Moonlight bathed the forest canopy in silver, dappling the ground in shifting mosaics of pale glow and moving shadow. Kael'theron crouched atop a branch near the treetop, his spirit masked, eyes locked on the distant lights of the Velressi Clan.
From this distance, the elegant towers looked like glowing spires of crystal, hidden amongst lotus trees and flowing waterfalls. Despite the beauty, Kael'theron remained still, expression unreadable.
He wasn't here to admire the view.
Something… called to him tonight.
And then, it changed.
The wind paused—only for a moment. The silence that followed was unnatural. And in that stillness, Kael'theron felt a shift in the Qi surrounding the forest. The spiritual energy, usually calm and circulating like the breath of nature, twisted. Tension spiked, like the inhale before a scream.
Combat.
His golden irises narrowed.
He dropped to the forest floor soundlessly, footwork precise and ghostlike, following the pulse of clashing energies. One was wild, oppressive, and deeply bestial—like raw instinct honed by violence. The other… disciplined but waning. A female presence. Controlled yet exhausted.
He darted between trees like wind given form.
The closer he drew, the more apparent the imbalance became.
She's at Foundation Establishment Realm, he realized quickly. But she's running out of strength. Her Qi is too exposed… no concealment technique, too much blood loss.
Then he saw them.
In a clearing flanked by shattered trees and crushed stone, a lone woman—beautiful even through dirt and bruises—stood panting, legs trembling slightly as blood dripped from a wound on her thigh. Her clothes were torn at the edges, her long raven hair tangled and matted with forest debris. Still, she held her ground, jade blade in hand, glowing weakly with spiritual light.
Facing her was a beast of nightmare—the Abyssal Wolf.
Massive, with obsidian fur so dark it seemed to drink light, and glowing crimson eyes that radiated primal bloodlust. Its claws were longer than daggers, and its growl trembled through the trees like a quake.
So that's what it is, Kael'theron noted coldly. A corrupted Alpha. A rogue. That explains the distortion in the Qi.
Despite the imminent danger, he didn't move.
He simply watched.
There was no sense of righteousness in him. No impulse to rush in and save a damsel in distress. Her realm was strong. If anything, she was the intruder in the wolf's domain. Life and death among cultivators—this was the way of the world.
But then…
The wolf pounced. The woman twisted to dodge but stumbled. Its claws caught her—ripping across her upper chest, shredding her garments.
In that instant, time slowed.
The shredded silk fluttered in the air. Her pale skin glowed under the moonlight. And there—bared, soft and heaving—was the gentle curve of her breasts, full and vulnerable, the cold air causing her to flinch in more than pain.
Kael'theron's breath caught.
Something ancient stirred within him. Something that had no name but spoke with the voice of need.
The incubus blood.
It surged silently, like a whisper through his bones. His heart beat once—hard.
The next moment, he moved.
A blur of black and silver light tore across the clearing.
CLANG!
The Abyssal Wolf's claws met cold steel. Kael'theron's blade sparked, forcing the creature back with a growl of surprised rage.
He stood there, between the woman and the beast, shirtless, his chiseled frame glowing faintly under the moonlight. His eyes, once calm, now gleamed with a subtle red hue as incubus aura bled from his pores—seductive, terrifying, and beautiful.
The woman blinked, dazed. "W-Who…?"
"Quiet," Kael'theron said softly, never taking his eyes off the wolf. "You'll attract it again."
She blinked again—then flushed as her gaze dropped to herself.
Kael'theron felt her pulse spike. Her embarrassment. Her vulnerability.
Without another word, he shrugged off his robe-like outer shirt and offered it with one arm, still holding his blade in the other.
"Here. Cover yourself."
She hesitated, breathing heavy, before slowly wrapping it around herself, her fingers trembling against the still-warm cloth. The scent of him clung to it—an intoxicating blend of mountain mist, steel, and something else. Something primal.
"You're not… from the clan," she whispered, more confused than afraid.
Kael'theron didn't answer.
He stepped forward, eyes locked with the wolf's, spirit energy rising.
The wolf froze, instinctively sensing the gap in power. Its growl turned hesitant.
Kael'theron raised his blade, voice cool. "You've lived long enough."
The battle was short.
One moment of blinding speed, and the blade flashed like moonlight through fog.
The Abyssal Wolf collapsed, a clean line across its throat, crimson mist rising as its massive body hit the ground.
Kael'theron exhaled, flicking the blood from his blade before sheathing it in one smooth motion.
Behind him, the woman knelt, eyes wide with awe and uncertainty. "You… you're not from Velressi, are you?"
"No."
"Then… who are you?"
He paused.
Even he didn't fully know how to answer that.
"Kael'theron," he finally said. "I live in the mountains."
"The reclusive mansion?" Her eyes widened. "Then you must be—Lady Seraphyne's…?"
He turned slightly. "Son."
She looked as if she had more questions, but he turned and began walking.
"You should return to your sect," he said. "This forest isn't as safe as you think."
Then he stopped, without turning back.
"…And if they ask, I wasn't here."
The woman looked down at the shirt around her, eyes full of questions, lips parted.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
But Kael'theron was already gone, vanishing into the night like a shadow returning to its dream.
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