Long Time No See

The subtle quiver across the surface of his shadow was like the after-ripple of a stone plunging into a still pond. Silent, almost motionless, but distinctly altered. Most notably, it now harbored a presence it lacked before.

No one picked up on this—except for Jake. It was his shadow, after all.

"Hephais… Long time, no see," Jake said with an enigmatic smile, leaning against a section of the wall hidden from prying eyes. With all the smoke and surrounding chaos, it wasn't hard to go unnoticed.

Once sure that the only mental sense—less discreet than she'd like to believe—was Meribelle's, Jake scoffed sardonically and said to seemingly no one, "You can come out."

The Shadow Assassin needed no further invitation. Slowly rising from the pool of darkness, his hooded face was as stoic and grim as their last encounter. Both men sized each other up for a few seconds before Hephais acknowledged with a nod,

"Boss. I've come to report."