Reilfear Chapter 3: Chapter 3 The Eyes That Noticed

Read chapter 3 of Reilfear by bad_writer on NovelPedia.

"How do you know my name?" The question left my mouth before I could stop it. The cook blinked at me as if I had just asked something ridiculous. While waiting for his response, my attention drifted around the street again. Something strange caught my eyes this time. At first I thought it was just decoration—some kind of artistic pattern common in this world. But the more I looked, the more unsettling it became. There were markings everywhere. On the wooden pillars of stalls. On the walls of shops. On signboards hanging above entrances. Even on the stone pavement beneath people's feet. They looked like words. Or symbols. Or something between the two. Some resembled letters from languages I had seen before, but twisted in unnatural ways. Others were completely foreign, their shapes sharp and curved like something carved by careful hands long ago. Yet they weren't arranged randomly. They followed patterns. Lines. Sentences. Almost like the entire street had been… written. The thought made the back of my neck feel cold. The cook noticed where I was looking and laughed lightly. "Stop joking," he said. "We've known each other for a year already." His tone was casual, friendly. But there was genuine confusion in his eyes, as if he truly believed what he was saying. A year? That was impossible. "I've never seen you before," I murmured quietly. He tilted his head slightly. Then I asked another question, trying to keep my voice steady. "Do you know where I live?" My hand rested on the edge of his wooden stall. The surface felt rough beneath my fingers, grounding me slightly in a situation that felt more and more unreal. The cook scratched the side of his head. "Aren't you a wanderer?" he replied. "You told me that yourself." His words were natural, as if he was simply reminding a forgetful friend. "You said you were staying here for a while because of an injury." An injury? I glanced down at my body. My arms looked fine. My legs moved normally. There was no pain anywhere. "I… said that?" The cook nodded. "Yeah. About two months ago, I think." Two months. One year. In this world… I apparently already existed. But I had never been here. The realization made my chest tighten slightly. It felt like I had stepped into the middle of a story where my role had already been written. And everyone except me knew the script. Then suddenly— Something in the atmosphere changed. It was subtle. Almost unnoticeable. But my instincts picked it up immediately. Someone new had entered the street. I didn't notice him at first because he wasn't doing anything dramatic. He simply stood among the moving crowd like any other person. But something about him felt… heavy. My eyes slowly drifted toward him. He stood several meters away. Tall. His long silver hair flowed down past his shoulders, shining faintly beneath the lantern light. His eyes were a deep crimson red that seemed almost unnatural. He wore a long dark coat, its collar raised slightly as if he preferred to hide part of his face. His features looked aged. Not weak with age. But hardened. Like the face of a predator that had survived countless winters. The kind of face that belonged to a bear who had lived sixty brutal years in the wilderness. In his hands were two glass containers filled with glowing golden liquid. At first glance he looked like a traveler carrying medicine. But something about him made my instincts scream in warning. Then his gaze shifted. And landed directly on me. The moment our eyes met— A strange smile slowly spread across his face. It wasn't the kind of smile people gave strangers. It wasn't curiosity. It was recognition. The kind someone shows when they discover something rare. Something valuable. Something interesting. He spoke quietly. Not to me. Not to the people around him. But to the empty air beside him. "Found an extraordinary being." His voice was thin and amused. The grin on his face widened slightly. Almost… evil. A cold sensation crawled up my spine. Yet he didn't