Chapter 64: The Hunter's Crossroads

Casper stood outside the door of the crowded bar, a teenager on the cusp of leaving behind the only world he’d ever known. He’d been sent to this city for one last task for his master. Afterward, he could pursue what truly mattered—finding his origin. It wasn’t just about duty, though. He was weary, despite his youth. At just fourteen years old, he felt ancient, a soul burdened by years of carrying out cold, detached missions in a world that had stripped him of emotion. His entire existence was a blur of death and blood, of hunting beings that lurked in the shadows, but never finding the answers he sought about himself. He had once tried to remember his beginnings, but every attempt brought such unbearable pain that he gave up. His memories were fragmented, and the society he served had only ever offered vague explanations. Then, there had been the old woman—an apparition of sorts—who appeared when he least expected it. Her cryptic words had unsettled him. She had told him that he was