The streets of Crec were quieter than usual. The sun had dipped below the skyline, leaving only a dim orange hue above the city. Lights flickered to life in windows and streetlamps, one by one, but even then, something felt off.Xayn walked slowly, his hands in his pockets. His coat swayed gently in the evening wind. His eyes were calm, but inside, his thoughts spun like a storm.He had the money now. His mother would get treatment. Kira would be okay, but something deep in his chest still burned.“I need to get stronger,” he muttered, turning a corner. “Stronger than anyone. I can’t let my guard down again. Never again.”A group of people passed him, laughing, unaware of the man walking by with blood still staining the edge of his boots. They didn’t know he had stared death in the face just days ago. They didn’t know the pain behind his eyes. They didn’t know what he had become.A Sudden Alert. Ding! The system screen flashed.New Task DetectedThreat Level: UnclassifiedDescriptio

The hallway was dark. A single bulb flickered above, casting a pale yellow glow over the cracked walls. Xayn’s boots made a dull thud against the old wooden floor as he stepped out of his room, but he froze the moment his eyes adjusted.The cloaked man stood there. Tall. Still. His red eyes glowed faintly from under the shadow of his hood, burning like dying embers. “You’re too late,” the man whispered.Xayn’s fingers curled into fists. “Move.”The man didn’t move. He tilted his head slightly, as if studying Xayn the way a predator studies prey. “Fifteen minutes,” the man said slowly. “No, less now. And every second you waste here is another drop of blood you’ll never stop.”Urgent Task: Protect Lia Fen.Location: Fen Estate.Time Limit: 14 minutes, 32 seconds.The timer was ticking in the corner of Xayn’s vision, each number a hammer in his skull. “I don’t have time for you,” Xayn growled, stepping forward.The man didn’t flinch. “Oh, but you do. Because you won’t reach her otherwis

The street outside the Fen Estate was quiet now. Too quiet. The only sound was the faint trickle of the garden fountain behind the gates and the soft breathing of the girl in Xayn’s arms. Moonlight stretched across the cobblestones, pale and cold, making the shadows feel even deeper.The cloaked man with the red eyes stood in those shadows, his face still mostly hidden beneath the hood. “I told you,” the man said again, his voice low and smooth. “Too late.”Xayn adjusted Lia’s weight in his arms, his eyes locked on the stranger. “And yet you’re still here. That means you want something.”The man’s lips curved faintly. “Sharp. Good. You’ll need that if you want to keep her alive.”Xayn stepped forward, closing the gap between them. “You know how to remove this mark?”The man’s gaze flicked to Lia’s arm, where the strange glowing seal pulsed like a heartbeat. “I do. But nothing comes for free.”“What do you want?”The man tilted his head. “Information. And, a test.”Xayn frowned. “A te

The mask floated in the air, black iron gleaming faintly under the dim lantern light. Its hollow eye sockets seemed to stare straight at Xayn, though there was nothing inside them. Nothing except that faint flicker of red,and then, in a low, cold voice, his own voice, it whispered again. “Put me on.”Xayn’s breath came slow and heavy. His fists tightened at his sides. “No,” he muttered.But the mask tilted slightly, as though it were smiling. “You need me. You felt it in the vision. Without me, you’ll break. With me, you’ll win.”From across the room, Drevik laughed weakly, blood dripping down his chin. “You hear it, don’t you? The mask speaks. It speaks to all who touch it.” He dragged himself to his knees, leaning against the cracked stone wall. “Most lose themselves the moment they listen.”Xayn shot him a glare. “And you?”Drevik’s grin widened, his eyes glinting with madness. “I never listened. That’s why it rejected me. That’s why I bleed.” He coughed, spitting blood on the fl

The night air was cold. The lanterns along the street swayed in the faint breeze, their dim light stretching shadows across the stone.Xayn stood in the center of the road, the Shadowglass clenched in one hand, the satchel with the mask pressing against his side. His chest still burned from the fight with Kraven, but now, he wasn’t facing one man. He was surrounded. Dozens of figures in dark cloaks and bone-white masks blocked the street. They were silent, but the air around them was heavy, dangerous, as though each breath carried the promise of violence.The leader stepped forward. His mask was different, carved into a cruel grin, painted with streaks of crimson. His voice was calm, almost polite. “Hand it over,” the man said. “The mask belongs to us.”Xayn’s body tensed. He shifted his stance, keeping his weight balanced, his eyes scanning the crowd for weaknesses. “I fought for this,” he said. “If you want it, you’ll have to take it.”The man chuckled softly. “That can be arrange