Draven had just taken a step forward when—
"Wait."
Aldric's voice cut through the night.
Draven froze. Slowly, he turned his head.
Aldric's eyes were sharp now, every trace of his usual amusement gone.
"Even if we sneak in," he said, gesturing vaguely toward Draven's chest, "you still have to hide that thing inside you."
Silence fell. The wind whispered through the grass.
Lyriana glanced at Aldric—and understanding immediately crossed her face.
"Your Highness."
She stepped forward, removing a silver ring from her finger. The metal shimmered faintly, runes etched along the inner band.
"It is a concealment artifact," she explained calmly. "It suppresses and disguises one's presence. Mana signature included."
She extended it toward him.
Draven stared at the ring for a long moment. Then—
"Don't need it."
Lyriana paused. Aldric raised an eyebrow.
Draven's hand rose slowly to his ear, brushing the dark earring he had worn since the beginning. He had never activated it before. Back then… he had no mana. Now—
He closed his eyes slightly, focusing.
The folded storm inside him continued its violent rotation. Carefully, he peeled off the thinnest strand and guided it with precision toward the earring.
The moment his mana touched it—
The artifact responded. A low hum vibrated against his skin. Dark light flickered once—then his presence vanished.
The wild, suffocating pressure around him folded inward and disappeared, as if swallowed whole. Even the faint scent of mana in the air dulled.
To the world—he became empty.
Aldric's smirk returned.
"That'll do."
Lyriana slowly lowered the ring. Aldric stepped forward, taking it from her hand.
"Waste not."
He slid it onto his finger and infused it with mana. The ring ignited softly. His features blurred. His burgundy hair darkened into ash brown. His sharp eyes softened into an unremarkable shade. Even the structure of his face shifted subtly—ordinary. Forgettable.
His presence shrank. Concealed.
Where a powerful being had stood, now stood a random traveler.
Lyriana did not hesitate. She reached beneath her clothes and pulled out a thin necklace set with a pale gem. She clasped it around her neck. Mana flowed into it—her long hair shortened slightly, its sheen dimming. Her aura softened into something subdued, controlled. The elegance remained—but muted.
Another necklace appeared in her hand. She turned toward the maid.
"Do the same."
The maid accepted the necklace without hesitation. For a brief second, she studied it—then infused it with mana.
The change was subtle. Her crimson eyes dulled into a soft brown. The faint, unnatural pallor of her skin warmed into something more human. Even the oppressive stillness around her presence thinned, as if a veil had been drawn over it.
Lyriana adjusted her own disguise. Her once distinct aura was now smooth and ordinary. Her burgundy-toned hair had darkened to muted ash brown. Her noble bearing softened into that of a well-trained but unremarkable knight.
Aldric rolled his shoulders as the ring finished syncing with his mana. His features shifted. Sharper cheekbones rounded slightly. His hair shortened. Even his height seemed marginally altered. The grin, however, remained.
He glanced at Draven.
"Well. Now we look less like we crawled out of a nightmare."
Draven said nothing. He stood still for a moment, feeling the earrings hum faintly against his ears. The concealment wasn't flashy. It didn't change his appearance or suppress his mana entirely—it masked it. Smoothed its violent edges. Wrapped the constant folding storm inside him under layers of false calm.
To outside senses, he would feel… thin. Weak. Almost nonexistent. Good.
He shifted his siblings in his arms.
"What about them?" Aldric asked.
Lyriana stepped forward again.
"There's a secondary function," she said quietly. "If you remain within range, the artifact's veil can extend slightly. It won't hide them completely, but it will dull their presence."
Draven nodded once. The cat on his head blinked lazily.
Aldric looked up at it.
"And that thing?"
Draven's eyes narrowed slightly.
"If it causes trouble, I'll deal with it."
The cat flicked its tail.
Silence settled briefly between them.
Ahead, the town lights flickered gently in the night. Voices faintly carried on the wind.
Draven stepped forward again. This time, no one stopped him.
They descended the small rise together, moving at a normal pace. No rushing. No visible urgency.
They moved once more—over the wall, across the outer fields.
As they drew closer, what they had thought was a simple border settlement revealed itself to be far larger. Not a village. A fortified town.
Stone-paved roads stretched in clean lines beneath glowing mana-powered street lamps. Crystals embedded within iron frames pulsed with steady white light, illuminating every corner. Modern structures rose in neat rows—two- and three-story homes with reinforced walls, enchanted windows, and even defensive sigils subtly carved into doorframes.
Draven's eyes narrowed. This wasn't some neglected outpost. This was a developed border stronghold.
Soldiers were everywhere. Patrol units marched in organized rotations. Armored guards stood at intersections. Mana signatures flickered faintly from detection arrays mounted on rooftops.
Lyriana's gaze sharpened.
"It seems word has spread," she murmured. "The soldiers on the border must have reported something."
Aldric clicked his tongue softly.
"Of course they did. A patrol disappears? They won't ignore that."
Draven said nothing. His presence remained completely suppressed, the earrings doing their work perfectly. The violent storm inside him continued its endless folding, but nothing leaked. He shifted his siblings slightly in his arms.
Lucifer was awake, red eyes quietly observing the lights. Elenya reached upward again, grabbing at the cat's tail. The cat remained balanced on Draven's head as if it belonged there.
They moved—not walking openly, not flying. They slipped between buildings, keeping to blind spots between mana lamps. Aldric scouted ahead in short bursts, blending with shadows. The maid walked half a step behind Draven, her gaze constantly sweeping.
A patrol turned the corner ahead. Without hesitation, Draven stepped into the darkness between two structures. They flattened into the narrow gap. Soldiers passed. Close. Too close. One paused briefly, scanning the street. Draven didn't blink. The mana lamps hummed softly overhead. After a moment, the soldier moved on.
They continued. The deeper they went, the clearer it became—this town was prepared. Defensive measures were subtly layered beneath the pavement. Alarm arrays placed near major junctions. Even the civilians walking the streets wore expressions of quiet tension.
Aldric reappeared beside them in a blur.
"Not just border security," he muttered. "They're on high alert."
Draven glanced toward the distant central district where a larger structure rose—a fortified administrative tower, glowing brighter than the rest.
"So," he said quietly, "move carefully."