West turned down a side street casually.
The lighting grew dimmer as neon reflections from nearby signs flickered against damp pavement. The sound of traffic faded behind him.
The footsteps followed as he rounded a darker corner where a broken streetlamp cast only half-shadows.
Then...
<[ Shadow Anchor Has Been Activated ]>
His body merged seamlessly with the surrounding darkness, anchoring his presence to the shadows cast by the buildings. His physical form dissolved into a still, silent imprint within the gloom.
A second later, the four men rounded the corner.
"Where’d he go?" one hissed.
They looked left and right...
Behind dumpsters...
Up the alley...
"He was just here!"
"No way he vanished."
One of them crouched, scanning the ground as if expecting footprints.
Another activated a faint glow around his eyes likely a perception-type ability but still, they found nothing.
West stood less than two meters away, perfectly blended into the shadow along the brick wall.
They paced back and forth, visibly irritated.
"You sure he turned here?"
"Yes! I watched him."
"Shit..."
One kicked a loose can across the pavement.
"He must’ve known."
"Or someone picked him up?"
"No cars came through."
Eventually, one spat on the ground.
"Forget it. Not worth it."
Another growled.
"That item was premium. Kid could have made a lot."
"We’ll see him again."
They turned and left as their footsteps faded into the distance
West remained anchored for several seconds longer before releasing the skill.
His form separated from the shadows, materializing fully with a grin on his face.
"So this is how it works."
Something was clear to him now... selling high-grade items alone was dangerous.
He couldn’t flood the market nor appear too frequently...
And he absolutely couldn’t underestimate how quickly predators moved.
...
Minutes later, West boarded a bus heading toward his old neighborhood.
He hadn’t planned on coming here but when he checked the map earlier, he realized the gang-affiliated trading establishment wasn’t too far from where everything had changed...
From where the ruin had erupted.
Twelve minutes later, the bus wheezed to a stop.
West stepped down and immediately and all the memories came rushing back.
That entire stretch of the neighborhood still looked like someone had scooped a massive chunk of reality out of existence. Buildings that once stood shoulder to shoulder were gone... just... erased.
Concrete dust had long settled, but the emptiness remained.
It looked fake.... like a glitch in the world.
Only the perimeter fencing and warning signs reminded anyone that this was real.
Heavy construction vehicles sat parked along one side... cranes, excavators and stacks of steel beams with orange cones lined portions of the street. It seemed the city had finally approved reconstruction.
However, judging by the scale of destruction, rebuilding would take months. Maybe years.
West stood there quietly recalling the screams and collapse.
’If not for the system...’
He exhaled.
There was no point in dwelling on it.
He turned to leave when he spotted someone in the distance.
Long auburn hair... familiar posture... with incredible busts...
It was Nina.
She stood near the temporary fencing, talking animatedly to a guy beside her.
West narrowed his eyes slightly with a look of curiosity.
He adjusted his jacket and walked toward them.
As he approached, Nina turned slightly—and froze.
"West?!"
Her face lit up instantly.
The shock melted into excitement as she rushed toward him without hesitation and threw her arms around him.
"You were asleep when I came over yesterday!" she said while squeezing him tight. "What are you doing around these parts?"
Her eyes sparkled in a way that felt... nostalgic.
West smiled lightly.
"I had something to handle nearby. Figured I’d check out the neighborhood while I was here."
She pulled back but didn’t create much distance.
"Oh my God, you look... different," she said, studying him. "Did you start working out?"
West chuckled.
"Maybe."
"Right," she said, clearly unconvinced but amused.
Then she suddenly gasped.
"Oh! Where are my manners?"
She turned and waved the guy over.
He walked up at a controlled pace. He had an average height with a neatly styled hair and clean-cut.
"West, meet Cross. My boyfriend. Cross, this is West—my friend and classmate."
’Oh so this is the boyfriend.’
West’s gaze flicked to Cross as he extended his hand. This was the first time he was meeting Nina’s boyfriend and this was due to the fact that he schooled elsewhere.
"Nice to meet you."
Cross hesitated a fraction of a second before shaking it.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you too."
His grip was firm, like a test. West matched it effortlessly.
The exchange lasted just long enough to establish silent competition.
"So where are you guys headed?" West asked casually.
"To LunaPier Amusement Park!" Nina said brightly, naming the popular spot across town. "We were just about to head there."
"Nice," West replied. "Sounds fun. I won’t keep you."
He stepped back slightly but Nina immediately reached for his sleeve.
"Why don’t you join us?"
Cross’s head snapped toward her.
"What?"
She laughed. "Come on, it’ll be fun! We haven’t hung out in forever."
Cross forced a smile.
"Yeah... sure. The more the merrier."
West saw the flicker in his eyes.
Possessive...
Wary...
Insecure...
A smile appeared on West’s face.
"Well, if you insist."
They headed to the bus stop together.
From the moment the conversation restarted, something subtle happened.
Nina and West fell into rhythm instantly.
It was like no time had passed.
They talked about classes, teachers, random inside jokes from last semester...
They laughed too easily... like they were very free with each other.
Cross tried to insert himself.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me of—"
"But remember when Mr. Hall slipped on the stairs?" Nina interrupted, grabbing West’s arm as she laughed.
West smirked. "He blamed the students for that."
"I know right!"
Cross fell silent, hoping that this was only a momentary situation.
Unfortunately for him, the bus ride turned out to be worse.
Nina sat beside West.
Cross took the seat across from them.
They talked nonstop.
At some point, West casually said, "Your eyes look lighter today."
Nina blinked. "They do?"
"Yeah. Must be the sunlight. They look... nice."
Her cheeks flushed.
"Oh shut up."
Cross’s jaw tightened.
<[ System Notification: +3 Cuck Points ]>
<[ +2 Cuck Points ]>
West kept his face neutral as the numbers accumulated.
They arrived at LunaPier and the entrance buzzing with music. A bright signage hung upwares and weekend crowds kept rolling in.
Colorful lights blinked even in daylight as the scent of fried food and cotton candy filled the air.
"Let’s check that one out!" West said suddenly, pointing toward a spinning ride.
Before Cross could react, Nina grabbed West’s hand and ran.
"Wait—" Cross started, but they were already ahead.
He followed but on the ride, Nina sat beside West while Cross ended up one seat over.
When the ride spun, Nina grabbed West’s arm tightly, laughing as her hair whipped around her face.
"This is insane!"
"You love it," West said.
She squealed again when the speed increased.
Cross tried leaning closer, but centrifugal force worked against him.
<[ System Notification: +2 Cuck Points ]>
[ Jealousy Triggered: +6 Bonus Cuck Points ]
Next was the haunted house....