The pallid blush of dawn was just beginning to kiss the horizon when Evander began his m run along the bay. The city was still ihroes of slumber, its deaking full advantage of the fleeting moments of peace before the day's demands came calling. The quiet rustle of the sea pping against the shoreline provided a tranquil soundtrack to Evander's rhythmic footsteps. The only other sound was his steady breaths, the occasional seagull's cry, and the muted echo of his shoes scuffing against the sand.

  Suddenly, the serenity unctured by a cacophony of high-pitched whoops and hollers. His stride faltered, ears perking up to the sound that was decidedly out of p the early m tranquility. Eyes squinting against the m sun, Evander sed the horizon to locate the source of the noise.

  His gaze nded on a small boat bobbing in the distahe glint of the rising sun dang off its chipped paint. As it drew closer, he could dis the magical inscriptioched into the outboard mlowing a vibrant azure in the soft light. They seemed to hum with a life of their own, the magical energy propelling the boat forward at an impressive speed.

  But what really caught his attention was the boat's passengers. About ten women, their ughter ricocheting off the water, creating a symphony of joviality that reverberated through the quiet m. Their carefree hoots filled the air, eg along the empty shoreliheir silhouettes lively against the backdrop of the slowly lightening sky.

  As they neared, he could see them better. The women were passing around bottles, their tents glugging out in generous mouthfuls, ughter growing louder and more raucous with each swig. Their cheeks were flushed, eyes shining with mirth and something else, something that bubbled just uhe surface, making their movements exaggerated, their ughter too loud. Drunk, Evander realized, his eyebrows arg slightly at the sight.

  He slowed his run to a halt, his feet sinking slightly into the cool sand. He surveyed the se, a sense of bemusement washing over him. It wasn't often that he saw su animated spectacle at this time of the m. His usually solitary m run was being gatecrashed by a boatload of boisterous, inebriated women.

  And for some inexplicable reason, it appeared that he was the star attra. His solitary presen the beach seemed to have caught their attention, their h now directed his way. Evander found himself at a loss, unsure how to respond to the rowdy greeting. Well, this is certainly one way to start the day.

  Evander watched in disbelief as the se unfolded before him. A few of the women aboard the boat had started to make obsely lewd gestures at him. His eyebrows shot up, a bemused grin spreading across his face. The gestures were far from subtle a little to the imagination. He ughed, the sound eg across the deserted beach. His career had exposed him to far worse, and he could not help but find the situation amusing.

  He had po leave, his daily schedule calling for him to tinue his run. However, any thoughts of departing were abruptly disrupted when the boat, urged on by the magically inscribed motor, surged towards the beach. The women's cheers cresdoed into a triumphant roar, their faces animated with drunkeement.

  Quickly, he retreated up the beach, moving to the retive safety of the grass. He watched with wide eyes as the boat sped towards the shore, the ughter from the women rising to a fever pitch. The boat hit the sand with a jarring thud, elig a burst of eted cheers from the women.

  One of the louder women unched herself from the boat, nding haphazardly in the sand. Her face icture of fierce determination, a predataze fixed on Evander. He reized that look. It was the look of a hunter locked onto their prey, and in this case, he was the unfortuarget. This 't be good.

  As the riowards him, something ued happehe inscriptions on the beach fred up with a sudden iy, painting the beach with a spectral blue light. Then, like a statue, the woman abruptly froze iracks. There was no indication of struggle, no attempt to break free, she was simply frozen, trapped i sprinting pose.

  The following woman, too caught up in her own merriment, failed to notice the sudden halt. She crashed into her immobilized panion, elig a yelp of surprise as she, too, was instantly frozen ihe light from the inscriptions faded, leaving Evaanding on the beach, watg the spectacle in stunned silence.

  As he stood there, Evander's gaze was drawn back to the boat and its mysterious magical inscriptions. A part of him was intrigued, drawn to the enigma of the beach's defense system. How did the magic work? What were the principles that powered the sudden immobilization of the women? But any thoughts of iigation were hindered by the rest of the inebriated women, who remained on the boat, their hollers and catcalls eg across the beach. Several of them were now making explicit gestures in his dire, their drunken bravado clear in their bold and unashamed attempts at sedu.

  He returheir efforts with a nont smile, shaking his head ile refusal. Their antics brought forth an inward chuckle, and he couldn't help but feel grateful. At least I was his bad when I was drunk.

  Before he could ponder further, the shrill cry of a siren cut through the air. He turned just in time to see another boat cutting through the water, swiftly approag the shore. Uhe first, this boat was sleek and polished, its bck surface gleaming uhe m sun. A strip of electric blue running along the side held the word 'police' in bold, white letters.

  Watg with a newfound i, Evander saw as the police quickly went about their work. The drunken women on the boat, their ughter silenced, were swiftly arrested, their hands bound and heads ducked as they were guided onto the police boat. He could see the officers maintaining a professional demeanor, unphased by the lewd jests and drunken protests of the arrested women.

  Then came the difficult part. The officers approached the two women who were still frozen iuck within the beach's magical defense. With a length of rope, the officers slowly and carefully worked to extricate them. With each tug of the rope, the women were pulled bit by bit from the boat's immobilizing entment until they too were safely aboard the police vessel.

  Amidst the otion, Evander's attention was drawn to a specific officer - a woman who seemed to and the se. Even from a distance, he could make out the lines of authority etched onto her fad the way her uniform sat snug against her well-built frame. However, it was her eyes, narrowed and filled with an air of annoyahat were aimed directly at him. He watched as one of her officers leaned in to whisper something, her hands waving in a pg gesture. However, she merely waved her off with an irritated flick of her hand.

  With a resolute stride, she made her way towards the edge of the beach's magical defenses, her gaze raying from Evander. She then cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted across the distance separating them. Her voice, ced with annoyance, carried over the sounds of the pping waves.

  "If you stopped provoking them, our jobs would be a thousand times easier!" she shouted, the accusation hanging heavily in the air.

  Caught off guard, Evaraightened, his brow furrowing in fusion and indignation. His retort echoed over the beach, surprising not just the officer, but all her colleagues as well.

  "What did I d?" he shouted back, the defeone in his voi unspoken challenge.

  The officer's eyes widened momentarily before she regained her posure. "You 't just stand there in sight and draw women to you. Did you know that a man running alone on this beach every day has drawn attention o?"

  Her words hung in the air, leaving Evander in a state of stunned silehe accusatio ludicrous to him, the weight of her words pressing down on him with an unforeseen burden. This is absurd... he thought, his mind trying to grapple with the bizarre twist his m run had taken.

  "But you have to uand, it's your presence here, your...outfit, your demeanor that's causing this chaos!" the officer asserted, her tone carrying an undercurrent of agitation. She gestured towards the throng of drunk women being herded away by the other officers.

  Evander, who had been silently listening to her accusations, finally opened his mouth, "You're trying to tell me that exerg in workout gear is now a crime?" His voice dripped with incredulity, matg the sharpness of her tohe echoes of the m surf punctuated their verbal volley.

  "No, I'm not saying that!" The officer huffed in exasperation, running a hand through her hair. "I'm saying that you're a distra. A nuisance."

  A bitter chuckle escaped Evander's lips. "So, my freedom to take a jog is now a nuisance? Isn't it the duty of the police to ehat citizens live their lives without fear of harassment?"

  "Yes, it is," she retorted, her voice ced with stubbornness. "And we are doing our job by asking you to avoid ing unnecessary attention. Look at what happeoday."

  "I'm not responsible for the as of some drunk women!" he snapped back, his own temper beginning to fray at the edges. "Am I expected to stop living my life just because some people 't trol themselves?"

  The officer ched her jaw, her patience dwindling. "You're twisting my words, mister. It's not about stopping your life. It's about showing some discretion. You 't run around half-naked and thehers for reag!"

  Evander felt his muscles tense. He was only in shorts and a cut-off T-shirt. It wasn't as if he arading around naked. He was starting to look good with all the exercise, but it was hardly his fault if that drew attention.

  "So, what you're saying is that I o be more 'timid' and act 'like a man should'?" he questiohe mockery apparent in his voice. "Should I also stay home and avoid public pces, perhaps?"

  The officer's gaze hardened, "If that's what it takes for you to stop causing disturbahen yes!"

  Evander couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was bming him for the reckless behavior of those women, undermining his right to simply be.

  "I have every right to be here, doing what I do every day - jogging. If someone 't hahat, it's their problem, not mine." Evander's retort echoed across the beach, the early m sun casting long shadows over the arguing duo.

  The officer seemed momentarily taken aback, but then her gaze returo the hardeare, "Until it affects public order, yes, it is your problem, mister. And ours."

  Evander's pulse thrummed with indignation. The waves tio crash in the background, a stant reminder of his interrupted m routine. He would not be swayed, not by accusations aainly not by someone else's ck of restraint.

  "Then, officer, it seems we have different views on freedom, responsibility, and public order," he said, his tone final. He had argued enough.

  The officer didn't let up, shouting after him as he turo resume his jog, "This isn't the end of this. You o cover up and not be out here! Go home and stay inside!"

  Evander's footprints in the sahe only signs of an argument that had ebbed as quickly as it had started. His mind, however, carried the ripples of their discordant versation. He was left with an unpleasaion of flict, just as the m sun was beginning t warmth to the new day.

  Since when did going for a run bee a provocatiohought incredulously, his muscles coiling in indignation. Dressed in only a pair of shorts and a cut-off t-shirt that g to his increasingly toned physique, he didn't see anything inappropriate with his attire.

  After the dramatifrontation with the police officer, Evander tinued his run, his mind whirling with the implications of the m's i. The rhythmic thud of his shoes hitting the sand, the salty tang of the o air, the cry of the gulls above; it all merged into a soothing lulby that slowly quehe fires of his anger.

  I o think this through, he thought, the breeze rustling his hair. The sun was now a radiant orb in the sky, its gentle warmth seeping into his skin. The rhythm of his run became meditative, each stride grounding him, reminding him of the world outside his mind.

  In this society, it seemed, men were seen as potential targets if they weren't chaperoned. I 't let my guard down. He couldn't deny that the thought unnerved him. A part of him was indignant, offe the viotion of his personal freedoms. Another part of him reized the reality of his situation, uanding that his frustrations would not ge societal norms.

  Every step he took on the sandy path etched a deeper uanding in him. His as were stantly under scrutiny, and a single misstep could nd him in a world of trouble. The drunken women from the boat were evidence of how quickly things could spiral out of trol.

  At least those magical wards held them back, he thought, remembering the sight of the women frozen iracks. The faint luminesce of the wards had reflected in their wide, startled eyes. There was a hunger in those eyes, a burning iy that made Evander's skin crawl. If not for the wards, things could have gotten violent.

  The thought brought a shudder that had nothing to do with the cool o breeze. He o tread carefully, especially when out at night. If his vulnerability was discovered, if wot out that a handsome, unescorted man was roaming the streets, he could be an easy target. Aing to such threats could attract even more unwatention.

  He remembered the police officer's harsh words, her pierg gaze. It wasn't just the drunken women he had to worry about. The w enfort had their eyes on him as well. I o be discreet, to blend in. It's the only way to avoid trouble.

  By the time Evander finished his run, the sun had fully emerged, casting long shadows on the sandy beach. His muscles ached pleasantly.

  In the wake of the m's i, Evander was anything but idle. He had an itinerary, a pn of a that included far more than arguing with w enfort on beaches. He navigated his way back to where he had hidden his backpack. In it y his ons - a knife and a handgun, both bearing the mysterious symbols of the magiscriptions that were rapidly being a onpce aspect of his new life.

  Strapping the backpaugly onto his well-toned shoulders, Evander set off on a jog along the beach. His strides were long and effit, the result of tless hours spent pounding simir sandy trails in the military. His heart pounded in sync with his steps, his breath steady as he kept a moderate paot rushing but not dawdliher.

  After what felt like a signifit amount of time, he arrived at a secluded wilderness area, a natural hollow surrounded by a lush expanse of forest and t trees. The verdant greenery created a private encve, a sanctuary hidden away fr eyes. Evander paused, his azure gaze sweeping the area meticulously, ensuring he was alone before proceeding with his intended pn.

  Oisfied with his solitude, he unzipped his backpack, the sound of the zipper slig through the tranquil silence. He carefully extracted the handgun, holding it in his hands with a familiar, almost intimate ease. Its etallic surface was covered with plex, intricate magical inscriptions, an alien nguage to Evander, who couldn’t make head or tail of their meanings. Yet, despite the are symbols, the firearm was simple to operate - a safety switd an unplicated trigger meism were its only trols.

  Double-cheg his surroundings once more, a force of habit drilled into him during his previous life, Evander poihe handgun towards a dry, sandy se of a nearby emba. His eyes were focused, the usually bright azure hue darkened with determination. His grip on the handgun was firm, his posture rigid, the ey of his beiered on the inanimate target in front of him.

  The serenity of the secluded encve unctured by the near-silent discharge of Evander's on. A bolt of searing fire hrough the still air, impag the sandy emba with ferocious iy. The force of the attack morphed the sand instantly into a small patch of glittering gss, the intense heat fusing the particles together.

  Evander froze for a moment, holding his breath as his gaze darted around the hollow, making sure the near-silent discharge hadn’t attracted unwatention. It was an instinctive rea, hohrough years of being in situations where the price of being discovered was often too high. He was relieved when nothing stirred, no curious eyes peered from behind the foliage, no armed voices echoed through the silence.

  Turning back to the patch of gssy sand, Evander's eyes traced the aftermath of his shot. It was startling, the sheer destructive power of the magifused on. The sand, uhe onsught of intense heat, had metamorphosed into a gssy patch, the edges still radiati. It wasn't hard to imagihe damage such a on could infli a living creature. A thin smirk pyed across his lips. This should definitely put a dent in those monsters.

  Emboldened by the success of his first shot, Evander proceeded to put the inscribed handgun through its paces over the few hours. He was methodical in his approach, each shot and its impact, familiarizing himself with the on's strengths and limitations.

  The on, he found, was not designed for le attacks. Its effectiveness reduced drastically beyond twenty meters, and the accuracy was only satisfactory within a teer radius. However, within this ra was a force to be reed with, capable of discharging fiery rounds in rapid succession. The catch was that the on needed a recovery period after a burst of rapid fire – around two minutes for every five rounds.

  The realization prompted a thoughtful frown from Evander. I'll have to be judicious with rapid fire, then. 't risk running out of rounds when faced with a monster.

  Experimentation revealed that the on allowed for a tinuous rate of fire with half a miervals between the shots. This proved to be a relief; a careful, strategic approach was more in lih Evander's bat style.

  Evander's focus shifted from the mystical firearm to the bde that y led within his backpack. Drawing it out, he took a moment to admire its craftsmanship. The knife had a simplicity to it that was both elegant and deadly. The bde olished to a gleaming finish, its edges promising a sharphat went beyond the muhe hilt was etched with intricate inscriptions, pulsating subtly with an inner light, waiting to be activated.

  He found that a mere touch to one suscription was enough to unlock the bde's magic. The razor-sharp edge shimmered, and Evander discovered with a test swing that the knife could slice through the air with an ease that bordered on uny. Sharper than the sharpest steel... almost ethereal.

  Taking a stance, Evander began to practice with the bde. His movements were graceful, fluid, a dance of precision and trol. The k through the air, leaving trails of silver light in its wake. Every thrust, every swing, every feint was executed with lethal accuracy. He alternated between the gun and the kraining his body to transition smoothly betweewo.

  The soft whispers of the leaves, the rhythmic breaking of the waves, and the occasional calls of distant birds made for an orchestra that underscored his solitary practice. Hours rolled by in this rhythmice of porecision, and slowly, he could feel his body adapting to the rhythm of the ons, aodating their power and their potential into his muscle memory.

  As the afternoon sun began its dest, casting long shadows over the tranquil hollow, Evander cluded his practice for the day. His body glistened with sweat, a testament to the interaining he had put himself through.

  Shaking off the tiredness, Evander gathered his belongings and broke into a steady jog towards the dome. The night promised an adventure, a step closer to his goals.