CHAPTER 275: CASE IN THE SHADOWS

By the time I stepped out the front door, the early light had matured into something cleaner—mid-morning sharpness paired with the slow crawl of warmth. The streets weren’t crowded yet, just enough people to let the day feel like it had started.

I paused.

Breathed in.

Then adjusted the collar of the coat Camille made me.

The mask sat snug against my face, its fibers molding perfectly to my skin. Even without a mirror, I could feel the shift—the way it draped not just across my face but across my presence. Camille’s skills weren’t just technical; they were atmospheric. Psychological Flair tugged at people’s perceptions before I even spoke. Identity Concealment wrapped around me like second skin, quieting the more human tells. Camouflage Weave softened edges, made me feel like a figure half-remembered in the corner of a memory.

It wasn’t just a mask.

It was a persona being carried forward through fabric and thread.

Before leaving, I made one final round. The apartment was silent save for the faint hum of appliances and the occasional creak of shifting sunlight against the glass.

Sienna was curled on the couch, arm over her eyes, a blanket falling halfway to the floor.

Evelyn was seated against the balcony doors, long legs crossed, chin resting on her knee. She wasn’t asleep, but her breathing was still and unfocused—somewhere between awareness and recovery.

Alexis was slumped in a beanbag, a book still in hand, glasses slipping sideways. A half-written note hovered on the tablet beside her. Something medical, probably for me.

And Camille—

Camille had barely stirred from where I’d left her. Her head was still on the throw pillow, hair fanned out, breathing soft.

I leaned over and kissed her forehead gently.

"Thank you."

Then I moved. Quietly. Carefully. I kissed each one in turn, letting a moment pass between each goodbye and the next step forward.

The front door clicked shut behind me.

I didn’t look back.

The streets changed when Mr. Dust walked them.

People didn’t panic. Didn’t scream or cheer like they did when they saw Mr. Angel or Mr. Fox. But they noticed. Heads turned—especially those in low-income sectors, the kind who’d once followed every Masked Syndicate broadcast like gospel. Some gave small nods, the kind of respect that had nothing to do with fame and everything to do with understanding.

They knew it was me.

But the mask still mattered.

That was the strange part. Now that the world knew who I was under it, you’d think it would lose its weight. Instead, it only seemed to deepen the presence. The myth had a name now. And people needed names to hold onto when the rules broke down.

I passed through four districts. Took two short trams and walked the rest. Not out of necessity, but habit.

Camille’s coat moved differently. Heavy where it needed to be, light when I shifted pace. The cuffs gripped my wrists like they remembered how I fought. It was like wearing a weapon made of silence.

I was four blocks from the precinct when I saw him.

A man—late thirties maybe, hard to tell through the grime and exhaustion. Torn jacket. Mismatched shoes. Calloused hands, fingers twitching. He was standing at the corner like he’d run there and hadn’t decided whether to keep going or collapse.

His eyes locked on me the moment I turned onto the street.

"Mr. Dust!" he called out, breathless.

I slowed. Paused.

He stumbled toward me, nearly tripping on the curb. "Please—please, sir—I’ve been looking everywhere for someone who could actually help—someone who—"

I raised one gloved hand.

"Easy," I said, voice steady behind the mask. "What’s going on?"

"There’s a criminal on the loose and I have a crime to report and-"

"Listen...I’ll be frank with you. It’s best you simply head down to the precinct. I doubt I can help you with this."

I wasn’t trying to be rude, but it was just the brutal truth. I had no office, connections or even a somewhere to legally report a crime. I was a detective by all means, but besides Grant...I had nothing.

I turned to start walking towards the precinct.

"Please sir wait! It’s an emergency!"

He stopped a few feet away, panting. "It’s my kid," he said. "Someone broke in. They got into the building—we’re on the third floor but they still—God, they were near her room."

I straightened slowly.

A familiar chill ran down my spine. I didn’t speak yet. Just watched him. His eyes were wide, bloodshot. Not lying—unless he was the world’s best actor. But more importantly, I could feel something underneath.

That pull in my chest.

That instinct.

"You said someone broke in?"

"Yeah," he breathed. "It was early morning. I was in the kitchen—thought I heard something. I go to check and there’s this shape, tall, already halfway in the hallway toward her room. I yelled, and they ran. Didn’t see their face. They were gone before I even reached the window."

My jaw clenched behind the mask.

This wasn’t coincidence.

This matched everything Grant had told me. Low-income home. No sign of theft. No ransom. No photo. Just the kind of predator who didn’t need a name to do damage.

"Why didn’t you go to the station first?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I did! But they brushed it off. Said if nothing was taken, then they can’t open a formal file, but I felt that they just didn’t care enough about D-Rank individuals. I tried to follow protocol. But then I saw one of those posters...and your mask. And I thought maybe—maybe—you’d give a damn."

He looked like he was ready to cry.

I let the silence stretch.

Then turned slightly, motioning for him to follow.

He blinked. "Wait. You mean..."

"You’re coming with me," I said. "You’re part of my case now."

He stared for a second longer, then nodded—quick and desperate—and fell into step behind me.

We didn’t speak on the final stretch.

I let him gather himself. Gave him the space to move at his own pace. I could hear the shoes scraping, the occasional sniffle, but mostly it was quiet. Just footfalls and the hum of the city.

When the precinct came into view, the tension in his shoulders rose.

"You sure this is okay?" he asked.

"I’m legally a detective," I said. "Might not have a badge. But I’ve got the title. And someone in there owes me coffee."

He didn’t laugh. But the corners of his mouth twitched.

We stepped through the front gate. Officers looked up. Some paused, straightened. One of the front desk clerks nudged the other, whispering "That’s him."

A ripple passed through the bullpen as we entered.

The myth of Mr. Dust held weight here.

Not because I was famous.

But because I’d walked into this building once in silence and left it changed.

Grant was at his desk, bent over a sheaf of case reports. He looked up just as I approached—and blinked once.

"Vale?" he said.

I gestured to the man beside me.

"We’ve got a lead."

Grant stood. "Who’s this?"

"A witness. Victim, possibly. Break-in this morning. Low-income housing. Suspect matched our profile—entered near a child’s room, fled before confrontation."

Grant’s eyes sharpened. "Just like the others."

"Exactly," I said. "Except this time, we have someone who saw it. Maybe more."

The man looked up nervously. "Do I... do I give a statement?"

Grant nodded. "Follow me."

As they moved toward the interrogation room, I lingered.

The bullpen had quieted.

People stared, but not out of awe.

Out of hope.

I was Mr. Dust again.

Not because I chose to be.

But because the mask chose when it was needed.

And right now?

The city was whispering.

The streets were holding their breath.

And I was listening.