The carriage disappears into the distance, leaving behind an eerie silence.
Mark steps into the faint moonlight, his figure illuminated on the deserted road.
At first, relief washes over him – the girls are safe, thanks to his intervention.
But as the weight of his actions settles in, his expression twists in horror:
He killed a person.
Conviction grips his heart like a vice: "I am a monster."
Mark's gaze falls upon the bandits' lifeless bodies nearby, a grim reminder of his brutality.
Then, his eyes drop to his hands –
* The wooden right arm, once a symbol of curse, now a instrument of death.
* The left arm, chained and strong, stained with the memory of snapped necks.
His mind reels with terrifying self-questions:
"Have I fully succumbed to darkness?
Am I still even human?"
Mark's body sways slightly, as if the weight of his own monstrosity might collapse him...
Mark takes a step forward, then another, his feet moving mechanically as if driven by pain.
His mind remains shattered – haunted by the bandits' dead faces and his own monstrous reflection.
One name echoes through his tortured thoughts like a beacon:
"Hana..."
He yearns to lay eyes on her gentle face, to be near her calming presence.
Mark's pace quickens, desperation fueling his footsteps:
He must find her. Be close to her. Feel some semblance of peace again.
His thoughts are consumed by visions of her kind smile and soothing voice.
The kingdom of Elyria draws near – he senses she might be still there...
Mark continue on he's journey
**Few more days passed**
– he's now mere hours from Elyria.
As the kingdom's majestic spires and grand walls rise on the horizon, Mark stop making steps.
It snorts softly, tossing its head as Mark gazes out at the kingdom's entrance.
The massive gates are open, guarded by armored soldiers who eye passing travelers.
Mark's heart quickens – he's close to finding Hana now.
He sits frozen, horse motionless beneath him, as thoughts swirl:
"What if she sees the monster I've become?
Will she still look at me with kindness?"
Mark's grip on the reins tightens, resolve slowly forming...
Mark carefully removes the rusty chain from his left arm, letting it fall silently to the ground.
He then focuses his mind, calling upon his Mimic skill – level 4 mastery allows precise control.
He concentrates on transforming his most monstrous features:
* His wooden right arm morphs into a perfect replica of a normal limb, complete with fake skin and veins.
* His left arm's scars and bruises disappear beneath illusionary healthy skin.
* His bright red eye fades to a calm brown, matching his other eye's color perfectly.
With his disguise secure, Mark nudges the horse forward, riding towards the kingdom gates with cautious confidence.
The guards eye him briefly, then return to scanning the surrounding crowd – Mark appears utterly normal.
He breathes internally, relieved his Mimic skill has avoided initial suspicion.
As he approaches the gate entrance, Mark's gaze sweeps past the guards and into the kingdom...
His heart skips a beat – a group of elite knights emerges from within, armor glinting in sunlight.
At their center walks a familiar figure: Kai, his former friend and ally...
And Kai's eyes are fixed intensely on Mark – as if sensing something off about him.
Mark carefully removes the rusty chain from his left arm, letting it fall silently to the ground.
He then focuses his mind, calling upon his Mimic skill – level 4 mastery allows precise control.
He concentrates on transforming his most monstrous features:
* His empty left eye socket is replaced with an illusionary normal eye, matching his other eye's shape and color.
* His bright red right eye fades to a calm brown, matching the color of his newly created left eye.
* His wooden right arm morphs into a perfect replica of a normal limb, complete with fake skin and veins.
With his disguise secure, Mark moves forward, heading towards the kingdom gates with cautious confidence.
The guards eye him briefly, then return to scanning the surrounding crowd – Mark appears utterly normal.
He breathes internally, relieved his Mimic skill has avoided initial suspicion.
As he approaches the gate entrance, Mark's gaze sweeps past the guards and into the kingdom...
His heart skips a beat – a group of elite knights emerges from within, armor glinting in sunlight.
At their center walks a familiar figure: Kai, his former friend and ally...
And Kai's eyes are fixed intensely on Mark – as if sensing something off about him.
Mark maintains his disguise, hoping to pass by Kai unnoticed.
But Kai's eyes narrow slightly as Mark approaches – his gaze lingers on Mark's face.
Kai's hand flicks outward in a subtle gesture, catching the guards' attention.
The guards step forward, blocking Mark's path with polite smiles:
"Excuse me, traveler. A brief word, please."
Mark's heart remains calm, thinking this is just routine questioning.
The guards guide him to the side of the gate entrance, away from the crowd.
Mark follows obediently, still disguised – until...
His Instinct skill triggers a sudden warning at his back!
He spins around just in time to see Kai's sword slashing downwards in a deadly arc!
Mark dodges to the side barely in time – the sword slash releases a wave of light and cut through nearby trees on its path.
– a testament to Kai's brutal strength.
Mark lands hard on the cobblestones, eyes locked onto Kai's – shock frozen on his face.
Mark rolls away from Kai, narrowly avoiding Kai's follow-up sword strike.
He scrambles to a stop, eyes fixed on Kai's blade.
Kai's voice is low and menacing:
"I see... A monster disguising as human, what a clever tactic... though pointless."
He pauses, sword still threatening:
"You still couldn't pass the gate without being scanned by the Kingdom Gate Mages."
Mark's gaze locks onto Kai's, then slowly – deliberately – he pulls back his hood, revealing his face...
But not his true face - his Mimic skill still active, disguising his features to match his former appearance.
Kai's eyes narrow slightly, pausing for a mere moment as if searching for familiarity...
Then, his expression returns to neutral curiosity:
"And you have the ability to copy dead person's ... interesting."
Mark attempts to speak, hoping to appeal to their past bond:
But his voice emerges as a haunting, unnatural sound -
* Half human whisper
* Half monstrous growl
The guards' eyes widen in terror as they hear Mark's voice, hands tightening around their weapon hilts.
One of them whispers aloud, "Abomination..."
They charge towards Mark as one unit, swords drawn and shields raised:
"Halt, monster! You will face the Kingdom's justice!"
Kai watches the scene unfold with interest, his expression unreadable.
He doesn't intervene, seemingly curious about how Mark will react to the guards' attack.
Mark's mismatched eyes – one red, one illusionary – flicker towards the guards, then back to Kai.
His distorted voice growls low in his throat as he prepares to defend himself...