The Master’s Hidden Face

Kaito crouched low behind the thick undergrowth, his eyes narrowing as he observed the strange creatures moving silently through the forest.

Kaito (thinking): So this is why Master forbade me from venturing deeper... these demons.

He smirked slightly, tightening his grip on the crystal his master had entrusted him.

Kaito (thinking): But my curiosity burns hotter than my fear. Besides, with this crystal, I can call Master if danger strikes. Just a little peek won’t hurt...

Closing his eyes, he whispered the incantation. Dark energy swirled around him, and in moments, his figure shifted—horns sprouted, his skin turned a faint shade of gray, and his aura mimicked that of a demon. He had successfully disguised himself.

Kaito trailed behind the horde, careful to match their rhythm. After what felt like hours, a suffocating miasma surrounded him. His eyes widened as he entered their territory.

The demon lands stretched vast and endless, like a kingdom carved out of nightmares. Jagged obsidian spires jutted into the sky, their tips glowing faintly with crimson embers. Black smoke drifted above colossal palaces, their towers illuminated with an eerie violet glow. Rivers of molten fire cut through the ground like veins, yet astonishingly, the demons moved about calmly—trading, talking, even laughing in their harsh, guttural language. Children with small horns ran past armored soldiers, and giant beasts rested by shadowy walls.

Kaito (thinking, trembling): This... This is no less than an abyss. Yet why do they seem so... peaceful?

His heart thudded painfully. Fear clawed at him, but curiosity burned brighter. Ignoring Master’s warnings, he stepped deeper into the abyss.

While wandering, Kaito paused as voices echoed from the shadow of a towering gate. Two demon guards stood watch, their deep voices carrying across the silence.

First Guard: “Brother, have you heard of the Legendary Crystal hidden in the palace’s secret chamber?”

Second Guard: “Of course. It’s said the Demon King awaits its successor. For centuries, none have claimed it. Not even the princess, with all her strength, could inherit its power.”

First Guard (snorting): “If the princess herself failed, then who else could possibly be worthy?”

Second Guard: “Time alone will reveal the chosen one...”

Kaito’s breath caught in his throat.

Kaito (thinking, eyes glinting): A Legendary Crystal? How can I ignore something like this? I must at least see it with my own eyes!

Driven by temptation, he slipped into the palace grounds. He crept through countless winding hallways, dimly lit chambers, and pathways lined with strange runes. His footsteps echoed against marble black as night.

Then suddenly—he froze.

A pulse of energy brushed against his senses, sharp yet familiar.

Kaito (thinking, panicked): This aura... I know it. I’ve felt it before. Wait... It’s Master’s! But... why here?

Guided by the aura, he followed it through a grand corridor until he emerged near a shimmering lakeside within the palace grounds. The moonlight cast rippling silver waves across the water.

There, standing by the edge of the lake, was Master Feng. But something was wrong. His robes were not the humble traveler’s garb Kaito knew. Instead, he wore dark ceremonial armor adorned with demonic symbols. And he wasn’t alone.

Kaito’s breath quickened as the shimmering lake reflected two figures—one of them unmistakably Master Feng. But this was not the same man who had guided him with patience and wisdom. No, this Master wore dark ceremonial robes, etched with demonic runes that pulsed faintly under the moonlight.

Beside him stood a young woman of breathtaking beauty, her presence regal and otherworldly. Her crimson eyes glowed faintly, and her silken hair cascaded down like a river of midnight. Even from afar, Kaito could feel the dangerous aura she radiated.

Kaito froze, his fists clenching, his heart racing.

Kaito (thinking): Master… what are you doing here? Why… Why do you look like one of them?

But Master Feng did not notice. His gaze was fixed solely on the mysterious woman, their words drowned by the quiet ripple of the lake. Kaito stood in the shadows, hidden yet trembling, caught between disbelief and dread.

And in that moment, an unshakable thought pierced his mind:

Kaito (thinking): The man I trusted… the man who saved me… could he be hiding a truth I was never meant to know?

His body stiffened, his instincts screamed to retreat, but his feet refused to move. The world around him seemed to blur, his breath shallow, as if fate itself had led him here—to witness a secret he was not ready for.

The lake shimmered again, the demons’ voices echoed faintly in the distance, and Kaito’s heart thundered with one haunting question:

Kaito (thinking): Who exactly is Master Feng…?

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