"Fuck," The word came out softly as I stared at my best friend. Cade. The heavy-set man looked much the same as he had the last time I'd seen him, down to the glasses and obsession with button-down shirts that never quite went away after that one time in high school. Everything about him was the same down to the whiffs of cologne I could smell in the enclosed alley, everything except for the haunted look on his face.

  “Hi, Cade. Been a minute.”

  I watched as Cade's jaw worked up and down. "Yeah. A minute." I could practically see the gears grinding away in his head. If they ground any harder, I suspected I might start to see steam coming out of his ears. That or fogging up the rectangular lenses of his glasses. He seemed to be struggling for words. A rarity for my friend, the man could talk shit like no one else I knew. He often claimed it was his lack of a filter and that he liked to be just as surprised as everyone else by what came out of his mouth.

  "So how's the family?" I asked, trying to snap him out of his apparent stupor.

  “Hows the- HOW ARE YOU NOT DEAD!?”

  I winced sticking a finger in my ear for effect as his shout echoed through the dingy alleyway we were in. “That’s complicated, but I’m back now.” Cade's eyes widened, a mix of disbelief and anger flashing across his face.

  "Complicated? COMPLICATED? You disappear for two years, everyone thinks you're dead, and all you can say is 'it's complicated'?" He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the carefully styled look he'd always maintained.

  I sighed, glancing around the alley. This wasn't exactly the reunion I'd hoped for, but I couldn't blame him. "Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I was... somewhere else. It was sudden, I didn't know what was happening, and there weren't any phones where I was, so calling was kinda out. My coming back was just as sudden."

  Cade stared at me for a long moment, then burst out laughing. It wasn't his usual jovial laugh. "That's a crock of shit. You never could lie to me worth a damn. Your sister, your brother. Hell, I know we pulled one over your old man a time or two." Cade fixed me with a hard stare. "Never could get much past me, though, so quit while you're ahead." All I could do was shrug. I wasn't willing to bring him into the mess I was in, not yet. Not until I knew just how grand a shit storm was brewing on the next horizon. Cade looked like he wanted to shout again, but instead, he just shook his head. "I don't have time for your insanity right now." He let out a heavy sigh. "Don't disappear before we get a drink. Call me when you're done hiding shit like an idiot." Cade spun around with a wave, walking out of the alley, leaving me standing there with my head spinning. That was abrupt for Cade. I wasn't sure what to make of it, not that I blamed him for any of it. It was just odd.

  I shook myself and got moving. I still had things to do today.

  Seeing Cade felt like an odd sort of recalibration. I felt more comfortable, more settled. The rest of the day flew by as I made stops at the bank and Service Ontario to see about replacing all my ID and bank cards. Thankfully, it turned out to be not as much of a pain as I expected. My father had apparently taken most of my stuff from my apartment and shoved it into the garage when my landlord had declared me missing. Which meant that my passport was among the many cardboard boxes filled with the contents of my apartment. That made things much simpler since I wasn't completely without ID. Even if the teller and the lady at the service hummed and hawed over my different appearance and demanded updated photos for all my IDs. It was a small price to pay for passing through the whole process with minimal issues, so I complied easily enough.

  As I walked out of the Service Ontario office, my new IDs tucked safely into my pockets, I still needed a new wallet at some point soon. I felt a strange mix of relief and unease. On one hand, I was officially "alive" again in the eyes of the government. On the other hand, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was painting a target on my back. I checked my phone, I'd sent a message to Cade's number so he'd have my new number – no response. I couldn't blame him for needing time to process. Hell, I was still processing everything myself. The weight of my new reality settled heavily on my shoulders as I made my way down the bustling streets of downtown Hadford.

  The city felt both familiar and alien. H-Dot, as we used to call it, had always been a mix of suburban tranquillity and urban grit. But now, with my newly heightened senses, I could feel an undercurrent of something... else. A tension in the air. It showed itself in strange ways. The way people rushed to and from their destinations as if they were constantly in a rush, without quite being aware of it. The casting of concerned looks over their shoulders as if they felt someone was watching them. I ducked into a quiet coffee shop, needing a moment to gather my thoughts. As I sipped my coffee, I discreetly opened my status window. I was fairly certain no one else could see it, and the reactions of the other patrons confirmed it. No one could see the floating screen that appeared in front of me.

  My status sheet was a far cry from what it had been when I'd entered the Soul-Sheer, looking at it, while I sat in the corner of a coffee shop, drove home more of the difference. The people around me weren't part of the system. I wasn't just stronger, faster, more durable. There was something more esoteric about the difference between those who were part of the system and those who weren't. Something I didn't understand. Why were those who were initiated into the system so much brighter in my aura senses than those who weren't? The difference of having stats was significant to be sure, but it couldn't be that significant at a base level, could it? Was there a qualitative difference between those with the system and those without, even if they hadn't gained any levels yet? I had no way of knowing and few ways to get any answers.

  I sighed, finishing my coffee in one large gulp. Before the Soul-Sheer and the system, the scalding coffee would have burned me badly; now it was just mildly uncomfortable gulping down the hot liquid. The perks of having points in Endurance, I supposed. Exiting the coffee shop, I headed for home. Hopefully, the walk would help me clear my head. I decided to err on the side of caution and take a different route home; it wasn't worth the risk of discovery to go past the park again and maybe glean a few more tidbits from passing conversation.

  As I walked through the less familiar streets of Hadford, my mind raced with questions. The system, my newfound abilities, the strange undercurrent I sensed in the city - it all felt like pieces of a puzzle I couldn't quite fit together. I found myself reflexively scanning my surroundings, my heightened senses picking up on details I would have missed before. A flicker of movement caught my eye, and I turned to see a stray cat dart into an alley. For a moment, I could have sworn its eyes glowed with an unnatural light. I could have sworn the cat had been staring at me with those eerie eyes. For a moment, it felt like there was more than just animal intelligence behind those eyes. Was I becoming paranoid, or was there truly something otherworldly lurking beneath the surface of my hometown? I quickened my pace, eager to reach the safety of my father's house. As I rounded a corner, I nearly collided with a group of teenagers. They were huddled together, whispering excitedly about something. I caught snippets of their conversation as I passed.

  "...swear I saw it, man. Like, glowing eyes and everything..."

  "No way. You're full of shit, Jake."

  "I'm telling you, there's something weird going on in town these days.”

  Or perhaps I wasn't so paranoid. It sounded like one of the teenagers had gotten a look at the cat that fled and also thought it was unusual.

  I slowed my pace, straining to hear more of their conversation without appearing suspicious. Their hushed tones carried an edge of excitement and fear that resonated with my own unease. I moved on, heading towards my Father's home once again. The sun was beginning to set, and there wasn't much more to be learned today.

  My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar tingle at the base of my skull. Vipera, my Nexus-Root familiar, was alerting me to danger. I glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source of her unease. My aura flared out to its maximum size, covering my father's house as I rounded the corner. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found his aura in the house, feeling calm and relaxed as far as I could tell. Certainly not in any direct danger. I sighed, I was going to need more practice if I was going to try and read people by the nuances of their auras.

  That sense of relief vanished when I realized my father wasn’t alone in the house. There was another aura. One much brighter, but just as familiar.

  Uncle wolf.

  "Well, Dad did call him; it wouldn't be unusual for him to make an appearance, it's just suspicious," I muttered to myself as I approached the house significantly more on edge than I had been only moments ago. I hesitated at the front door, my hand hovering over the knob. Uncle Wolf's presence complicated things. He'd always been more than just a family friend - he was my father's confidant, a mentor to us kids, and a man shrouded in mystery. His military background and sharp instincts made him a formidable figure, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he knew more about my situation than he let on. Not to mention everything else that seemed to be going on in the city these days.

  Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The familiar scent of home washed over me, mingling with the aroma of my father's signature beef stew. I could hear low voices coming from the kitchen.

  "Aiden? That you, son?" My father's voice called out.

  "Yeah, it's me," I replied, making my way towards the kitchen. As I rounded the corner, I saw them both seated at the table, steaming bowls of stew in front of them, accompanied by mugs of black coffee. Uncle Wolf's piercing grey eyes locked onto mine, his weathered face unreadable. He looked much the same as he had in the park earlier today, though he was dressed much more casually than he had been. When he wasn't working, Uncle Carl's uniform was jeans and a t-shirt at all times, at least until it got too cold out. He'd said often enough when we were growing up that he'd spent more than enough time in tight clothes looking sharp; now he preferred being comfortable.

  "Welcome back, kid," he said, his voice gravelly but warm. "Your old man here's been catching me up on your... unexpected return."

  My eyes darted between Uncle Wolf and my father, trying to gauge the situation. "Yeah, it's been quite the homecoming," I said, forcing a casual tone. "Didn't expect to see you here so soon, Uncle Wolf."

  Uncle Wolf's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Your dad and I go way back, Aiden. Same as when you up and vanished, when he called, I came." He gestured to an empty chair. "Why don't you join us? Your dad's stew is as good as ever."

  I hesitated for a moment before taking a seat. As I settled in, my father dished up a bowl and pushed it towards me. The rich aroma hit my nose, and despite my unease, my stomach growled. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until that moment.

  "So," Uncle Wolf began, his piercing gaze fixed on me, "your father tells me you're back from wherever you were, and haven’t told your Brother and Sister yet. Care to elaborate?"

  I swallowed a spoonful of stew, buying myself a moment to think. "It's complicated, and I don't have all the answers myself," I said, echoing my earlier words to Cade. "I'm not entirely sure how to explain it."

  Uncle Wolf nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. I wanted to poke him, to prod him for answers, but I wasn't sure how to go about it. Moments passed as I tucked into my bowl of stew, and the table was silent.

  "So, what was going on in the park today, Uncle Wolf? Saw you hanging around with a bunch of suits and badges." Uncle Wolf's face revealed nothing, but I caught the twitch around his eyes. He hadn't known I was there. I watched curiously as my Father's gaze flipped around to settle on Uncle Wolf. Apparently, Uncle hadn't told him something was going on at the park.

  "And you didn't stop to say hello? I'm hurt, Kid."

  I wanted to groan; the old wolf always seemed to have a way of turning questions back around on me when he didn't want to answer. It was unbelievably frustrating and hadn't changed one bit from when I was a kid. He'd always delighted in leading me and my siblings around by the nose until we could figure out whatever answers we wanted on our own, rather than coming out and giving us the answers we were after.

  "Eh, looked like you were working. Didn't want to interrupt." I said, turning my attention back to my bowl of stew. I didn't think I'd get anything out of Uncle Wolf tonight, and if I wasn't careful, he might maneuver me into giving something up that I wasn't ready to. Plus, my Father was here as well, already staring suspiciously at both of us.

  Whatever Uncle Wolf knew, he seemed to want to keep my dad out of it for now; there seemed to be an unspoken agreement between the two of us that we both had secrets and to stop poking at them for the moment, at least.