Chapter 19 — Phantom in the Shadows

The night air was cool, the moon half-veiled by drifting clouds. Kai moved silently through the forest outskirts, his hood drawn, eyes fixed ahead. The estate of Count Armand Veythar loomed in the distance, lanterns faintly glowing along its walls.

As he landed lightly on a thick branch, scanning the area with sharp eyes, a familiar mana presence stirred behind him.

“Heading to the Count’s estate, little phantom?” a voice purred.

Kai didn’t need to turn. “…Selene.”

The vampire stepped from the shadows, her crimson eyes shimmering with playful amusement.

“I’m guessing you already know,” Kai muttered, dropping down from the branch and continuing forward.

Selene followed, steps graceful, almost teasing. “Of course I know. The question is—why are you acting like you don’t want me here?”

Kai’s jaw tightened. “Because I didn’t invite you.”

Selene’s lips curved. “I’m looking out for you. Someone has to.”

Kai ignored her, quickening his pace.

By the time they reached the estate’s outer wall, the air grew heavier with the presence of guards. Kai crouched low, emerald eyes scanning each sentry’s movement. In the space of minutes, he slipped through the darkness like water, striking cleanly. One guard silenced with a swift blade, another dragged into shadow, their bodies hidden without trace.

Selene watched from above, lounging casually on the wall. “You’re so thorough, Kai. I could almost get jealous.”

Inside, the manor was suffocating with luxury. Velvet curtains, polished floors — and yet beneath the gilded surface, rot festered. Kai’s senses pulled him toward the basement.

There, the truth revealed itself. Cages lined the walls. Humans. Beastkin. Young women, old men — all packed in like livestock. Their hollow eyes followed Kai in silence.

He turned to leave, mission-focused, when a desperate voice pierced the air.

“Help… please!”

Kai’s steps faltered. He clenched his jaw. Not my problem.

Then the sharp crack of a whip echoed, followed by a scream.

“Shut up, filth!” a man’s voice barked.

Kai’s hands trembled at his sides. The cries didn’t stop.

“…How revolting,” he muttered, emerald eyes narrowing.

In a blur, Kai appeared behind the tormentor. One swift motion — the man’s head rolled to the floor. The screams stopped, replaced by stunned silence.

The victim, a beastkin girl with bruised skin and broken chains, looked up at him in shock.

“Come,” Kai said flatly, cutting her bonds. “You’re evidence now.”

He guided her carefully, then continued upward through the manor. Every step was calculated, every shadow his ally.

At last, he reached the Count’s private office. Papers and ledgers lay across the desk. Contracts. Letters. Records of drug trades and human trafficking. Exactly what he came for.

“Efficient as always,” a velvet voice teased.

Selene emerged from the darkness, crimson eyes gleaming. She tilted her head at the beast girl clinging to Kai’s arm.

“And who might she be?”

Kai didn’t even flinch. “Ignore her. She won’t harm you,” he told the girl.

Selene’s lips curved into a thin smile, though the faintest hint of jealousy flickered in her gaze. “Tch. How boring.”

Gathering the evidence, Kai pulled his hood low. “We’re leaving.”

Before dawn, the manor remained silent, unaware of what had transpired. By the time guards stumbled upon bodies and empty cages, it was already too late.

Kai stood once more in the Adventurers’ Guild, dropping the documents onto Garrick’s desk. The beast girl sat quietly beside him.

“As promised,” Kai said.

Garrick scanned the proof, expression grim. Without hesitation, he sealed the evidence and summoned knights loyal to the crown.

By midday, word spread across Drakensport.

Count Armand Veythar had been exposed — drug trafficking, slave trading, and the abduction of women. His house, once untouchable, now stood in ruins.

And in the shadows, Kai slipped quietly away, his emerald eyes colder than ever.