Eventually, his tired legs gave out, and he came to a halt under a broken streetlamp. His hands rested on his hips, shoulders rising and falling with each heavy breath.

"I honestly don't know if I should be mad or just laugh," he muttered.

The green light hovered a few meters ahead, floating still, almost as if it sensed he was out of energy. Alaric stared at it, frustration and exhaustion flickering in his eyes.

"I've already run far enough tonight," he said, voice raised slightly. "If you've got something to show me, then show it now! Stop playing with me like I'm some kid!"

There was no reply. Just silence. The alley went quiet again, filled only by the faint buzz of insects and the whispering wind slipping through the gaps between buildings.

Alaric exhaled deeply. He set down the small bag he carried, filled with stones and a locket case on the ground. Looking at it for a moment before raising his gaze back toward the still light.

"This is a waste of time. If you're not going to do anything, I'm leaving."

He turned halfway, ready to walk away, but just then, the light began to flicker rapidly. Not like before. It blinked fast... like it was laughing or mocking him again.

Alaric froze, staring at it with a face full of tired disbelief. "Now what?"

Before he could move closer, the light darted off again. This time it was even faster, streaking down through a tight gap in the wall, bouncing off another surface as if saying, "Come on, catch me if you can."

"Hey, you!" Alaric shouted through gritted teeth, his voice sharp with frustration.

He clenched his fists. "You're just like your owner, confusing and unbelievably annoying!"

His voice rang out through the narrow alley. He kicked a small rock on the ground, sending it clattering loudly before the sound was swallowed by the quiet once more. Alaric could only sigh.

But beneath his irritation and fatigue, there was a flicker of curiosity he couldn't ignore. That light… maybe it really did have a purpose. Maybe, like that strange boy, it wanted to lead him somewhere.

For now, the only thing he could do was keep following, muttering under his breath,

"Alright, you cursed little firefly… show me where you want me to go."

And once again, Alaric ran.

Chasing something that might be real, or might be nothing more than a trick, pulling him back and forth in the silence of the street.

At last, after leading him on this long, aimless chase, the light finally stopped. Alaric's breath was still heavy, his chest rising and falling quickly, but now his eyes were fixed straight ahead… at a large, imposing building that stood before him. That house—yes, that grand house once again! The very one he had walked away from not long ago, now back in front of him like it had never left.

"So we ended up here again, huh?" he muttered, wiping the sweat from his temple.

The green light pulsed softly, as if responding with silent sarcasm. Then, without warning, it spun once in the air and slowly began to absorb itself. Gathering the tiny scattered sparks back into one form. Alaric could feel something then… a presence. The light wasn't just moving at random. It knew what it was doing.

Now, the two of them stood beneath the silent night sky, facing the grand house whose windows reflected the flickering light of oil lamps from inside. The air around them felt tense, like unseen eyes were watching from behind the curtains.

Alaric bowed his head slightly, trying to catch his breath.

"Alright. If you're going to make me play this game again, then at least give me a good reason," he whispered quietly.

But there was no answer. The light simply floated toward the shadows under the balcony and came to a stop. From that spot, Alaric could see several guards patrolling the front yard. They hadn't noticed anything unusual yet, and that was a good sign.

Then the little orb pulsed again, sending out a narrow line of light pointing straight toward one guard in the main hall. The man stood tall, holding a small communication device in his hand. Alaric narrowed his eyes. "That one first?" he murmured. No response came, but the movement of the light was clear enough.

Slowly, it floated closer. Moving as softly as a breath in the wind without casting shadows, without a sound. Alaric held his breath, eyes locked onto its every move. As it hovered just above the guard's head, it paused… and a fine dust, like stardust, began to drift down onto the man's hair.

Moments later, the effect kicked in. The guard blinked slowly, rubbed his face, then shook his head like he was trying to stay alert. He straightened up again, but his eyelids were already drooping.

"No… I have to stay awake…" he muttered to himself, barely audible.

But the drowsiness only deepened. He tried to walk toward the kitchen. Maybe to get water or coffee. But his steps veered off. Somehow, it was as if something else was guiding his body. And instead, he wandered toward a large chair in the corner of the hall.

Alaric watched tensely. The green light still hovered above him, trailing behind the guard like a thread pulling at a puppet.

Seconds passed… and then the guard dropped into the chair, exhaling heavily, and within moments... he was fast asleep.

Silence filled the room. The only sound left was the soft, steady breath of a man lost to slumber. The firefly-like orb drifted lower again, only inches above the man's face.

Alaric watched, unmoving. There was something captivating in how the light moved. Almost like it was alive, with instinct and intent. It hadn't hurt anyone. It hadn't used violence.

"Is that how you plan to finish all of this?" Alaric asked quietly, his voice softer now.

He bowed his head slightly, looking deep into the floating light. For some reason, he felt like he was talking to someone. Not just a pendant, not just a strange creature of light.

Once he was sure the hall guard was completely out, Alaric sighed again. He stepped back, glanced at the sleeping man, then looked toward the glowing light that had already begun to drift away.

"Where are you off to now?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the green glow for even a second.

The light didn't answer. Of course not. But its direction was obvious. It zipped down a narrow corridor that led toward the security control room, leaving behind a faint trail of glow along the stone walls it passed.

Alaric narrowed his eyes, thinking for a moment. He knew that area was heavily protected, not because of guards. But because it was where all the house's defense systems were managed. If that room fell, the entire mansion would go blind. And that would be his moment to move.

But instead of charging in, Alaric stopped behind a tall marble wall, pressing his body close. He peeked through the carved doorframe that had been left slightly ajar. From there, he could see the green light already at work again.

And in his heart, a quiet question stirred.

"Why is it helping me this much?"

He had never really known the boy who gave him the pendant, nor did he understand the motives behind the help. All he knew was one thing… that boy and this strange light... always showed up right when he needed them. As if they could read his mind before he even spoke.

"If you have an agenda, I'll figure it out eventually."

There wasn't much suspicion in his voice. Just a growing curiosity he couldn't shake.

The green light now hovered near the edge of the room. From where Alaric stood, he could see another guard sitting in a rolling chair, watching a bank of monitors displaying various parts of the mansion. His fingers tapped against the desk, maybe out of boredom, while his eyes flicked from one screen to the next.

The green glow drifted closer, then shifted its shape. It dispersed into a fine mist, thin and transparent, that crept toward the cameras mounted on the ceiling, slithering along the wires until it reached the central console controlling the monitors.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Just the hum of machines and the soft whir of tiny fans. But then, something began to change.

One by one, the monitors in front of the guard started to flicker. The images hallways, courtyards, entrances... began to distort. As if the signal was breaking down. Within less than a minute, all the screens had turned to static, washed out in gray lines like old, damaged tapes.

The guard frowned.

"What the hell…?" he muttered, sounding slightly panicked. He leaned forward, tapping one of the screens, then punched a few keys on the console. Nothing responded. The screens stayed frozen, buzzing with that awful static noise.

The green light hovered silently above him, moving slowly, waiting.

Alaric knew this was his moment. He stepped forward carefully, making sure his boots made no sound on the polished marble floor.

When the guard leaned even lower to check the cables under the desk, Alaric made his move. One quick step. One clean strike. He swung the side of his hand hard into the back of the man's shoulder.

The guard gasped, starting to turn his head, but his body collapsed before he could react. He slumped forward with a dull thud, his forehead hitting the console.

Alaric caught him before he fell completely, easing him down onto the floor. Then he turned to the monitors, all of them now dark with interference. No visuals, no audio. Just empty screens.

"All right, phase two complete," he whispered with a faint smirk. He scanned the room one last time, making sure nothing was out of place. "Now… it's our turn to move."

He stepped out quietly, walking down the long hallway that now lay wide open. Unguarded, unwatched. Still accompanied by the glowing green light that had never once left his side.