On the Edge of Truth
The firelight flickered against steel as the bandits closed in. Their boots crunched over leaves, blades catching the glow of the flames. A dozen hungry eyes fixed on Kai, Lira, and Dane.
The leader, a scar-faced man with greasy hair pulled into a knot, twirled his dagger casually. "Drop your packs. Weapons too. Do it nice and easy, and maybe we won't gut you where you sit."
Dane barked a harsh laugh, swinging his axe onto his shoulder. "Yeah? Come closer and try it. I could use the workout."
The bandits chuckled, some cracking knuckles, others raising their swords.
Lira, arrow drawn, spoke in a steady voice. "There are three of us, twelve of you. That's bad math for you."
"Funny," the scarred leader sneered. "That's what I was about to say."
Kai stood frozen, heart hammering. His friends had no idea. The numbers weren't in their favor—not unless he tipped the scales. But that meant showing his hand. That meant using the System where they could see.
The interface pulsed in his vision.
[Quest Triggered: Defend Your Companions]Objective: Eliminate the threat.Bonus Objective: Protect your secret.Reward: EXP +250, Loot Drop, Bond Strength +5Failure: Bond Strength –15
His throat clenched. Protect my secret and protect them? That's impossible.
"Enough stalling!" the scarred man barked. "Kill the men, take the girl alive. She'll fetch a price."
Lira's eyes narrowed, arrow loosed in a snap. The shaft whistled through the dark and buried itself in the shoulder of the nearest bandit. He screamed, staggering back.
Chaos erupted.
The bandits surged forward. Dane roared and charged, axe cleaving down with brutal force. Steel clanged, sparks flew. Lira danced back, loosing another arrow, then another.
Kai's pulse thundered. He gripped his sword, the weight familiar, comforting. If I fight like normal, we'll be overrun. If I use the System—
A bandit lunged at him, blade flashing. Instinct took over.
[Skill Activated: Quickstep Lv.2]
Kai vanished from the man's line of sight, reappearing at his side in a blur of speed. His sword cut clean through the bandit's ribs. The man fell, eyes wide in shock.
Lira gasped behind him. Dane shouted, but not at the enemy—at him.
"What the hell was that?!"
Kai didn't answer. He couldn't. Not with more bandits pressing in.
Two came at him at once.
[Skill Activated: Precision Strike Lv.1]Critical Hit!
His blade found the gap in one man's armor, sliding through his throat. He spun, slashing low to cripple the other's leg. Both fell before they realized what happened.
The System chimed, cold and clear.
[Enemies Defeated: 3 | EXP +90]
"Damn it, Kai!" Dane's voice was half fury, half awe. He split a bandit's skull with his axe, blood spraying across his beard. "That speed—what are you hiding?!"
"Not now!" Kai snapped, twisting to parry another strike. His movements were too sharp, too fluid. Not the motions of a tired adventurer—something else. Something more.
And Lira was watching. He could feel her gaze between every arrow she loosed, sharp as the tips of her shafts.
The scarred leader snarled, cutting through the chaos. "He's the one! Get the fast one!"
Four bandits peeled away, converging on Kai.
Kai's pulse spiked. He couldn't take them all without—
[Body Reinforcement Lv.1 – Activated]
Power surged through his limbs, muscles burning with unnatural strength. He leapt, sword arcing in a silver flash. Steel clashed, screams rang out, and in moments, the four lay broken on the forest floor.
Silence fell.
Only the crackle of the fire and the groans of the dying remained. The surviving bandits fled into the trees, crashing through undergrowth in blind panic.
The leader, clutching his bleeding arm, stumbled backward. His eyes were wide—not with fear of Dane or Lira, but of Kai. "What… what are you?!"
Kai's chest heaved. He raised his blade—then stopped. The man was already scrambling away, disappearing into the dark.
Dane lowered his axe, eyes locked on Kai. Not the bandits. Not the fire. Just Kai.
Lira, bow still half-raised, whispered: "Kai… what was that?"
Her voice wasn't accusing. Not yet. But it was heavy. Weighted with fear.
Kai swallowed. His sword trembled in his grip. "I—"
The System pulsed again.
[Quest Failed: Protect Your Secret]Penalty: Bond Strength –10
[Current Bond Strength: Lira 55 | Dane 44]
The numbers stabbed into his heart. They knew. Not the truth, not fully—but enough. Enough to make them doubt.
"I can explain," he whispered, barely louder than the crackle of the fire.
"You'd better," Dane growled, stepping closer. His grip on his axe was still white-knuckled. "Because I've fought beside you for years, Kai. I know your limits. And what I saw tonight? That wasn't you."
Lira lowered her bow, but her eyes were sharper than ever. "We trusted you. And you've been lying."
Kai looked between them, throat tight. He wanted to shout the truth, to pour it all out, to make them understand. But fear still gnawed at him. What if they hate me for it? What if they leave?
The fire popped, throwing sparks into the night. The silence stretched.
Finally, Kai lowered his sword, blade sinking into the dirt. "I'll tell you. Soon. Just… not here. Not now."
Dane's jaw tightened. His silence was louder than any curse.
Lira looked away, staring into the flames, her expression unreadable.
The night dragged on, heavy and brittle. The battle was over, but the real fight—the one between them—had only just begun.