High above the road, concealed within the brittle branches of a dying oak, a lone figure lay pressed against the trunk, barely daring to breathe.

  The tree itself leaned slightly over the trade path, its leaves sparse and yellowing despite the season. From this vantage point, the road curved gently through a stretch of thinning woodland before descending toward open terrain. It was a perfect observation post—elevated, shadowed, difficult to notice unless one knew exactly where to look.

  The man watching from within its branches had chosen it carefully.

  He had seen battles before.

  He had seen mercenaries cut down bandits without blinking. He had watched assassins silence targets so efficiently that death felt almost merciful.

  But what he had just witnessed made his stomach tighten.

  “That’s… brutal,” he muttered under his breath, wiping sweat from his upper lip.

  Fire that burned a man into ash in seconds.

  Shadows that rose against their own masters and impaled them without hesitation.

  He had expected a simple escort mission to observe. Perhaps test the caravan’s defenses. Perhaps gauge the strength of its protectors.

  Instead—

  He had seen monsters.

  Below, the road was stained red in places where the bodies had fallen. Most of them were already being left behind as the wagon resumed its slow roll forward.

  The two men responsible walked back toward the carriage as if they had merely brushed dirt from their boots.

  The spy’s eyes narrowed.

  One of them—taller, with a relaxed posture and heat still faintly clinging to the air around him—had wielded fire with frightening precision.

  The other—

  The other had barely moved.

  And yet the ground itself had answered him.

  The spy swallowed.

  “Who are they…?” he whispered.

  His orders had been simple: observe the caravan traveling toward Helcurt. Report any unusual defensive capability.

  This was more than unusual.

  As his eyes remained fixed on the wagon, something made his heart skip.

  The dark-haired man—the one who commanded shadows—was staring straight at him.

  Not in his direction.

  At him.

  Their eyes locked across the distance.

  Cold.

  Unblinking.

  There was no searching in that gaze. No scanning of the trees. No accidental alignment.

  It was direct.

  Deliberate.

  The spy’s breath hitched painfully in his throat.

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  Impossible.

  He had masked his presence perfectly. Controlled his breathing. Shifted his weight in rhythm with the wind. Even his scent had been dulled with herbs before departure.

  No one had ever spotted him from that far away.

  Yet those eyes—

  They were not questioning.

  They were aware.

  The spy shifted instantly, abandoning his position without hesitation. He slid along the branch, dropped silently to a lower limb, then vaulted sideways to a neighboring tree, careful to disturb as little foliage as possible.

  He settled behind thicker leaves, pressing himself flat against the bark.

  Slow breath in.

  Slow breath out.

  After a moment, he peeked again.

  The wagon had not stopped.

  The road had not changed.

  And yet—

  Kael was still looking directly at him.

  Through layers of branches.

  Through shadow.

  Through distance.

  No confusion.

  No doubt.

  Just awareness.

  The spy’s spine went cold.

  He didn’t wait another second.

  He retreated.

  Branch to branch.

  Tree to tree.

  Each movement swift but controlled. He put distance between himself and the road as quickly as he could without making noise that would betray panic.

  Only when the sound of wheels and hooves faded entirely did he slow.

  He landed lightly in a clearing deeper within the forest, chest rising and falling faster now.

  “I have to report this…” he muttered, running a trembling hand through his hair.

  His higher-ups would need to know. About the fire. About the shadows. About the way that man had looked at him—as if distance meant nothing.

  He adjusted his cloak, masked his presence once more, and vanished deeper into the woods.

  Back on the road.

  Eric glanced sideways at Kael, who remained seated inside the wagon.

  “What are you looking at?” Eric asked casually.

  Kael leaned back slightly, posture loose.

  “Nothing big,” he replied lazily. “Just an insect.”

  Eric raised a brow. “An insect?”

  “Mm.”

  “That kind that buzzes around your ear,” Eric added lightly, “or the kind that carries poison?”

  Kael closed his eyes again. “The kind that runs when you notice it.”

  Eric smirked faintly. “You’re getting softer. You used to swat them.”

  “They weren’t worth the effort.”

  The carriage continued rolling forward without interruption.

  Mary and Musk maintained their positions at the front, alert but unaware of the exchange.

  Minutes passed.

  Then more minutes.

  The forest thinned gradually, replaced by open stretches of road bordered by low shrubs and scattered stones. The sky above was wide and pale, clouds drifting lazily across it.

  The road was quiet.

  Too quiet.

  Eric groaned loudly, leaning his head back against the wagon’s interior.

  “This is a hell of a boring journey,” he complained. “Isn’t there any bandits? Assassins? Anyone who wants to steal from us or something?”

  From the front, Musk called back, “You’re the only one hoping to be attacked!”

  Mary added dryly, “If trouble hears you begging, it might actually show up.”

  Eric ignored them. His gaze remained fixed on Kael.

  “You’re making noise,” Kael said without opening his eyes.

  Eric’s lips curved upward slowly.

  An idea formed.

  “How about I fight you instead?” he said.

  Kael didn’t respond immediately.

  “No powers,” Eric clarified. “Just physical strength.”

  One of Kael’s eyes opened lazily.

  “Isn’t physical strength your domain?” he asked.

  Eric shrugged. “So? I want to see how much you’ve grown.”

  Kael studied him for a moment.

  There was no hostility in Eric’s expression.

  But there was challenge.

  Curiosity.

  And something else—something unresolved that had nothing to do with this road.

  Kael closed his eye again, thinking.

  Then a faint smirk appeared.

  “Fine,” he said. “The idea of beating you at what you’re good at seems fun.”

  Eric grinned openly now. “That’s the spirit.”

  Both of them stepped down from the wagon.

  The moment their boots hit the dirt, Musk halted the carriage instinctively.

  Mary turned sharply. “Why are you two leaving?”

  “We have something to settle,” Kael replied calmly. “It won’t take long.”

  Mary frowned. “Settle? Now?”

  Eric stretched his arms. “We’re bored.”

  “That’s not a reason,” she snapped.

  Musk rested his hammer against the ground. “If you two leave and someone attacks us, won’t it be disastrous?”

  Kael and Eric paused mid-step.

  They glanced at each other.

  “…Fine,” Eric muttered. “We’ll fight here.”

  Mary pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re both unbelievable.”

  The merchant suddenly stuck his head out of the wagon, eyes wide.

  “W-w-wait! You mean… right now? R-right here?!”

  “Yes,” Kael and Eric answered at the same time.

  Their voices overlapped perfectly.

  The merchant swallowed audibly. “I—well—if it’s necessary…”

  “It’s not,” Mary muttered.

  The merchant and his guards quickly backed away, forming a wide circle of space around the two men.

  “Don’t break the wagon!” the merchant added nervously.

  “No promises,” Eric replied.

  Dust stirred lightly around their feet as Kael and Eric faced one another.

  Eric rolled his shoulders, loosening his muscles. “No powers,” he reminded.

  Kael exhaled slowly, adjusting his stance. “No powers.”

  Musk leaned toward Mary. “How much do you want to bet this doesn’t stay friendly?”

  Mary didn’t answer.

  The air between the two men shifted.

  Not with magic.

  But with intent.

  They stepped forward—

  And then Kael sighed.

  His voice was calm.

  Almost bored.

  “How long are you going to spy on us from up there… insect?”