The world looked different in the morning.
Not brighter. Not cleaner. Just... sharper. Every glance, every gesture, every flicker of tension in a conversation seemed to hum with meaning.
Kael stood behind the bar, polishing a mug he'd already wiped down three times. Across the tavern, adventurers gathered for early contracts and hangover cures. Their laughter was loud, their armor clattered. Normal.
And yet his skin itched with the awareness that he wasn't part of it anymore.
The system was quiet—for now. No pulsing screens. No seductive voice. But he could feel it sitting behind his eyes, coiled like a sleeping serpent. One thought away from waking.
> Essence: 1
Aura: Dormant
Identity Mask: Active
His "Empathic Channeler" disguise was holding. As far as anyone knew, Kael Virex was just a late bloomer with an unusual class.
But that wouldn't last.
---
"You're quiet today."
Rhea's voice was soft but sharp, cutting through the tavern noise. She leaned against the bar, eyes narrowed slightly. Her healer robes were smudged with travel dust. She must've just finished rounds at the infirmary.
Kael gave a half-smile. "Didn't sleep well."
"Nightmares?" she asked.
He hesitated too long.
Rhea's expression didn't change, but her fingers curled slightly against the counter. "You've been… off lately."
Kael shrugged. "Just stress. I got invited to test for Emberwake. Trying to decide if I'm ready."
That part, at least, was true. The recruiter had come through two nights ago. And while he hadn't made a decision yet, it was becoming clear that he couldn't stay hidden forever.
Rhea didn't press further. But she didn't move, either.
She just watched him, as if trying to read past his face.
And for a moment, he wondered—could she feel it? The trace of power clinging to his skin like heat after a fever?
---
The tavern door opened with a groan. A new presence entered.
Kael didn't recognize the man. Tall. Pale armor. No visible weapon.
But the moment he crossed the threshold, Kael's system stirred.
> Desire detected: suppressed hostility.
Target emotional state: judgment, suspicion.
Kael flinched. The system hadn't spoken aloud this time—just a flicker of data across his vision. Subtle. Silent. But very, very real.
The man's eyes swept the room, then paused. On him.
> [ALERT: Partial aura trace detected. Mask integrity: 94%]
[Recommend: Emotional suppression protocol]
Kael forced a breath through his nose and smiled. "Welcome to the Shattered Horn. Drink?"
The man said nothing for a beat. Then: "Water. No ice."
His voice was like stone—flat and final.
Kael poured the drink, heart racing.
Rhea didn't move. Her eyes were on the man now, too.
> Who is he? Kael thought.
> Pale Hunt, the system whispered faintly.
His stomach turned.
---
The man didn't stay long. Drank. Watched. Left without a word.
But Kael could feel it — he'd been scanned, subtly, carefully. The mask had held… barely.
As the door shut, Rhea looked at him.
"He was looking for someone."
"Yeah," Kael said, gripping the edge of the bar.
"Let's just hope he doesn't find them."