The Mysterious Man

**illustrations in the comment section**

Xander awoke once again in dreamland and rubbed his eyes, searching for Loren. "Hey?" he called out.

Loren materialized from the swirling mist, her form coalescing from the vaporous tendrils. With a graceful gesture, she transformed the dream into a peaceful oasis, complete with two chairs and a table. Xander watched in awe as she strolled over to the table and conjured a steaming cup of tea seemingly out of thin air. "what's up?" said Loren as she take a sip.

Initially surprised, Xander quickly realized that this was a dream and anything was possible. He approached one of the chairs and imagined a juicy cheeseburger, satisfying his hunger within the dream. "Finally," he exclaimed in satisfaction.

"What is that bread?" Loren immediately questioned Xander's meal as she has never seen a burger before. Xander hesitated for a moment, taken aback by the question. "Ah well, this is a popular meal of my hometown," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Loren nodded, not quite convinced but willing to let it go for now. After all, they had more pressing matters to attend to. "Why did you call?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

Xander paused in the middle of his meal and looked at Loren with a hint of desperation in his eyes. "I'm sorry to keep asking you for help, but do you know how I can make some money in Noxburg? I don't have a place to stay either."

"Actually, I was just about to mention that," she said. "I happen to know someone in Noxburg who lives near the sea port. I can reach out to her on your behalf and see if she can help you out."Loren gestured, and the dream transformed into the bustling sea port of Noxburg.

"Here's where she resides," Loren pointed to a small bar with a sign reading 'Wee Whisky House'. "When you arrive, just show her the ring," Loren said, glancing at the ring Xander had been wearing the entire time.

Xander couldn't bear the thought of a stranger doing everything for him, so he asked, "Thank you very much. Is there anything you would like me to do for you in return for your help?"

"You must tell me your story later," Loren said firmly.

Xander felt hesitant about sharing his story with Loren, but he decided to let it go since she didn't seem like a bad person. However, he was still suspicious of her possible involvement with Leviathan. "Sure, I'll tell you later then," Xander replied after thinking it over.

"Okay, it can wait," Loren said patiently. "I'll be going now, unless you have anything else to say." The dream ended abruptly.

As Xander sleeping and dreaming, an old man with shabby clothes was being pursued by a black-hooded figure through a dimly-lit alley. The man stumbled towards Xander, shouting for help, "Hey, lad! Someone is trying to kill me!"

Seeing the old man's plea, the black-hooded figure set his sights on Xander and raised his dagger. The moonlight glinted off the silver blade as he prepared to strike. But suddenly, a faint glow emanated from Xander, and an angelic guardian wielding a bow and arrow appeared before him.

Xander was jolted awake by the sound of the old man's screams. As he looked on, a stunning scene played out before him, a black-hooded assailant was fleeing, but the moonlit guardian fired an arrow, injuring the black hooded assailant's arm, causing him to disappear into the night. The arrow and the guardian vanished into thin air as well, leaving Xander and the old man bewildered.

"What are you, lad?" the old man asked Xander with gratitude in his eyes. "You're such a good kid. You saved my life," he continued, making fists with both hands as he thanked Xander. However, Xander gestured for the old man to stop as he rubbed his eyes, still feeling sleepy. "The ritual's guardian?" he muttered to himself in confusion.

Suddenly, another figure appeared before the two. With a graceful leap from the rooftop, the figure landed silently on the ground, revealing serious face with intense brown eyes in the moonlight. As soon as he touched down, he grabbed Xander and the old man with great strength.

"Were you the one shouting, old man?" the newcomer asked intimately. "Yes, yes, he saved me," the old man answered, his voice trembling. The man turned his face at Xander immediately "What happened here".

"I was sleeping and heard the old man shouting," Xander replied humbly.

The old man interrupted, "No, no, I was being chased by a mysterious figure and begged for help. he summoned an angelic guard and saved me. He is a true savior."

"Ah no, I just used a protection ritual before sleeping" As Xander tried to explain the situation, the mysterious newcomer's attention was fixated on him like a hawk eyeing its prey. "You... tell me, where did that attacker run off to?" he demanded, his voice low and intense. He wanted to question Xander for his ritual but he decided to focus on the attacker for now.

Xander's heart raced as he answered, "I didn't see clearly, my eyes were sleepy."

The newcomer's piercing gaze didn't waver as he pressed further, "How long has it been since he ran away?"

Xander furrowed his brow, trying to recall. "Perhaps about three minutes?" he said tentatively.

The man muttered to himself, his expression growing more severe. "Too late," he said, as if to himself.

"I'm sorry that we couldn't give you more information," he apologized, even though he knew the fault lay with the attacker, not himself.

The man eventually let go of Xander, but his piercing stare remained fixed on him as if searching for something. "You... I have a few more questions, but I'm in a hurry. Meet me at Wees Whisky House in the morning," he said decisively before walking away. "If you don't show up, I'll come looking for you," he added before effortlessly leaping onto the roof and disappearing into the night.

That is the place Loren mentioned in the dream, Xander thought to himself.

"What was he?" Xander wondered aloud. "He must have been a raven, sir," the old man replied politely.

"Ravens?" Xander asked, unfamiliar with the term. "You don't know about them? They're like police officers with Numen," the old man explained.

"I see, so even in this world, the police are late," Xander remarked wryly. "What do you mean, sir?" the old man asked, puzzled by Xander's comment.

Xander picked up his book, which had been serving as a pillow, and brushed off his clothes. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it," he said to the old man before leaving him alone in the alley. As he headed towards the port, he knew it would take him hours to get there due to the complex maze of roads and streets.

Glancing at the sky, Xander noticed the first signs of morning light. "It's going to be morning soon," he thought to himself. The street lamps illuminated the city as Xander wandered through its confusing labyrinth of roads and alleys. Frustrated by the lack of organization, he muttered to himself, "Who planned this city?" "Oh yeah, I'll also be meeting that guy at the bar."

After walking aimlessly for two hours, the morning rays illuminated the houses of Noxburg, and Xander could already see the sun in the sky. Finally, after what seemed like an endless journey, he arrived at the port.

As Xander approached the Wee Whisky House, he was struck by a strong sense of déjà vu, he had already seen this place in the dream. "This is the place," he said to himself as he read the sign. However, he was cautious as he approached the bar, knowing his clothing was not typical for the area and fearing that the guards might deny him entry.

As he stepped into the bar, Xander couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He braced himself for the inevitable glares and judgment from the other customers, but to his surprise, nobody drove him out. He took a deep breath and made his way to the front, taking a seat on one of the stools.

As he sat there, he could feel the gazes of the other patrons on him, but their attention was immediately diverted by the entrance of a mysterious man. Xander recognized him immediately - it was the same man he had just met in the alley, his intense expression still present.

Without a word, the man walked up to Xander and sat down beside him. "Oh, you actually came. Where did the bartender girl go?" he questioned, his voice low and almost menacing.

"I just got here. I didn't see anybody inside the bar counter," Xander replied, taking a clear look at the man beside him. He couldn't help but feel intimidated by the man's strong and bulky physique, wondering how he had managed to leap through the roofs without making a sound.

Xander quickly looked away as the man gazed back at him, his expression unreadable.

Suddenly, a woman who looked like a bartender emerged from behind the counter. "Hey, Cedric, you're back?" she greeted the mysterious man.

"What were you doing?" Cedric asked.

"Another victim of the soul collector," the girl replied.

"What? Last night?" Cedric's surprise was palpable. "We don't know for sure. We found her under the bridge just now."

"Dammit, I almost caught him last night," Cedric cursed under his breath.

Xander couldn't help but interject, "Is that the guy who was chasing the old man last night?" The girl and Cedric turned their attention towards him.

"Yes, he's been killing homeless people every night. Every time he kills, the victims' souls are sucked out," Cedric replied, his voice filled with disgust.

As they continued their conversation, Xander couldn't shake the feeling that he had stumbled into something far more sinister than he had anticipated. Suddenly, the girl's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh wait, are you Loren's friend whom she was talking about?" she asked, her eyes darting to the ring on Xander's hand.