A single woman, cloaked entirely in dark fabric, moved steady. Her hood obscured her features as she walked down the street.

Just as the next clan began to reveal themselves, Jerika maneuvered through the crowd.

His gaze, previously fixated on the cloaked woman, shifted to Jerika. "You’re late."

"I told you I would be," she replied, folding her arms as she took her place beside him, both of them facing the street.

"What is the name of this clan?"

Zerin smirked, already aware that she knew the answer; she was testing him. "The Temple of Nocturne."

Jerika nudged him with a smile. "Smarty pants."

"Well, she’s dressed in black. Not exactly hard to guess."

She sighed, resting an arm on his shoulder as if it were an armrest. "I guess you have a point."

Jerika leaned closer, pointing a finger at the cloaked woman walking down the street.

"But what is the name of the Sisterhood is she a part of?"

Zerin paused, unsure of the answer.

"Maidens of Shadow?"

She laughed. "Did you just come up with that one? Not bad... but their name is The Hand of Shadow."

"The Hand of Shadow?"

She nodded. "That’s correct. You see, there are five of them..."

She guided his gaze with a firm grip on his chin. There they were—four more women dressed just like the one leading them, each carrying a box of some sort.

Zerin looked back up at Jerika. "What are they holding?"

Jerika, who didn’t peel her gaze from the street, replied, "They’re carrying the leader of The Temple of Nocturne."

The palanquin was shrouded in rich black fabric, shielding all light from entry. At each corner of the palanquin were long bars crafted from darkened steel, and the women silently bore its weight on their shoulders.

Zerin furrowed his brow and blinked a few times. "Isn’t that heavy?"

Jerika stood up straight, leaning away from him and waving her hand dismissively as if the answer were obvious. "It’s not a big deal."

"They are Masters. It’s easy for those girls."

"Masters like Cael?"

She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side. "Like Cael? No, those girls are far stronger."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Stronger? Yeah, right!

He couldn’t believe such a statement. Cael was the strongest person he knew; his speed far exceeded anything Zerin had ever witnessed. That was during a sparring session, and he still hasn't seen him go all out. How could he possibly be that much weaker?

He looked back up at Jerika, hoping for a punchline or a joke, but there was nothing.

"What? Don’t believe me? Go ask him yourself, then."

She patted his shoulder and stepped away, her meticulously tailored uniform rustling softly as she walked off.

Zerin turned toward her, confused by her leaving. "Where are you going?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "I’ll be right back."

You just got here...

He stood there, watching her walk away until she eventually disappeared into the crowd. A sigh escaped his lips as he turned to face the final clan that was approaching for the parade.

***

A few hours later, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the crowd in the area began to disperse, leaving the district with a much more tranquil atmosphere. With this in mind, Zerin, Dex, and Cael decided it was the perfect time to grab a bite to eat.

They were seated at a food stall, waiting for their order.

"And you believed her?"

Dex chimed in, "I would. She’s pretty smart and knows all about that kind of stuff."

Cael turned to Dex, his expression silencing him, before he turned back to Zerin, clearly expecting an answer.

Zerin stumbled over his words, shaking his head.

"Of course not! That sounds ridiculous. I can't imagine Masters being any stronger."

"Good," Cael said with a satisfied smile. He shifted his body forward, facing the searing meat that had been placed on the grill.

Dex, seated between them, watched the food being seared as well, but he couldn't resist stirring the pot further. A cheeky grin spread across his face. "I don’t know... You don’t seem too strong."

Cael's hand shot out, smacking Dex on the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Dex rubbed the back of his head. "I was just joking—"

He paused as he saw Jerika take a seat beside Cael.

"Hey, Jerika..." Dex leaned forward on his stool, casting a glance past Cael to look at her.

"Hello, Dex," she smiled, setting down her purse and communicator on the counter.

Zerin, on the opposite side of them, turned his attention back to the grill, where the meat sizzled and popped. Just as he focused on the food, a figure pulled out a stool. It was an old man in a sleek black kimono.

"Mind if I join you?"

"I don't mind."

The cook approached the counter, wiping his hands on a cloth. His face was flushed from the heat of the grill, but he continued anyway. "What can I get you, sir?"

The older man turned from Zerin to the cook. "Miso ramen, and go heavy on the spice..."

The cook raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, pops?"

The old man chuckled. "I can cheat today..."

"Alright, coming right up! And don’t say I didn’t warn you that the heat hits!"

The cook began his next task, deftly managing four dishes being prepared at once.

"You are one of Master Cael's pupils, I presume?"

Zerin turned back to the old man. "Yes, I am."

A subtle smile spread across the man’s face as he extended a hand toward him. "The name is Hadrian."

Cael's sharp eyes caught the subtle exchange between Zerin and Hadrian as he tilted his head down to the left. "What the hell is the old man doing here?" He grinned widely. "Did Jerika wheel you out here?"

Hadrian chuckled heartily. "I’m not that old, son."

Zerin, caught off guard by his bold claim, reflexively turned to look at the old man, confusion the only emotion on his face. Hadrian was bald, his skin weathered with age. He looked to be in his seventies—sixties if one was being generous. He had a pointy beard that was a dirty gray, matching his bushy eyebrows.

Cael, witnessing Zerin's reaction, erupted into laughter. "Right? This old geezer is insane!"

Cael's laughter was uncontainable, drawing glances from onlookers who were carrying on with their evening.

"Look at that... a nice sweet reunion," Jerika smiled as she looked down the length of the counter where they were all seated, her elbow propped up as her palm held her chin.

Cael looked back at Jerika. "So, you did bring the old man all the way out here from the country."

"I’m surprised he’s survived this long away from the city."

Jerika smirked. "Well, it's only possible because he has actual Masters guarding him."

Before Cael could speak, Hadrian spoke, "Now, now... Cael is a Master in his own right; I trained him just like the other girls."

"Exactly," Cael said, straightening his posture.

Jerika shrugged, nonchalantly shifting back to her cup of tea.

Hadrian continued, "Back then, I was much nimbler than I am now."

"Yeah, right!" Cael joked in a lighthearted tone. "You were still frail twenty years ago."

"I guess I was," Hadrian replied, a somewhat sad smile on his face. "I still miss those days, back when I had pupils. Once you get to my age, you realize it’s one of the best moments of your life."

"Is that so? Well, I don’t plan on living past forty anyway. Guess I won’t need to worry about such luxuries."

Cael spoke with such lightness that everyone laughed, but for Zerin, that tone offered very little comfort.

"Forty? You’re selling yourself short. You’ll be hobbling around with a cane, living longer than all of us."

"No way! I'd prefer going out in a blaze of glory... That’s my style."

"The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, eh?" Hadrian added with a smile on his face. "Your father would be proud to see your progress."

Cael shrugged. "I’m not sure... Pops has me beat..."

"You are the spitting image of him, Cael."

Cael smiled slightly as one of his hands grazed over the other, looking down at the counter.

Interrupting the moment, the cook came by with their steaming hot dishes. The old man was handed his ramen, while Zerin and Dex received their skewers, and Cael was given loaded nachos. Jerika simply sipped on her tea.

As they talked and ate, the evening quietly slipped away. Suddenly, the night sky burst into brilliant colors as fireworks exploded overhead, lighting up the darkness. It was Zerin's first time seeing them, and the sight was nothing short of amazing.