The wind carried a crisp chill across the early morning streets, weaving through alleyways and stirring the fallen leaves into lazy spirals. Raven Veyrin stood at the edge of the sidewalk, his dark coat hanging loosely on his frame, shadows clinging to him like old friends.
The city hummed around him—cars, footsteps, conversations blending into a dull orchestra of noise—but Raven wasn't listening. His eyes were half-lidded, his attention drawn to something deeper. Something invisible. A whisper in the back of his mind.
Move.
It had started the moment he woke up, a familiar pull in his chest that guided him here—to this exact street corner. It was always like this. His life was a series of whispers and instincts he couldn't explain but had learned to trust without question. It had never been wrong.
Raven smirked faintly, his eyes glinting with a mix of curiosity and anticipation. The crowd flowed around him without noticing, like water parting around a stone. Every step he took felt deliberate, each move perfectly aligned with the unseen flow of the world.
Then, it came—a ripple in reality, subtle yet undeniable. His instincts sharpened, pointing him toward the alley ahead.
A man stood there, waiting in the shadows.
Raven stopped at the entrance, his gaze locking onto the figure. The man was tall, draped in a dark coat, his face obscured by the dim light. But something felt… off. As if the air around him were warped, bending reality ever so slightly.
"Raven Veyrin," the man said, his voice calm but heavy with meaning. "It's time."
Raven didn't flinch. His instincts weren't warning him to flee; they were telling him to stay. To listen.
"Who are you?" Raven asked, his voice steady.
The man smiled faintly, stepping forward just enough for the faint light to catch his eyes—sharp and knowing. "You'll find out soon enough. For now, just know this: your life is about to change. Follow your Destiny... and you'll understand everything."
Before Raven could respond, the man turned and walked deeper into the alley, his figure fading into the darkness. Raven hesitated for a heartbeat, his instincts buzzing in response.
Go.
He stepped forward, but the alley was empty—silent as if nothing had ever happened. Only a faint symbol on the wall remained. A swirling sigil, glowing faintly before fading into nothingness.
Raven exhaled slowly, his mind already calculating the possibilities. He could feel it—the shift in the air, the tightening threads of fate drawing closer. This was the beginning of something much bigger.
And whatever it was, he would be ready.