Masked Man

Isla's nerves were on edge as she paced in the shadows, her diminutive figure dwarfed by the towering walls of the alley. The presence she had sensed earlier was gone, but the memory of its oppressive weight lingered. If the individual responsible for the first realm started paying attention to Kai, their fragile plan could crumble in an instant.

There was no time to waste.

She floated over to Kai's curled form, his small draconic body barely visible in the gloom. Gently, she tapped his shoulder, her touch light but urgent.

Kai stirred, his golden, reptilian eyes flickering open with a faint glow. "What... did something happen?" His voice was groggy, his limbs sluggish as he stretched and pushed himself upright onto four shaky paws.

Isla hesitated. She had rehearsed this conversation in her mind, weighing how much truth to reveal. Kai's cautious nature was both his strength and his weakness. If he knew the full extent of the danger, he might abandon the mission entirely.

"Yes," she replied, keeping her tone measured. "We can't stay here anymore."

Kai frowned, his tail curling tightly around him. "Why? What happened? How long was I even asleep?"

In the eternal night of this realm, it was impossible to tell the time. The sky was an oppressive, unchanging black, with neither moon nor stars to mark the hours.

"Probably a few hours," Isla said, her gaze shifting to the faint flicker of light in the distance. "I've seen too many Dark Elves looking in this direction. I think they've noticed something but aren't sure what. They're likely reporting to their superiors right now."

It wasn't entirely a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either.

Kai narrowed his eyes, his suspicion evident. "And where do you think we should go?"

"The Corrupted Tree," Isla said immediately. "It's the only place where we can hide. The nature of the tree will mask your presence, even from higher beings."

Kai shook his head, his claws scratching against the cobblestones as he paced. "No. We can't go there yet. It hasn't been a full day since I reached the second stage of the cultivation technique. I can't use the ability to refill my energy. If something goes wrong, I'll be defenseless."

Isla sighed, rubbing her temples. She had expected this. "Kai," she said, her voice soft but firm, "staying here is far riskier. If they come for us, you won't stand a chance. The Corrupted Tree isn't just a hiding spot—it's our best hope to avoid detection entirely."

Kai stopped pacing, his gaze locked onto hers. "And if the same thing as earlier happens? If I run out of energy again, we'll fail. Everything will be for nothing."

"Kai," Isla said again, her tone shifting to one of unyielding seriousness, "sometimes in life, you have no choice but to take risks. It's the only way to grow stronger. Do you think I would suggest this if we had another option? I wouldn't. But we don't."

Her words hung in the air, heavy with implication. She was right, and Kai knew it. The longer they stayed, the higher the chances of discovery. Yet, the thought of rushing into danger without his new ability felt like playing with fire while soaked in oil.

For a long moment, he remained silent, the tension palpable. Finally, with a resigned sigh, he nodded. "Fine. Let's go."

***

The journey to the Corrupted Tree was nerve-wracking. Every shadow seemed alive, every rustle of leaves a potential enemy. Kai moved with the precision of a predator, his [Shadow Cloak] activated to meld into the darkness around him.

As they approached the tree's location, a faint, unnatural hum filled the air. The Corrupted Tree loomed ahead, its massive, gnarled branches stretching toward the sky like skeletal fingers. The bark pulsed faintly with a sickly green light, and the air around it seemed heavy, oppressive.

"This place…" Kai whispered, his voice tinged with unease. "It feels alive and dead simultaneously."

"It is," Isla said grimly. "And it's why we'll be safe here. The tree's corruption will mask your presence, but it won't protect us forever. We need to move quickly once we're inside."

Kai nodded, his claws flexing instinctively.

***

Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away, a shirtless man sat atop a floating platform, his gaze fixed on the void below. His aura radiated an oppressive power, so vast and deep it seemed to distort the very air around him. A long pipe rested in his hand, thin trails of smoke curling into the darkness.

His expression was unreadable, his thoughts impenetrable—until a figure appeared beside him, stepping out of the shadows as if they were a door.

The newcomer was cloaked entirely in black, a featureless mask obscuring their face. They moved with an unnatural silence, their presence almost imperceptible.

"Why did you let Myre handle this situation?" the masked figure asked, irritation sharp in their tone. "You know her tendencies."

The shirtless man didn't look at him, nor did he respond immediately. Instead, he took a slow drag from his pipe, exhaling a thin stream of smoke. His eyes closed as he savored the moment.

"I wanted to observe her," he said finally, his voice deep and calm. "Her actions have been… peculiar. Ever since we allowed humans into this world, she's been behaving strangely. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to see her true intentions."

The masked figure's irritation grew. "And what if she causes chaos in the first realm? You know she doesn't follow orders. She does as she pleases."

The shirtless man chuckled softly, the sound low and mirthless. "If you're so concerned, why don't you go deal with the 'anomaly' yourself? I'm sure you'd be faster."

"You know why I can't," the masked figure said sharply. "And stop making jokes. They're not funny."

The shirtless man's grin widened. "Still hiding after all this time? The God of Monsters is gone. Dead. You killed him yourself, didn't you?"

The masked figure stiffened but said nothing. The silence between them was thick with unspoken truths.

"You've been in the shadows for thousands of years," the shirtless man continued. "Don't you think it's time to step out?"

The masked figure turned away, his voice cold. "This conversation is over."

As he vanished into the darkness, the shirtless man smirked, taking another drag from his pipe. "Coward."