As the sleek black car moved swiftly through the streets of Hanag, several emergency vehicles rushed past in the opposite direction toward a smoking residential building. Nox watched the chaos unfold through the tinted glass, his mind wandering.
Zayne drove steadily toward the airport in the northeastern part of the city.
'This isn't working! I can't seem to retract my Aura!'. Nox grumbled internally. Veil floated above Nox's head, humming thoughtfully.
"'That's strange. The inversion method should have worked by now."'
'Yeah, well, I can't picture my surroundings folding into me unless I'm high or something.'
Veil chuckled. "'Aha! I know just what you need to do!"'. Nox looked up at the entity, urging them to continue.
"'Imagine it like this: you're covering yourself with a particularly thick blanket. That should be easy enough, no?"'
Nox's stressed expression finally eased. 'Yes. Thank you for finally asking me to do something simple.'
"'Hehehehehe."'
With a deep breath, Nox concentrated, picturing a thick, heavy black duvet wrapping tightly around him like a spring roll. As the visualization took hold, he felt a strange, cold sensation seeping inward through his pores.
Unbeknownst to him, the oppressive atmosphere in the back seat instantly vanished. Zayne glanced at him through the rearview mirror with a look of quiet approval, while Meimei cracked her eyes open for a brief second before drifting back to sleep. Nox remained entirely unaware of the shift.
Soon, they arrived at a private hangar. Waiting for them on the tarmac was a security detail of six individuals from various races, all dressed in sharp, identical suits. One of the bodyguards—a bespectacled white-haired woman with ice-blue eyes, a pair of cat-like white-spotted ears, and a long, sleek spotted tail—stepped forward to open the door. However, a muscular human man lightly held her back, yielding to the head retainer.
"Young Master, we have arrived," Zayne said smoothly.
Nox's eyes opened slowly. Zayne stepped out of the vehicle, hurried to open the passenger door, and carefully retrieved the pet carrier. He stood aside as Nox stepped down into the warm morning light, which cast a sharp glow on his charcoal suit. Though he wasn't overly muscular, the young master had slimmed down considerably.
"Where do we head?" Nox asked.
Zayne gestured toward the runway. "Follow me, Young Master."
"Mmm."
The group moved into the secure terminal, Zayne leading the way, Nox following a step behind, and the bodyguards maintaining a respectful distance at the rear. They bypassed the main terminal entirely, heading toward a private gate with no commercial markings. It was designated only by a bold, black letter "A" stamped into the steel door frame.
Nox walked smoothly across the boarding bridge and stepped into the aircraft. The interior was dazzling. Air hostesses stood at attention near the galley, offering perfectly synchronized smiles. The jet was massive, built to comfortably accommodate twenty passengers, and its high-end, aerodynamic frame looked more like a futuristic spacecraft than a standard airplane.
Nox took a seat by the window. Zayne secured the pet carrier on the adjacent seat before taking his place directly opposite the youth. The bodyguards filed in silently, taking their positions at the rear of the cabin.
"Why bring bodyguards when you're already here?" Nox asked, raising an eyebrow.
Zayne smiled brilliantly. "The Young Master is returning to the family home. How could I neglect the proper arrangements?"
Nox rolled his eyes. Suddenly, Veil poked their head out of Nox's chest and began floating around the luxurious cabin.
"'Amazing! Civilization has truly advanced since I was last sealed. I thought you mortals would still be stuck living in the dirt, but this is marvelous!"'
Nox ignored the spirit's commentary.
The pilot's voice crackled softly through the overhead speakers: "Please prepare for immediate departure. We are clearing for takeoff."
Zayne handed Nox a silk black sleeping mask. "Rest, Young Master. The flight to Septentrion will take a few hours. I will fetch a blanket for you."
Nox hummed, pulling the mask over his eyes and leaning back into the plush leather seat. Inside the carrier, Meimei stretched luxuriously.
Zayne buckled his seatbelt, then turned his gaze toward the lead bodyguard. "...Nevia."
"Yes, sir!" The feline beast-kin stepped forward instantly.
"Deploy the energy shield and enable the camouflage sequence. Just in case we cross paths with stray Harpies or Wyverns." Zayne adjusted his own sleeping mask, settling back into his seat.
"Understood, sir." Nevia's expression remained utterly stoic, but behind her back, her spotted tail was wagging furiously with excitement.
The bodyguard standing right behind her cleared his throat loudly. Nevia snapped out of her happy daze. Her tail instinctively whipped around, and she bit down on the tip of it to force it still, her cheeks flaring a bright crimson. Taking a steadying breath, she released her tail, cleared her throat, and regained her professional composure.
"...Three of you, with me," she ordered, gesturing to the crew.
She marched toward the cockpit partition, followed by three heavily armed guards. On the tarmac, the jet's engines hummed to life. A translucent, light blue energy rippled across the fuselage, cloaking the hull and erasing the silver cursive "A" from view. As the jet lifted smoothly into the sky, it seemed to completely dissolve into the morning air, leaving no visual or radar trace behind.
Inside the cockpit's armored workstation, Nevia removed her heavy black uniform coat, tie, and button-up shirt. Now wearing just a tactical tank top and trousers, she slid into a specialized chair. Several neural interface cables smoothly connected to the ports at the back of her neck.
The three subordinate guards monitored a array of glowing tablets.
"How are the power levels?" Nevia asked, her eyes closed as she synchronized with the ship. "Do I need to channel more Xenon energy?"
"Reporting to the Commander: the energy shield levels are perfectly stable at ninety-eight percent."
Nevia hummed. "And the optical camouflage?"
"The camouflage function is running flawlessly, ma'am."
"Good," Nevia commanded. "Enable the long-range detection grid. Set the scanning radius to maximum. If we encounter any airborne beasts, disengage the outer shield hull momentarily and have the long-range Xenon Warriors clear the sky. Let us ensure the Head Retainer and the Young Master are not disturbed."
"Yes, ma'am!"
------------------------------
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, a solitary figure sat inside a darkened penthouse office. He leaned deep into his leather high-back chair, his fingers rhythmically drumming against the armrest.
"...Chairman," a quiet voice called out from the shadows near the doorway.
"Hm?"
"We received confirmation. The Young Master's transport departed the Terraverde continent a few minutes ago."
The Chairman sat up straight, exhaling a slow, heavy sigh. When he spoke, his voice was a deep, resonant baritone that carried an undeniable weight. "Clear the primary private runway for their arrival. See to it that the ancestral estate is fully prepared for his accommodation... Also, have you verified the report with the Seventh Branch Head regarding the state of the Dream Beast?"
"Reporting to the Chairman: I have personally verified the sector. The Dream Beast has not stirred. It remains bound within the Ancestral Grounds, exactly as before."
"Hmmm." The Chairman leaned back once more. "Very well. You are dismissed, Nero."
"Yes, Chairman."
The aide turned and exited swiftly, the heavy double doors clicking shut behind him. In the brief flash of light from the hallway before the doors closed, a long, spotted white tail and a matching pair of feline ears were visible beneath his tailored suit jacket.
Left alone in the dark, the Chairman stared into the empty room, silent and calculating.