As The Observer walked through the city, a single word echoed in his mind—depressing. The inhabitants seemed to fall into two categories: those who shuffled along, expressions revealing long surrender to a difficult life, and those with a fiendish fire in their eyes, determined to escape their circumstances.
Cleanliness and well-maintained clothes were rare sights, and the exceptions to that rule carried an air that suggested a connection to criminal activities.
His stroll came to a sudden halt as he noticed a group of raggedly dressed children across the street. Clutching wooden bowls containing a few coins, they hesitated before gathering and discussing something in hushed tones. One girl separated from the group and timidly approached The Observer.
She stood before him, trembling with fear. Observing her closely, he noted her long black hair, stained with dirt, oversize clothes, and a makeshift rope holding her skirt. Her feet were bare.
"Please," the girl implored, raising her bowl. It held a few small coins, and though The Observer didn't recognize the denominations, he could tell they were of little value.
"What's your name?" he inquired gently, but the girl's wary eyes signaled he had touched a sensitive topic. Realizing this, he waved off the question. "Don't bother answering that."
Pulling out a deram from his clothes, he dropped it into her bowl. The girl immediately withdrew the bowl and gave a small bow. "Thank you," she said before running back to her friends.
A frown crossed The Observer's face as he watched them leave. The relief on the girl's face suggested that the money wouldn't benefit her much. This led him to deduce that someone would likely collect the funds from her, possibly involved in exploiting these children.
Unable to help them directly, The Observer sighed, murmuring to himself, "You can't help everyone. In this world, suffering is the only constant."
Just as he was about to leave, he sensed someone weak observing him. Scanning his surroundings, he identified a red-haired young man on the top floor of a building. The man held a revolver and exuded a strange power, likely a Devotee of a god.
Intrigued, The Observer decided to play a trick. He looked directly at the window where the man stood, even though his physical eyes saw nothing. Using his divine sense, he confirmed the man's presence. Smiling, he teleported behind the young man, surprising him.
"Don't you know it's rude to stare?" The Observer quipped.
Startled, the man spun around and fired a shot, which shattered against The Observer's skin. Unfazed, he gave the man a questioning look. "Really? That's how you react to guests?"
The young man, recovering from his surprise, offered a fawning smile. "Guests don't usually barge into people's houses uninvited, but you're right, I was a bit rude. So how about this, as a sign of friendship, I'll throw away this little toy here." He discarded the gun and winked at The Observer.
The Observer watched him with amusement. "So are you going to drop the invisibility, or do you need me to do it for you?" A moment later the man faded into view, wearing a slightly forced smile. "Why were you watching me?"
The young man seemed to regain his composure. "Well, it's quite simple. I've never seen you around here before, and before you point it out I obviously don't know everyone who lives in this area, but I could easily tell you weren't a resident."
As the young man spoke The Observer quickly scanned the room. It was a small but cozy place. It had a somewhat large wooden bed to the right of the window. A small desk stood besides the bed with an ornate vase seated at a corner while various papers littered the rest of the desk. There was also a wardrobe, a small rug at the foot of the bed and a door that The Observer guessed led to a toilet.
"And how were you able to tell?"
Something about his attitude seemed to calm the young man, whose smile eased as he sat near the edge of the bed. "The way you walked. You walk different than the people who live here."
The Observer nodded. It made sense, if you spend a lot of time around other people it becomes easy to deduce certain information just based on the way they talked, stood, acted or even walked. The Observer turned to look outside the window, as he did he closely monitored the young man with his divine sense. Seeing that The Observer wasn't paying attention to him, the young man discreetly reached for something under his pillow.
"Why were you watching those kids?" The Observer didn't look back. He already knew what was under the pillow, a small smooth black bead that had subdued power running through it. What he wanted to know was what the young man would do with it.
"I wanted to make sure they were safe, you looked like a predator."
The Observer's face twitched as he cussed inwardly, Your father looks like a predator, bastard. "If you are so concerned about their safety then why don't you actually help them. I'm sure you know they're being exploited."
There was a pause. "I know they are, but there's nothing I can do. The people using them are... not weak." The young man closed his hands around the bead and activated it. The Observer waited. Nothing happened.
A tool for communication, The Observer guessed. He most likely called for help. The Observer turned to face him. "What's your name?"
"Amin," the young man replied without hesitation.
The Observer rolled his eyes. Amin obviously wasn't the young man's name. He stretched out a hand and the papers on the desk beside the bed flew into it, carried by an unseen wind. The young man tried to intercept them but a wave of The Observer's hand rendered him immobile.
The majority of the papers were reports of an Hirashi coastal city that bordered Elgria. The rest were a set of letter sent by someone called "Black" and addressed to the "Red Void". Seeing this alias The Observer let out a chuckle. Turning to the young man he nodded at him, "See you later, Red Void." Then he teleported away.
A few seconds later a cold wind blew into the room. A figure wearing a dark veil manifested near the window, drawing all light into itself and plunging the room into near darkness. The figure paused, looking around before its gaze landed on the young man. A moment later a soft feminine voice came from within the veil. "I thought you said there was a threat, Rob."
Rob stood up and began to pick the papers littering the floor. "There was, but he's already gone."
"Who was it?"
"I don't know. I've never seen him before, and I pray to never see him again."
As he spoke, he separated the report from his letters and handed it to the veiled woman. "But he doesn't matter. I've gotten the report and we can leave anytime now."
She scanned through the result and when next she spoke it was with a solemn voice. "I have to inform the others." A pause. "When are you planning to go?"
"Well, I wanted to give it a week before but now, I'll leave in two days. We need to act fast if we want to stand a chance."
The veiled woman nodded, then vanished a moment later.