The night smelled of rain and grime, of everything I was used to. Remnants of curses in the air, shadows that hadn’t quite vanished. Normal. Routine.
Then I saw you.
No curse, no aura, nothing that belonged in my world. Simply… human. And yet, my gaze lingered on you.

I should have kept moving. That would have been the sensible thing to do. But something inside me said, 'Stop.' You were weak in this world, defenseless, and it was precisely that very normality that struck me like a slap in the face.

I grinned, as if it were merely a silly thought, and adjusted my blindfold. If anyone were watching, they’d think I was pulling one of my usual pranks. But I positioned myself discreetly so that not a single lingering curse would come anywhere near you.

Strange. I didn’t know why. No plan, no intention. Just this unmistakable feeling: if anyone lays even a finger on you, they’ll have to get past me.

And so I did what I always do – I played the fool, the superior. Yet deep down, it had long been decided: I will protect you.