Kai walked through the quiet forest, his aura flickering faintly with shadowy tendrils as he admired his new form. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, and a grin spread across his face as he spoke to himself.
"Man, this evolution rocks," he muttered, chuckling softly. "Shadow Reaver, huh? Has a nice ring to it. I mean, look at this," he gestured to his hands, where faint void-like patterns shimmered. "I look like the villain in some epic story. Maybe Lyra will finally be impressed."
He stopped, raising his hand as dark energy began to swirl around it. "Alright, let's try this new trick," he said, his grin widening. "Skill: Void Gate."
Before him, a swirling portal of shadow and void energy materialized, its edges shimmering and rippling like liquid darkness. Kai tilted his head, examining it. "Looks stable enough. Let's see how far this thing can take me."
With a confident laugh, Kai stepped through the portal and reappeared next to the farmer's house. The small, weathered structure stood in contrast to Kai's dark and imposing aura. On the porch, the old farmer sat in his chair, leaning back lazily until he noticed the swirling portal and Kai stepping through.
The farmer blinked, his eyes widening as he took in Kai's transformed appearance. "By the gods," the old man muttered, sitting up straight. "Is that... you?"
Kai grinned, crossing his arms. "Yep. Mission's done, by the way. That boar won't be bothering you anymore."
The farmer stared at him, his expression a mix of awe and confusion. "You look... different. What happened to you?"
Kai chuckled, gesturing to himself. "Let's just say I've had a little upgrade. Pretty cool, right?"
The farmer shook his head, still staring. "You look like something out of a legend. I don't know whether to thank you or run for the hills."
Kai laughed, waving a dismissive hand. "Relax, old man. I'm still the same guy who saved your farm."
The farmer nodded slowly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small token engraved with the guild's emblem. "Here's your proof of completion. You earned it."
Kai took the token, inspecting it briefly before slipping it into his pocket. "Thanks," he said with a nod. "And hey, try to keep the livestock safe from now on."
The farmer smiled faintly. "We owe you, son. If you're ever in the area, you've got a place to rest."
Kai smirked. "Appreciate it. Take care."
With their goodbyes exchanged, Kai raised his hand again, summoning another Void Gate. The swirling portal materialized in front of him, and without hesitation, Kai stepped through and vanished into the shadows.
Back at the guild, Lyra sat at her desk, her orange ears twitching slightly as she worked through a pile of mission reports. She sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Another day, another mountain of paperwork," she muttered to herself. Her thoughts drifted, inevitably landing on Kai. "That guy's probably out there causing trouble again."
She smirked, shaking her head. "Still, he gets the job done. Annoying as he is, he's definitely not boring."
"Lyra," a familiar voice called, breaking her thoughts.
Lyra turned, her green eyes lighting up as she saw Elara approaching. "Elara! Good to see you."
Elara offered a small nod, her posture as composed as ever. "Lyra. Looks like you're busy as always."
Lyra chuckled, gesturing to the stack of papers in front of her. "You know how it is. Adventurers bring in chaos, and I get to clean it up."
Elara raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of chaos, have you heard from Kai?"
Lyra grinned, resting her chin on her hand. "Oh, you're thinking about him? How sweet."
Elara scowled, crossing her arms. "I'm not thinking about him. I'm concerned. He's reckless, and every time he takes a mission, something insane happens."
Lyra laughed softly. "That's part of his charm, isn't it? He dives headfirst into trouble and somehow comes out on top."
Elara sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Charm isn't the word I'd use. He's insufferable, always showing off and acting like the rules don't apply to him."
"And yet," Lyra said with a teasing smile, "you can't stop talking about him."
Elara's cheeks flushed slightly, and she shot Lyra a sharp look. "Don't start."
Lyra leaned back in her chair, clearly enjoying herself. "You know, for someone who claims to dislike him, you sure spend a lot of time thinking about him."
"I don't dislike him," Elara snapped. "I just... don't trust him to stay out of trouble. Someone needs to keep him in check."
"And that someone is you?" Lyra asked, her smile widening.
Elara hesitated, her gaze shifting to the floor. "If it keeps him from destroying the city, then yes."
Lyra laughed, shaking her head. "You're impossible, Elara. But you know, he respects you. I've seen it."
Elara's expression softened for a moment before her scowl returned. "Respect or not, he's a liability. Someone has to make sure he doesn't go too far."
Before Lyra could respond, a sudden surge of energy filled the room. Both women froze as a swirling black portal materialized in front of them. The tendrils of shadowy energy rippled outward, and the air grew heavy with magic.
"What the—" Lyra began, her eyes widening.
"A portal? Here?" Elara muttered, her voice sharp.
The portal shimmered, the energy within it flickering ominously. Both women exchanged a glance, their thoughts racing as the portal began to stabilize.
The swirling black portal pulsed with an ominous energy, casting flickering shadows across the guild hall. Lyra and Elara stood frozen, their eyes locked on the dark, shifting vortex. The air around them grew heavier, charged with a suffocating aura that made it hard to breathe.
"Why is this here?" Lyra muttered, her voice uneasy as her green eyes narrowed. "Portals don't just appear out of nowhere."
Elara's grip on her sword tightened, her gaze unwavering as she stared at the swirling energy. "It's not normal," she said, her tone sharp. "Something—or someone—is coming through."
The heavy aura intensified, pressing down on the room like an invisible weight. Both women instinctively stepped back as the shadows around the portal began to ripple, reaching out like dark tendrils. Lyra clutched the edge of the counter, her tail flicking nervously. "This doesn't feel right," she murmured. "What kind of magic is this?"
Elara didn't respond immediately. Her green eyes flashed with determination as she unsheathed her sword and stepped forward, taking a battle stance. "It doesn't matter," she said firmly. "Whatever it is, I'll handle it."
"Elara, wait!" Lyra called, her voice tinged with alarm. "You don't even know what's coming out of that thing!"
"Exactly," Elara replied, her grip on her weapon steady. "That's why I need to be ready."
The portal pulsed again, and the oppressive aura grew even heavier. The tendrils of shadow energy coiled and writhed as a figure began to emerge. The air grew colder, and an eerie silence fell over the room, broken only by the faint sound of the portal humming.
Elara's eyes narrowed, and with a sharp cry, she leapt forward, her sword raised high. "Whoever you are, you're not welcome here!" she shouted, bringing her blade down in a powerful arc.
Before the sword could land, a deep, commanding voice echoed through the room. "Skill: Abyssal Chains."
Dark chains erupted from the floor, writhing like living shadows. They shot toward Elara with terrifying speed, coiling around her arms and legs and stopping her mid-strike. The chains pulled her back, pinning her in place. Simultaneously, more chains erupted around Lyra, wrapping tightly around her and holding her in place as well.
"What—?!" Elara gasped, struggling against the unyielding chains. Her sword clattered to the ground as she glared at the figure stepping out of the portal. "Who are you?!"
Lyra's eyes widened as she looked at the figure emerging from the shadows. The oppressive aura emanating from him was overwhelming, and the flickering light from the portal illuminated his tall, imposing form. The faint glow of crimson-red eyes pierced through the darkness, and shadows seemed to ripple off his body, creating an eerie, almost otherworldly presence.
"This aura..." Lyra whispered, her voice trembling. "It feels... familiar."
The figure stepped fully into the room, his cloak of living shadows shifting and flickering with every movement. A playful, teasing tone cut through the tense silence. "Oh, it's Elara. I should have known you'd be the first to attack me."
Elara froze, her green eyes widening in shock as the figure's voice registered. She stared at him, her lips parting in disbelief. "That voice... no. It can't be."
Lyra blinked, her own confusion mirroring Elara's as she looked closer at the figure's face. Despite the changes—the glowing eyes, the void-like patterns on his skin, the aura of overwhelming power—she recognized him instantly.
"Kai?!" Lyra and Elara shouted in unison, their voices filled with equal parts shock and disbelief.
Kai chuckled, the sound low and amused as he dismissed the chains holding them. The shadows dissolved into mist, freeing the two women as he crossed his arms and grinned at them. "Miss me?"
Elara's sword clattered to the ground as she stared at him, her expression shifting between anger and astonishment. "What... what happened to you?!"
Lyra took a step forward, her green eyes wide with amazement. "Kai, you look... different. What did you do?"
Kai laughed, his crimson eyes glinting with amusement as he gestured to himself. "What do you think? Shadow Reaver. Sounds pretty cool, right?"
Elara's jaw tightened, her hands balling into fists. "Cool?! You look like something out of a nightmare! Do you have any idea how reckless this is?!"
Kai tilted his head, his grin widening. "Reckless? Nah, this is an upgrade. Besides, don't I look good?"
Lyra couldn't suppress a giggle, despite the tension. "I mean... he's not wrong. It's a bit dramatic, but it suits you."
Elara shot her a sharp look. "Lyra!"
"What?" Lyra replied, smirking. "You have to admit, it's impressive."
Elara groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as Kai laughed again. "You're impossible," she muttered, glaring at him. "This isn't a joke, Kai. Whatever you've done to yourself, it's not normal."
Kai shrugged, his smirk never fading. "Normal's overrated. But hey, we can catch up later. Right now, I've got a mission to turn in."
The room fell silent as Lyra and Elara exchanged a glance, their thoughts racing as they tried to process what had just happened.
Kai leaned casually against the guild counter, his crimson eyes glinting as he placed the farmer's mission token in front of Lyra. "Mission complete," he said with a smirk, crossing his arms. "I told you it'd be easy."
Lyra glanced at the token, her orange ears twitching as she picked it up and inspected it. "You took out that giant boar and came back in one piece," she said, her tone carrying a hint of amusement. "Not bad, Kai."
Kai laughed, leaning closer. "Not bad? Come on, Lyra, you could at least say I'm amazing. I mean, did you see the size of that thing?"
Lyra rolled her eyes, placing the token in the records box. "Yes, Kai, you're amazing. Now go find something else to brag about."
Kai grinned. "You know you're impressed. Don't deny it."
Lyra sighed, shaking her head as she fought back a smile. "You're impossible."
Just as Kai was about to turn away, a sharp voice cut through the guild hall. "Kai!"
He turned, his smirk widening as he saw Elara approaching, her green eyes flashing with irritation. "Oh, hey, Captain," Kai said, his tone teasing. "Miss me already?"
Elara stopped a few feet away, pointing at him with an accusing finger. "What the hell was that back there? You show up with some dramatic portal, scaring everyone, and now you're just standing here like nothing happened?"
Kai chuckled, shrugging. "I call it making an entrance. Gotta keep things interesting, right?"
Elara's fists clenched at her sides. "You're unbelievable," she muttered. "And what's with this... this new look of yours? Do you even know what you've done to yourself?"
Kai tilted his head, his smirk softening into a playful grin. "What's wrong, Captain? You don't like it? I think it suits me."
Elara groaned, her patience clearly wearing thin. "You think everything is a joke, don't you? This isn't a game, Kai. You're playing with powers you don't fully understand."
Kai laughed, leaning closer. "Relax, Elara. I've got it under control. Besides, you seem to be thinking about me a lot these days."
Elara's face flushed slightly, and she took a step forward. "You're insufferable! Someone needs to keep you in check."
Kai grinned, his tone turning teasing. "And that someone is you, I'm guessing?"
"Exactly!" Elara yelled, her frustration boiling over. "From now on, wherever you go, I'm going too. Missions, battles, whatever chaos you get yourself into, I'll be there to make sure you don't destroy everything!"
Kai blinked, momentarily surprised by her declaration, but his grin quickly returned. "Oh, really? Didn't know you cared so much."
Lyra, who had been watching the exchange with amusement, let out a laugh. "Elara, are you serious? You're going to follow him everywhere?"
Elara shot Lyra a glare. "Someone has to. He's a walking disaster!"
Kai leaned against the counter, his crimson eyes glinting with mischief. "I don't know, Captain. Sounds like you're volunteering to be my personal bodyguard. Should I feel honored?"
Elara's fists clenched, and with a sharp cry of frustration, she dashed toward him, her arm swinging back for a punch. "Stop teasing me!"
Kai moved quickly, catching her fist with his hand just before it connected. The impact sent a small shockwave through the guild hall, causing a few papers on Lyra's desk to flutter to the ground. "Careful, Captain," Kai said, his grin widening. "You wouldn't want to hurt me, would you?"
Elara struggled against his grip, her eyes narrowing. "Let go!"
Kai chuckled, his tone playful. "Alright, alright. No need to get violent." He released her hand and stepped back, giving her a wink. "But I have to admit, I'm flattered."
Elara glared at him, her face flushed with anger. "You're impossible!"
Kai laughed, turning toward the center of the guild hall. With a wave of his hand, a swirling Void Gate materialized in front of him, its dark energy rippling ominously. He glanced back at Lyra and Elara, his smirk never fading. "Well, ladies, it's been fun. But I've got places to be."
Lyra crossed her arms, her green eyes narrowing. "You're just going to leave like that?"
Kai nodded. "Pretty much. Don't miss me too much, alright?"
Elara took a step forward, her voice rising. "This isn't over, Kai!"
Kai chuckled, giving her a mock salute. "I'm counting on it, Captain. See you around."
He stepped through the portal, the swirling energy swallowing him before it disappeared with a faint hum. The guild hall fell silent, the weight of his absence hanging in the air.
Lyra sighed, shaking her head as she gathered the scattered papers. "That guy... he's something else."
Elara groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "He's insufferable. Reckless, arrogant, and... and..." She trailed off, her frustration clear.
Lyra smirked, leaning against the counter. "And you're going to follow him everywhere, huh?"
Elara glared at her. "Don't start, Lyra."
To Be Continued...