Silas soared silently above Karakura Town. Even now, the world below hasn`t changed since he left. Car headlights could be seen driving amidst the highways, houses shone with nightlights, and the muffled wind rippled past his ears. Most people would desire to be in his position.

　　Perhaps they would play things out differently, desiring to be made-up heroes, save the damsel in distress, and forever live their lives in this fantasy world. Something like that was no more than an illusion of escapism.

　　And Silas knew better.

　　Though there weren`t any eyes on him, he still proceeded with caution. Uryk`s senses could always set off if Silas wasn`t hiding his spiritual pressure. Right now, he didn`t want to cross paths with the Quincy; he instead had another familiar character to single out: Chad.

　　An odd choice, but someone like Chad was still a main character in this world. He hadn`t ventured to the Soul Society this time around, so monitoring his progress without Ichigo was paramount. And if he wasn`t displaying any signs of awakening his powers, there wouldn`t be any reason to kill him.

　　Silas angled his descent and wove between buildings without making a sound. Upon reaching Chad`s home, he didn`t at all find it surprising that the boy was sleeping. It was nighttime, and Chad lived alone. No parents, no siblings—his misunderstood nature was as much a tool as his formidable strength. It had driven him to acts of misguided, protective violence before, fueled by his friendship with Ichigo.

　　The home itself was no different from what Silas remembered. It was actually shared with a deceased relative.

　　Upstairs, the door to his room was open. Chad lay sprawled across his futon, chest moving up and down to indicate he was sound asleep. Silas placed a hand above the boy`s face, tracing the outline through the air but never touching him.

　　Nothing,` he thought to himself.

　　Not a single thing was sensed within the boy. There wasn`t even a hint of his Fullbring abilities. Since this was the case, it could only mean that Chad never suffered psychologically for his dormant powers to awaken.

　　Silas stood by the bed, his gaze merciless. This boy, with his hulk of a physique and spirit to match, could either be valuable or dangerous. The decision, however, had already been mad. Silas would rely on no one in this world.

　　At that moment, his presence seeped into Chad`s dreams. The boy`s hand clinched the sheets, knuckles whitening. "No," he breathed, a muffled groan escaping his lips. "Abuelo...Please&"If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

　　He tossed over, repeating his grandmother`s name under his breath like a desperate cry for help. Silas knew what this was: the weight of guilt from Chad`s story, the shadow of failure.

　　The more Silas stood there, the heavier Chad`s dream became. It was like the boy was sinking in the murky waters of his own subconscious. He began to choke, sobbing at what he was dreaming of. He then thrashed his bedsheets, tangling around his legs as if they could drag him further under.

　　"Stop!" he shouted, his eyes snapping open with him bolting upright. Sweat trickled down his entire body as Silas merely watched with contempt. Chad`s pupils then contracted, unsure of the source of his scream. His breath rasped in his lungs, sweat beading on his face.

　　This was known as a night terror, a phenomenon that happened during someone`s sleep. It is also believed to be caused by devils lurking around the room. Although Silas wasn`t a devil, his concealed spiritual pressure had become potent enough to terrorize normal people`s dreams.

　　What a pathetic character,` he thought. Wallow in your nightmares, knowing that you never made a difference.`

　　Fear sparked in Chad`s eyes—the kind of primal dread a rodent felt facing a fowl. It was a compelling fear, not of injury or even death, but of isolation—of knowing how far out of his depth he truly was in this hidden war.

　　Not much time later, he placed his head back on his pillow and fell asleep. Silas left. His next destination was Orihime Inoue`s home.

　　Many people truly adored this girl, both here and on earth. She was meant to share a lot of adventures with Ichigo. So much so that their interactions consistently hinted that they were lovers. Being a series directed for a younger audience, something like romance wasn`t directly shown.

　　If Silas were to hear the comments about how he treated her, he would likely be reprimanded for his crude behaviour. But why would he ever befriend someone he deemed fake? They were no more than characters in someone else`s mind, animated on a screen for the enjoyment of messing with the audience`s emotions.

　　He couldn`t relate to such people.

　　Upon making it to her house, he scanned the room for any lingering Souls. No other Hollows seemed to have been attracted to the area despite Acidwire being defeated in this very home. This was good because it meant her powers would remain dormant.

　　Silas phased through the ceiling and arrived where she was sleeping. A window remained wide open to the balcony. The room was bathed in moonlight like a black-and-white photograph. Orihime was wearing her nightgown, her breath catching as she twitched and turned in her sleep.

　　Despite having no make-up on, he could understand why so many men regarded her as beautiful. Her orange hair resembling Ichigo`s, her curvatures mixed with her fair skin—she truly was one of Bleach`s most attractive characters.

　　Silas scanned her, verifying no signs of any spiritual powers either in her or around her. Calmly, he walked to the balcony and prepared to leave until he heard her awaken from her sleep. So he turned around to see her sitting upright, gazing in his direction.

　　Suddenly, tears fell from her soft eyes. He`d assumed she saw nothing; perhaps she simply felt his spiritual pressure like a crushing weight. But then their eyes locked, and he understood his fatal error.

　　She could see him!