The sun was still low when an unseen presence crept closer to Shen Seizan.
It slithered into his shadow like a silent tide, pressing against him, slipping past his guard.
The moment it breached, Shen's vision blurred. The morning light dimmed into a sickly haze—and then, there was nothing.
His consciousness sank into darkness.
At that very moment, Kin and Vixen were almost home. The village roofs peeked through the mist ahead when Kin suddenly broke the quiet.
> "Vixen… you know tomorrow Shen's leaving. I won't see him again for another three weeks."
Vixen turned to him, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
> "Why three weeks?"
Kin smiled faintly.
> "I have a stage program to perform. Shen insisted he'd come with me."
Vixen's tone sharpened, carrying a hint of wounded pride.
> "And I? Am I not going with you?"
Kin laughed softly, almost apologetically.
> "You've been busy lately, so I didn't mention it. But… I'd rather you come too. That would make me happiest."
A faint warmth passed between them, but it did little to prepare them for what awaited at home.
The moment they stepped inside, Kin called out for Shen—once, twice, thrice.
No answer.
A strange stillness hung in the air.
Kin's brows furrowed. He hurried to Shen's bedroom.
The door was ajar.
The bed was untouched.
Shen was gone.
Vixen's search swept through the house like a storm, his alpha instincts pricking with unease. No trace. No sound. Just… absence.
They rushed outside, calling Shen's name across the village paths.
Hours slipped away—morning to afternoon, afternoon to dusk.
Still nothing.
As the shadows thickened, Vixen turned to Kin.
> "Go back and rest. I'll take a search party from the military camp—and the villagers—to find him."
Kin didn't like it, but he nodded reluctantly.
Vixen gathered able-bodied men from the camp and the village, fanning out into the gathering dark. But when Vixen suggested searching the jungle, a hush fell over the group. Fear glimmered in their eyes.
> "No," one of the older men muttered. "We won't step into that place after nightfall."
Vixen's gaze turned sharp.
> "If one of your own family were lost in there tonight, would you leave them to the shadows?"
The silence that followed was heavy.
Finally, a few young men stepped forward, their faces pale but determined.
Meanwhile, back at the house, Kin sat alone.
His heart felt unbearably heavy. Guilt gnawed at him, whispering that he should have been there.
So lost was he in his thoughts… he didn't notice the tall, pitch-black silhouette standing silently just behind him—its edges melting into the dark.
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