The house was still silent. No wonder—it was early, and her sleep rhythm hadn’t fully adjusted yet. Seeing an opportunity, she decided to step outside.
Morning fog blanketed the city like a soft veil, with street lanterns casting a warm, golden glow through the mist. The damp grass felt pleasant beneath her bare feet—fresh, cool, and perfectly trimmed. The crisp morning air sent shivers down her spine, but she remained still, watching the horizon.
They had traveled thousands of kilometers, and now, at last, she could see the first rays of sunlight breaking through the mist. The sky transformed from deep pink to golden yellow before settling into a soft blue. For a while, she simply sat there, letting the warmth sink into her skin.
Soon, the fog thickened, obscuring the view, and she decided to head back inside.
“Good morning, Miss Alice,” Roland greeted her in a calm voice.
“Morning, Roland. You’re up already?” she asked, surprised.
“It’s my duty,” he replied with a polite smile.
They quickly fell into conversation about the town—where to find the best food, which districts were home to which kinds of people, and the unwritten rules of the city.
Nick trudged down the stairs, still groggy. “Could you turn it down a little? You’re a tad too loud,” he grumbled.
Alice smirked. “Good morning to you too, sunshine. Sensitive much?”
“I’m serious. My hearing’s always sharp in the morning.” He covered his ears as Alice took a deep breath.
“SORRY!!!” she yelled, her voice echoing down the street and waking several neighborhood dogs.
Nick groaned. “Manners. You’re an adult. Act like one. And don’t start talking about your parents.”
Roland leaned toward Alice and whispered, “He’s always moody in the mornings.”
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“That makes it so much more fun,” Alice giggled.
Roland prepared a fantastic brunch, and as they ate, Nick and Alice planned their day—figuring out how far they could push their aching bodies. Once they packed some provisions, they set off.
The stone-paved roads led them to the city center, where a bustling market stretched across the square. Merchants called out their wares—fresh produce, jewelry, weapons, exotic spices, and more.
“This market happens daily?” Alice asked, eyes locked on a dazzling necklace.
“Yes. Even with the rise of big stores, they’ve kept the tradition alive,” Nick explained.
“That’s amazing... but way too expensive,” Alice sighed.
Nick nodded. “Yeah, over time, these markets became known for their quality, which attracted wealthier customers. Look around—you’ll notice the difference.”
Alice took a better look at the crowd. She liked her own outfit, but next to these people, she looked almost shabby. Men wore tailored suits, women dressed in elegant gowns—as if they had stepped out of a time machine from fifty years ago. They weren’t here just to shop. They were here to show off.
Alice instinctively shifted her essence, but Nick grabbed her wrist.
“They brag and sneer at the poor, but let’s not start a mass panic, alright?” he warned.
They walked through the market without buying anything. Just beyond it, they had a perfect view of the Town Hall—a towering baroque structure with high stone walls, grand towers at each corner, and enormous windows that made it look more like a castle than an administrative building.
They admired it for a while before wandering into the shopping district. Everything was closed—it was Sunday, and in this part of the world, that meant no stores, no work, no noise. The silence made it the perfect day to explore the city.
Alice suddenly stopped. “That’s... odd,” she muttered.
“What is?” Nick asked.
“There’s a bird clinging to my backpack. It’s been following me for a while, and it won’t leave.”
Nick frowned. “Turn around.”
Alice did, but Nick saw nothing unusual. He was about to scold her for messing around when he noticed something strange—a moving shadow. At first, he had overlooked it because of the way the buildings cast their own shadows, but this one didn’t behave normally. It shifted, almost like a liquid, clinging to Alice’s outline.
“What the hell…?” Nick muttered. “Animals don’t have the type of essence I can see.”
“Try moving your essence into your head,” he instructed.
Alice easily focused her energy to her skull.
The bird immediately flew onto her head.
Alice’s and Nick’s eyes widened. “That’s bad. This thing reacts like a human.”
They began thinking.
In the end they came up with two plausible options.
- The bird was so long under the human influence which made it think of itself as a human and changed his soul. Which would be a “scientific” break through.
- it was somehow connected to a human.
After the thinking session Alice made listed dumber options like:
“Shapeshifter,”.
Nick liked the idea.
And soon the name Shapeshifter stuck.
Nick studied the strange, shifting shadow, but no matter how long he stared, he couldn’t interpret its movements.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” he admitted, frustrated. “I think we should follow it. Try holding it close, Alice—then suppress your essence completely.”
Alice scoffed. “What do you think I am, a light switch?”
Still, she did as she was told, burying her energy deep within herself.
The bird took off immediately.
They exchanged glances before running after it.
“Following a dehumanized bird,” Nick muttered. “Never thought I’d be doing this.”