Chapter 55: An Unscheduled Field Test

The next few days in the Nocturne Phantoms' secret, dilapidated base were a masterclass in awkward tension. Echo and Kael treated me with a new kind of wary suspicion. Their first attempt to expose me had failed so spectacularly that they now seemed to view me as some sort of enigmatic monster who drank poison for fun. They’d whisper in corners whenever I entered the room, their conversations immediately ceasing and being replaced by intense, silent glares. Kael took to sharpening his claws with a loud, grating noise whenever I was near, while Echo would subject me to pop quizzes on obscure local history, which I’d answer with a flawlessly confused, "I'm sorry, I don't recall."

My continued existence as a perfectly serene, amnesiac mystery was driving them insane, and it was the most fun I’d had in centuries.

Jin, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly captivated. He would find excuses to "check on my well-being," which usually involved him striking a dramatic pose in my doorway and reciting some of the cringiest, most profound-sounding nonsense I had ever written.

"The brightest stars are often those lost in the deepest night," he'd muse, staring intently at me. "Do not fear the shadows, Luna, for they prove the existence of light."

I would just offer him a gentle, confused smile, which he seemed to interpret as a sign of my deep, tragic, and incredibly noble soul. His followers’ jealousy was reaching critical levels. The atmosphere in the tiny hideout was so thick with resentment you could have cut it with one of Kael's freshly sharpened claws.

It all came to a head on the fourth day. I was "assisting" Echo with inventory, which meant I was sitting quietly on a crate while she counted arrowheads with furious precision.

"We are running low on Nightshade Berries for our sleep potions," she announced to the room at large, though her gaze was fixed on me. "The only place they grow nearby is in the Shadowfen Glade, just beyond the city's southern wall."

Kael, who was meticulously cleaning a throwing dagger, looked up with a slow, predatory grin. "The Glade? That's a treacherous walk. All mud and thorns. Not a place for the… delicate." Her eyes flicked towards me.

This was it. Sabotage attempt number two. Their plan was as transparent as glass. They wanted to take the "spoiled noble brat" on a grueling hike through a nasty swamp, hoping I would trip, complain, get covered in mud, and generally break my serene facade. It was a classic "let's see what she's really made of" scenario.

"I will go," Echo stated. "Kael, you're with me. We need someone strong to carry the supplies."

"I could… help?" I offered, my voice barely a whisper. I stood up, trying to look as frail and useless as possible. "I do not wish to be a burden. I want to contribute."

Echo’s eyes narrowed. This was exactly what she wanted. "The journey is difficult," she warned, a faint, cruel smile touching her lips. "Are you certain you are capable?"

Before I could answer, a dark shadow filled the doorway. Jin had arrived, his timing as impeccable as ever. He had apparently been eavesdropping.

"She will not go alone," he declared, his voice resonating with an authority that made both Echo and Kael flinch. He strode into the room, his black cloak billowing behind him. "The Shadowfen Glade is no place for an unprotected soul. I will accompany you. I will be her shield."

Echo looked horrified. "But, Master Zero! Your work… the intel on the Covenant…"

"The Covenant can wait," Jin interrupted, his gaze fixed on me with unnerving intensity. "Protecting a single, innocent life from the encroaching darkness is as vital as fighting the shadows themselves. Perhaps even more so."

The mission had just been hijacked. Echo and Kael's simple plan to torment me had just turned into a leader-escorted field trip. Their expressions were a perfect blend of fury and frustration. They were stuck. They couldn't argue with Master Zero's dramatic, noble pronouncements without looking like uncaring jerks.

And so, about an hour later, our little party set off. Echo led the way, practically radiating silent rage. Kael stomped along behind her, kicking at loose stones. I walked between them, the picture of innocence, while Jin took up the rear, his hand hovering near the hilt of his sword, acting as my personal, brooding bodyguard.

The path out of the city was easy enough, but as soon as we passed the southern gate, the terrain changed. The cobbled roads gave way to a muddy, overgrown trail that snaked its way towards a dark, misty patch of woods. This was the "treacherous" part.

Our first obstacle was a wide, muddy ditch spanned by a single, slippery-looking log. It was a simple test of balance.

Echo and Kael crossed it with practiced ease. Jin turned to me, his expression grave. "This path is fraught with peril," he said solemnly. "Allow me."

He hopped onto the log, walked to the middle, and then held out his hand to me. It was meant to be a gallant, heroic gesture. Unfortunately, his dramatic cloak chose that exact moment to snag on a protruding branch. He was jerked off balance, flailed wildly for a moment like a startled cat, and then toppled sideways into the ditch with a loud, undignified squelch.

He landed face-first in the mud.

Echo froze, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Kael actually snorted, clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound.

Jin emerged from the ditch, covered head-to-toe in brown sludge, looking utterly mortified. His cool, mysterious leader persona had been shattered.

"I was… testing the structural integrity of the mud," he sputtered, trying to salvage a shred of his dignity. "It is… adequately soft. You may proceed, Luna."

Trying my absolute hardest not to laugh, I simply gave him a worried look, hopped gracefully onto the log, and walked across with perfect balance, not even wobbling once. I then turned and offered him my hand. "Are you alright, Master Zero?"

The look of pure admiration he gave me, even while dripping with swamp water, was priceless. He had tried to be my hero and failed spectacularly, and my own effortless competence only made him more impressed.

Echo and Kael just stared, their plan to humiliate me already veering wildly off course. Not only was I not struggling, but their infallible leader had just taken a mud bath.

This vacation was getting better and better.