A sharp chime echoed in my mind, the familiar cold presence of the system pressing in.

  I stiffened.

  Illusion?

  I forced my body to remain still, my expression neutral, but my mind was already running through possibilities. What illusion? Was this entire conversation fake? Had I been trapped in some kind of spell without realizing it? My senses stretched, trying to catch even the smallest inconsistency, but everything felt real. The dampness of the alley, the faint scent of mildew and old liquor, the distant sound of boots on cobblestone—it was all too real.

  Levi was still watching me, waiting for a response, his smirk unwavering. If this was an illusion, then that meant someone—or something—was controlling it, and I had no idea if they were watching for a reaction. I needed to play along.

  I let out a breath, rolling my shoulders casually. "Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just a traveler staying here for a while." My tone was relaxed, dismissive. The kind of answer someone innocent and bored would give.

  But my mind was elsewhere.

  What exactly was the illusion?

  Then it hit me.

  Last night.

  I had taken a hit to my shoulder in that fight. It wasn’t deep, but the wound had lingered even after using my healing skill. My body had still been recovering but right now I didn't feel anything in my shoulder. I should still feel something there if I touch it.

  Casually, I shifted my stance, letting my hand brush over my shoulder as if adjusting my coat. I tapped the spot.

  Nothing. No pain. No tightness. Not even the slightest ache.

  Shit.

  This was an illusion.

  My pulse quickened, but I forced my breathing to stay steady. The realization sent a chill down my spine, but I couldn't afford to react. If this was a trap, the moment I let it slip that I knew, things could go south fast.

  Someone had crafted this illusion perfectly. It wasn’t just some hazy dreamscape or a blurry, unstable mirage. It was solid. Real. That meant the caster wasn’t just skilled, they were dangerous.

  But what was their goal? Was it just to keep me here? Make me say something incriminating? Or was there something else at play?

  I needed to test the limits.

  I tilted my head slightly, feigning indifference. "You seem awfully interested in me for someone who claims not to care much for slavers or heroes. You sure you’re not just bored out of your mind?"

  Levi chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "What can I say? I’ve got a curious nature. But fine, I won’t pry… for now." His eyes gleamed with something unreadable, but I had bigger concerns.

  I needed to figure out how to break this illusion.

  And fast.

  Levi disappeared into the dimly lit streets without another word. Suspicious. But I didn’t have time to dwell on it.

  I quickened my pace back to the inn, my mind racing with possibilities. My shoulder still felt wrong. Empty. The illusion was still active, meaning whatever game was being played here wasn’t over yet.

  And if the illusion was still in effect… then that probably meant it wasn’t Levi who had set it up.

  When did it start?

  Had the illusion begun the moment I stepped into that alleyway? Or had it started before I even left the inn? Had anything been real since last night?

  My pace quickened further, urgency clawing at my chest.

  Reaching my door, I pushed it open with more force than intended, only to freeze.

  The bed was empty.

  She was gone.

  For a second, my brain refused to process it. She had been here when I left. Still recovering. Weak. There was no way she could have just left on her own.

  Panic shot through me, but I crushed it down, scanning the room for any signs of struggle. Nothing. The blankets were slightly disturbed, but that could mean anything.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  My breath was uneven. Was this part of the illusion? Was she even real to begin with?

  My hands clenched into fists as my thoughts ran in circles. If the illusion was trying to keep me here, then her disappearance had to be intentional. Was I meant to find her? Was she the key to escaping?

  My mind spiraled, but standing here wouldn’t solve anything.

  I turned on my heel and stormed out, ignoring the eyes of a few passing patrons. The innkeeper barely glanced my way, which struck me as odd. I hadn’t exactly been quiet.

  The streets outside were just as I had left them—bustling, normal, frustratingly real.

  But now, everything felt wrong.

  My instincts screamed at me, the sensation of being trapped growing worse by the second. I had to find her. Had to figure out what was real and what wasn’t.

  I tore through the streets, my pulse hammering in my ears. My eyes darted from alley to alley, searching.

  With a sharp inhale, I activated Phantom Stride.

  The world blurred as I kicked off the ground, my speed multiplying as I shot up a nearby wall. My fingers gripped the ledge of a rooftop, and with a swift pull, I vaulted myself up.

  From this height, I could see the entire stretch of the district, crowded streets, open markets, people moving about their lives as if nothing was wrong.

  Tch. All of this is fake, but she’s still somewhere in it.

  I didn’t hesitate. I sprinted forward, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, my body moving instinctively. I focused, pushing my senses outward.

  Mana Sense, Activate.

  A rush of chaotic signatures flooded my perception, fluctuating energies, weak traces of lingering magic, distant pulses from enchanted items or practitioners moving through the city. Most of them were insignificant, background noise.

  But then—

  A faint flicker.

  Not strong, but inconsistent. Like something out of place. Like something—or someone—trying to remain unnoticed.

  My focus sharpened, my trajectory shifting toward the disturbance. But I wasn’t taking any risks this time.

  I activated Quick Guard, a subtle layer of heightened awareness settling over me. If anything tried to take me by surprise again, I’d be ready.

  As I neared the source, my eyes locked onto a blacksmith’s forge below, sparks flying as metal clashed against metal. The heavy scent of smoke and molten steel filled the air.

  My boots slammed against the rooftop’s edge as I leapt down without hesitation, landing in a crouch.

  My eyes darted toward a row of weapons on display outside the forge.

  Without thinking, my hand shot out, gripping the hilt of a sword. The weight felt solid, balanced, good enough.

  I backed up immediately, scanning my surroundings.

  Now armed, senses heightened, and my path set, I was ready.

  Where the hell are you?

  Suddenly, a voice echoed from everywhere at once.

  "You are smarter than before."

  My breath hitched.

  No one around me reacted. The blacksmith continued hammering away at molten metal. The merchants haggled, their voices a dull hum. The crowd moved as if nothing had changed.

  But I heard it.

  Slowly, I tilted my head upward.

  A figure hovered high above the city, barely more than a silhouette against the sky.

  My grip tightened around the sword.

  Shit.

  If this guy could fly and cast an illusion this massive, then I was cooked.

  The sun blazed overhead, its golden light making it hard to see the man clearly. He hovered there, unmoving, like he had all the time in the world.

  I squinted up at him, shielding my eyes with one hand. "What do you want?" I called out.

  The man tilted his head slightly, as if amused. "You took something that belonged to me, kid."

  I frowned. "The hell are you talking about?"

  Instead of answering, he slowly pulled his hand out of his pocket.

  I instinctively narrowed my eyes, trying to make out what he was holding, only to feel my stomach drop.

  His arm…

  It was just like mine.

  No, worse.

  Thick veins of corrupted energy pulsed under his skin, a deep, eerie purple spreading from his fingertips up to his shoulder like ink seeping into fabric. The aura around it crackled, distorting the air like a heatwave.

  What the fuck…

  A sharp, searing pain shot through my arm.

  My corrupted limb twitched violently, my fingers curling and spasming against my will. I barely had time to react before the man in the sky extended his own arm forward, and then clenched his fist.

  A surge of raw, unseen force took hold of me.

  I barely had time to scream before my arm twisted.

  Agony tore through my nerves as my corrupted limb bent in ways it wasn’t supposed to. My fingers contorted, my elbow snapped to the side, my shoulder felt like it was being ripped apart from the inside.

  I hit the ground, vision flashing white. A ragged scream ripped from my throat. It felt like something was trying to pull my arm off, no, like it was being rewritten, piece by piece, against my will.

  The veins in my arm flared, pulsing erratically, the corrupted energy inside me fighting back, but against what? Him?

  I forced my head up, panting, vision blurring from the pain.

  The man above me smirked, his eyes glowing with amusement. "Feels familiar, doesn’t it?"

  It was the same feeling.

  The same gut-wrenching, soul-burning sensation from when I absorbed that mana core.

  The corrupted energy inside me was fighting against him, pushing back against whatever force he was using to wrench it away. But the more he pulled, the more the mana burrowed deeper into me.

  My arm felt like it was being ripped apart, veins burning like molten iron was coursing through them. My flesh cracked, dark lines spider-webbing up my skin as the corrupted mana twisted and coiled violently, as if resisting being taken.

  And then—

  BADUMP.

  A deep, heavy thud resonated through my chest.

  The mana had reached my heart.

  The man’s eyes widened. For the first time, his smug expression faltered.

  "Fool," he spat. "You’ll die. The mana will devour you, and all of it will go to waste if you try to link it with your heart. Just give up and hand it over."

  Hand what over?

  I wasn’t even doing anything for fucks sake.

  I barely even understood what was happening, this wasn’t me trying to take hold of the mana. The energy inside me was moving on its own, latching onto my body like a parasite desperately trying to dig itself deeper.

  My heartbeat slowed, but each beat was deafening.

  BADUM.

  The world around me froze.

  Everything—every flicker of movement, every drifting breeze, every distant sound—came to an abrupt halt.

  It was like reality itself had been put on pause.

  Except for my heart.

  BADUM. BADUM.

  That was the only sound. The only thing that moved. A heavy, earth-shaking pulse that echoed through the stillness.