He froze for a second before instinctively taking a step back, both hands rising into the air as annoyance gave way to caution.
"Listen. I don’t want any trouble."
Cain kept his voice calm.
"There is no trouble here. I just need some clothes, a bag, and enough money to rent a room for the night..."
He hesitated before adding,
"Please."
The man stared at him for a moment. Then, somewhat surprisingly, his shoulders relaxed.
"...Alright."
Cain wasn’t sure whether it was the flame or saying please that had convinced him, but he wasn’t about to question it.
The old man turned and disappeared into the house, leaving Cain alone on the porch.
Several minutes passed before the old man returned, carrying what he had managed to gather. A set of simple clothes, a small backpack, and a bundle of cash were tossed onto the chair between them.
Cain glanced at the money but made no effort to count it.
A few hours ago, he had been wandering the streets with nothing to his name. Whatever amount was there was already more than he had expected to receive from a stranger.
Without wasting time, he changed into the clothes.
They were plain and slightly loose, but they fit well enough.
Once he was done, he folded the outfit from the island and stuffed it into the backpack before slinging it over his shoulder.
Then he turned toward the old man and gave a small nod.
"Thank you, sir. I’ll pay you back sometime in the future."
"Yeah, right," the man replied dryly, not sounding remotely convinced.
Cain caught the skepticism immediately but didn’t argue.
After all, if their positions were reversed, he probably wouldn’t believe it either.
Cain hesitated before speaking again.
"Please don’t tell anyone about this."
The old man scoffed.
"What am I going to tell them? That a young man with barely any clothes robbed me and promised to pay me back sometime in the future?"
Cain raised a brow.
"That sounds like a reasonable emergency."
The man’s expression turned a little more serious.
"Compared to a dungeon break, it isn’t. Everyone’s on edge."
For a moment, Cain wasn’t sure what he meant.
The answer only left him more confused than before, but judging by the look on the man’s face, it wasn’t something he was eager to discuss, so Cain left it alone and didn’t press further.
"Thank you," he said before adjusting the bag on his shoulder.
"Make sure to pay me back as you promised," the old man said.
Cain nodded before vaulting over the fence in one smooth motion.
As his feet touched the street and he began walking toward a motel, something in the distance caught his attention.
Far beyond the surrounding buildings, toward the heart of the city, the sky appeared noticeably darker.
Cain slowed.
At first, he thought it was a storm front rolling in, but the longer he looked, the more obvious it became that these weren’t ordinary clouds.
The darkness hung over that section of the city like a stain, dense and unnatural against the night sky.
Tiny black particles drifted from it in a steady stream, carried by the wind as they floated downward.
From this distance, they looked almost like snow.
Except... snow wasn’t black.
Cain narrowed his eyes as a faint sense of unease settled in his chest.
Whatever was happening over there certainly wasn’t normal.
For a moment, he considered investigating, but the thought died almost as quickly as it appeared.
Not today.
He was exhausted. Not just physically, but mentally as well.
Three months of constant fighting, surviving, and sleeping with one eye open had worn him down more than he realized.
Whatever was happening in the distance could wait.
Right now, all he wanted was a place to rest, so he kept walking until he found a cheap motel and paid for a room.
The moment the door to his room shut behind him, something inside him loosened.
The room wasn’t impressive. The wallpaper was faded, the furniture looked old, and the mattress had probably seen better days.
But none of that bothered Cain.
For the first time in months, there was no scorching heat pressing against his skin, no monsters lurking nearby, and no need to stay alert for the next attack.
Just four walls, a roof, and silence.
Cain let out a slow breath and dropped onto the bed without bothering to remove his boots. The mattress dipped beneath his weight, and the unexpected softness drew a quiet sigh from him.
His body felt heavy.
Every muscle seemed to relax at once as the tension he had been carrying for months gradually drained away.
The comfort was almost unfamiliar.
And within seconds, he was asleep.