As the silence stretched, Keon's gaze flicked toward the group of soldiers before settling back on the officer in charge. His violet eyes, sharp and unreadable, glinted under the sterile white lights. His posture remained calm—too calm.
Then, he finally spoke.
"Hasn't Stella already told you everything?"
His voice was measured, carrying just the right mix of curiosity and mild impatience.
The officer didn't react immediately. He simply regarded Keon with the same piercing stare before giving a short, clipped response.
"She is."
Keon arched a brow slightly. "Then why the extra questioning? Surely, she covered what you need to know."
The officer's expression remained unreadable, but there was an unmistakable weight behind his words as he answered.
"We need to verify if both of your answers match."
One of the soldiers shifted slightly, arms crossed. "Standard protocol."
Keon let out a quiet exhale, tilting his head slightly. "So, I'm being tested to see if I slip up." His tone was light, almost amused, but there was a keen sharpness beneath it.
The officer didn't confirm or deny it. He simply returned his focus to the holo-tablet in his hand, scrolling through data before lifting his gaze once more.
"Now, answer the questions."
The room remained tense. Every soldier present was watching him, waiting, analyzing his every move.
Keon knew what this was—a game of control. They wanted to see if his version of events aligned with Stella's. If even one detail was inconsistent, the scrutiny on him would only deepen.
His mind worked quickly. He had no idea what Stella had told them. That meant he had to be careful.
His next words had to be precise.
And so, he spoke.
Keon took a slow breath, gathering his thoughts before he began speaking. His expression remained neutral, his violet eyes flicking between the officers as he started explaining everything he had experienced.
He recounted the events in a clear, steady tone—his battles with the Obsidian Howler in the abandoned city, the encounter with the Mutated Bloodwick near the Destroyer Lab, and how he had managed to survive against both threats. His words painted the picture of a fighter with quick instincts and adaptability, someone who had faced death more than once and emerged victorious.
Yet, despite how much he revealed, Keon was careful—very careful—to leave out the critical details.
He made no mention of the Immortal Rift System.
No mention of his ability to travel through Rifts.
No mention of how his strength was rapidly evolving beyond normal limits.
Instead, he framed his survival as a mix of luck, quick thinking, and strategy, giving them just enough to make his story believable but not enough to expose his secrets.
When it came to the Abyssalflame Serpent, Keon kept his expression unreadable as he spoke.
He described it as a powerful creature—one he had trapped within his Rift Barrier during his encounter, ensuring it couldn't rampage through the battlefield. His explanation was logical enough to fit what they had likely seen or heard.
But in reality, the truth was far more dangerous.
The Abyssalflame Serpent wasn't merely sealed away in a temporary rift. Keon had stored it inside his Rift Storage, a hidden space that only he could access. A space where time itself had little meaning.
To everyone else, the serpent was contained, an uncontrollable force locked away. But in truth, Keon could summon it whenever he pleased, turning it into a devastating offensive weapon—a creature bound only to him.
And more importantly—
No one knew that the Abyssalflame Serpent didn't belong to this world.
It was an entity from beyond, something that had no place in this reality. If the soldiers—or anyone—discovered that fact, the consequences could spiral beyond control.
So Keon kept his explanation straightforward, omitting anything that could raise suspicion.
He was playing a careful game.
A game where the truth and deception blended seamlessly.
And as he finished speaking, his gaze remained steady, waiting for their reaction.
You're right—Keon isn't originally from this world, and he woke up in the body of someone else. Let me correct the approach while keeping the mystery intact.
---
The officer studied Keon carefully, his holo-tablet glowing faintly in his grip. "Let's talk about your past," he said, tone measured. "Your childhood. What do you remember?"
Keon barely stopped himself from tensing. They're testing me.
He had expected them to ask about the creatures, about the battles—but his past? That was dangerous. His true past was something they could never know. And as for this body's past... I only have fragments.
Still, he had prepared for this.
Keon tilted his head slightly, as if considering his words. "Not much," he admitted. "It's blurry."
The officer exchanged glances with another soldier before continuing. "Your Esperia. We have reports that it was once uncontrollable. That you kept teleporting—over and over—until you ended up in a forest far from the city. Does that sound familiar?"
Keon remained silent for half a second before giving a slow nod. "Yeah… I remember that." He made sure to sound uncertain, as if recalling distant memories. "I kept jumping. No control. Every time I tried to stop, I'd disappear again."
The officer's eyes sharpened. "And the forest—where exactly was it?"
Keon sifted through the scattered memories of this body, carefully choosing his words. "I don't know the exact location," he said truthfully. "But it was deep. Too far for me to get back on my own. I was stuck there for a while."
A new question came. "Which city were you in before that happened?"
Keon didn't hesitate. "Luthen."
The officer tapped something on his tablet, verifying the name. "And how old were you when this occurred?"
Keon let a pause linger before answering. "Six."
Silence stretched between them as the officer observed him, scanning for any signs of deception.
Then, he spoke again. "So every incident we've discussed—the fights, the creatures—you're saying all of them happened in the forest?"
Keon nodded. "Yeah. Everything happened there."
That much was true. He had fought in the forest. He had battled creatures there.
But what they didn't know was that he didn't belong to this world, not his soul
And that was a secret no one could ever uncover.