The next few days passed in uneasy silence.
Ray quickly realized that he was never truly alone.
At any given moment, at least one of the castle guards had their eyes on him. They never approached, never spoke, but they were always there - watching. Even when he wasn't doing anything suspicious, their gaze lingered, tracking his movements through the settlement.
It wasn't just the guards, either. The other Sleepers were watching, too. Some out of curiosity, others out of caution. A few, no doubt, were waiting for an opportunity to test him again.
Ray ignored them all.
He spent his time quietly observing the settlement, learning how things worked. It was a rough place, but there was an order to it. The closer one lived to the castle, the better their chances of survival. Influence and power were everything here, and Ray had neither.
Not yet, at least.
Still, he had already made up his mind.
This place wasn't for him.
The constant surveillance, the silent pressure from the castle's enforcers - it was too restrictive. He needed freedom, space to grow stronger on his own terms. If he stayed, he'd be trapped in their game, playing by their rules.
He wasn't interested.
He had to return to the Wall.
Ray found Effie near the outskirts, sharpening her weapon by a fire.
She raised an eyebrow when she saw him. "You look like a guy about to do something stupid."
Ray exhaled, leaning against a broken wall. "I'm leaving."
Effie blinked. "What, just like that?"
"I never planned to stay long," he said. "And the guards aren't making it easy to breathe."
She snorted. "Yeah, I noticed. You pissed someone off?"
Ray shrugged. "Not that I know of. Doesn't change the fact that I need to go back. The Wall is safer for now."
Effie studied him for a moment, her usual teasing smirk absent. "You sure? The city's not exactly a place you want to be wandering alone."
"That's why I need a guide," Ray said simply. "You brought me here. Think you can get me back?"
Effie sighed, shaking her head. "You're a pain, you know that?"
Ray smirked. "That a yes?"
She hesitated, then let out a short laugh. "Fine. But you owe me - again."
He nodded. "If it helps, you can check on me every couple of weeks. Same spot as last time."
That seemed to ease her concern a little. She rolled her eyes. "What am I, your babysitter?"
"More like my supplier," Ray teased. "Got any more food to share?"
Effie scoffed and threw a small rock at him. "Get your own."
In those same days, another familiar face arrived at the settlement.
Caster.
Ray saw him before Caster saw him.
The other Sleeper arrived with a group, blending into the settlement's chaos with practiced ease. Ray knew Caster had always been good at reading situations, so it didn't surprise him when the man's gaze flickered his way - and then immediately moved on, as if he didn't recognize him.
Ray did the same.
For the most part, they ignored each other. A few stolen glances, brief moments of quiet understanding - but nothing more.
Caster had his reasons for coming here. Ray had his reasons for leaving.
And neither of them needed to say it out loud.
Now, all that was left was the journey back.
The journey back started off smoothly, both Ray and Effie moving through the ruins with more efficiency than before.
This time, however, the city wasn't as quiet.
More than halfway through their route, just as they were weaving through the remnants of an old marketplace, something shifted in the air.
Ray tensed, his grip tightening around his halberd.
Effie noticed it, too. She turned her head slightly, her spear already in her hands. "We're not alone."
A low growl echoed from the shadows. Then, without warning, the creatures lunged.
There were three of them - Awakened Beasts. One had elongated limbs, its clawed fingers dragging against the ground. Another had jagged, bone-like armor sprouting from its back. The last, smaller but unnervingly fast, darted between the ruins like a blur.
Ray didn't hesitate.
He moved forward, his halberd slicing through the air with brutal efficiency. The first creature barely had time to react before the blackened steel cleaved through its shoulder, severing an arm entirely. It screeched, staggering back, but Ray was already twisting into his next strike, the halberd's shaft slamming into its skull with a sickening crunch.
Effie was just as quick.
She ducked under the armored beast's wild swipe, her spear flashing forward in a precise thrust. The weapon punched through the creature's chest, pinning it to a crumbling stone wall. She yanked the spear free just as the smaller one tried to flank her - but Ray was already there, intercepting it with a brutal kick that sent it skidding across the ground.
The fight was over in seconds.
Ray exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he rested his weapon against his shoulder. "Well, that was fun."
Effie nudged one of the corpses with her foot. "They were just awakened. Good that it wasn't a devil, or maybe even a fallen nightmare creature."
"We should take a few with us," Ray suggested. "They're fresh."
Effie raised an eyebrow before smirking. "You're already thinking about dinner, huh?"
Ray shrugged. "Might as well."
They each hauled a carcass over their shoulders, making their way back to the Wall.
By the time they reached their previous meeting spot, the sun was already dipping below the ruined skyline.
Effie glanced up at the darkening sky, then sighed. "Too late to head back now. Guess I'm staying."
Ray smirked. "I don't hear you complaining."
"I will if you burn the food," she shot back.
They made camp near the Wall, setting up a small fire inside the small guard cabin of the wall. With practiced ease, Effie cleaned the meat while Ray tended the flames. Unexpectedly, one of his sto- given Memories proved useful already. Before long, the scent of roasting nightmare beast filled the air.
This meal was different from the last.
They weren't just two strangers anymore. The tension from before had eased into something more natural. They spoke in quieter tones, their conversation less about survival and more about idle observations - Ray complaining about the castle guards, Effie teasing him about how he handled the thieves in the settlement.
For the first time in a while, the city didn't feel as suffocating.
Morning came quickly.
Effie stretched as she stood, slinging her spear over her shoulder. "Alright, rookie. Try not to get yourself killed."
Ray smirked. "No promises."
She shook her head before turning away, heading back toward the settlement.
Ray, meanwhile, had other plans.
Once she was out of sight, he began his descent down the Wall, landing on the opposite side. He didn't hesitate - immediately setting out to hunt.
But the land was eerily empty.
Hours passed, and he found little more than a few scattered nightmare creatures - not even close to the kind of prey he was hoping for.
Something was off.
Ray frowned, glancing around the quiet landscape. The answer came to him quickly enough.
The hunter.
That strange, lingering presence from his second night here.
It was still around. Maybe not during the day, but by night, it must have been active enough to scare off most Awakened creatures. Even now, its lingering aura was enough to keep most of them at bay.
Ray exhaled, gripping his halberd a little tighter.
Looks like his hunting grounds weren't as fruitful as Ray had hoped.