Kai jolted awake, the haze of another strange dream still clinging to his mind like a thick fog. This one felt... different. It wasn’t just the vividness or the unsettling familiarity he had grown used to—it was as if the dream itself had been aware of him, watching him as much as he was experiencing it. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, but Kai shook his head, forcing the unsettling notion aside. Dreams were dreams, no matter how strange they felt, and he had more pressing matters to attend to.

  He sat up quickly, his hand instinctively reaching for the sword at his side as his eyes darted around the alcove. The crude noise traps he had set earlier remained untouched, their small bells silent and still.

  Relief washed over him, but it was short-lived. When he glanced upward, he noticed the angle of the sunlight filtering through the dense canopy. It was midday. He had slept straight through the night and into the late morning—far longer than he intended. Groaning softly, he stretched his stiff limbs and reached into his storage ring, pulling out another strip of dried meat. He chewed it methodically, the bland, tough texture grounding him as he began to pack up his belongings.

  As Kai folded the thin blanket and tucked it away, his thoughts turned to his next move. The harsh reality of his situation gnawed at him: he had no destination, no safe haven. As a rogue cultivator, he was an outcast, unwelcome in any sect or stronghold. There was nowhere in the world he could go where he wouldn’t be hunted or treated as a pariah.

  For a fleeting moment, an unpleasant thought crossed his mind—the demonic cultivators. They would take him in, no questions asked. Their ranks thrived on misfits and outcasts like him. But Kai shook his head sharply, dispelling the notion. Joining the demonic orders was not an option he was willing to consider, no matter how desperate he became.

  Still, the thought lingered, forcing him to confront a bitter truth he never considered. Now that he was on the other side of the equation, living the life of a rogue cultivator, he could see the critical flaw in the righteous alliance’s policies. Branding all rogue cultivators as criminals—regardless of their circumstances—was a grave mistake.

  By pushing those without a sect or sanctuary into the shadows, the alliance had unintentionally strengthened the very evil they sought to destroy. Rogues like him, with no other options, were often forced to seek refuge among demonic cultivators simply to survive. Instead of weakening the demonic orders, the alliance’s rigid stance had only served to bolster their ranks with desperate and capable individuals.

  Kai’s jaw tightened as he stowed the last of his gear and stood, brushing dirt from his robe. The righteous alliance’s hypocrisy stung more deeply now than ever before. They claimed to protect the innocent and uphold justice, but their unyielding judgment left no room for redemption or understanding.

  He glanced at the forest path ahead, the shadows between the trees beckoning him forward. He had no clear destination, but standing still wasn’t an option. As Kai began to move, his mind churned with plans and possibilities.

  Kai’s immediate concern was replacing his clothing. The distinctive robes of the Ember Sword Sect he wore were like a beacon, declaring his affiliation to anyone who might cross his path. If he wanted to hide his identity—and, more importantly, his betrayal of the sect—he would need to discard them as soon as possible.

  He studied the worn fabric of his robes with a frown. The bright crimson accents, once symbols of his former sect, now felt like chains binding him to a past he desperately needed to escape. Those colors would mark him as a fugitive to sect loyalists and other righteous alliance cultivators, a target to opportunists alike.

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  Kai’s goal was simple: blend in. He needed plain, unassuming clothing that would allow him to pass as an ordinary mortal, someone unremarkable and invisible in the sea of humanity that populated the towns and villages. With such a disguise, navigating civilization would become significantly easier. He could slip through crowded marketplaces, find supplies, and perhaps even gather intelligence without arousing suspicion.

  But the task was easier said than done. Acquiring such clothing meant venturing into a settlement—an inherently risky endeavor. Towns were places where sect informants and bounty hunters often prowled, and he couldn’t afford to be careless. His mind raced as he considered his options. Perhaps he could barter for simple garments at a remote farmstead, far from prying eyes. Or, if worse came to worst, he might have to steal them, a thought that unsettled him despite the desperation of his situation.

  Kai took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he mentally mapped out his surroundings. He tried to triangulate his position, piecing together fragmented memories of the region. His mind sifted through possibilities, searching for any nearby location that might meet his immediate needs—somewhere remote and unassuming where he could restock and gather supplies without drawing unwanted attention.

  Then, it came to him. Roughly northeast of his current position, there was a small, isolated village nestled at the border of the Great White Falcon Forest. Kai recalled passing through it once before, years ago to trade for foodstuff for the spirit beast. If he remembered correctly, the settlement was called Uije. With fewer than a hundred residents, it was little more than a cluster of homes surrounded by farmland.

  Most importantly, its remoteness likely kept it untouched by the demonic cultivators who would more likely prowled more prominent areas. At least, Kai hoped that was still true. The thought of the demonic orders reaching even this far sent a chill down his spine, but he pushed the fear aside. He didn’t have many options, and Uije was the best chance he had.

  The plan crystallized in his mind. He would head northeast, retrace his steps to the village, and trade for essential supplies—food, simple clothing, and anything else he might need to continue his journey. With a new disguise and enough provisions, he could travel even farther away from the Ember Sword Sect’s territory, putting more distance between himself and the sect.

  Satisfied with his decision, Kai checked his storage ring, ensuring everything was secured. He couldn’t afford to lose anything on the way. With one last glance around to ensure his noise traps were disarmed and nothing valuable was left behind, he began moving through the dense forest.

  As Kai made his way through the dense forest, weaving between towering trees and uneven undergrowth, that strange, unsettling feeling began to creep over him again. It started subtly—an itch at the back of his neck, a faint sense of unease that seemed to prick at his senses. The deeper he ventured, the stronger it grew, until it felt as though unseen eyes were following his every move.

  Kai’s hand instinctively rested on the hilt of his sword, his steps slowing as he scanned the shadows around him. The forest was alive with its usual symphony of rustling leaves, distant bird calls, and the occasional snap of a branch underfoot, but now every sound seemed amplified, laden with a sinister undertone. His training told him to trust his instincts, and his instincts screamed that he wasn’t alone.

  He paused near a cluster of ancient oaks, his eyes narrowing as he strained to pick out anything unusual. Was it a predator? A demonic cultivator? Perhaps even someone from the righteous alliance? He couldn’t be sure, and that uncertainty gnawed at him. Yet, despite his vigilance, he saw no movement, no figure lurking among the trees—just the oppressive stillness of the forest pressing in on him.

  The feeling didn’t waver. It clung to him like a second shadow, following him as he pressed on toward the village. His mind raced with possibilities, each more troubling than the last. Was he truly being watched, or was the paranoia an aftereffect of his recent dreams? He couldn’t shake the sense that whatever this was, it felt deliberate.