CHAPTER 22: CHAPTER 22 - THE VEIL OF PROGRESS

Morena sat with her back against the wall, knees drawn slightly upward, her breathing slow and measured. 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 methods to suppress or disguise elemental energy fluctuations. If I can’t hide what I’ve done, then all of this will mean 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 supplement the AI.

In the meantime, 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 meals in the hall. Servants whispered about her newfound determination, and plates of food were carried to her door three times 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 time on a steel candlestick she had found buried in her storage trunk. It bent in her grip with a screech, the metal 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. Concealment method identified.]

Her head lifted at once, her breath caught.

"Show me."

[Solution: Disperse elemental 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 someone skilled in energy control will reveal concealment 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 means perfect—hell, to her it was barely even good—but it was the only method the AI could come up with given her current situation.

It was the only option she had.

"It will have to do, at least until I find something 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 me, I want them to find nothing but mediocrity."

[Acknowledged. Concealment protocol engaged.]

Morena exhaled, leaning back in her chair, the tension in her chest loosening for the first time in days. The AI instantly took heed in the back of her mind and ran the concealment 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 came with her progress.

With the concealment in place, she had to move along with her plans, and staying here would only waste time 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 meet 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.