The Imperial Market Square teemed with life as dusk settled over the capital. Merchants closed their stalls after a profitable day, families gathered for evening meals at open-air restaurants, and street performers entertained lingering crowds. In the central pavilion, a troupe of musicians played traditional Rikxian melodies that floated through the cooling air.
None noticed the thin man in simple attire who took a seat at the fountain's edge. His unremarkable face held a blank expression as he stared at nothing in particular, his body unnaturally still. When the bell tower struck the second hour of evening, his eyes briefly focused, as if remembering something important.
Then he simply... came apart.
