Hello i am back with new chapters hehehe :) don't forget to follow the story huhu

  The three wore the simplest, plainest clothes possible and yet somehow, they were impossible to ignore.

  Especially Kael.

  Even without seeing his full eyes, his elegant bearing, graceful movements, and serene beauty demanded attention.

  Feeling the stares burning into them, Quirl leaned close and muttered, “Now we really understand why you hide your features."

  Quin, cheeks pink with discomfort, nodded. "Yeah, this is... unnerving."

  Kael merely gave a faint, knowing smile beneath his cloth.

  Quickly, they made their way to the innkeeper’s counter.

  Quirl cleared his throat, offering a polite, if rushed, explanation.

  "We'll be staying a few more days. We'll be out for a while, but our belongings will remain inside."

  The innkeeper, who had just barely regained his composure, stuttered, "Y-Yes, no problem! You are the rightful tenants of the room as long as you wish to stay!"

  He bowed slightly, voice still shaking from the spectacle.

  Quin gave a brief, grateful smile. “Thank you.”

  Kael, too, smiled warmly and bowed slightly, the motion revealing a glimpse of his dimples, which only caused several of the young noblewomen and daughters among the guests to swoon openly.

  As they moved toward the main door, Kael’s peach cloth swayed gracefully, as did the charm gifted by Sir Serenn, which hung from his belt. Kael took it before.

  His wooden pole made a soft, rhythmic tapping on the wooden floor, in perfect step with the sway of his long black hair.

  Quin muttered from the side of his mouth, “Let’s hurry. This is way too uncomfortable...”

  Quirl groaned in agreement, adjusting his cloak tighter around him.

  Kael chuckled lightly, his voice smooth as silk.

  "Now you know how it feels," he said.

  As soon as they stepped out into the morning air, the buzz of conversation inside the inn exploded behind them compliments, guesses about their identities, wild speculations flying across the hall.

  Hearing it, Quirl and Quin exchanged wide-eyed looks and immediately broke into a sprint, hurrying ahead.

  Kael only chuckled again, his steps light and unhurried as he followed them into the bustling streets beyond.

  The morning streets of the capital bustled with lively energy. Crisp air, tinged with the scents of sizzling meats and sweet pastries, wafted around them as Kael, Quirl, and Quin strode down the cobblestone roads. The warmth of the rising sun brushed their faces, while the golden hues of daylight painted the town in a soft, inviting glow. Vendors were calling out, peddling their wares with animated voices, adding layers of life to the scenery.

  Despite their plain traveling clothes, the three men walked with a natural, quiet charisma. Kael, with his long black hair half-tied and his stormy eyes hidden behind a blindfold, moved gracefully, each step accompanied by the faint chime of the wooden pole he carried. Murmured conversations followed them.

  "Who are they?" "Which family do they belong to?" "Look at the one with the blindfold... yet he walks as if he can see everything."

  There were admiring glances, curious stares, and a few suspicious eyes, especially toward Kael.

  Eventually, the three stopped at a small street vendor’s stall a humble but cozy place, shaded by an old patched canopy. Wooden chairs and tables were set out neatly for customers. An amiable middle-aged woman, wiping her hands on her apron, welcomed them with a gentle smile.

  "What can I get for you, young sirs?" she asked kindly, her eyes lingering curiously on Kael’s covered gaze.

  "Just some warm tea, please," Quirl answered politely, giving a respectful nod. Quin smiled briefly, and Kael gave a silent incline of his head.

  The woman bustled to prepare their order. Meanwhile, Kael set his wooden pole carefully against the side of the table. Quirl and Quin scanned the surroundings with cautious eyes, noting the other stalls selling fruits, herbs, and trinkets.

  After a small pause, Quirl leaned closer to Kael and Quin. "It might be better if we split up," he suggested quietly. "We can cover more ground and ask more people that way."

  Quin hesitated, his brows furrowing slightly as he looked between Quirl and Kael. "Will you be alright?" he asked Kael, concern threading his voice.

  Kael smiled faintly under the shade of his blindfold. "I'll manage. Seren’s pills are still effective. I’ll take them if needed."

  Reluctantly, Quin nodded, trusting Kael’s words.

  The middle-aged woman returned, balancing a tray with a simple teapot and three small cups. Quirl instinctively stood up and gently took the tray from her hands, setting it carefully on the table.

  The woman’s heart warmed at the small gesture. 'Such polite young men,' she thought. 'Where are they from, I wonder?'

  As she turned to leave, Quirl seized the opportunity, asking politely, "Pardon me, madam. Have you, by any chance, seen someone wearing a necklace made of stormy gray jade?"

  The woman paused, thoughtful. "Stormy gray?" she repeated. "No... I can’t say I have. That color's rare, too rare. Most prefer brighter shades of jade. It’s unusual to see something so... cursed." Her tone was gentle, apologetic.

  "Thank you for your help," Quirl said with a light bow. But Kael's ears caught the words 'cursed but didn't have a chance to asked.

  "You’re welcome, dear," she replied warmly before attending to another customer.

  Quirl and Quin exchanged meaningful glances. They would indeed need to search far and wide in the city. Kael, hearing the exchange, calmly said, "Let’s part ways after this."

  Both men agreed.

  They finished their tea in silence, savoring the simple warmth. Once done, Quirl paid the woman with a few coins, adding a few extra out of gratitude. He and Quin stood first, bidding Kael a brief farewell before disappearing into the crowd.

  Kael was the last to rise. Before leaving, he turned in the exact direction of the woman and said softly, "Thank you." He gave a deep, respectful bow.

  Nearby customers watching were stunned.

  "How did he know exactly where she was standing?" someone whispered.

  "Is he really blind?" another murmured.

  Ignoring the chatter, Kael retrieved his wooden pole with practiced ease and stepped calmly back onto the stone road. His half-loosened hair flowed behind him, catching a few rays of sunlight and adding to the ethereal quality around him.

  As Kael moved through the lively streets, he sensed the swirling flows of spiritual mana. Some strands were vibrant and clear, allowing him glimpses beyond the ordinary—shapes, colors, emotions. His stormy gray eyes, hidden behind the cloth, shimmered faintly.

  Passersby watched him with a mixture of fascination and unease, murmuring among themselves. But Kael paid them no mind. His heart was steady; his purpose clear.

  After a while, he came upon a modest but well-kept jade shop, its entrance flanked by small wooden statues. Taking a step toward the stone stairs leading up to the shop, Kael felt the sharp awareness of those nearby—shopkeepers and customers holding their breath as he ascended.

  Each careful step Kael took made them tense, only to sigh in relief when he moved without stumbling. He knew their worry and silent judgments, but he pretended ignorance.

  Reaching the top, Kael paused at the door. Just then, someone from inside a young woman was about to step out. Kael shifted fluidly aside, letting her pass first.

  The woman blinked in surprise before offering a hurried, "Thank you."

  Kael simply nodded and bowed lightly, his gestures graceful and composed.

  Inside the shop, the atmosphere shifted immediately. All eyes turned toward him, customers, workers, even the shop owner. Whispers stirred again.

  'Not again,' Kael sighed inwardly, keeping his expression serene.

  One of the workers, a young man with neat hair, rushed over with visible eagerness and a touch of nervousness. "Sir, allow me to assist you," he said, reaching out lightly to guide Kael by the elbow.

  Kael stiffened at the contact but forced himself to remain relaxed. He couldn’t break his 'blind' facade here.

  "Is there a particular jade you're looking for, sir? I can describe them to you," the worker offered kindly.

  Kael gave a faint, grateful smile and shook his head. "I’m not looking to buy," he said softly. "But... may I ask a question?"

  The worker hesitated for a fraction of a second suspicion flickering in his eyes before masking it with a courteous nod. "Of course, sir. Please, go ahead."

  Kael lowered his voice slightly, speaking with smooth care. "Has your shop ever sold a necklace made of stormy gray jade?"

  The worker’s brows knitted together in thought. After a moment, he answered carefully, "Stormy gray... that color is very rare, sir. As far as I know, we have not sold any such piece."

  Kael absorbed this quietly. He was about to leave it at that, but something nagged at him. He tilted his head slightly and asked, "Why is stormy gray considered rare here in Salvation Kingdom?"

  The worker, glancing around the room as if checking if it was safe to speak, gestured Kael to a nearby chair. "Please, have a seat first," he said.

  Kael complied, lowering himself onto the wooden chair with slow, deliberate movements. A few of the noblewomen who were earlier admiring Kael’s figure from afar now looked at him even more curiously.

  Once Kael was settled, the worker leaned in slightly and explained, "Stormy gray jade... it’s said to be cursed in the old stories. The color resembles the sky before a calamity. Because of that, many nobles believe it brings bad fortune. Most avoid it. Only a few eccentric collectors, or those who defy old superstitions, would ever seek it out."

  Kael’s fingers brushed the table thoughtfully. 'A cursed jade... fitting,' he thought wryly. His eye color in the past life as Asael considered as a cursed here Kael thought.

  "Has anyone... unusual come with a stormy gray jade necklace recently?" Kael asked, his tone casual, almost conversational.

  The worker thought hard before shaking his head. "No, sir. None that I can remember. If someone had seen them, it would have caused quite a stir among the staff."

  Kael nodded in understanding. "Thank you. You've been very helpful."

  The worker looked genuinely relieved at the polite exchange. "It’s my pleasure, sir. Please be careful as you leave—"

  Kael smiled faintly, rising smoothly, tapping his wooden pole lightly against the ground. "I’ll manage," he said, voice steady.

  The workers and customers watched him leave, many still wondering if he was truly blind or something else entirely.

  As soon as Kael stepped out from the jade shop, his thoughts drifted back to the words of the old shopkeeper the stormy gray color was cursed in Salvation Kingdom. Why? What lay behind such a heavy statement?

  Lost in his thoughts, Kael nearly missed a step on the stone stairs leading down from the shop. He staggered, but quickly caught himself, his movements naturally graceful. The other half of his long black hair, which had been loosely behind him, slipped forward over his shoulder with the sudden motion.

  From a distance, Kael's slim figure and ethereal beauty could easily be mistaken for a young lady. But up close, his features while striking were clearly masculine. His beauty, however, was almost otherworldly, a mixture of delicate grace and quiet strength that made onlookers unconsciously hold their breath.

  Shaking off his momentary distraction, Kael wove deeper into the heart of the bustling capital. He stopped at various vendor stalls along the cobbled streets, asking the same question in his soft-spoken voice.

  "Have you seen anyone wearing a stormy gray jade necklace?"

  Yet each time, he was met with furrowed brows and the same answers,

  "No, sir."

  "Never seen such a thing."

  "Stormy gray jade? Odd color... No one comes 'round here with that."

  As time passed, the morning sun climbed higher, and by the time the clock neared the eleventh hour, Kael had questioned half the street to no avail. Still, he pressed on, walking deeper along the cobblestone road where the shops transitioned from small, cramped stalls to medium-sized establishments.

  Then, as he passed one particularly inconspicuous medium shop, something stirred.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  A ripple of spiritual mana brushed against Kael’s senses a unique ability he alone possessed. His stormy gray eyes, hidden beneath the peach-colored cloth tied around his head, flickered faintly as he caught sight of a disturbance in the mana. It vibrated erratically, like a wounded beast thrashing in its cage.

  Kael paused, narrowing his hidden eyes at the medium-sized building. Despite the pleasant sun, a dark aura clung to the inn like a mist. It was far too quiet for a shop its size.

  Without realizing it, Kael's feet moved toward it, his steps steady. His wooden pole chimed faintly against the stone steps as he ascended, each sound oddly loud in the unnatural stillness.

  He pushed open the door with a light creak. A small bell above the door jingled softly, a sound almost eerie in the silence that followed.

  "Is anyone here?" Kael called out, his tone gentle but deliberate, pretending to be blind.

  At first, there was no response. Then, a trembling voice answered, barely controlled:

  "Y-yes, sir... How may I help you?"

  Kael tilted his head slightly, playing the part of a blind traveler. But beneath his cloth-covered gaze, he scanned the scene and immediately saw it.

  The innkeeper, a stout man with graying hair, stood stiffly behind the counter. A thin dagger was pressed tightly to his throat by a shadowy figure, while another muscular man loomed nearby wielding a brutal spiked club.

  Guests seated at nearby tables turned pale, their hands frozen mid-bite or mid-drink.

  Kael bowed politely, ignoring the tension crackling in the air.

  "I seek a room for one night," he said calmly.

  Gasps broke out from the other guests as Kael subtly turned, giving them a glimpse of the danger yet his tone remained light, almost na?ve.

  Then, without warning, Kael’s body moved.

  In a single, fluid motion, he twisted his wooden pole, and with a soft click, revealed a slender sword hidden within.

  Steel flashed.

  He slashed the muscular man's ankles on both sides before the man could even react. With a strangled scream, the brute collapsed onto the floor, howling in agony.

  Kael whirled gracefully, the flow of his black hair trailing behind like a silken ribbon. He struck the second man the one holding the dagger, swiftly at the pressure point behind his knee. The man crumpled with a cry, his dagger clattering to the stone floor.

  From above, another assailant leaped from the stairs, dagger poised to stab Kael in the back. But Kael, moving like a whisper, sidestepped the attack. His booted foot shot out in a powerful kick, slamming into the man's stomach. The attacker flew backward, crashing into a stone wall with a sickening thud, coughing up blood.

  The room was left in stunned silence, broken only by the heavy breathing of the fallen men.

  Kael, standing amidst the chaos, sheathed his slender sword back into the wooden pole with a faint click.

  He stepped toward the man slumped against the wall, pressing the tip of his wooden pole against his chest sharply, making him grunt in pain.

  "You assume I'm helpless... simply because I seem blind?" Kael murmured, his voice as smooth as a still lake.

  One by one, the three men collapsed into unconsciousness.

  When Kael turned back to the innkeeper and guests, they dropped to their knees, bowing low with gratitude.

  "P-please, sir—thank you!" the innkeeper cried, his forehead almost touching the ground. "You saved us all!"

  "Please, sir, allow us to repay you!" another guest added fervently.

  Kael, flustered touch his right ears, hurriedly gestured for them to rise, coughing lightly into his sleeve.

  But then a metallic taste filled his mouth. He stiffened. Blood, warm and coppery slipped from the corner of his lips.

  "Sir, are you alright?!" the innkeeper exclaimed in panic.

  Someone rushed forward, offering Kael a clean handkerchief.

  "I'm fine," Kael managed, wiping his mouth, though his hands trembled slightly. "Just... overexerted myself."

  The guests gathered worriedly around him as Kael sat down carefully. Meanwhile, the innkeeper's nephew a young man with keen dark orange eyes and the quiet demeanor of a scholar hovered nearby, his gaze fixed on Kael with unreadable intensity.

  Eventually, after a burly worker arrived and dragged the unconscious criminals away to the city knights, the inn resumed its regular pace. But the tension lingered in the air.

  The innkeeper personally served Kael a pot of floral tea, its sweet aroma soothing the battered atmosphere.

  As Kael drank slowly, the innkeeper urged him, "Please, young sir, stay with us a few days. Rest. You saved our lives."

  "I cannot impose—" Kael began to refuse politely.

  But the innkeeper shook his head vehemently. "No! You must stay, even if just to recover your strength! We insist—please!"

  Faced with such sincerity, Kael relented, smiling faintly beneath his peach cloth.

  "Very well... I will stay," he said softly.

  A visible wave of relief washed over the gathered people.

  The young literature scholar, the innkeeper’s nephew, stepped forward shyly. "Allow me to show you to your room, sir."

  Kael nodded, standing carefully. The scholar led the way up the narrow wooden stairs, Kael’s wooden pole tapping lightly against the steps as he followed.

  As they reached the landing, Kael broke the silence,

  "You seem troubled, young master," Kael said quietly. "You've been wanting to speak since you saw the blood on my lips."

  The young man hesitated, then opened a door to a modest room. Kael stepped inside, the scent of aged wood and clean linen greeting him.

  The scholar followed but just as Kael turned toward the bed, he felt it.

  A surge of force at his back.

  A gust of unseen energy flared, ruffling Kael's long black hair. Pain stabbed through him, sudden and sharp.

  Before Kael could react, he doubled over, vomiting a mouthful of thick, black blood onto the carpeted floor.

  The scholar rushed forward, hands glowing faintly with mana.

  "Forgive me, sir!" he said quickly, guilt plain on his youthful face. "I had to! That poison inside you—it was hidden, suppressing something vital!"

  Kael steadied himself, wiping his lips with trembling fingers. His hidden eyes widened in realization the black blood wasn't from overexertion. It was from something much deeper, far more dangerous.

  Suppressing something inside him?

  Kael turned his covered gaze sharply toward the scholar, his voice low and commanding.

  "Speak, boy. What have you done?"

  The scholar bowed his head, speaking quickly.

  "Sir, your body carries a rare poison. Ordinary sorcerers would not detect it. But... that poison—it wasn't just harming you. It was sealing something inside you. I—I had to purge a portion of it. If left alone, it would eventually... consume you."

  Kael’s grip tightened on his wooden pole. He thought even Serenn couldn't identify this accurate.

  Then the boy asked, voice trembling yet determined.

  "Who are you really, sir? What is your true name?"

  Before Kael could answer, the young man pressed on:

  "Not the name you gave us. I saw it... your spiritual mana, it’s unlike anything of this world. Who are you truly?"

  For a long, heavy moment, Kael stood silently, his breathing shallow.

  Then, with a sigh of resignation, he reached up and untied the peach cloth from his eyes.

  The young scholar gasped aloud, stumbling back a step.

  Those eyes stormy gray, ancient and sorrowful—stared back at him.

  "...Tell me your name first," Kael said quietly, his voice carrying the weight of a forgotten time.

  The young man bowed low, placing a fist over his heart in old-fashioned respect. "My name is Ren Wei."

  Kael—no, Asael—nodded slightly.

  "Ren Wei... do you know of a powerful sorcerer who died six months ago in HuaLian Kingdom?"

  Ren Wei's face tightened, his dark orange eyes glinting with a hidden pain.

  "I knew him well," he said simply.

  And the room, heavy with secrets, seemed to grow stiller, as if the very air were listening.

  The afternoon sun bathed the street in gold, its warmth pressing gently against the windows of the medium’s shop. Inside the upper room, Kael and Ren Wei sat across from each other, a thread of tension lingering between them like an uncut string. Kael’s gaze was distant, heavy with memory and guilt. He had finally opened up—speaking of a life before this one, a name that hadn’t crossed his lips in years.

  “I wasn’t always Kael,” he began, voice low. “There was someone—”

  But he never finished. As he felt the charm Sir Serenn given him hung from his belt glowed faintly and shook slightly before….

  A strange ripple surged through the air like a wave of ice crawling down their spines. Ren Wei flinched, his eyes narrowing. “That mana… it’s wrong,” he said quietly, already standing.

  Kael tensed. Something dark pressed at the edges of the world, and a heartbeat later, a thunderous boom cracked through the building. The floor beneath them shuddered. Below, the startled yells of townsfolk erupted into screams.

  Kael and Ren Wei bolted from the room.

  Downstairs, the medium’s shop had descended into chaos. Shelves of herbs and charms toppled as a windless pressure spread, curling the edges of paper and extinguishing candles. Several customers scrambled toward the exit. A child began to cry. Others stood frozen in place, dread rooting them to the floor.

  From the splintered doorway, a shadow poured into the room like smoke given form. It twisted upward, stretching into a shape both monstrous and manlike. Its limbs were too long, its face a hollow mask of shifting darkness. Its mouth, if it could be called that, opened in a voiceless snarl, revealing rows of jagged, glistening teeth.

  Among the terrified crowd, a few clutched their heads. And few has their nose bleed.

  One older woman dropped to her knees, whispering, “Asael…” in a stunned voice she didn’t understand.

  Another man stumbled backward, eyes wide. “Why do I hear that name? Who is Asael?!”

  Kael stood still as stone. The creature wasn’t just here by chance. It had come for him. He knew about the Wraith origins.

  The Wraith stepped forward, its clawed arm lifting. Kael hearing his past name was speak by the mythical creatures inside sensitive people minds, stiffened, before he could react.

  Ren Wei didn’t think—he acted. Throwing himself in front of Kael, his arms wide in a protective stance, he growled, “You saved us. I won’t let it take you.”

  The creature struck.

  There was a sickening sound of tearing fabric and flesh as Ren Wei was flung back, blood spraying the polished floor. He staggered but remained upright, his body shaking. One arm extended again to shield Kael. “Stay… back…” he gasped.

  Then a light.

  Just as the Wraith lunged for the second time and Kael's blocking the attack, two sharp clangs resounded through the shop.

  A blur of motion crashed between Kael and the creature. Quin appeared, sword drawn, clashing with the Wraith’s claw. A heartbeat later, from the opposite side, Quirl’s dagger sliced through the beast’s shoulder with precision, sending a burst of light through its form and something splashed to the side unnoticed, the ornament that attached to the dagger hilt chimed from the movement. The shadow recoiled, shrieking in a sound that scratched at the inside of every skull in the room.

  Kael’s eyes widened hearing the swords clashed. “Quin… Quirl…?” Kael slowly calm down knowing the two men's has came. And Kael didn't realize his eyes was uncovered.

  Neither of them looked back at him yet. They stood in front of him now, protecting him just as Ren Wei had.

  The creature hissed, its form flickering. It stepped back into the receding shadows of the broken entryway. As it began to dissolve, it turned one last time.

  Its eyes—if they could be called that—locked onto Kael.

  There was no speech. No sound.

  But Kael heard it in his mind like a promise carved into stone.

  “Next time, Asael…”

  Then the creature vanished.

  Silence followed, broken only by the whimper of a child, the ragged breath of Ren Wei, and the soft clatter of Quin sheathing his sword.

  Kael dropped to his knees beside Ren Wei, catching him before he fell. “You didn’t have to do that Ren Wei,” Kael whispered hoarsely.

  Ren Wei gave a faint smile, pain clouding his eyes. “You… did it first…”

  Behind them, Quirl finally spoke, wiping the blood off his dagger. “That thing wasn’t just passing through. It came for something.” Before his eye fell into Ren Wei bloody self.

  Quin glanced at Kael, the look in his eyes unreadable, then turn to Ren Wei and took something from his small bag he always brought, a bandages. “We’ll talk later,” he said while slowly applying the bandages into Ren Wei wounds after pouring a herbs. “But not here.” His eyes was focused on Ren Wei wounds.

  Outside, the sun still shone—but inside the shop, the air remained cold. The scent of burned incense mixed with blood and fear, and though the creature was gone, its presence lingered like a stain on the soul of the street.

  At another place not far from before the incidents happened, Salvation Kingdom Palace – Morning to Near Noon

  Morning sunlight streamed through the wide, arching windows of the palace chamber, spilling across the polished marble floors like molten gold. The scent of blooming azaleas from the eastern gardens drifted in through Silas’s open balcony, mingling with the faint scent of parchment, ink, and sandalwood oil that clung to the documents scattered across the long carved table.

  Rayne stood quietly near the shelves, flipping through a sealed scroll bearing the sigil of the royal covert agency. His silver-butterfly earrings on his left ear paused mid-motion, the sunlight catching faint light on it—silent remnants of someone from his past.

  “—And so, the border treaty with Delcaria remains stable for now, though the merchants are complaining about the new levy placed at Eldbar’s southern crossing,” Silas was saying, voice steady as he skimmed through a ledger in his hand. He sat near the balcony, dressed in a deep navy tunic that contrasted sharply with his dark auburn hair.

  But Rayne, who had been listening, suddenly stopped.

  His eyes narrowed. The scroll slipped slightly from his fingers, forgotten.

  Silas looked up. “Rayne?”

  Rayne’s entire posture had gone rigid, his gaze fixed toward the open balcony as if sensing something the wind carried with it. The warmth in the air turned... wrong.

  “There’s something... off,” Rayne murmured. “Can’t you feel it? The mana shifted.”

  Silas furrowed his brows, walking toward the balcony. “What are you—?”

  Then it happened.

  A low pulse like a heartbeat but stretched into sound echoed faintly in the distance. Not loud, but wrong, like thunder made by something unnatural. Both men turned toward the view of the capital city, nestled just beyond the palace ridge.

  There, near the eastern quarter, a disturbance could be seen a swirl of unnatural darkness writhing in the air. Something that even the light hesitated to touch.

  Silas stepped forward instinctively, the sunlight catching the sharp angles of his noble features. His eyes widened. “What in the gods’ name…”

  Just then, a sharp knock sounded against the chamber door.

  “Enter,” Silas called, tone brisk.

  A palace knight in dark livery entered, saluting with clenched fist over heart. “Your Highnesses,” he said, bowing deeply, “we’ve received a report from the city watch an unknown mythical creature has appeared in the capital. There are civilians caught nearby. Panic is spreading.”

  Silas’s expression hardened immediately. “Tell the commanding knights to subdue it if it can be killed. Rescue the civilians.”

  But before the knight could even nod, Rayne took a step toward the balcony, his voice cutting into the air.

  “No,” he said calmly. “It cannot be killed. Not in that form. It’s a Wraith, it only appears under specific conditions, drawn by a person’s aura or history. You need to evacuate the citizen.”

  Silas turned to him sharply. “You know what that thing is?”

  Rayne’s silver eyes never left the distant shadow as he replied, “It’s a Nox Wraith.”

  Silas went still.

  Even the knight tensed at the name.

  Silas exhaled slowly, a muscle in his jaw twitching. “Evacuate the citizens. Keep the knights at range until further instruction,” he ordered. “Contain the area, but no engagement unless it becomes necessary.”

  The knight bowed and left swiftly.

  Rayne returned to the table in silence, his mind already spinning. Why now? Why there?

  Silas rubbed the bridge of his nose. “If it’s a Nox Wraith… who and what the hell is it drawn to?”

  Fifteen minutes passed in a strained hush.

  Then another knock.

  The knight returned, breath slightly uneven from haste. He bowed again. “Your Highnesses… we received another report. The creature has retreated. It was wounded by two men who intervened. One is gravely injured. The other appears unharmed but is described as having a... pale complexion.”

  Rayne’s gaze snapped up at the word.

  Silas let out a slow breath of relief. “At least the creature’s gone for now…”

  Rayne folded his arms, his thoughts churning. Two men. One injured, the other pale. But not Kael’s group…?

  He glanced down at the scroll Silas had asked him to decode earlier a cipher from the hidden agents. It didn’t match Kael’s whereabouts.

  As Silas gave the knight further orders, “Find those men, reward them. Send the best healer from the main capital to treat the wounded. And the pale one, check him thoroughly” Rayne returned to the balcony, mind clouded with possibilities.

  “Silas,” he said after a moment, his voice quiet but firm. “What if we visited them?”

  Silas looked up from the remaining documents. “To the city?”

  “They’re unlikely to recognize you,” Rayne pointed out smoothly. “You’ve yet to formally announce your rise as Crown Prince. And I, as your Shadow… am only a whisper. This is a chance to see the people. Hear what they say about you. About the kingdom.”

  Silas paused.

  The idea had merit and danger.

  But it was smart.

  After a moment’s thought, he nodded. “Fine. We’ll go. But quietly.”

  He turned toward the servant by the chamber door. “Fetch us two worn cloaks. Make sure they’re travel-worn. Something a merchant or low-ranking cleric might wear.”

  The servant bowed and rushed off.

  As Rayne rolled the scroll back and secured it under his arm, he murmured under his breath, “Nox Wraiths don’t appear unless something... or someone... deeply tied to the past calls them. That one was drawn by something. Not by fate. But by intent.”

  Silas’s expression darkened as the warm breeze shifted into something colder.

  “Then it’s only just begun.”

  To be continued...

  *Authors Note:

  Nox Wraith — Mythical Entity

  A Nox Wraith is a rare and dangerous mythical creature born from concentrated shadow mana and deep emotional echoes—grief, vengeance, regret, or unresolved trauma. These wraiths do not exist in the physical realm unless triggered by specific conditions, such as the presence of a powerful aura tied to the past. Their form is elusive, half-corporeal, often shifting and blending with shadows. They cannot be killed by conventional means and are resistant to most elemental attacks. When a Nox Wraith appears, it is often a sign that something—or someone—from the forgotten or forbidden past is trying to resurface.

  >_< hmm...