Chapter 10: The Cloaked Watcher
The air on the island shifted that night. It was subtle at first - a hush in the wind, the chirping of crickets interrupted by a pause too long to be natural. James stood alone near the edge of the eastern cliff, staring into the night sky. Stars glimmered like scattered fireflies caught in a frozen ocean. The moonlight bathed his face, softening the sharpness that had been growing in his eyes since the training had intensified.
His fingertips glowed faintly - not with fire, but with a subtle orange hue, the precursor of his Red Aura's second stage. But his mind wasn't on his progress.
Something was off.
"You feel it too, huh?" came a voice behind him.
James turned to see Yoru emerging from the dense treeline, carrying two bottles of coconut water and a wild grin on his face.
"You should sleep. Training's going to be hell tomorrow," James said, but there was no force in his voice.
Yoru offered a bottle. "And miss the midnight existential dread hour with my favorite emotional aura freak? Never."
James smirked. "Thanks."
They sat together in silence for a few minutes, sipping from their bottles, staring into the horizon.
"Do you think we're being watched?" James asked finally.
Yoru didn't answer immediately. He took another swig and then said, "I don't think. I know. Someone's been around for a while."
James stiffened. "Who?"
Yoru looked at him, dead serious now. "You ever hear of the Cloaked Watchers?"
James shook his head.
"They don't belong to any Hero School. Not officially. Not even to the Metaverse Wars. They're... outliers. Observers. Spies. Sometimes assassins. They show up when someone... special is about to awaken something that could shake the balance."
James felt a chill crawl down his back.
Yoru continued, "And tonight? They're watching you."
Suddenly, from deep in the forest, a loud crack echoed through the trees.
James and Yoru were on their feet instantly, aura flaring - James' glowing red, and Yoru's sharp yellow buzzing at his fingertips.
A shadow moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Then silence again.
James narrowed his eyes. "That wasn't an animal."
Yoru nodded. "Whatever it is... it's close."
---
In the dense part of the forest, something shifted. A pair of glowing violet eyes blinked in the dark, then vanished into the leaves.
Back at the cottage, Aunt Lira lit a lantern and stepped out onto the porch. Her eyes flicked to the darkness like she sensed it too.
"They've come too soon," she whispered.
She turned to the wall inside and removed an old scroll hidden beneath a loose panel - a map with layers of inscriptions in ancient text. She touched a seal in the corner. The ink flared to life.
"He's not ready yet. But if they force our hand..."
---
Meanwhile, James and Yoru crept deeper into the forest, each step quiet but calculated. Branches cracked, and leaves rustled without wind. The presence was unmistakable.
Then -
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Yoru shouted.
A figure emerged, slowly, a black cloak covering its body, face shrouded.
James stepped forward. "Who are you? Why are you watching us?"
The figure tilted their head.
Then, a voice - calm, chilling, and distorted.
"The Red Fire burns brighter than we expected. The path to your true form has begun, James."
James clenched his fists. "You know my name?"
"We know everything."
Yoru surged forward with speed lightning couldn't match. A yellow flash collided with a dark blur.
Boom!
The impact split the trees apart, and James was nearly knocked off his feet by the shockwave.
When the dust cleared, Yoru stood breathing hard, electricity sparking in spirals around him.
The cloaked figure was gone.
Vanished.
James stepped forward, helping Yoru up. "You okay?"
Yoru wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "That wasn't even their full power. Whoever they are... they're leagues ahead."
James's eyes glowed with anger and something else - determination. "Then we get stronger. Fast."
---
Later that night, James couldn't sleep. He sat outside again, staring at the sky, his aura faintly burning.
Then, a whisper in the wind.
"The flames must rise before the shadows fall."
He turned - but no one was there.
And yet... he knew the battle had just begun.
[To Be Continued...]
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