The night was peaceful, the subtle sound of waves crashing against the shore blending softly with the cool breeze.
The sky was clear; countless stars shimmered above, scattered like a natural canvas across the heavens.
The moon glowed in full brilliance, its light gently pushing back the darkness. The steady splashes of seawater, illuminated by the moon's glow, gave the entire shore an almost mystical charm.
Some time passed before a small black sphere formed near the shoreline, floating quietly a few feet above the ground.
It had no defined shape—more like a cluster of dark mist that twisted and collapsed in on itself every few seconds.
The sphere grew steadily, expanding until it reached the size of a castle gate. From its pitch-black center, faint streaks of red, blue, green, yellow, and brown surfaced, spreading like veins across its surface.
From that colorful distortion, a man stepped out.
He had an unusual appearance—long white hair falling down to his back, and nothing on his body except a long black cloth tied around his waist with a rope.
Standing nearly seven feet tall with a lean, defined build, he carried an aura that felt out of place in this quiet world. His eyebrows were thin and straight, and his grey eyes looked strangely lifeless yet full of depth. A tattoo cut across his forehead—a thick, straight line with a curved bend downwards at the center.
He was undeniably handsome.
"So this is the mortal realm?" the man said calmly.
He looked back at the shrinking sphere. It collapsed rapidly, reducing to the size of a dot before vanishing completely.
He stood still, unmoving.
"It seems my method of travelling between worlds can only be used once," he muttered with a faint frown. "It collapses after activation."
He lowered his gaze slightly.
"And since the worlds are not connected, I can't use my elemental power here. I'll need a workaround."
Before he could think further, a loud sound echoed from behind him.
Beyond the shore was a dense forest, and the noise had come from deep within it.
His expression tightened. He stepped silently into the trees, his movements light and precise as he observed the shadows around him.
Moonlight pierced through gaps in the foliage, casting scattered patches of light across the dark forest floor.
He followed the sound until distinct voices reached his ears.
"Where did he go?!" a young man shouted angrily. He was muscular, rough-voiced, and clearly frustrated.
"He's just a simple mortal—how did you lose him?"
"If you fail to kill that guy, forget about your payment! Search the area—he must be nearby!"
"Yes!" the others answered in unison, bitterness and irritation in their voices.
These were the ones causing the disturbance.
The white-haired man listened quietly.
"So they're chasing someone… hired to kill him. That muscular one is probably the client."
Their motives were obvious.
"And he's just a mortal. Even with elemental power, they still can't finish him off? Hmph… incompetent group."
He took another step, avoiding their path as he searched for the fleeing mortal himself.
"If I find him first, I can search his memories and learn about this world."
Mortals were the weakest humans—those without elemental power, living fragile lives filled with fear.
If he captured a mortal, he could gather information without risking a confrontation with an element bearer.
"But finding him won't be simple. This group limits my movement."
His gaze sharpened.
"I'll need to divert them."
Using the forest to mislead the assassins wouldn't be difficult, as long as he remained unseen. Fighting them without his powers, however, would be reckless—especially when they outnumbered him.
"They'd likely mistake me for their target. That would be troublesome."
He paused, eyes cold as he looked through the shadows.
"As for how to distract them… hmm."
He thought for a moment, then slowly lifted his head. The moonlight caught in his grey eyes, giving them a faint, sharp glint.
"Let's do it this way, then."
For an instant, the forest went silent.
A distant rustle followed—soft footsteps approaching through the underbrush.
The white-haired man's eyes narrowed.
In the next moment, the wind shifted… carrying with it both stillness and the promise of chaos.
And the man disappeared into the darkness.