The rain had stopped, but the silence it left behind felt louder than the downpour ever had.
Asher sat beneath a collapsed overpass, its concrete belly sheltering him from the elements. Steam rose from his coat. Blood—mostly not his—soaked the sleeves and darkened the collar. His helmet lay on the ground beside him, faceplate cracked, visor dull.
Parasight shimmered into view at a mental command.
> [Kill Points: 85]
[Entropy: 7.5%]
[Replay Log – Feature Available]
[New Entry Available: Battle – Day 17, Rake Encounter]
He'd been meaning to check it out. The system's Replay Log wasn't like a video camera—it recreated experiences, offering perspective from both internal and external views. Ideal for study. For reflection. For understanding his flaws.
He selected the most recent entry.
> [Replay Log: Loading...]
[Perspective: External]
Time twisted.
He saw himself again—emerging from the woods, steps quiet, body low. The trees were thick with mist, the darkness full of teeth. Across the clearing, crouched low and spider-limbed, was it.
The Rake.
Watching.
Then chaos. The blur of movement. The silent violence. Claws ripping coat and flesh. Blade slicing white muscle. A hiss like static and rot.
Asher leaned in as the moment replayed.
And then—
He caught it.
Something just behind the Rake. Behind the trees.
Tall.
Still.
Pale.
His heart gave a slow, deliberate beat.
He rewound. Paused.
There it was. Clearer now.
A tall, faceless figure, standing impossibly still. Watching the fight.
He didn't speak. Didn't move.
He didn't have to.
> [Label: Unknown Entity Detected – "Redacted Observer"]
Asher sat in silence, staring at the frozen image. Every instinct in him buzzed with understanding.
Slender Man.
Urban legend. Manifestation. Unkillable witness. He'd read the stories. Knew the rumors. Proxies. Obsessions. The slow erosion of identity until only the mission remained.
But why him?
The system was unique. Hidden. Asher was something new, something evolving.
Was that what he wanted?
Not prey.
Potential.
The idea lodged in his chest like a nail.
He shut the replay.
For now, that was enough.
The helmet clicked back into place.
And Asher vanished into the mist once more.