The Flight from the Watchtower The sky was a deepening shade of red as Ethan and his team ran. The watchtower collapsed behind them, sending a cloud of stone dust and shattered wood into the air. But even as they gained distance, Ethan knew— They weren’t safe. Not yet. His body ached, his chest burned where the Master had touched him. But there was no time to stop. Not while the laughter of that thing still echoed in his ears. Not while the weight of its presence still clung to his skin like oil. Kara was breathing heavily beside him, her sword still gripped in white-knuckled fists. Gareth was running wounded, but he didn’t slow down. And Leah? She looked exhausted, but her hands still glowed faintly with mana, ready to throw up a barrier at any second. The outpost was behind them now. But Ethan didn’t dare look back. Because he knew— The Master was still watching.

  The Unseen Chase The road ahead was a blur of trees and broken ruins. Ethan pushed himself harder, faster, his legs burning with every step. And then— A whisper. Faint. Wrong. "You can't run from the shadows, little predator." Ethan stumbled mid-stride, his vision blurring for a second. Pain flashed across his chest, searing through his ribs like ice-cold fire.

  [SYSTEM ERROR: UNKNOWN INFLUENCE DETECTED]

  [CONDITIONS UNRECOGNIZED—STATUS UNSTABLE]

  Ethan gritted his teeth. The hell does that mean?! His heartbeat pounded in his ears, but he forced himself to keep going. If they stopped now— They were dead.

  Breaking Through the Tree Line The thick forest finally gave way to open land. Ahead, the faint outline of Portland’s outer gates was visible in the fading light. They weren’t far now. Gareth glanced back, his expression dark. “Kara—check our rear.” Kara, still running, turned her head. Her breath caught. “…They’re not following.” Ethan felt his stomach tighten. That wasn’t a relief. That was a warning. Because if the Shadow-Touched weren’t chasing them— Then they didn’t need to. Something worse was coming. And it wasn’t in a hurry. That was what scared Ethan the most. Because it meant the Master had let them go. And that? That meant he was playing a bigger game.

  Collapsing at the Gates They reached the city’s outer checkpoint just as exhaustion hit them all at once. The guards at the gate looked startled at their condition. One stepped forward. “You look like hell. What happened—?” “We need to see Elias,” Gareth said, his voice hoarse but firm. “Now.” The guards hesitated, but Gareth’s tone left no room for argument. Ethan barely heard the rest of the conversation. His mind was fading in and out, his chest aching worse by the second. Leah was suddenly beside him, gripping his arm. “Ethan?” He tried to say something, but— Pain. Sharp. Deep. His vision tilted— And then everything went black.

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  Darkness & The Voice Within Ethan drifted. Not asleep. Not awake. Somewhere between. And in that space— A presence. Familiar. Wrong. "You should have died in that tower, little predator." The voice was inside his mind. Ethan tried to move, but his body wasn’t his own. His limbs were trapped in shadows, sinking into an abyss without end. "But I am patient." The voice curled around him, smooth as silk. "You are marked now." A slow pulse of energy burned through his chest. "And soon… you will understand why." Ethan’s vision flared white.

  Waking in the Guildhall He gasped awake, lungs heaving like he had just surfaced from deep water. The world snapped back into focus. The familiar scent of wood, parchment, and burning torches. A bed beneath him. Sheets rough against his skin. The Guild infirmary. He blinked, his head pounding. Someone was sitting nearby. Leah. Her expression was tight with worry, but the second his eyes opened, her shoulders relaxed slightly. “You’re awake.” Ethan exhaled. “How long?” “About half a day.” Ethan swallowed. “The others?” “They’re fine. Gareth’s already talking to Elias.” Ethan tried to sit up— A sharp pain ripped through his chest. He winced, pressing a hand to his ribs. Then— He froze. His fingers brushed against something. A mark. Something etched into his skin—burned into his flesh. “Leah,” he said, his voice low. “What the hell happened to me?” Leah hesitated. Then—slowly—she lifted his shirt enough to expose his upper chest. Ethan’s breath hitched. Because there—right over his heart— Was a black sigil. A twisted, swirling mark, shaped like an eye hidden within shifting shadows. It burned faintly, pulsing with a cold energy. And when Ethan focused on it—

  A System message appeared.

  [SYSTEM ERROR: UNKNOWN MARK DETECTED]

  [INFORMATION LOCKED—CANNOT BE REMOVED]

  [STATUS: MARKED]

  Ethan’s fingers curled into the sheets. Marked. By him. By the Master of the Shadow-Touched. His stomach twisted. “What the hell does it mean?” Leah looked just as shaken. “I don’t know,” she admitted. Her voice was quiet. “But whatever it is… I don’t think it’s going away.”

  A New Path—And an Unseen Chain Ethan let the truth settle over him. He had fought monsters. Survived dungeons. Barely escaped the Shadow-Touched. But this? This was different. This was personal. The Master had let him go. Had marked him for a reason. And Ethan knew— This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. Because he wasn’t just hunting the darkness anymore. Now? The darkness was hunting him.