The stillness of the forest at dusk carried a sharp, expectant tension. The sun hung low on the horizon, bathing the wilderness in deep hues of gold and red, its light filtering weakly through the canopy of tangled branches. Here, beyond the glowing perfection of the Solaris estate, the world felt raw, unpolished—a place that neither cared about strength nor mercy.
Merir crouched low behind a cluster of thick roots at the forest's edge. His breaths came slow and shallow as he steadied himself, his hazel eyes darting toward the sounds ahead. Somewhere beyond the brush, the guttural growls of dread beastlings echoed faintly, the corrupted remnants of Lumina's wildlands prowling through the woods. Even though he couldn't see them yet, the faint rustle of leaves and the crack of distant twigs told him they were close. Too close.
Merir's heartbeat thrummed with the same excitement and fear that had kept him alive these past days. When the laughter of his siblings became unbearable, and the suffocating walls of the Solaris estate threatened to crush him, he came here. It was dangerous—more dangerous than staying under his family's glare—but at least here, he had room to breathe. And to test his power.
He rubbed his palms against his thighs, the cool air doing little to soothe his nerves.
"Alright," he whispered, his voice just barely audible over the murmurs of the forest. "One more test. Just one more, then I'll head back."
He couldn't risk staying too long. Every hunt in the wild knew its risks. And if his father ever found out that he had dared to venture here without permission, Merir knew the punishment would outmatch the danger of beastlings tenfold.
But he needed this.
---
In his mind, he felt the system's faint, constant hum—a presence he had grown disturbingly familiar with over the past few days.
"Lie Slots: [4/5]. Lies Recorded: ['My footsteps make no sound', 'The light bends', 'This light is a blade', 'This light is a shield']. Lie Gauge: 80% remaining."
Four lies. Offensive power, concealment, defense. He had spent hours honing them, pushing the limits of his own strength while carefully observing how his body responded to the strain.
But there was something missing—a whisper of realization that had been growing since he had left the safety of his room. None of his recorded lies accounted for one thing: desperation.
Because no matter how sharp his light-formed blade or how sturdy his shimmering shield, no matter how silent his steps or how invisible he became, there would come a moment where even those lies wouldn't be enough. A moment where he couldn't run.
Or where he would need to run faster than anything else could chase.
---
Merir froze as the growling grew louder. The snap of a branch, closer now, caused his chest to tighten. He dropped low to the ground, his hand instinctively brushing against the rough hilt of his simple steel dagger. The weapon felt miserably inadequate.
Beastlings weren't subtle. Their glowing orange eyes pierced through the darkness of the fading light, moving through the brush like burning embers flickering in the wind. Merir counted three of them as they entered the clearing directly ahead of him. Each one was lithe, their long, sharp claws dragging against the ground as black, stringy fur shimmered with traces of corrupted energy.
One growled softly, its head jerking toward the spot where Merir crouched. Merir's lungs tightened as the beast sniffed the air, its unnatural movements making his stomach churn.
The others began to follow suit, their orange gaze shimmering with a near feral intensity. They knew something was there. And they were closing in.
Merir's lips tightened into a grim line as he fought to keep his heartbeat steady. His mind raced through his options.
"Blade and shield won't hold. And they'll sniff me out even if I bend the light again."
He gripped the dagger. For a brief moment, the thought of charging them outright flickered in his mind—anything to keep himself moving, to keep himself alive. But he shoved the thought down almost immediately, knowing it wouldn't work. "No, I need something they won't expect. Something that gives me space to escape."
The beastling closest to him snarled, pushing its way through the brush until it stood only a dozen or so feet from his hiding spot.
Then, Merir spoke quietly—firmly.
"I say, therefore I am... I am there, not here."
The words slipped from his lips like a prayer.
The rift inside him burned to life, its golden energy roaring forth in a way that felt both foreign and overwhelming. In that split second, reality lurched violently around him.
The forest blurred—trees twisting unnaturally, the ground beneath him melting into light—before snapping back like taut string.
Merir stumbled to his feet instinctively, his heart racing as he realized the sound of growling and rustling brush had vanished.
He wasn't in the cluster of thick roots anymore.
He turned quickly, his wide hazel eyes scanning his surroundings. He had moved at least twenty feet, now hidden deeper into the clearing behind a set of larger roots, the beastlings still focused on where he had been moments before.
It worked.
It worked.
His hand came to his chest, fingers clutching at his tunic as he gulped down sharp breaths of air. His whole body ached with the strange and sudden expansion of energy he'd just summoned, but it didn't matter. For the first time, the realization of what he'd done hit him fully.
Teleportation.
"I—" His voice was a shaky whisper. "I moved."
The distant echoes of growling quickly broke through his awe. The beastlings were sniffing, turning their heads, confusion mingling with irritation as they searched for the prey they were certain had been there.
Merir clenched his fists, his trembling subsiding as he forced himself back into focus.
The voice of the system whispered softly in his mind:
"Major Lie Successful. Lie Gauge: 65%. Lie Available for Recording. Would you like to proceed?"
"Yes," Merir whispered urgently, eager to cement this new power before exhaustion caught him.
"Recording Lie: 'I am there, not here.' Lie Slots: [5/5]. No additional slots available."
---
The crackling growls of the beastlings faded as Merir slowly inched himself farther back from the clearing, his body still sore from the incredible strain of testing yet another lie tonight.
He knew he was lucky—the power he had bent hadn't just saved him; it had broken through a wall he didn't even know existed. His heart remained steady as he slipped away into the thicker brush, each careful movement silent thanks to the lie he had used earlier, "My footsteps make no sound."
When the clearing was far behind him, Merir finally collapsed against the base of a gnarled tree, letting out the breath he had been holding. The weight on his chest lifted slightly as he let his head lean back against the rough bark, his mind whirling.
Offense, concealment, defense. And now, escape. The lies he had forged were more than just desperate tricks to survive. They were building into something bigger, something dangerous.
As the edges of his exhaustion began to pull him toward sleep, Merir smiled faintly. His family's disdain, the mockery of his siblings, Lord Cael's condescension—none of them would see this coming.
One day, they'd call him weak for the last time.