The heavy thud of boots on wooden steps cut through the afternoon air like a blade through silk.
Lyralei froze against me, her eyes going wide with a mixture of panic and something else—guilt, maybe, or the thrill of being caught. We'd been standing close, too close, her hand still resting on my chest from when she'd "accidentally" stumbled while helping me organize the herb storage.
"That's Aldric," she whispered, stepping back so fast she nearly knocked over a clay pot. "But he's not supposed to be back for another week."
[Warning: Situation compromised]
[Husband has returned early]
[Recommendation: Immediate damage control required]
Great. Nothing quite ruins the mood like an unexpected homecoming.
"Where should I—" I started, but it was too late.
The cottage door burst open with enough force to rattle the hinges.
"Lyralei! I'm back early, and I brought—" Aldric's voice cut off mid-sentence as he took in the scene: his wife smoothing down her hair with shaking hands, me standing suspiciously close to the herb shelves, both of us looking like we'd been caught doing something we shouldn't.
His eyes narrowed. "What's going on here?"
Behind him loomed a figure that made my blood run cold—a man with red eyes that seemed to pierce straight through whatever bullshit excuse I was about to manufacture.
"Darling!" Lyralei's voice pitched higher than usual as she rushed toward her husband. "You're home! How wonderful! I was just... Raven was helping me reach the high shelves. His strength has returned so well."
"I can see that," Aldric said slowly, his gaze moving between us with the methodical assessment of someone trained to spot danger. His hand rested casually on his sword hilt—not threatening, but ready. "You look very... healthy indeed, Raven."
There was something in his tone that made it clear this wasn't going to be the warm reunion I'd been hoping to avoid.
[Danger Level: Moderate]
[Aldric Suspicion: 15/100 (Mildly concerned)]
[Recommendation: Play the grateful patient angle]
"Sir Aldric," I said, offering what I hoped was an appropriately humble bow. "I can't thank you enough for what you did. Finding me in the woods, bringing me to safety—I owe you my life."
"Ah yes," came a gravelly voice from behind Aldric. "The mysterious forest survivor. How fortunate we finally get to meet."
The red-eyed man stepped into the cottage, and I felt the System's danger warnings spike.
[New Entity Detected: Marcus Bloodhawk]
[Rank: Imperial Inquisitor]
[Threat Level: Extreme]
[Special Ability: Truth Detection]
[Warning: This individual can detect lies and magical deception]
Oh, fantastic. An actual professional lie detector.
Aldric gestured to his companion. "Raven, this is Marcus Bloodhawk, Imperial Inquisitor. Marcus, this is the man I found unconscious in the Whispering Woods three days ago."
Marcus studied me with those unsettling red eyes, and I had the distinct impression of being dissected by his gaze. "Fascinating. And you remember nothing of how you came to be there?"
"Bits and pieces," I said carefully. "I was traveling south when something attacked me. The next thing I knew, I was waking up here to Lady Lyralei's excellent care."
"Something attacked you," Marcus repeated, as if testing the words. "How... vague."
Aldric moved further into the room, and I noticed the details I'd missed in that first moment of panic. He looked older than when he'd left—new lines of stress around his eyes, fresh scars on his sword arm, mud caked on his boots from hard riding. The patrol had been rough.
"The borders are getting worse," he said, not taking his eyes off me. "More monsters. Stranger things. People who aren't always what they seem."
His companion nodded grimly. "Which is precisely why I wanted to meet our mysterious survivor personally."
"Would you like some tea?" Lyralei interjected, her voice still artificially bright. "You both must be tired from your journey."
"That would be lovely, dear," Aldric said, finally turning to smile at his wife. But even that smile held a note of careful observation. "You seem... different. More energetic than usual."
I watched Lyralei's cheek flush pink. "I'm just happy you're home safely. And relieved that our guest has recovered so well."
"Indeed," Marcus said softly. "Such devoted care must have been quite... intensive."
The way he said it made the innocent words sound like an accusation.
[Lyralei Nervousness: 25/100 (Struggling to act normal)]
[Aldric Suspicion: 20/100 (Noticing wife's behavior)]
[Marcus Threat Assessment: 90/100 (Actively investigating)]
This was going downhill fast.
"Please, sit," Lyralei said, gesturing to the small table. "I'll prepare something to eat as well. You must be starving."
As she busied herself with preparations, I caught the way her hands trembled slightly as she reached for the tea pot. The corruption was making her more confident in some ways, but the stress of deception was getting to her.
Aldric settled into his chair but kept his sword within easy reach. "Tell me again, Raven. Exactly how I found you."
I kept my story simple and consistent. "I wish I could give you more details, but most of it's still fuzzy. I remember pain, then darkness, then waking up here."
"The strange thing is," Aldric said, leaning forward slightly, "I found you in a clearing that showed no signs of battle. No blood, no tracks, no torn clothing or scattered belongings. Just you, lying there like you'd decided to take a peaceful nap in one of the most dangerous forests in the kingdom."
[Warning: Story inconsistencies detected]
[Aldric Intelligence: Higher than anticipated]
[Recommendation: Adjust approach immediately]
Shit. He'd actually been paying attention when he found me. This wasn't some oblivious husband—this was a trained knight with good investigative instincts.
"Maybe the rain washed away the signs?" Lyralei suggested from the kitchen area, but her voice carried the strain of someone grasping at straws.
"There wasn't any rain three days ago," Aldric replied quietly, never taking his eyes off me. "The weather's been clear for over a week."
Marcus had remained silent during this exchange, but I could feel his attention like a physical weight. When he finally spoke, his words made my skin crawl.
"Your magical signature is... interesting," he said in that gravelly voice. "Most people radiate some form of energy. Mages have obvious power, warriors carry the resonance of their training, even farmers and merchants have a certain presence that speaks to their life's work." He paused, tilting his head like a predator scenting prey. "You have none."
"Is that... bad?" I asked.
"It's impossible," he replied flatly. "Unless you're dead. Or perhaps something else entirely."
The cottage fell silent except for the soft clink of Lyralei preparing tea with increasingly unsteady hands.
[Emergency Protocol: Truth Concealment]
[New Ability Available: Null Presence (SSS-Rank)]
[Effect: Appear magically inert to all detection methods]
[Side Effect: May raise more questions than it answers]
[Cost: 100 Corruption Points]
I was starting to realize that being too good at hiding my true nature might be making me more suspicious, not less.
"Well," I said with what I hoped was an appropriately nervous laugh, "I'm definitely not dead."
"That," Marcus said without a trace of humor, "remains to be seen."
Aldric shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Marcus, surely you don't think—"
"I think," the Inquisitor interrupted, his red eyes never leaving my face, "that your wife has been caring for someone whose very existence defies the natural order. The question is whether that makes him a miracle... or a threat."
The teacup in Lyralei's hands clinked against its saucer as she set it down too hard.
[Crisis Point Reached]
[Multiple response options available]
[Warning: Next choice will determine immediate survival path]
[Time remaining before forced action: 30 seconds]