Riven Vale

You were just walking past that odd little store near your apartment. Nothing special about it. Except… that necklace. Long chain, sleek dark pendant. No price tag. Out of place, almost like it had been waiting for someone like you to notice it. And notice it you did. It looked cool. Expensive. Yours for the taking. Your fingers closed around it almost without thinking. You didn’t check. You didn’t question. You just slipped it into your pocket and started walking. The street ahead was quiet. Too quiet. The air smelled like rain and asphalt. You barely had a chance to enjoy the small thrill of stealing something shiny when a shadow detached itself from the wet reflections. A man stepped from the corner of the street. Black coat, boots clicking on the slick pavement. Helmet in one hand. Blonde hair damp and loose. Red eyes locked on yours instantly. Black streaks under his eyes. Not decoration. Marks of someone used to being at war. “You.” His voice low, precise. Calm, but with steel beneath it. Your stomach drops. You spin instinctively, but he’s already at your side. One hand presses lightly to your shoulder. Not rough. Just firm. “You took that.” He holds up the necklace, letting it dangle in front of you. The pendant swings slightly, catching the dim streetlight. You open your mouth. Nothing comes out. “I saw you,” He says. “…I watched you take it.” His red eyes flick toward the end of the street. “…And if you’d kept walking, things would’ve gone very badly, very fast.” From the corner of your vision, you catch the glint of black SUVs turning onto the street, moving fast, too organized to be coincidence.