Rain lashed against the stone walls of the duchy, thunder rumbling like the roar of an angry beast.
Lightning carved jagged lines across the night sky.
Luna, cloaked in a black robe and hidden behind a shadowy mask, slipped through the open window with the grace of a phantom.
She was only nine now
Her feet made no sound on the wet marble floor.
She crossed the moonlit corridor and darted into the darkened courtyard, running swift and unseen toward the hidden garden behind the estate.
The garden of Synical.
A place whispered about in the oldest records of the duchy rarely visited, purposefully forgotten.
In its center stood a pale, white well, aged and cracked, covered in moss and old magic.
Luna approached it cautiously, her fingers brushing the cold stone.
"I know there's something here," she murmured, eyes narrowing. "I can feel the mana. It's flickering only a high-grade mage like me could sense it."
She pressed her hand to the well, searching for the faintest seam, the tiniest crack a hidden path, perhaps a concealed gate.
Then
"You shouldn't be here, kid."
Her breath hitched.
That voice close, yet far. Calm, yet commanding.
She hadn't sensed his approach.
Impossible.
Her detection skills were flawless.
He's not a Mera... she thought quickly, tensing...
A man stepped out from the shadows, tall and quiet.
"Are you alright?
Now be good and go back to your place. Probably a servant's child, huh?"
Luna stayed silent, instinct screaming danger.
"But…" he tilted his head, eyes narrowing, "something about you feels… off."
She turned and sprinted toward the forest, heart hammering. He's too composed. Should I use my skill on him? Or
"Where are you going, miss?"
He appeared before her like a ghost.
Luna's eyes widened. Damn. I didn't even notice his movement.
He was an elf.
Tall at least 190 centimeters. Dark green hair flowed down his back like water, his eyes a piercing shade of emerald. He wore dark clothing, simple but efficient, like one trained in silence and speed.
"Young miss," he said slowly, "why are you disguised like a thief?"
He couldn't see her face Luna had applied a barrier mask that warped perception. She raised her voice, steady and firm.
Luna,...
"Leave. Now. And forget this night ever happened."
Her tone carried a weight far too authoritative for a mere child.
"I'm a servant's sibling," she added quickly. "You must be new… I've never seen you before. Or are you the thief here?"
The elf tilted his head with a faint, amused smile. "A bold claim. But no.
I'm a night patrol cadet of the duchy. You probably wouldn't know I work when the rest of the world sleeps."
Luna knew , he was lying .
"Ohh, is that so "
His eyes flicked over her barrier, searching. Luna could tell he wasn't convinced. His gaze was too sharp, too analytical.
He's dangerous, she thought. Like an assassin. No, like someone who's survived one.
The elf stepped slightly closer, arms relaxed. "Strange," he said quietly. "Your voice… your command. For a second, I thought you were no, that's ridiculous."
Luna took that moment to move.
Like a coiled viper, she struck.
A sharp, precise attack aimed straight for his side.
He barely dodged his reflexes quick, but not flawless. He stumbled, slipping in the rain.
Tsk. He dodged it. Luna darted back, leaping over the hedge. He's no ordinary elf.
She ran toward the town below Velmora Castle. Behind her, the elf gave chase.
Luna, " you want me to believe an elf like you came to deserted north just for a sleeky job "
"Stop right there!" he called, frustration in his voice. "This kid's too skilled…"
Through winding alleys, under arches and behind merchant stalls, Luna ran. Rain soaked her robes, but her mind remained clear.
Then silence.
The elf stopped mid-chase, looking around. "Where did she go…?"
It was as if she had vanished.
In truth, Luna had slipped into a fake pocket space one she crafted herself , just big enough to hide for moments like this. It was a small dimension in itself .
It drained her mana heavily, but she didn't care.
She exhaled sharply. Too close.
This body… is still weak. Even after all the training I've done since I arrived in this cursed novel.
He started searching if she was hiding somewhere ....No trace
After minutes passed and she sensed no presence nearby, Luna stepped out .
No one to be seen just the sky pouring rain on her her
And quietly returned to her room
Drenched and soaked wet ...
She peeled off her soaked robe, dropped the mask on the floor, and collapsed onto the bed....
"Today… was tiring."
And this anonymous person...
He was beautiful and venomous.... To skilled to be a mera extra ....
Can't remember him from the novel at all ...
Tsk ," let's just sleep for a...while "