I was a ghost, a predator hidden by A-Rank [Deceive] and B-Rank [Footwork]. I didn't breathe. I didn't move. I was just another shadow among the trees.
Silas stood in the clearing, his head tilted, his cold grey eyes scanning the darkness.
"Who's there?" he hissed, the vortex of forbidden darkness extinguishing instantly. "Show yourself."
I held my breath, my mind racing. My cover was perfect. He was a student, not a high-level sensor. He was bluffing.
"Fine," Silas whispered to the empty air. "Don't."
He didn't cast a spell. He just acted.
FWOOM!
The ground beneath my hiding spot erupted. Massive, semi-solid tendrils of pure void magic, blacker than the shadows themselves, burst from the earth. They weren't aimed at me; they were aimed at my location, designed to grab, not kill.
`[CRITICAL WARNING: S-RANK [ABYSSAL] MAGIC DETECTED!]`
My instincts took over. I activated [Quickstep], exploding backward from the alcove.
CRASH!
