil lamp at the far end of the hallway flickered softly, casting long shadows across the wooden floor. There were no other footsteps. No voices from any of the rooms.

Zio closed the door behind him without a sound.

He walked along the corridor with light steps. Each step measured, almost soundless. The wooden stairs creaked softly as he descended, then fell quiet again.

On the lower floor, the main room of the inn was already empty. Tables stood bare. Chairs were neatly arranged. The faint scent of soup and warm wood still lingered in the air.

Myra glanced at him briefly without asking any questions.

He walked to the front door, opened it, then stepped outside.

The night air met him without resistance.
The sky was dark, dotted with a few faint stars. Street lamps cast pale light over the stone road. The sounds of the city were distant. Cart wheels at another crossing, low conversation from an unseen alley, wind moving between buildings.

Zio paused for a moment in front of the inn.

He drew a slow breath, then began to walk.

His pace was neither fast nor slow. Just enough to carry him away from the inn’s door and into the quiet night street of the city.

The night was not finished.

***

Night had settled over most of the city, yet the lamps in Albert’s house still burned with steady light.

In the dining room, the glow of mana lamps reflected softly across the surface of a smooth wooden table. The furniture was neatly arranged. Several paintings hung straight along the walls, their frames clean and faintly polished. The room was spacious and orderly, its quiet carefully maintained.

The sound of spoon and fork came softly.

Albert sat at the head of the table, his back straight. Across from him, Selene ate with minimal movement. Between them sat a dark-haired woman, composed and silent, lifting her glass now and then for a small sip of water.

There was no conversation at first. Only the regular sound of eating.

Selene finally broke the silence.

“Father,” she said, her tone flat. “The young man staying at Aunt’s inn. Is he still working at your warehouse?”

Albert did not look at her right away. He finished a bite, set his spoon down, then answered briefly.

“No. This afternoon I had Thomas dismiss him.”

Selene lifted her gaze. “Why? Did he cause trouble?”

“No.” Albert’s reply came quickly. “He worked well. Kept to himself.”

Selene frowned. “Then why dismiss him?”

Albert did not answer. He cut into the meat on his plate with calm precision.

“That is enough,” he said after a moment. “No need to talk about it.”

He raised his eyes toward his daughter. “How is your work at the Guild? When do you plan to leave it?”

Selene drew a quiet breath before replying. “I will leave when you allow me to become a Guild adventurer officially.”

Albert exhaled slowly. “You are an academy graduate, Selene. It is not fitting for you to keep company with people like that.” His tone remained calm, but firm. “The Royal Forces have a place for you. The state research institutes as well. Work like that builds something real.”

“That kind of work is dull,” Selene answered without hesitation. She looked at him. “You don’t even know what goes on inside those places.”

Albert met her gaze. “What is it that you admire about the Adventurer Guild?”

Selene did not answer at once.

“They are not heroes,” Albert continued. “They make a living killing beasts. That’s all.”

“Yes,” Selene said. “But without them, beast populations would grow and endanger the people.”

Albert shook his head slightly. “That is because they are selfish. They do not want that role taken over by the Royal Forces.”

“Not all of them act with noble intent,” Selene admitted. “But their role is real.”

Albert watched her for a long moment. “Are you certain everyone in the Guild is clean?”

Selene fell silent. Only for a few seconds. “I am certain,” she murmured, more quietly.

Albert studied her. “You hesitated.”

He set his utensils down.

“Enough. Leave that foolish work. If you stop, I can ask an old colleague for help. You could enter a state institution.”

Selene looked at him sharply. “You know nothing. All you ever think about is business.”

The woman seated between them reached out and touched Selene’s arm gently. “Enough,” she said softly. “Do not speak like that.”

Albert held his breath for a moment. “What do you know of this world?” he said at last. “The Guild is only a remnant of an older era that should have already faded.”

Selene stood. Her chair slid softly across the floor.

She walked toward the door without looking back. The door opened, then shut hard behind her. The sound echoed briefly before the house fell quiet again.

The dining room grew silent.

The plates remained on the table. The mana lamps continued to burn with steady light. No one spoke at once.

The woman finally spoke. “You have never been honest with your daughter.”

Albert did not look at her. He kept his gaze on the empty plate before him.

“I simply do not want her to be killed,” he said quietly.

No answer followed.

The room returned to silence.

***

The streets of Ravenhold were no longer crowded, yet the city had not fully gone to sleep. Street lamps burned steadily along the stone road, their pale light reflecting faintly across a surface worn by countless steps throughout the day.

The night air moved slowly between the buildings. Some shops had already closed. A few windows still gave off a dim glow. The sound of cart wheels drifted in from afar now and then, then faded again. What conversation remained was only the low murmur of people walking home.

Zio walked along the main road leading toward the town square.

His steps were calm and steady. He was not in a hurry. A few people passed him without paying more than a passing glance, and he did not pay them any more attention.

The space around him felt more open. Street lamps stood farther apart. Long shadows stretched across the stone road. The night wind carried the scent of earth and the fading traces of the day’s activity.

Zio slowed.

His gaze shifted toward a large board standing at the side of the road. Its surface was covered with notices. Some were newly posted. Others had begun to curl at the edges.

Zio stopped in front of it.

A few people still passed by without interaction. Each moved toward their own destination.

As he stood before the public notice board, another set of footsteps approached from behind. Light. Unhurried.

A voice called out.

“What are you doing here?”

Zio paused and turned his head slightly.

Selene stood not far from him beneath the glow of a street lamp.

“Just looking around the city,” Zio replied briefly.

After that, he turned back to the board and read the sheets pinned across its surface. His gaze moved from one notice to the next without hurry.

Selene stood beside him. Not too close. She faced the board as well.

“Are you looking for work?” Selene asked.

Zio did not answer right away. His eyes were still tracing the writing on the board.

“No.”

The reply was short and flat.

Selene fell silent for a moment before speaking again. “I’m sorry about my father. He did not mean to dismiss you like that.”

“It’s fine,” Zio said.

“He said you helped a lot,” Selene added.

Zio gave a small nod. There was no resentment in his voice.

Selene glanced at him from the side. His shoulders. His arms. The way he stood. A brief, practical assessment.

“Can you fight?” she asked.

Zio shook his head lightly. “No. I only used to hunt in my village to eat.”

Selene nodded. “In the city, you don’t need to hunt if you want meat. That’s the work of breeders and sellers. If you want to eat, you just pay.”

Zio nodded again, accepting the explanation without comment.

A few seconds passed without conversation. The night wind moved quietly across the square. Footsteps sounded in the distance, then faded. Zio kept reading the notices on the board one by one. Selene remained standing beside him.

“You could register as a hired guard for nobles,” Selene said after a while. “Or try becoming a Guild adventurer. Are you interested?”

Zio did not answer immediately. His gaze remained on the writing before him.

“I don’t know,” he said at last.

Selene nodded slowly.

A thin breeze crossed the square and stirred one of the papers on the board. Its corner trembled for a moment, then went still again. Someone passed in the distance without looking their way. The space between them stayed quiet.

“All right. I’ll go,” Selene said.

Zio nodded in response.

Selene turned and walked toward the garden path at the edge of the square. Her steps were light. She did not look back.

Zio remained where he was. He continued reading the notices pinned across the board. His attention returned to the practical things written there.

A street lamp hummed softly above him. His shadow stretched long across the stone road.

Zio still stood before the notice board, his eyes moving from one sheet to another, as if searching for something he had not yet found.