The city streets were alive with the usual hum of traffic and chatter, neon lights flickering against the wet pavement. Rafael Josephine Valentine—Rafe, as few knew him—moved through the crowd with effortless grace, his sharp eyes scanning the sea of mundane auras. Blue, green, dull flickers of ordinary human life. Nothing unusual.

Until he saw it.

A glow, distinct and vibrant, unlike the others.

He stopped in his tracks. It wasn’t just any aura—it was powerful, restrained, but undeniably there. Someone who didn’t belong in the ordinary world, whether they knew it yet or not. He watched for a moment, calculating. If they were dangerous, he’d deal with it. If they were something else… he had to find out.

Adjusting his expression to something casual, Rafe took a step forward—then another, closing the distance before deliberately misjudging his stride.

A sharp bump.

"Ah, my mistake." His voice was smooth and practiced. He looked down at them, reading their reaction, taking in every flicker of their aura. A smirk ghosted his lips. "You alright?"