The Greys' Gambit: A Message to Humanity

I watched with a mixture of amusement and tension as Willow approached Kaelen with a small brush dipped in black face paint. His jaw was set in that familiar stubborn line, but he'd agreed to this, and now he was letting my best friend smear dark pigment around his eyes.

"Hold still," Willow instructed, her tongue poking out slightly in concentration. "This will help disguise you even with the mask on. Can't be too careful."

"Is this really necessary?" Kaelen asked, his deep voice betraying a hint of discomfort. He looked strangely vulnerable in the plain black t-shirt he'd changed into—so different from his usual crisp button-downs and expensive suits.

"Absolutely," Willow replied, not backing down an inch. "If they just get a single frame of you without the mask, we want nothing recognizable."