Chapter 8 — Predator in the Dark

Kai stood motionless in the far corner of Lira’s darkened room, masked and hooded, the faint glow of moonlight barely touching his emerald-green eyes. His breathing was steady, controlled, almost nonexistent.Outside, the inn was quiet, but Kai’s instincts screamed otherwise. Someone… something… was out there.Steady… wait for it.The wood above him creaked. Ever so faintly.And then—

A black-clad figure dropped soundlessly from the ceiling, dagger flashing in the moonlight. But Kai was already moving.Pivoting sharply, he delivered a roundhouse kick straight to the intruder’s ribs.The man didn’t even have time to react before he was launched sideways, crashing through the window in an explosion of shattered glass.The thunderous crash woke the entire inn. Guests scrambled, confused whispers filled the halls, and doors creaked open.Lira jolted awake, grabbing her staff instinctively. “W-What was that?!”Darius burst into the room moments later, sword half-drawn. “What the hell happened—wait, where’s Kai?!”They didn’t need to wait long for an answer.

Down in the street, the black-clad man hit the ground rolling, springing to his feet before dashing up the nearest wall.Kai followed.By the time Darius and Lira reached the window, the fight was already raging on the rooftops. But following Kai’s movements was impossible — he was a blur, weaving through attacks with sharp, precise efficiency.No ninjatō.No kunai.No shuriken.Just martial arts.Each strike from Kai was measured, controlled, and merciless.The intruder, panting heavily, finally snarled and drew a poison-coated dagger, lunging for Kai’s ribs.Kai sidestepped effortlessly, twisting his torso just enough for the blade to slice air. He grabbed the man’s wrist mid-strike and disarmed him instantly, wrenching the dagger free with a brutal torque.The weapon clattered across the tiles, useless now.With a swift knee to the gut, Kai sent the man sprawling.

Kai pinned the intruder beneath his knee, mask shadowing his face.The man hissed through clenched teeth, glaring up defiantly. “Who the hell are you?!”Kai said nothing. He raised his hand to strike—“Kai, wait!” Darius’s voice rang out as he and Lira arrived on the rooftop.Lira stepped forward, staff raised slightly. “Don’t kill him! We need to know who sent him!”Kai exhaled slowly, visibly annoyed, but relented. Instead, he chopped the man sharply on the neck, knocking him unconscious.Standing, Kai grabbed the man by the collar, dragging him to the edge of the roof. Without warning, he kicked him off.“Seriously?!” Darius groaned before leaping down to catch the limp body midair.“Could’ve said something first,” he muttered.Kai landed silently beside him. “I assumed you’d manage.”

Back in Darius and Kai’s shared room, the black-clad intruder was tied to a chair.Darius crossed his arms, his usual grin gone. “Alright, let’s make this simple. Who are you, and why were you after us?”Silence.Darius tried again, sharper this time. “Talk, or we hand you to the Adventurers’ Guild. And trust me — they’re less patient than I am.”The man stared straight ahead, lips pressed thin, saying nothing.Lira stepped forward, expression tense but composed. “We know you were after me. Why?”Still nothing.Kai, sitting in the corner with his hood down, finally sighed. He stood, walked over, and punched the man square in the jaw.“KA—” Lira started, startled.Darius grabbed Kai’s arm. “That’s NOT how you interrogate someone!”But before either of them could protest further, the man coughed, spitting blood… and finally spoke.“Alright, alright! Name’s… Thorne Malrec.” His voice was hoarse, ragged. “I’m a trafficker. And the girl—” he glanced at Lira, “—would fetch a fortune on the black market. That’s why I was sent.”The room fell silent.Darius swore under his breath. “…So Kai was right.”Kai’s emerald gaze sharpened, his voice cold. “Who hired you?”Thorne hesitated, fear flickering in his eyes. “…You don’t want to know.”

Chapter 8 End Hook: The revelation confirmed Kai’s suspicion — someone powerful had marked Lira. Someone wealthy enough to hire Thorne Malrec, a trafficker infamous in the underworld.Kai’s gut told him this wasn’t random. And he had a sinking feeling that whoever was pulling the strings… might have noble blood