The Villain Professor's Second Chance

"Keep your ears open," Liora said quietly, his voice cutting through the ambient tension like a blade. His gaze was sharp, darting between the uneven shadows along the walls. "The cavern's quiet now, but quiet doesn't always mean safe."

Kael swallowed hard, his throat dry despite the damp air. "What am I supposed to be listening for?"

Liora's expression didn't soften. If anything, it grew more focused. "Anything that's not us. Movement. Breathing. The scrape of claws. If it feels wrong, it probably is."

Kael nodded again, his fingers tightening around the straps of his satchel. He tried to mimic Liora's sharp awareness, his eyes scanning the cavern for any sign of danger. The Glowmoss around them flickered softly, its light casting shifting shadows that made Kael's heart skip every time they moved.

They worked in silence for a while, their movements careful and deliberate. Kael's nerves felt stretched thin, each rustle of fabric or soft drip of water making his muscles tense involuntarily. He glanced at Liora, whose steady hands and sharp eyes betrayed none of the tension Kael felt. Instead, the halfling moved with a precision that bordered on eerie, his every step and gesture calculated, his dagger never far from reach.

At one point, Liora crouched by a particularly large patch of Glowmoss, his gaze flicking toward the walls as he worked. "See these scratches here?" he said, his voice low but insistent. He gestured toward a series of jagged marks etched into the stone. "These weren't made by rats. Too deep. Too wide."

Kael leaned closer, his brow furrowing as he studied the marks. "Then what made them?"

Liora didn't answer immediately. His fingers hovered over the scratches, his expression thoughtful but tense. "Something bigger," he muttered, almost to himself. Then he straightened, his sharp gaze locking onto Kael's. "And something we don't want to meet."

Kael's stomach churned, his earlier unease deepening into something heavier. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but Liora cut him off with a curt gesture. "No time for chatter," he said. "Just stay alert and don't wander off."

Kael nodded, his grip on the satchel tightening as they continued collecting Glowmoss. The air felt heavier now, each breath tinged with the faint metallic tang of unease. Kael couldn't help but glance over his shoulder every few seconds, his imagination conjuring shapes in the shadows that he knew weren't real—and yet they felt real. Too real.

_____

By the time they returned to Theron's Rest, the late afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the bustling streets. The Alchemist's Guild was alive with activity, apprentices darting between shelves and clerks sorting through parchments and vials.

Kael approached the counter with a mix of nervous anticipation and relief, his satchel filled with the carefully harvested Glowmoss. The clerk, a grizzled man with spectacles perched precariously on his nose, barely glanced up as Kael emptied the satchel's contents onto the counter. The Glowmoss shimmered faintly in the dim light, its ethereal glow drawing a few curious glances from nearby apprentices.

The clerk leaned forward, inspecting the samples with a practiced eye. He muttered a terse, "Good enough," and scribbled a note in a large ledger before sliding a pouch of silver coins across the counter, accompanied by a small voucher for a basic health potion. "Next time, make sure you don't crush the edges," he added, pointing to a faintly bruised patch on one of the bundles. "Fragility is part of its value." Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire

Kael nodded quickly, his nerves easing as he tucked the pouch and voucher securely into his satchel. He glanced back at Liora, who leaned casually against a nearby column, his expression unreadable but his sharp eyes taking in every detail of the bustling guild hall. Kael hesitated, then turned back to the clerk. "Anything unusual reported near the caverns?"

The clerk gave him a long look, then sighed. "Strange activity, maybe. Some kind of energy." He tapped a finger on the counter, the sound sharp and deliberate. "Not your concern unless you've got a bigger purse and better experience. Stick to Glowmoss for now."

Kael nodded again, but his curiosity gnawed at him. He stole a glance at Liora, who hadn't moved but whose expression had shifted, his carefree facade tightened into something more focused. The halfling met Kael's gaze briefly before straightening and gesturing toward the door with a jerk of his head. Without another word, they left the guild, the faint glow of the harvested moss still clinging to the edges of Kael's thoughts.

_____

Kael fidgeted with the straps of his satchel as they stepped outside the guild, the air cooler than he expected after the dense, herb-scented warmth inside. He glanced sideways at Liora, whose expression was unreadable—a sharp contrast to his usual smug nonchalance. The halfling's brows were slightly furrowed, his jaw tight, though he made no comment as they walked.

Unable to bear the silence, Kael cleared his throat. "Did I… did I do it wrong?"

Liora's stride didn't falter, but he let out a long, audible sigh, his breath forming faint clouds in the crisp afternoon air. "What are you talking about now?" he asked, his tone flat but not unkind.

Kael hesitated, glancing over his shoulder toward the guild as if the building itself might provide an answer. "What I said to the clerk. About the… you know, the strange activity in the caverns."

Liora stopped abruptly, turning to face Kael with an unreadable expression. For a moment, Kael felt like a child caught in a misstep, the halfling's sharp gaze dissecting him like a puzzle.

"You mean the part where you casually mentioned something most adventurers would ignore to a clerk who probably thrives on half-truths and gossip?" Liora asked, raising a brow.

Kael winced. "I didn't mean to cause trouble. It just… felt important. Isn't that what you're supposed to do? Report anything unusual?"

Liora's lips twitched, not quite forming a smile. He crossed his arms, tilting his head as if weighing his response. "It's fine," he said at last, though his tone was laced with something Kael couldn't quite place—reluctance, maybe. "Better to mention it than keep your mouth shut and regret it later."

Kael exhaled in relief, but Liora wasn't finished. The halfling took a step closer, his voice dropping slightly, gaining an edge of seriousness. "But here's the thing, kid. The guild's interest in 'strange activity' isn't always as noble as you might think. It's not about keeping adventurers safe; it's about control, influence, and sometimes digging into things best left buried."

Kael blinked, taken aback. "I… I didn't think—"

"No, you didn't," Liora cut in, though his tone wasn't harsh. "And that's fine. It's better than pretending you know what you're doing when you don't. Just… next time, maybe check with me first."

Kael nodded, his cheeks warming under the halfling's scrutiny. "Got it. I'll… I'll keep that in mind."

Liora's gaze lingered on him for a moment before he shrugged and turned away, his movements as fluid as ever. "Let's get moving," he said over his shoulder, his tone lighter now, though the weight of his earlier words hung between them. "We've got a long walk ahead of us, and I'm not carrying you if you faint from hunger."

Kael rolled his eyes but fell into step beside him. The bustling streets of Theron's Rest soon gave way to quieter paths, the noise of the city fading into the rustle of leaves and the crunch of gravel underfoot. The midday sun hung low behind a veil of clouds, casting a muted light over the landscape.

Kael couldn't shake the nagging feeling of unease, though. He glanced at Liora, whose stride was as confident as ever, but something about the halfling seemed… off. His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings more frequently than usual, and his fingers hovered near the hilt of his dagger in a way that didn't seem entirely casual.

"Are you okay?" Kael asked, his voice hesitant.

Liora's gaze flicked toward him briefly, and a smirk played at his lips. "Me? Always."

Kael frowned. "You seem… I don't know, tense."

"Occupational hazard," Liora replied, his tone as breezy as ever. "You travel enough roads, you learn to pay attention. Besides…" He gestured vaguely to the forest lining the path, its shadows deep and tangled. "A place like this isn't as empty as it looks. You'd be surprised what—or who—might be watching."

Kael's steps faltered, his eyes darting nervously to the trees. "Watching?"

Liora chuckled, though it lacked its usual humor. "Relax, kid. If there's anything dangerous out there, we'll know long before it reaches us."

"How can you be so sure?" Kael asked, his voice lowering instinctively.

Liora's smirk widened, though his eyes didn't lose their sharpness. "Because I'm very good at what I do."

That answer didn't entirely reassure Kael, but he nodded anyway, his grip tightening on the strap of his satchel. The path stretched ahead, winding through patches of dense foliage and small clearings where merchant carts occasionally passed by. The smell of damp earth mingled with faint hints of spices and roasted nuts from the traders, offering brief moments of comfort amidst Kael's growing unease.

Despite Liora's attempts to deflect, Kael couldn't help but notice the halfling's vigilance. His movements, though casual, were precise, his eyes darting to every rustle of leaves, every shadow that shifted in the undergrowth. It was as if Liora was listening to an unseen rhythm, tuned to a frequency Kael couldn't hear.

Finally, Kael broke the silence. "Do you always act like this on the road?"

Liora glanced at him, one brow arched. "Like what?"

"Like you're waiting for something to jump out at us."

The halfling's smirk returned, though it was softer this time. "Only when I've got someone worth keeping alive."

Kael blinked, caught off guard by the comment. Before he could respond, Liora gestured toward a small clearing up ahead, where a merchant cart was parked beside the road. "Let's grab something to eat. It's a long walk to the caverns, and I'd rather not have to deal with you fainting from hunger."@@novelbin@@