Chapter 9: Shadows in Pursuit

Cassian leaned back in the rickety chair, his arms crossed as he watched Sky finish the last of the toast with unabashed enthusiasm. The boy’s cheeks were puffed out, crumbs clinging to his lips as he grinned up at Cassian with pure, innocent satisfaction.

“It’s really good!” Sky said, his voice muffled as he chewed.

Cassian smirked faintly, shaking his head. “You’re easy to please, kid.”

Sky giggled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Mama used to say it’s polite to always say thank you when someone makes you food. So... thank you, brother!”

Cassian’s smirk faltered for a brief moment, his chest tightening at the boy’s earnestness. He didn’t deserve gratitude—not for this, not for anything.

He turned his gaze away, staring at the peeling wallpaper on the far wall. His thoughts swirled, dark and restless, as the weight of his circumstances crept back into the forefront of his mind.

‘What am I even thinking?’ he chastised himself. ‘Moving forward? I’m a criminal. The police are on my trail, and they won’t stop until they catch me. Murder, burglary, stealing, pickpocketing... the list goes on. And now, the missing crown prince’s crown is tied to me. It won’t be long before Raiden Nightshade finds me.’

Cassian clenched his jaw, his hand tightening into a fist on the table. Raiden Nightshade. The name alone sent a shiver down his spine. The man was a legend, a relentless force of nature who left no case unsolved. If Raiden was on his trail, there was no escape.

Sky’s voice cut through his brooding thoughts. “Brother, are you okay?”

Cassian blinked, snapping out of his reverie. He glanced at Sky, who was watching him with wide, concerned eyes.

“I’m fine,” Cassian said quickly, forcing his voice to remain steady. “Don’t worry about me, kid.”

Sky tilted his head, his gaze lingering on Cassian for a moment longer before nodding. “Okay... but you look sad. Mama said it’s okay to cry when you feel sad. It helps.”

Cassian let out a humorless laugh, running a hand through his hair. “Your mama sounds like a wise woman.”

“She was!” Sky said proudly, his eyes lighting up. “She always knew what to do. And she said you should never keep your feelings bottled up, because it makes your heart hurt more.”

Cassian’s smirk returned, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind, Sky.”

The boy seemed satisfied with that answer, hopping off the chair and wandering over to the small pile of toys in the corner of the room. Cassian watched him for a moment, his thoughts drifting again.

‘What am I doing here?’ he wondered. ‘This kid... he’s too innocent, too good for someone like me. I should leave. I should go before I ruin his life, too.’

But even as the thought crossed his mind, Cassian couldn’t bring himself to move. There was something about Sky—something that reminded him of a time long ago, before the world had broken him.

Before he had become the man he was now.

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Cassian shook his head, standing up abruptly. “Sky,” he called, his voice firm.

The boy looked up, clutching a small, battered toy in his hands. “Yeah, brother?”

“I’m going out,” Cassian said, grabbing his coat. “Stay here and don’t open the door for anyone. Got it?”

Sky’s face fell, his grip tightening on the toy. “You’re leaving?”

“Just for a little while,” Cassian said, his tone softening slightly. “I need to take care of something.”

Sky hesitated before nodding slowly. “Okay... but you’ll come back, right?”

Cassian paused at the door, glancing back at the boy. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “I’ll come back.”

The streets were quiet, the air heavy with the threat of rain. Cassian pulled his hood up, blending into the shadows as he moved through the narrow alleyways.

His mind raced as he considered his next move. He couldn’t stay hidden forever—not with Raiden on his trail. The man was methodical, relentless, and far too smart to be outmaneuvered for long.

Cassian’s footsteps faltered as he caught sight of a poster plastered to the side of a building. His face stared back at him, the ink slightly smudged but the details unmistakable.

**WANTED**

**Cassian Drayven**

**For Theft, Murder, and High Treason**

**Reward: 50,000 Gold Pieces**

Cassian tore the poster down, crumpling it in his hand. The reward was higher than he’d expected, which meant the authorities were growing desperate.

‘Desperate enough to call in Raiden Nightshade,’ he thought grimly.

He shoved the crumpled poster into his pocket, his jaw tightening. He couldn’t let them catch him—not now, not when he had someone depending on him for the first time in years.

As he turned a corner, his eyes caught a glint of movement in the shadows. He froze, his senses on high alert.

“Cassian Drayven,” a voice drawled, low and cold.

Cassian’s blood ran cold. He didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

Cassian’s breath hitched as the voice called his name, his muscles tensing like a coiled spring. For a moment, he felt the weight of inevitability crush down on him.

‘This is it,’ he thought. ‘someone know me? . Did Raiden Nightshade has found me. Sh*t’

But as he turned to confront the speaker, his heart hammering in his chest, a man brushed past him, moving toward someone else entirely.

“Damn, man, how many times should I call you?” the stranger grumbled to another, their tone irritated but entirely mundane.

Cassian blinked, his body still rigid with tension, as he realized the man wasn’t speaking to him at all. His breath came out in a sharp exhale, relief washing over him in a wave so sudden it left him momentarily lightheaded.

He took a step back, retreating deeper into the shadows of the alley. His mind raced, the adrenaline still surging through his veins.

‘That was too close,’ he thought, clenching his fists. ‘How long can I keep this up? How much time do I even have before they catch me?’

The answer was clear: not long. Not with the reward on his head and someone like Raiden tracking him. Cassian’s jaw tightened as he leaned against the damp brick wall, trying to steady his breathing.

‘I need a plan,’ he thought. ‘I can’t just keep running. I need to figure out what to do... how to fix this.’

As he pushed himself off the wall and began walking again, Cassian froze mid-step. A strange sensation coursed through his body—subtle at first, like a flicker of warmth in his chest. But then it grew, spreading outward, a tingling hum that seemed to vibrate through his very being.

His hand instinctively moved to his chest, his heart pounding beneath his palm.

‘What the hell is this?’ he thought, his breath catching in his throat.

The sensation was familiar—too familiar. It was the same energy he had felt in the dreamlike realm, the one he had visited after swallowing the pearl. But this time, it wasn’t confined to the ethereal world. It was here. It was inside him.

Cassian’s mind reeled. ‘This energy...? What does it mean?’

The warmth in his chest pulsed, faint but insistent, like the rhythm of a second heartbeat. It wasn’t painful, but it wasn’t comforting either. It was otherworldly, unnatural, and entirely beyond his understanding.

‘What did that presence say?’ he tried to recall, his memories of the dream fragmented and hazy. The voice had spoken of balance, of power, of something greater than himself. But none of it made sense.

Cassian shook his head, frustration bubbling to the surface. ‘I don’t have time for this. I need to focus. I need to figure out how to stay alive.’

But no matter how much he tried to push the sensation aside, it wouldn’t leave him. It lingered, a constant reminder of the pearl’s influence and the unknown forces now tied to him.

As he turned another corner, the streets growing darker and quieter, Cassian’s thoughts churned.

‘Is this energy a blessing or a curse? Is it trying to help me, or is it something more dangerous?’

He didn’t have an answer. All he knew was that it had changed him—fundamentally, irrevocably. And whether he liked it or not, he would have to confront it eventually.

But for now, survival was his priority. And with Raiden Nightshade closing in, Cassian couldn’t afford to be distracted by questions he didn’t have time to answer.

With a deep breath, he pulled his hood tighter around his face and slipped further into the shadows. The city around him felt suffocating, every sound, every movement, a potential threat.

And somewhere, not far behind, the hunter was still searching.