Chapter 40 - Ashen Shadows

A murky haze clung to the lower streets by the time Shen stepped off the main road, ears prickling at the unnatural silence of a back alley. In the waning daylight, Sveethlad's middle district took on a lifeless pallor, its ashen lanterns flickering against pale walls streaked with grime. He'd intended to head straight back to the hotel, but halfway there, he felt an unsettling nudge in his gut—like a whisper urging him to detour. Something was off. Or someone was watching.