Leon stood in stunned silence, his mind racing with Ricardo's last words. The rest of Twilight Claws exchanged uneasy glances, sensing the weight of the encounter.
"Leon... what was that about?" Lisa finally asked, lowering her bow.
Leon exhaled slowly, his grip tightening. "That was Ricardo. My friend. And something is very, very wrong with him."
Jinn scoffed, sheathing his daggers. "Friend or not, he could've killed you in a heartbeat. If he's playing games with shadows like that, he's dangerous."
Leon didn't respond. His thoughts were tangled, clouded by uncertainty.
Why did Ricardo warn him away? What truth was he afraid Leon would uncover?
Before he could think further, an eerie chill swept through the ruins. The air grew thick, as if unseen eyes were watching them.
"We shouldn't stay here," Valerie muttered, gripping her spear. "This place feels... wrong."
For once, Leon agreed.
The group made their way back to the city, but Leon's mind remained trapped in that moment. Every flicker of a shadow, every whisper of the wind—it all felt like Ricardo's presence still lingered.
And then, that night, as Leon lay in bed, something strange happened.
A dream.
But it wasn't like any dream before.
He saw flashes of Ricardo's past—a younger Ricardo, standing before a towering figure cloaked in silver mist. A voice echoed through the void, cold and commanding.
"You are of my blood. You cannot escape your fate."
Ricardo's younger self clenched his fists. "I don't care who you are! I'll forge my own path!"
The mist swirled violently, and the voice grew harsher.
"Then you will suffer, just like the others who defied me."
The dream shattered.
Leon bolted upright, gasping for breath. His heart pounded wildly.
That wasn't just a dream.
It was a memory.
And for the first time, Leon truly understood—
Ricardo wasn't warning him away to protect himself.
He was warning him to stay away from something far bigger... and far darker.
To be continued...