The next morning, golden light spilled over the hills and bathed the quiet village in warmth. Birds chirped lazily, dew clung to the thatched roofs, and villagers bustled about with fresh energy. But on the outskirts of the village, a rare sight had captured everyone's attention.
The noble convoy was preparing to leave.
Polished carriages glistened in the sunlight, ornate crests gleaming on their sides. Noble-bred horses stamped the dirt road with practiced discipline, and soldiers in silver-trimmed armor formed tight ranks as their commanding officer barked final instructions.
Children pointed with wide eyes. Merchants peeked from their stalls. Even the village chief stood at the roadside, offering parting words to the noble siblings.
From a short distance away, Ray stood silently, leaning against an old wooden fence with his arms folded. His eyes, half-lidded with disinterest, observed the commotion without blinking.
On the surface, he looked calm. Serene. Like a passerby with no stake in the matter.
But his mind was anything but quiet.
Last night, while enjoying a bowl of noodle soup at a food stall, his ears—far sharper than any human's—had caught whispers. Murmurs leaking through the thin walls of the noble carriage.
"Keep an eye on anyone unusual. The Grandmaster said there's a relic here."
"What if it's the one the in the rumor? The one that hasn't aged for two centuries?"
"Impossible. That monster's long dead... but if it's real, the Grandmaster will want it."
Ray's fingers had tightened slightly around his chopsticks when he heard that.
A relic.
A monster.
Unaged for two centuries.
They were talking about him.
---
At the house, Kael was sweeping the porch with his usual enthusiasm when he looked up and saw Ray stepping out.
But something was different.
Ray's black hair was tied loosely, lightened slightly by a strange shimmer. His calm features were hidden behind a black-and-gold fox mask that wrapped elegantly around his face. His robes had changed too—no longer the simple fabrics of a village hermit, but travel-worn silks etched with foreign, arcane symbols.
Kael dropped the broom in shock.
"Wh-Wha—Master?! Is that... your real face?"
Ray paused in front of the steps.
"...Do I look that ugly?"
Kael blinked. "No! I mean, kinda. A little. It's the nose. And the—"
SMACK.
Kael rubbed his forehead. "Ow! What was that for?!"
Ray adjusted his mask. "That's for being judgemental."
Kael stared at him. "Why are you dressed like that? You look like some masked Bandits."
Ray glanced toward the woods. "It's none of your business. Stay here. Don't cause trouble."
And then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished.
---
[Perspective Shift: Ray]
Wind whispered against Ray's mask as he soared through the forest canopy, darting from branch to branch with inhuman grace. Leaves rustled behind him, but he left no trace. His breathing was steady. His eyes sharp.
The noble convoy had just begun its departure, the carriage rolling along a dirt path toward the Grand Academy far in the east.
Ray stalked them from above like a ghost.
A relic, huh?
So they think I'm some kind ancient object now? How insulting.
He crouched on a branch, his gaze focused on the ornate carriage. Inside, he could sense faint magical wards woven into the walls—low-tier concealment spells, probably meant to block eavesdropping. Useless against him.
The Academy still stands, even after all these years.
I thought it would crumble with time. That castle too. And yet they cling on, like old weeds.
He moved again, not running but gliding.
Memories stirred. Images of a younger him walking through the Grand Academy's endless marble halls. Dueling on moonlit rooftops. Slipping into the restricted libraries to borrow forbidden texts.
And then... a memory more bitter:
The moment he walked away from it all.
The betrayal. The sealing of his records. The war they forced upon him.
They erased my name. Pretended I never existed. And now they think I'm a weapon they can dig up again?
His eyes narrowed behind the mask.
What are you really looking for, Grandmaster?
He paused as the carriage stopped briefly at a checkpoint along the old forest road. Guards moved to inspect maps. Noble servants handed out food to the soldiers. The young noble girl inside leaned out the window, smiling at a child that offered her a flower.
Ray tilted his head.
She wasn't cruel. Nor was the boy next to her.
But innocence didn't matter. Intentions could be hidden.
I'll watch. For now.
But if they get too close...
He placed a hand on the hilt of the old wooden sword hanging from his side—a blade that looked unassuming, yet held the weight of hundreds of shattered realms.
Then I'll remind them why I disappeared.
And why some relics should stay buried.
---
Back in the village, Kael sat on the porch with a strange mix of awe and worry.
Ray was acting different.
His power, always hidden behind yawns and soup spoons, now felt like a beast stirring in its sleep.
Kael muttered to himself, "He's going to kill them, isn't he? They must've said something wrong last night's..."
He looked toward the trees.
"Master... don't go cause trouble in the world again."
---
[Inside the Carriage]
"So the rumor really said two centuries?" the noble girl asked her brother, voice hushed.
He nodded. "A man seen near this region. Never aged. It fits the information from the library from the record of war. The one no one talks about."
She looked outside again. "And if it's him?"
He didn't answer. Just pulled his cloak tighter.
But in his pocket, he gripped a talisman marked with the sigil of the Grandmaster.
A sigil that had begun to glow faintly.