Elron found himself in one of his haunting dreams again. He wandered aimlessly through a dark, ravaged camp, the fires smoldering around him. His newly gained dark vision revealed the world in shades of grey and black, but tonight, everything was bathed in red. His jaw clenched so hard he could hear the creaking of his teeth, teetering on the verge of shattering. Rage boiled within him, desperately searching for an outlet. An outlet in which he found.

He crouched down into someone’s tent, his breath heavy and uneven. Inside, an elven woman lay, almost completely naked. His body moved on its own, leaping onto her, his hands wrapping tightly around her thin neck. Foam dripped from his mouth onto her reddening face as she struggled, clawing at him until her fingers bled. But it didn’t matter. Her face turned a dark shade of purple as she went still.

You have leveled up.

Elron’s grip loosened, and he stared at his hands in disbelief. The imprint of his fingers remained on her throat. As the trickle of power flowed into him, a sickening realization hit him—this wasn’t a dream. Before him lay a comrade in arms, a woman he had just murdered with his own hands.

Panic set in, his heart racing as he tried to make sense of what had happened. The dreams were supposed to be just that—dreams. They weren’t meant to spill into reality.

Swallowing his fear, Elron forced himself to stay calm. He needed help from someone who wouldn’t ask too many questions. That’s when a light with off in his head.

“What’s wrong with you? Where are we going?” Slyra asked, her tone irritable.

“I have a problem, and I need your help,” Elron muttered, pulling her along.

“Can’t it wait till morning? This is killing my buzz,” she grumbled, dragging her feet.

Elron opened the flap of the tent, revealing the scene inside. Slyra bit her lip, her eyes narrowing in anger.

She slapped him across the face. “Who the fuck is she?”

Elron rubbed his face, confusion clouding his thoughts. “It’s not what you think.”

Slyra shot him a piercing look before stepping into the tent. After a brief inspection, she came back out, her expression cold. “She’s dead. So what?”

Elron threw up his arms in frustration. “I killed her! Help me!”

Slyra shook her head, unbothered. “You should’ve called Maris. She could’ve resurrected her.”

Elron crouched down, overwhelmed. “I didn’t think of that… I don’t know what to do.”

Slyra folded her arms, glancing at the body. “I don’t get why this is such a big deal. We’ve killed plenty of people.”

“Those were bad people,” Elron muttered. “I can’t justify this…”

“Then don’t,” Slyra shrugged. She looked at his frowning face and sighed. “You’ve been struggling, I know… Don’t worry, we’ll just get rid of her.”

Elron glanced up, defeated. “How?”

“We’ll toss her in the river,” she said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Elron sighed, giving up internally.

Slyra grabbed the body by the feet, dragging it out of the tent. “Grab the other end. Let’s go.”

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They wrapped the body up in a blanket and carried it through the camp. Luckily, most of the army was asleep, and there were few onlookers. Any soldiers on night watch were easily avoided thanks to Slyra’s keen skills and know how. When they reached the riverbank, they dropped the body onto the rocks.

Elron stared at the corpse. “Maris would have said something… some words.”

Slyra shrugged. “Yeah… I’m not Maris,” she said, shoving the body into the slow-moving waters with her boot.

Elron watched the body drift away, disappearing down the river. As much as he felt he should reflect on what he’d done, all he could think about was getting caught. It sickened him—yet what sickened him even more was how all he could think about was his lack of a level-up selection. Usually, a level-up came with some boon: a spell, a class ability, an attribute point—something. But nothing had appeared. All if bothered him.

Slyra broke his thoughts with a kiss. “Try to get some actual sleep. Alright?”

He blushed and nodded. “I will,” he whispered as she disappeared into the night like a shadow of a wisp.

Elron stared at the river a while longer before deciding to take a stroll along the bank, his mind racing. As he leaned against a tree to gather his thoughts, a strange sound caught his attention—a loud, grotesque munching.

Creeping through the bushes, Elron rubbed his eyes, struggling to believe what he saw. Hidden among the trees was Kael, devouring a man whole. His body was split down the middle, revealing a gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth. The victim was being torn to shreds as blood sprayed everywhere.

Elron gulped, covering his mouth to stifle a gasp.

“Who’s there?” came a gravelly voice.

Elron bolted, but before he could escape, Kael’s arm stretched like rubber, wrapping around his ankle and dragging him back. Terrified, Elron couldn’t scream—he couldn’t even make a sound. He clawed at the dirt, his nails scraping against the rocks as he was pulled through the bushes.

Kael finished his meal, his monstrous maw closing. Suddenly, it was like Elron was speaking to the Kael he knew again.

“You shouldn’t have seen that, my friend,” Kael said, his eyes narrowing at Elron.

Elron reached for his sword, drawing it halfway before Kael’s elastic arms wrapped around his neck. The prince struggled, gasping for air as Kael lifted him onto his feet.

“I have no intention of killing you,” Kael said calmly, releasing his grip. “Walk with me for a moment, my glorious leader…”

Elron, still gasping for breath, looked around frantically. Could he escape? Could he fight?

“If you try anything,” Kael continued, “the Kael you know will cease to be.”

Resigned, Elron began walking with the monster. They walked for several minutes in silence, Elron’s mind raced. How long had Kael been like this? Would he survive this encounter? Could he kill this creature if he had to? What should he do if–

“I am a doppelganger,” Kael finally said, breaking the silence. “Normally, when discovered, we take the form of the deceased. It’s a typical strategy. But you’re… a special case.”

Elron’s heart pounded. “Have you always been… Kael?”

“For the last fifty years, yes. I consumed the original Kael long before we met.”

Elron found a strange comfort in that, but it didn’t erase his unease.

Kael turned to him. “I want us to continue as we are. Tell no one of my true nature.”

Elron hesitated, overwhelmed. “This is…”

Kael raised an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”

Elron sighed. “Apologies… It’s just… tonight has been a lot.”

Kael nodded, understandingly. “I’ll be blunt. My plan is for you to rise in status and help me secure my place in the higher echelons of this kingdom.”

Elron looked at him, finally recognizing something familiar. “You want more strength?”

Kael smiled. “In a way, yes. I desire strength through security. I achieve that by positioning myself in society’s upper circles. And what’s higher than standing beside royalty?”

“Hm. Why– Why not just kill me and take my place?” Elron asked hesitantly.

Kael shrugged. “That’s an option, but I’m not sure I could pull it off. This path seems easier, with less risk.”

Elron let out a slow breath, turning his gaze back to the river. “We’re all chasing something it seems,” he said quietly, as he lost himself in deep thought. Even though his mind wandered, he could still feel the weight of the night pressing down on him, the weight of secrets and danger ever more present now.

Kael’s voice came low, almost a whisper, as he stepped away into the shadows. “One day, we’ll succeed in our chase, my prince.”

Elron didn’t respond. He simply watched the dark waters flow, knowing that something had shifted between them—something that could never be undone. With a final glance at Kael, he turned away, the night swallowing them both in silence.