In House Velerion, silence was survival.
Especially for a bastard like me.
But lately, I'd begun to notice something—someone was watching.
---
It started small.
A barely audible shuffle behind the halls. A candle flickering in the reflection of a silver platter. An aura that retreated whenever I turned around.
It wasn't paranoia.
I had sharpened instincts now. The Demon Heart made sure of it.
I wasn't being imagined.
I was being tracked.
---
Kael Velerion.
My second eldest brother.
Unlike the arrogant firstborn or the violent third, Kael was quiet. Precise. The family's "tactician."
He never raised his voice. Never looked twice at me before.
But that had changed.
Yesterday, I caught him looking directly into my eyes across the banquet table.
Not with contempt.
Not even with amusement.
But with curiosity.
---
That night, I ran a test.
I slipped out of my room after midnight using [Shadow Serpent Step], moving silently through the darkened estate.
I took a long, twisting route through the garden, across the western wing, and into a forgotten library.
Then I waited.
Ten minutes passed.
Twelve.
And then—
A presence.
Faint. Cloaked. Watching from the rooftop above.
I didn't react. Just slipped into the shadows.
But my mind was spinning.
---
Was it Kael?
Or one of the old man's spies?
No. Too refined to be a guard. Too clever for a servant.
Kael, then.
Which meant one thing:
He suspects something.
---
Back in my ruined training den, I opened the system.
[Demon's Path – Hidden Quest Unlocked!]
"The Watcher"
– Someone suspects your awakening.
– Objective: Misdirect or silence the observer before system progress exceeds 10%
Reward: Demon Aura Veil (Passive Skill)
Penalty: Exposure to the House or Hero Faction
---
I clenched my fist.
Kael was dangerous. Not because he was powerful—but because he was smart.
If he exposed me, I wouldn't even get to kill him myself.
Father would do it for me.
Or worse… the Hero Candidate among my brothers might step in.
---
I had to act.
But not with violence. Not yet.
No… Kael needed to believe I was still weak.
Still pathetic.
Still harmless.
I smiled to myself.
Time to put on the mask again.
---
The next morning, I walked into the dining hall with fake bruises on my arms and dirt on my boots. I flinched when servants passed. Stumbled slightly. Just enough to sell the image.
Kael glanced at me once, then turned away.
Good.
Let him underestimate me.
Let him think I'm still the cursed bastard wasting away in the shadows.
Because soon…
He'll learn what's really hiding in the dark.
---