Morena sat with her back against the wall, knees drawn slightly upward, her breathing slow and asured. She had given the AI a task the night before—one that could very well determine if she survived the days ahead without exposing herself.
"Analyze possible thods to suppress or disguise elental energy fluctuations. If I can’t hide what I’ve done, then all of this will an nothing."
[Command acknowledged. Processing...]
That was three nights ago.
Now, she still hadn’t received the final report. The AI was capable of thousands of calculations in seconds, but what she had asked for was not simple.
Energy was not a thing easily concealed, not when warriors trained their entire lives to sense it. Especially when she lacked proper information to supplent the AI.
In the anti, she rested.
At least, that’s what the estate thought. To them, Lady Morena had secluded herself in her chambers for intense training, refusing even to take her als in the hall. Servants whispered about her newfound determination, and plates of food were carried to her door three tis a day.
The truth was more complicated.
Her body ached, still straining under the letters she had carved within herself. To push further now—to attempt more letters—would have been suicide. As such, she had to limit herself. The backlash had already pushed her to the brink once; another round so soon might kill her.
So instead, she focused on stabilizing it.
Each day, she sat cross-legged on the floor, controlling her breath, slowly drawing the energy through her body. She could feel it now more clearly than ever before, condensed, pungent, like water flowing beneath her skin.
Where once it had been faint and barely detectable, it now pulsed strongly and steadily; it was a clear sign that the symbols had worked, that they had made an undeniable difference.
On the second day, she tested herself. She pressed her hand against the stone wall of her chamber and pushed. The rock groaned under her palm before cracking, thin lines splintering outward.
Such power was a thrill that had sent shivers through her chest—not fear, but exhilaration.
By the third day, her body was more stable. It no longer ached constantly, and she could harness her energy more easily. She tested further, this ti on a steel candlestick she had found buried in her storage trunk. It bent in her grip with a screech, the tal deforming as though it had been soft clay.
She stared at the twisted piece in silence afterward, marveling at her own strength.
Her speed, too, had changed. Small exercises—dashes from wall to wall, rapid bursts of motion—revealed her body now moved faster than she had previously been capable of. And she barely grew tired after running for hours.
And her skin—she had tested that too, running the edge of a knife along her forearm. The blade bit, but only shallowly; the skin itself resisted, the muscles beneath hardened beyond what should have been possible.
She had stepped into another world entirely.
Yet all she could think of was how to keep it hidden.
On the fourth day, as the sun set and shadows stretched long across her room, the AI finally spoke.
[Analysis complete. Concealnt thod identified.]
Her head lifted at once, her breath caught.
"Show ."
[Solution: Disperse elental energy uniformly throughout the body using letter nodes as anchor points. This reduces surface fluctuations detectable by others.]
Morena frowned, waiting for the inevitable caveat.
[Risks:
Energy must be recondensed before combat application. Estimated delay: 2–3 seconds.
Direct contact with soone skilled in energy control will reveal concealnt instantly.
Probability of casual detection: low. Probability of exposure under combat or close examination: moderate.]
Her lips pressed into a thin line. It was by no ans perfect—hell, to her it was barely even good—but it was the only thod the AI could co up with given her current situation.
It was the only option she had.
"It will have to do, at least until I find sothing better."
Her gaze shifted to the drawer where the journal and pendant lay hidden. If she could dive deeper into it, maybe she would find out more.
"AI, begin overlay at once. I want it to be active from now on. If anyone tries to probe , I want them to find nothing but diocrity."
[Acknowledged. Concealnt protocol engaged.]
Morena exhaled, leaning back in her chair, the tension in her chest loosening for the first ti in days. The AI instantly took heed in the back of her mind and ran the concealnt on its own.
It wasn’t freedom, but it was cover. Enough to keep the wolves at bay—for now. And it allowed her to make moves more openly.
She stood and stretched the stiffness from her arms and legs. It was getting late, but she did not feel even the slightest hint of exhaustion from the day, another bonus that ca with her progress.
With the concealnt in place, she had to move along with her plans, and staying here would only waste ti and grow suspicion.
Her father had already noticed her change—he would be watching. The council too, ever waiting for weakness, would whisper louder if she kept herself hidden.
Morena adjusted her coat, fastened her belt, and slipped the knife she always carried into its sheath. She took one last look at the cracked steel candlestick on her desk, then turned for the door.
The corridor beyond was cold and empty. It was late, most of the maids had already taken the night off, and those that remained worked the night shift in silence. Servants moved quickly past, bowing their heads, careful not to et her gaze.
Rumors had already begun to spread about her, various ones, but she didn’t care to pay attention to them.
Her boots carried her toward the main hall, her mind sharpening with each step.
She would go to her father.
She would tell him she had made progress—enough to satisfy him, enough to prove she hadn’t wasted the chance he had given her. But not too much. Never too much.
If she showed everything now, it would only paint a target on her back.
And Morena Ravenscroft had no intention of being an easy target.
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