Chapter 635: The Mysterious Encounter (2)
Silence reclaimed the bend. The corridor breathed slow again, the distant thoom steady. Sentinel statues down the hall did not stir—they must have felt no threat.
Mikhailis rocked back on his heels. He flexed his fingers; no tingling, no pain, only heightened awareness—colors marginally brighter, air vibrations clearer. A shift inside his thoughts too, as though an extra sense had slotted quietly into place, unnamed.
He brushed moss flecks from his coat, rolling shoulders. "Well," he muttered, voice still husky with adrenaline, "that was... enlightening."
Rodion’s reply dripped pleased sarcasm.
<Bravo. Oscar-worthy poker face. Perhaps next time add jazz-hands.>
Mikhailis snorted. Next time, he thought, I might faint instead. But outwardly he arranged a neutral expression.
A soft rustle echoed back the route he’d come: two hooded elves reappeared at the far end—his ever-present shadows. They’d seen nothing, or if they had, showed no sign. He offered them a casual nod, as though he had simply paused to admire bark art.
The tattoo gleamed still—sharper, like fresh ink. He pulled his sleeve down. Cloth hid the mark completely, unless one knew where to look.
<Note: corridor runes no longer pulse at your approach. Hypothesis: pact granted local pass privileges.>
He hid a grin. "Convenient," he breathed. "Maybe they’ll let me skip the visitor line."
Somewhere above, a bell-like chime rang, soft but carrying. He recognized it: the Elders’ summoning note. Time to look innocent and not at all like a man secretly bound to a sentient tree.
He resumed walking, a dutiful guest on his best behavior, boots tapping a polite tempo. His shadows parted to let him pass, then fell in behind with practiced grace. Runes along the walls remained steady—no suspicious glow, no heartbeat reaction. As if the tree whispered, He’s with me.