Now you see me, now you don't

*hello loyal readers sorry for the two week silence. Had a major medical issue that required hospital stay. Good news is i am on the mend. Im going to upload this and another chapter tonight to help make up for it.

Night settled over the mountains like a blanket.

The rain had finally stopped, leaving the forest slick and black beneath the moonlight. Far in the distance, beyond the trees, the western outpost of Leviathan's territory waited.

From the manor, it looked insignificant.

That was exactly what made it useful.

Greta stood at the edge of the forest with the Wrecking Crew gathered around her.

Valerie checked the straps on her weapons.

Elias quietly finished drawing a series of glowing symbols across the back of his gloves.

Greta looked toward the distant lights.

"Remember," she said. "We aren't trying to take the outpost."

Valerie grinned.

"We're just going to make them extremely unhappy."

"Exactly."

Greta glanced toward Cassandra and Joey.

"And while we're doing that, you two get across the border."

Joey adjusted the strap holding his cursed machete against his leg.

"Simple enough."

Cassandra gave him a sideways look.

"Nothing about tonight is simple."

"Right. Forgot who I was talking to."

Cassandra smiled faintly.

"Good."

Greta raised one hand.

The Wrecking Crew disappeared into the darkness.

A few seconds later—

the first explosion lit the horizon.

---

The outpost erupted into chaos.

Alarms screamed.

Red magical lights flashed across the fortress walls.

Something enormous roared.

Valerie's laughter carried across the valley.

Joey stared.

"...That was supposed to be a distraction?"

Cassandra glanced toward the distant battle.

"Yes."

Another explosion shook the ground.

Joey watched a flaming figure sail over the outer wall.

"...They're really good at distractions."

"They're professionals."

Cassandra stepped closer and reached for Joey's hand.

"Ready?"

Joey nodded.

"As I'll ever be."

Her expression softened.

"Then stay close."

The shadows around them began to move.

Not like ordinary darkness.

They twisted.

Folded.

Gathered around their feet like living smoke.

Cassandra pulled Joey against her.

"Don't let go."

"I wasn't planning on it."

The world disappeared.

---

For Joey, shadow travel still felt wrong.

There was no sensation of movement.

No sense of direction.

One moment he was standing in the forest.

The next—

he was somewhere else.

Cold air struck his face.

Cassandra released him.

Joey stumbled half a step.

"...I hate that."

"You've done it before."

"I hated it then too."

Cassandra smiled.

They stood in a narrow ravine surrounded by enormous black stone cliffs.

Behind them, the boundary between their world and Leviathan's territory shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

Joey looked back.

"So we're across."

"Yes."

Cassandra's voice dropped.

"And now we need to be very quiet."

---

They moved through the ravine.

Joey kept one hand near his machete.

Cassandra walked ahead, almost completely silent.

Every few minutes she would stop.

Listen.

Then continue.

The deeper they went, the stranger the landscape became.

Trees twisted unnaturally.

Large bones protruded from the earth.

Some were enormous.

Joey stopped beside one.

"...Is that what I think it is?"

Cassandra looked down.

"Dragon."

Joey swallowed.

"That was a small one?"

"No."

He looked at the enormous rib cage disappearing into the darkness.

"...Oh."

They continued.

---

Then Cassandra stopped so suddenly Joey almost walked into her.

She raised one finger.

Don't move.

Joey froze.

At first he heard nothing.

Then—

footsteps.

Several sets.

Coming closer.

Cassandra grabbed his wrist and pulled him behind a massive stone outcropping.

Joey crouched beside her.

The footsteps grew louder.

Three reptilian figures emerged from the darkness.

Lizardmen.

Armed.

Armored.

Talking quietly in a language Joey couldn't understand.

One stopped.

Joey's heart began pounding.

The creature slowly turned its head.

Toward them.

Cassandra's hand closed around Joey's.

Her eyes met his.

He could feel her through the bond.

Alert.

Focused.

And underneath it—

fear.

Not for herself.

For him.

The lizardman took another step.

Closer.

Joey's hand slowly moved toward his machete.

Cassandra shook her head.

No.

The creature sniffed the air.

Joey held his breath.

One second.

Two.

Three.

Then a distant explosion shook the mountains.

The lizardmen immediately turned toward the sound.

One shouted something.

They hurried away.

Joey didn't move until their footsteps disappeared.

Cassandra finally exhaled.

"That was close."

Joey whispered,

"How close?"

She looked at him.

"Close enough that I was considering killing them."

"That would've been bad for the stealth mission."

"Yes."

She paused.

"Which is why I didn't."

Joey smiled.

"You exercised restraint."

"I am capable of it."

"I didn't say you weren't."

Cassandra gave him a suspicious look.

"You were thinking it."

"Maybe."

She shook her head.

Then smiled.

"Come on."