When the man in the red robe finally stood before Heka, a swirl of questions churned in his mind. Why was this powerful figure here, in the human realm? What purpose brought him down from the Immortal realm? A place Heka barely understood and rarely visited.
More puzzling was the fact that Marchio, the only Immortal Heka truly known and trusted. Yet he had never mentioned sending anyone to him. In the Immortal realm, Marchio was a figure of authority and mystery.
The man before him was someone Marchio alone seemed to know well. This connection gave Heka a strange sense of reassurance. If Marchio had sent this man, then his arrival could not carry any malicious intent.
Heka trusted Marchio's judgment implicitly, and that trust extended to this stranger. It was more than his trust in someone else. It meant human.
As Heka stood there, processing these thoughts, Ansel positioned himself between Heka and the man. His stance was protective, almost territorial. As if trying to block the stranger's approach.
This behavior was typical of Ansel. He had a habit of meddling in matters that didn't concern him. He always put himself where he didn't belong to.
"Step aside!!!" The man said firmly. His voice was calm but commanding. His eyes locked onto Ansel with an unmistakable warning.
Heka, too, wanted to push Ansel aside. He was certain that Marchio had sent this man specifically to meet him. That no further interference was necessary. Yet, despite his certainty, Heka had no idea why this meeting was so important or what it would lead to.
Ansel, however, was not willing to back down. His voice was resolute as he replied. "No."
The tension between the three men thickened the air, each standing their ground for reasons only they fully understood. Heka's heart raced, caught between trust, suspicion, and the unknown path that lay ahead.
From everything Ansel had done so far, Heka was certain of one thing. Ansel was the kind of person who couldn't help but involve himself in others' affairs. No matter the cost. His meddling was relentless. It was driven by a mix of arrogance and a misguided sense of protection.
Heka wanted to stop Ansel, to pull him back before things escalated further. But at the same time, a weird curiosity held him in place.
He wanted to see what would happen to Ansel, who so bravely, or perhaps foolishly, chose to stand up and fight the man sent by Marchio.
So, Heka remained silent, watching the confrontation unfold.
"Don't blame me, if I'm a little rude." The man said coolly. He swung his hand with a casual but deadly gesture. In an instant, Ansel was hurled across, crashing onto a fallen section of the roof with a heavy thud.
With Ansel out of the way, the man turned his attention back to Heka and began walking toward him. Heka bowed his head respectfully, acknowledging the power and authority the man radiated.
Suddenly, a shimmering crystal darted through the air. It flew straight behind him like a deadly missile.
Without hesitation, the man intercepted the crystal and destroyed it effortlessly. The ease with which he eliminated the attack only fueled Heka's growing anger and frustration.
He was about startled. The unspoken question lingered in his mind. How could Ansel manage such as no ordinary power? Who exactly was he?
Then, without warning, the man swung his hand toward Ansel's neck. He grabbed Ansel, lifting him off the ground with terrifying strength, and began to strangle him. The man hissed coldly. "Listen carefully if you still want to live. Don't try to fight me."
With a final, forceful motion, he threw Ansel aside like a rag doll. Heka stood completely silent, watching as Ansel was flung away, his body crashing against the debris.
Despite everything, Heka felt a peculiar vibe in the scene. Ansel had been reckless, and in a way, he deserved this punishment.
It was a form of revenge for the time Ansel had tried to stab him. A moment that had occurred within the Reverse Time Illusion but felt as real and painful as any memory.
Heka's silence was heavy with unspoken emotions: anger, relief, and a deep, simmering resolve. The encounter had shifted something inside him. He knew that the path ahead would be far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
It was the reason why Heka truly hated Ansel. The memory of betrayal, the sting of danger Ansel had brought into his life. The countless times Ansel had interfered with his path-all of it had built a wall of resentment inside Heka's heart.
But now, as Heka looked down at Ansel lying helpless and broken on the ground, that intense hatred began to wane. Seeing Ansel so vulnerable, so powerless, softened something deep within him.
Though what had happened to Ansel could never repay the pain and fear Ansel had caused him. A peculiar vibe of justice settled over Heka. The scales had shifted, even if only slightly.
Heka no longer cared if he had changed into a different person. From that day forward, he felt a new fire burning inside him, a fire of vengeance and determination.
He was no longer the man who would quietly endure. He was someone who would fight back, who would seek retribution for every wrong done to him.
And then the man approached him. He revealed a patch of golden-brown fur. It was unmistakably from Marchio, a symbol of authority and trust. The fur shimmered softly in the dim light. It was a tangible sign that this man was indeed sent by Marchio himself.
The man said simply. His voice was calm but commanding. "I'm Waylinn. Come with me."
Heka felt a wave of relief wash over him. As he had suspected, this stranger was here on Marchio's orders, sent specifically for him. That recognition brought a measure of comfort amidst the chaos.
"Okay." Heka replied. His voice was steady. Without hesitation, he followed Waylinn. He left Ansel behind, who was still lying on the ground. After everything, Heka knew where his loyalties lay with Marchio, not Ansel.
As they walked toward the exit, Heka noticed the eerie silence that had fallen over the market. The usual bustle was gone, replaced by a heavy stillness that seemed to press in on them from all sides.
Waylinn broke the silence, his tone explanatory. "I can control time and barrier. Although I'm in the human realm, I often use my time in the Immortal realm. So, there was no one aware of my presence and the monster I had just fought. You also know the time difference between the human realm and the Immortal realm. It is long enough."
Heka said nothing, but Waylinn seemed to understand his thoughts without needing to hear them. That unspoken understanding made Heka feel at ease. As if he had found someone who truly saw him.
For the first time in a long while, Heka felt a flicker of hope. He sensed that Waylinn's presence could change the course of his life. That this meeting was the beginning of something new, something powerful.