Caster from the Han Li clan had been given a task. It wasn't one he was particularly proud of, but it was for the good of his clan. If he succeeded, the Han Li clan would be rewarded handsomely—something, he had to admit, they desperately needed. His mother, the head of their clan, had ventured to challenge the third Nightmare but had not returned since. His older sister, Anwen, had not been the same since Caster was five, and his younger sister, Calliope, was far too young to shoulder the burden of leadership. With his mother missing and his sisters unable to step up, the responsibility had fallen squarely on him.
The task was to eliminate the Changing Star of the Immortal Flame. It seemed like an impossible challenge, but there was no other way. This mission was not just a personal endeavor—it was his Honorbound duty, a sacred obligation to the clan he loved.
However, his attempts were met with little success. The Changing Star was a mystery, an enigma wrapped in arrogance. She was unapproachable, almost untouchable. She carried herself as if everyone around her was beneath her—no, everything, even the most important matters, seemed to hold no value in her eyes. As if she, whose clan had crumbled to dust a decade ago, was too good for the likes of him.
His first attempt ended in failure, with nothing but the cold sting of her indifference. He was ignored completely. Yet, it wasn't entirely for nothing. In the midst of his frustration, he encountered someone he suspected might have the same task as him.
The person didn't approach him directly, nor did they shadow the Changing Star's every move. Instead, they simply said, "That's not how you get her, Casanova. It's too direct." The voice was just loud enough for him to hear, its tone laced with something halfway between mockery and advice.
Turning toward the source of this unexpected commentary, Caster found himself staring at a frail, pale boy, who seemed entirely unaware of his presence. The boy's back was to him as he sat in front of the blind girl , who remained oblivious to the strange interaction. The boy was diminutive, smaller than most others, but there was something about him that didn't sit right with Caster. He didn't know the boy's name, and none of the people he asked could tell him either. That alone was suspicious. But what made Caster even more certain that this boy was somehow connected to his target was the way he moved—eerily quiet, almost like a shadow. He appeared out of nowhere at times, slipping past the notice of everyone except those who seemed to follow him with strange devotion.
With this encounter, the Scion of the Han Li Clan understood something that had eluded him before. This task would not be easily accomplished. It was a game of subtlety , and he would need to tread carefully if he were to succeed.