By the time they were ready to leave the house, the night had bee dark as ink. Li made a point of going over the pn one more time. "We'll leave through the batrance. A few streets away, there's an old tuhat leads out of the settlement. Only Elders knoe have it and why it was never filled in. We haven't been attacked in decades, and there isn't much smuggling happening here."

  She paused and added thoughtfully: "Anyway, there were always easier ways t undoted goods in. But don't overthink that. We o get past tatrol points. The first patrol passes by my home. So, we just sit it out. And I'll create a distra at the sed one. Ohey're drawn away, we'll move quickly to the tunrance."

  "What sort of distra?" wrote Aira.

  "I've been on that patrol, remember?" Li answered. "I'll toss a pebble in their pond, don't you worry. Few tricks up my sleeve food er distra," she grinned mischievously.

  Aira scribbled a final note: "Ready. I believe in you."

  Li squeezed her hand. "We'll make it. Just stay close to me and keep quiet."

  Aira could feel her ingling with anticipation, the strange energy from earlier experiments still humming faintly within her. She was irely in trol of her body, thanks to the System buffs boosting her base stats like they should. It wasn't as good as before the transition, but there was also that additional power she had sifted from the trees. It affected her in ways she still o explore.

  Finally, it atrol time. Li peeked out the small window, watg the rangers move through her street. The night was cloudy, with stars and moons hidden pletely, not letting any light e through. And it was almost impossible to see anything in this alley. The settlement was silent; townsfolk probably still processing the happenings of this day. There definitely were many ges awaiting them in the weeks to e. And ges meant nothing good.

  As soon as the steps of the patrol faded out in the distance, Li turo Aira and whispered, "It's time. Let's go."

  They slipped out of the batrance, moving silently through the shadows. Aira marveled at Li's stealth and grace, admiring her ability to navigate the dark streets without loud noises or missteps. The womahese streets perfectly. And even if she wasn't as gracious and agile as Aira was as a Mystiforcer, it was still quite impressive. Especially sidering that the human didn't have any magi her.

  As soon as they reached the patrol checkpoint, Li signaled for Aira to stay hidden. Mischief time. Li crept forward, her movements fluid and precise, and disappeared into the darkness. Just a few moments ter, Aira heard a faint noise and a muffled shout. The patrol guards hurried towards the disturbance, leaving their post momentarily unguarded.

  This time, it was Li's turn to surprise Aira as she returned from the opposite dire, jumping off the roof of a low building. They didn't waste any time and moved quickly, with all that sweet agility Aira had retly regained. With the additional boosts, she could easily pete with Li. Well, almost. But she could dream, right? After the annoyance of always making Li wait during their past walks, Aira thhly ehis destine mission.

  Darting past the abandoned patrol point, they moved further, following a dark street, as Li poi the building they o reach to ehe hidden tunnel.

  "Stht there!" a voice shouted behind them. "Name your business!"

  Panic fred in Li's eyes as her gaze darted between Aira and the approag person. Did they ge the schedule?

  Now, either they had to engage in a fight, g with Li's old friends and colleagues, or they would have to give up and face certain doom. No one would believe that Li just took the undead for a walk in the middle of the night. The uhat was supposedly on the run.

  The ranger came closer, direg his light at the two women. "Ah, Li! Didn't think I'd meet you here in the middle of the night. Is everything alright? Why didn't you report for duty earlier today? And who is that there with you? It's so dark today, I don't reize the face." He took oep closer.

  "Ah, Korin!" said Li. "There you are. Still mopping up from this m's mess, you know? Had a bit of a rough go, but you know me—duty calls, right?"

  "Who is it there with you?" asked Korin, now with a note of suspi in his voice. "It's not one of the rangers." He stepped even closer, raising the ntern a bit higher. However, he didn't need a o see Aira's eyes, slightly glowing with that ethereal green-blue light.

  "It's the uhing!" he shouted. "Rangers! Over here! We are utack! Li, step back!"

  "Hold up, Korin!" Li pleaded. "Stars above, just listen a sed! This isn't what it looks like!"

  "Step away from it," demanded Korin. "Or are you now helping that beast?"

  Aira k was time for her to act. This was her moment. Desperately searg for any source of energy powerful enough for this situation, she sed the area. She could sehe guards' small gadgets, but that wasn't enough. She needed more. During her m experience, she had the might of the raging fmes from under her feet. And ter in the day, she had used pnts and trees to boost her powers. But now they were in the middle of ay street. Only cold stone aimber surrounded her.

  There were humans out there, of course. Many of them. Peaceful, doing evening chores at their houses. Not even w about an undead who could kill them momentarily. But tapping into their inner energy seemed to be wrong, even if it was just for a small fra of their reserves. They weren't a part of this struggle. And the way these people lusted for Aira's death just a few ho didn't ge who Aira was and what she stood for.

  Vioting them this way was bsphemous. Unnatural. She may be an undead by her race, but her mind hasn’t ged since she was a human practitioner of the are. This was something she had always fought against: demons, neancers. Not something she even sidered using.

  Korin's torch was another source she could use, but that was also not enough. Or was it too much? She o make a precise strike. To incapacitate the ranger but not to kill him. For Li's sake. Now, with her access to the System restored, she was able to analyze and traergy paths. But she still didn't know the depth of her power. Or how to trol it.

  Aira started with the torch, sug all power out of it. Momentarily, her body filled with energy bringing back that familiar feeling. Once again, she wao jump and run as if in her world there were no problems. As if they weren't fronting a deadly enemy in this side alley.

  "What the?..." excimed Korin as almost plete darkness covered them. With only Aira's eyes shining brightly. "Li, it's not too te to make the right choice," he tinued, still slowly moving towards them. "Return to the barracks and we won't punish you too hard. You were always the oo question the decisions of your anding officers. But you are a ger. No matter what. We need people like yht now."

  Aira directed a fra of the energy she gathered toward Korin. The man stumbled but tinued his sloroach.

  "So, that's what Garrick felt?" he asked. "You electrified him. He was right in the end, your kind... These are the symptoms he was talking about. That's when you bee truly dangerous!"

  Aira o do something and do something fast. Why was Korin so sure of himself, even after he realized who stood behind Garrick's demise? She tapped into her Energy Manipution skill and then she se. There were more people around them. Not just the townsfolk in their homes. No, there were rangers on the roofs and in the surrounding alleys! Korin wasn't alone; he art of the patrol, after all!

  Why didn’t she follow up on her own decision? She has got to learn to stantly check her surroundings! This will be the first thing she makes a habit of when they get free of this town.

  Singling out the ones on the roofs, she made the unthinkable and tapped into their core. She took aart of their vital energy. Moments ter, she heard sounds of bodies falling down from above on the ground and grunts.

  "Good, still alive," Aira thought. Whatever the circumstance, she didn't want to kill them.

  "What's happening?" excimed Li.

  "Your new... friend is killing your old friends!" shouted Korin. "That's what's happening!"

  Aira had to make this raop talking! Her retionship with Li was already tense. She couldn’t allow her to switch sides right here in this alley. Aira tapped more into that energy she had stored withially f an arrow with it, a it in Korin's dire. Then, to tread on the safe side, she did the same with two other rangers she sensed lurking in the dark. The man before her grunted ao the ground without a word. Miniature sparks, like lightning, running all over his body illuminating the night.

  "Aira, what did you do to him?!?" cried Li.

  But there was no time to expin. They o run. Aira grabbed Li's hand and dragged her toward the building her friend had indicated earlier. She felt that if needed, she could grab Li and just carry her in her arms, so muergy was c through her at that moment. The feeling was eveer than when she was a traditional mage with mana reserves filled to the brink.

  It was hard to guess whether Li uood the iion or was just in shock. Still, she joined Aira and followed her towards the building and the entrao the tuhere was no oo stop them. Together, they plunged into the opening, darkness enveloping them. The sounds of fusion and shouts from the guards faded behind them as they ran, their footsteps eg off the walls.

  The tunnel was dark and damp. Water dripped from the ceiling and down the walls, in pces gathering in puddles. This underground passage didn't seem to be used often, with rubble, discarded tools, and clothes littering the way. Li followed Aira mindlessly as if in a trance. She stumbled upon a heap of debris, barely keeping her bance, but tio run after the undead woman no matter what.

  ***

  She didn't say a single word after the csh had ended. However, she went down this tunnel anyway. Li didn't have other options nht? After she saw Aira killing even more of her fellers with her strange powers. If Li stayed iown, no one would believe that she acted in the best is of the human unity. Was she even safe herself?

  And did she really a the best is of humanity?

  She wasn't sure what her reasoning was anymore. Curiosity? Defianot even Elder Jorin's experiments were worth so mahs.

  Li wouldn't shed tears arrick's dead body. After all, he was the first oo draw blood and kill most of the Elders. She didn't care much about some of Garrick's ies either. They were an angry bunch who didn't really listen to anyone besides their leader. But Korin? And other people from that patrol? These people were just fulfilling their duty. She khem and their families. They spent their days off together, grilli and exging cheesy jokes.

  And now all of them were electrified by this... beast.

  In her mindless state, she didn't notice when they reached the tunnel's end. Before that hatch that opened far outside the town walls, right at the edge of the forest. Could she still turn bad make things right?

  Li hesitated. "Why did you kill them all?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Is it just what you do... casually?"

  Her anger was expanding, filling her whole being. "Those were good people out there! They didn't do anything wrong! Is it your undead nature finally ing out? What are the symptoms Koriioned before you killed him? Did you kill him because he koo much?"