The air outside was cold, biting at every inch of exposed skin. I wasn’t exactly dressed for it, but Elly’s hoodie, the one she’d practically claimed as her own, seemed to shield her just fine. She had her hood pulled up, covering her ears, but that didn’t stop the simmering energy around her. I could feel it—a charged silence that meant trouble. The kind of silence only an angry Elf could pull off.

  I tried to make conversation, hoping to diffuse the tension. “Look, Elly, I get it. It was stupid. I wasn’t thinking. I was just showing off. That’s all.”

  She didn’t even look at me as we walked, her stride quick and purposeful. Her shorter legs ate up the concrete in a hurry. I had to lengthen my stride to keep up, and I struggled to do so without puffing, I’m ashamed to admit.

  “The reason we like you is that you aren’t like those other shallow guys. Don’t be an immature asshole like one.”

  Ouch. Fair, but ouch. I deserved it.

  I nodded, taking a deep breath. “I know. I get it. I’ve been an idiot. I just—I guess I just wanted to impress them. Make them think I was something more than just a guy who gets stuck doing nerd work, a nobody.”

  Elly didn’t respond, but I could practically feel her frustration simmering, radiating like heat.

  I sighed, scratching the back of my neck. “I know, though. It was dumb. And I hate that I made you feel exposed.”

  She stopped walking for a second, then turned toward me. “Yeah, you should hate that.”

  I swallowed hard, but before I could open my mouth to say anything more, she just shook her head, turning back toward the path. “Just don’t be a dumbass next time, Daniel.”

  I felt the sting of her words, but there was a quiet edge of concern in her voice too, even if she wasn’t fully admitting it. At least she didn’t hate me.

  But then I muttered, more to myself than anything, “But I am an immature asshole sometimes. You just don’t see it because you think I’m cute and harmless or something. Maybe I’m dangerous, aggressive… sometimes. Maybe I want you all to look at me like I’m not just some innocent puppy.”

  And, for the briefest moment, I saw it—her expression softened, that flicker of amusement in her eyes before it was gone again. She didn’t say anything, though. She didn’t need to. I got it.

  We didn’t talk much after that, but there was an unspoken understanding between us as we reached the rundown diner on the corner. It wasn’t the kind of place anyone would choose unless they had to. Neon lights flickered overhead, buzzing in the cold night, casting an eerie glow on the empty parking lot.

  Elly stopped just outside the door and turned to me. “We’re here. You’re still okay with this?”

  I nodded, though my gut was twisted in knots. “Yeah. Just… stay close. You know I can’t protect you if you’re out of my sight, right?”

  She glanced at the door like it was just another hurdle to jump, then nodded. “I’ll stay close, but I think you’re confusing who is protecting whom. I’m your protection.”

  “Don’t forget, I can make out with any threat alive and immediately render them powerless.”

  “You’re right. I won’t forget that.” She looked unimpressed by my kissing prowess.

  By the time we reached the rundown diner, the cold didn’t feel quite so bad. It was as though the tension between us had somehow broken just enough that the chill didn’t bite as much. The place was everything you’d expect from a hole-in-the-wall joint: a single flickering neon sign, the hum of fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, and a waitress behind the counter who looked like she could’ve been part of a supernatural horror movie herself.

  And there, in a shadowy booth in the corner, was SilentWatcher. The moment I saw him, it felt like the air shifted. He was too still in a place where the light should have made him obvious. His clothes were dark, his hood low, and I couldn’t help but notice how, at certain angles, the light hit him just wrong. He looked almost... transparent.

  I glanced at Elly as we walked in, silently gesturing for her to follow, and she did—her eyes narrowing as she sized him up. “Phantom.” She whispered to me. She didn’t trust anyone. I couldn’t blame her.

  SilentWatcher didn’t move when we reached the table, didn’t even acknowledge us at first. He was too calm, too composed, like a part of the room itself. Then, when the light hit just right, his figure seemed to waver, faintly translucent for a heartbeat. But when I stood close to him, the sensation flickered and disappeared—like I was standing too close to a myth, one that shouldn’t exist but was doing its best to keep up appearances.

  “Glad you could make it, Sir Dumpsalot,” his voice was smooth, calm, and unsettlingly detached. “Take a seat.”

  I sat first, trying to ignore the strange vibe in the air. Elly slid in next to me, clearly not trusting him, her body language tight. She glanced at me but didn’t say anything, and I knew she was still simmering from earlier.

  SilentWatcher’s gaze settled on me, his eyes sharp despite the shadow of his hood. “You’re the Null, also known as Daniel Mercer,” he said, his voice flat. “The one who can break through the Veil.”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  I nodded, not sure how to answer without giving anything away. The more I said, the more likely I was to make things worse. “Yeah. That’s me. And this is Elly.”

  Her eyes flicked toward him for a second, but she didn’t say anything. Just watched him with a cool, appraising stare.

  He didn’t respond to Elly’s presence—just turned his attention back to me, almost like she wasn’t there at all. “You exposed her,” he said, his voice low and almost clinical, though accusatory. “How?” This last bit directed at her, as if she should have known better.

  Before I could react, Elly flared up, her temper obvious even without her usual spark of magic. “It wasn’t intentional! I wasn’t trying to expose myself! He didn’t—”

  I cut her off before she could keep going. “It’s my fault,” I muttered. “I sent the picture. I didn’t think it through.”

  SilentWatcher didn’t seem fazed by her outburst. He just sat there, looking like a predator who had already calculated his next move. “I don’t blame either of you,” he said coolly. “But I do need to understand why you’re both still breathing. You’ve been exposed. A Null that powerful... This isn’t supposed to happen.”

  Elly’s eyes narrowed at the implication, and I felt my jaw tighten too. “So, what now? You turn us in to the highest bidder?”

  “No,” he replied, his voice steady, like we were the ones who should be thankful. “I’m here to help. But I need to know what exactly happened between the two of you. How exactly did you catch her off guard? Fae are a slippery folk.”

  Elly’s face flushed, and I felt the heat in her cheeks from where she sat next to me. She looked away quickly, her hands clenched in her lap, and her voice was quieter than usual when she spoke. “It wasn’t like that.”

  “Ohhh…” SilentWatcher’s voice dropped to a knowing tone, and I could see the flicker of amusement in his eyes. He wasn’t fooled for a second. “So, you weren’t... distracted?”

  She shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass, but her blush only deepened. “I’m not in the mood for your jokes.”

  He tilted his head, clearly not bothered by the tension. “If you’re not careful, this kind of exposure could cost you your life, either of you. You need all your abilities to survive whatever's coming. Don’t waste them on... distractions.”

  The room fell into a silence that felt heavy, like we were all holding our breath.

  Elly stood up abruptly, her face still red but her usual defiance back. “I can take care of myself,” she muttered, clearly embarrassed by SilentWatcher’s insinuation.

  “You’ll have to keep your lips off me, Elly,” I murmured under my breath as she sat back down.

  She shot me a look as if she could’ve killed me with her eyes. “Oh, don’t worry,” she quipped with a smirk, “After that disastrous experiment, I wouldn’t kiss you again if my life depended on it.”

  SilentWatcher leaned back, folding his hands on the table in front of him. “I’m not here to make trouble. I’m here to help you understand what you’re dealing with.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “You want to help me?”

  “Correct. You’re obviously not the first Null to exist. There have been others throughout history, though extremely rare. The consequences of their existence, though…” He paused, letting the words hang in the air for a moment. “They’ve always been disastrous, and in your case, it may be even worse.”

  I felt the weight of his words. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Someone—or something—has noticed you,” he said, leaning forward slightly, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. “It’s because you’re not just a Null. You’re a Signal also. One in a billion meets one in a billion.”

  “What the hell is a Signal?” I asked.

  “A broadcasting presence.” Elly explained, eyeing me as if seeing me for the first time. “It’s a weird talent. It’s an ability that usually attaches to something else. It’s a magnetic personality.”

  SilentWatcher nodded. “It’s how I found you, even online. There are waves in the supernatural community, ripples of interest that are starting to coalesce around you. Some want you dead. Others want you for their own purposes.”

  Elly’s gaze flicked to me, a hint of concern flashing in her eyes before she masked it again. “I’ve been searching as well. What have you heard that I have not?”

  SilentWatcher looked at both of us, his voice steady but with an edge of cold warning. “There are a few organizations that are always watching for anomalies like you, unique individuals of any sort: The Astral Coven, a group of witches that want to harness your power; The Eclipsed, a faction of shadow-bound entities who wish to eliminate you before you can destabilize their hold…”

  He took a breath and leaned in even closer, continuing, “And then there’s the one I’m most concerned about: The Eyes of Aether. They are generally a neutral group politically, but their goal is simple—they want control of anyone who can break through the Veil. That includes you.”

  My stomach dropped. “So, what? We just wait around for them to show up?”

  “No,” SilentWatcher said, standing up abruptly. “You prepare. You stay hidden and off their radar. Most of all, you stay alert. The next time they come for you, maybe you’ll be ready.”

  I wasn’t sure if he meant me or all of us, but something told me the next few days would make it clear.

  “I’m not sure how ready I’ll ever be. I can cancel powers, which is a big supernatural no-no, and then my nature also makes everyone aware of me. It sounds like I got a cosmic screwjob.”

  Both of them sort of nodded in acceptance. I blinked.

  “What am I supposed to do then?”

  “Try not to die.” SilentWatcher suggested. “I can tell that you are benevolent, at least when you’re not in contact with the women around you. Thankfully, that appears to be a rare enough occasion that it shouldn’t cause too much concern.”

  “Thanks.” I muttered.

  “You can attempt to live your life out in the corners of society, away from people. City life is likely not for you anymore. Or…”

  “Yeah?” Hopefully the alternative was better than becoming a hermit.

  He leaned forward conspiratorially. “Or you try to become a player in the world of the supernatural. With the right support, your talents could be useful leverage, even dangerous.” He sat back and glanced around the room. “Either way, your life expectancy is likely measured in weeks, maybe days...”

  SilentWatcher rose abruptly, startling the two of us. He slipped a card across the table to us and slipped into the shadows of the diner, disappearing almost as if he’d never been there, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the worst was just beginning.

  I didn’t grab the card immediately, because I didn’t want to betray the trembling in my hands. The Veil was breaking, and the creatures behind it had noticed. Me.

  To make light of it, I puckered up and leaned in toward Elly, who expertly blocked my affections with a napkin as she collected the card.

  We left the diner in relative silence, but the weight of what SilentWatcher had said hung over us like a storm cloud. Something was coming, and we weren’t ready. Whatever it was, it was going to get worse before it got better.

  As we stepped back into the cold night, I couldn’t shake the feeling that our world was about to change in ways we couldn’t prepare for. And as Elly walked beside me, I couldn't help but wonder just how much longer we could keep things under control.

  We needed to stay close. We needed to stay alive.

  The veil was thinning, and I had a target on my back now.