Dead or Alive ?

Varn and Lira stood frozen at the cliff's edge, staring into the abyss where Draven and the Beast Queen had vanished. The wind howled, biting at their skin as reality hit them.

Lira's eyes were wide, her voice a shaky whisper. "Did you just... push him off?"

Varn's face, usually filled with arrogance, was now pale. He took a shaky step back from the cliff, his hands trembling. "This wasn't supposed to happen... I didn't—"

"You e pushed him!" Lira cut him off, panic rising in her chest. She could barely breathe. "Varn, you just killed him. We—"

"Nobody saw," Varn snapped, his eyes wild as he grabbed her arm. "we say the Beast Queen attacked. It was the mist! He didn't stand a chance. We didn't stand a chance."

Lira's heart pounded in her ears. The weight of guilt crashed down on her, but she forced herself to nod. "And if they don't believe us?"

"They will," Varn growled, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "As long as we get back with those beast cores, they'll believe anything we say."

Lira swallowed hard, her stomach twisting. "Draven was one of us, Varn..."

"And now he's dead," Varn hissed, his eyes narrowing. "If we don't stick to the plan, we're dead too. No one's going to mourn for him anyway."

She didn't want to believe it, but deep down, she knew Varn was right. "Fine," she muttered, her voice low. "We get the cores. We tell them the Beast Queen got him... and we finish this."

Varn turned away, forcing a smirk. "Exactly. We're survivors, Lira. That's all that matters."

But as they walked away from the cliff, neither could shake the feeling that the real danger wasn't behind them... it was what awaited when the truth finally came out.

....

The two spent the next few hours in tense silence, gathering beast cores from the eerie depths of Black Mist Forest. The twisted trees loomed overhead, their blackened bark and creeping vines shifting as if they were alive. The oppressive mist made every breath feel heavy, and distant growls echoed from unseen creatures, keeping them on edge.

"This forest… it gives me the creeps," Lira muttered, her eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. "Why do we always get the worst missions?"

"Stop whining," Varn grunted, clutching a beast core tight in his hand. "We're almost done. The sooner we finish, the faster we get out of here."

Lira shot him a glare. "Easier said than done, Varn! You know this place is cursed. I can feel it."

"Just keep moving," Varn said, his voice tense but focused. "Once we're back at the sect, we'll be safe."

A rustling sound came from behind them, and Lira froze. "Did you hear that?!"

Varn didn't stop walking. "Ignore it. We've already got enough problems."

"Easy for you to say," Lira muttered, gripping her dagger tighter.

The journey back to the Draconic Sect was long and unnervingly quiet, the weight of the Black Mist Forest pressing on them from all sides. As the tall gates of the sect finally came into view, they both let out heavy sighs of relief.

"We made it..." Lira whispered, almost disbelieving.

But as they approached the gates, the tension in the air grew thick again.

Varn frowned. "Why is it so quiet? Something's off."

Before they could react, a voice boomed from within the sect walls. "Lira. Varn. The elders are waiting for you."

Lira's face paled. "I knew it... we're not done yet."

Varn gritted his teeth, gripping the beast cores tighter. "We can handle it. Just stay quiet and follow my lead."

Lira swallowed hard but nodded. "Yeah... let's get this over with."

....

A stern-looking elder stood at the entrance, arms crossed, his icy gaze fixed on the returning group. It was Elder Tang known for his razor-sharp mind and colder-than-winter demeanor.

"You've returned," he said, voice calm but dangerously firm. His eyes swept over the group, missing nothing. "Where is other one?"

Varn's heart skipped a beat. He exchanged a panicked glance with Lira before stepping forward, trying desperately to keep his voice from cracking. "Uh... Draven... he... didn't make it."

Tang's eyes narrowed, the intensity of his gaze making Varn feel like a bug under a magnifying glass. "What do you mean?"

Lira, sensing the awkward silence stretching way too long, jumped in. "It was the Beast Queen, Elder Tang!" she exclaimed, a little too dramatically. "It came out of nowhere in the Black Mist Forest! Draven... he was caught off guard. We tried to save him, but, uh, he... fell off a cliff.

AUTHOR POV:(Oh sure, a cliff. That's not suspicious at all. Nice going, Lira. Totally believable... not.)

Tang's eyes narrowed even further, his suspicion almost palpable. "Is that so?" he asked, his tone practically oozing doubt. It felt like he could see right through their flimsy lie. The way his eyes bore into them, it was like he was seconds away from calling them out.

Varn forced a nervous smile, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "Y-Yeah... you know how cliffs can be... very... cliff-y."

AUTHOR POV:(Varn, please, just stop. You're digging your own grave.)

Lira quickly stepped on Varn's foot. "Shut it!" she whispered through gritted teeth, her eyes never leaving Tang's face. "Cliffs are dangerous! Really dangerous. Draven didn't stand a chance!"

Tang studied their faces like a hawk circling its prey, his silence stretching painfully long. Lira could swear she felt her soul leave her body for a second under his gaze.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Tang nodded slowly, almost begrudgingly. "I will inform Vice Sect Leader Serena of this... development. Return to your quarters for now."

Varn and Lira let out breaths they didn't know they were holding, nodding far too enthusiastically. "Yes! Right away, Elder Tang!" Varn blurted out, almost stumbling over his own feet as he hurried off.

As soon as they were out of sight, Lira punched Varn in the arm. "Cliffs?! Really?! That's what you went with?"

Varn rubbed his arm, scowling. "What was I supposed to say? 'The Beast Queen used him as a toothpick'?

Lira sighed, rolling her eyes. "Let's just hope he bought it... because if Tang finds out we're lying, we'll be the ones falling off a cliff next."

.

.

.

In the towering halls of the Draconic Sect, Vice Sect Leader Serena sat in her chambers. Her presence alone commanded respect, her silver hair cascading like a waterfall of moonlight, and her sharp eyes reflecting both wisdom and power. She was elegance personified, but also a force to be reckoned with.

Elder Tang entered the room, bowing deeply. "Vice Sect Leader Serena, I bring... unfortunate news."

Serena's gaze flickered to him, her expression calm yet unreadable. "Speak."

Tang cleared his throat. "The team sent to the Black Mist Forest has returned. But the boy named Draven... did not make it. They claim he was attacked by the Beast Queen and... fell from a cliff."

For a moment, silence stretched across the room, thick and heavy. Serena's face remained composed, but a faint shadow crossed her eyes. "Fell from a cliff?" she repeated, her voice cool but carrying a dangerous edge. "How convenient."

Tang shifted uncomfortably. "I... don't believe their story, my Lady. There is something... off about their account."

Serena stood, the graceful movement of her robe flowing behind her like a wave of shadows. She walked to the grand window, her gaze falling on the sprawling sect grounds below. "Draven..." she murmured softly. "He was only an Outer Disciple, but there was something... unique about him. His potential was far from ordinary."

Tang watched her carefully. "He was... promising, yes, but he often kept to himself. That made him harder to read."

Serena turned, her eyes now sharp with determination. "Potential like his cannot be wasted. Draven was more than he seemed... and I refuse to believe he simply 'fell from a cliff.'" Her voice grew colder. "Those two Varn and Lira are hiding something."

Tangnodded, sensing the shift in her tone. "What do you propose, my Lady?"

Serena's gaze burned with resolve as she stepped closer. "I want a search party sent immediately. Draven is not someone we can afford to lose dead or alive, I want him found."

Tang bowed again, his tone steady. "As you command, Vice Sect Leader. And what of Varn and Lira? Shall I interrogate them further?"

Serena's lips curved slightly, almost a smile, but one laced with danger. (≖‿≖)"Not yet. Let them think they've escaped suspicion. I want to see how far their lies go. We'll deal with them in due time."

Tang straightened, a small shiver running down his spine at her words. (×_×;）"Understood."

Serena turned back to the window, her eyes reflecting the moonlight like blades of silver. "Tang, make sure the search party knows... if Draven is alive, I want him brought to me immediately. If he is dead..." Her gaze darkened further. "Bring me his body. I will not let potential like his disappear without answers."

Tang nodded firmly. "Consider it done, my Lady."

As he turned to leave, Serena's voice echoed one last time, soft yet filled with command. "And Tang... do not fail me."

....

A search party was quickly assembled. The warriors of the Draconic Sect descended into the Black Mist Forest, their robes swirling in the eerie mist. The deeper they ventured, the darker and more oppressive the atmosphere became. Strange whispers seemed to echo from the trees, and more than one disciple felt a chill creep down their spine.

"We must hurry," one of the search leaders muttered. "If he fell from a cliff... his chances of survival are slim."

But they pressed on, combing every inch of the forest, hoping for a miracle. As night fell, the forest became even more sinister, the darkness closing in like a predator stalking its prey.

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Deep within the abyss, Draven's eyes snapped open, but the darkness greeted him like an old friend. He was no stranger to it this suffocating void that pressed in on all sides. His body felt broken, shattered beyond repair, but the pain was... familiar. It was nothing compared to the deeper, darker ache that had always lingered inside him.

He didn't need to move. He didn't need to see. He already knew: he was alive.

"Still breathing," he muttered under his breath, his voice low and raspy, more out of habit than relief. The weight of the crushing agony barely registered anymore. Physical pain was something he'd long since stopped fearing.

The real torment was something else.

He lay there, broken but calm, his mind already drifting to the inevitable: survival.

"Where am I?" He didn't really care about the answer, but the question slipped out anyway, echoing into the endless black.

Then, like a shadow crawling into his mind, the voice slithered into his thoughts. Cold. Familiar. It wasn't the first time he'd heard it.

"Do you seek power, Draven? Power to crush those who betrayed you... power to survive..."

He didn't flinch. He didn't tremble. Instead, a smirk curled at the corner of his mouth.

"(¬‿¬)So you've come again," Draven murmured, the faintest hint of amusement in his tone. "You're late."

The voice echoed again, a little sharper, almost amused itself. "Late? Or simply... waiting for the right moment?"

Draven chuckled, though the sound came out as more of a dry rasp. "Doesn't matter. You've been whispering to me since the beginning... and look where it's gotten me."

Do you seek power, Draven? Or will you let them trample you once more?"

Draven's eyes darkened, the smirk fading as something cold and dangerous flickered beneath the surface. His voice dropped to a near whisper, laced with venom. "You already know the answer."

The darkness thickened around him, and the voice coiled tighter, more insistent.

"Then take it. Take the power you desire. Become what you were always meant to be."

Draven didn't resist. There was no hesitation, no fear. The shadows wrapped around him like a second skin, and deep inside, something that had always been there the darkness within him stirred to life.

Before unconsciousness could claim him again, he spoke once more, his voice low and steady

"Power... is all I've ever had..."