Morning in the Nesh Clan settlement came not with sunlight — the canopy ensured that never happened — but with a gradual brightening of the bioluminescent moss. The blue-green glow intensified slowly, signaling the start of a new day.
Kael sat up on the sleeping mat and stretched. He had removed the mask during the night to let the cooldown recharge to maximum. Now he pressed the featureless white mask to his face, feeling it dissolve into his skin like water into cloth.
Finesh's face returned. Pale green skin. Yellow-green reptilian eyes. Dark green hair pulled back in a simple tie.
He rose and examined himself in a polished bone mirror on the wall. The mask held perfectly — every scale, every contour, every subtle detail of Finesh's appearance replicated without flaw.
Kael exited the room and descended the rope ladder. A few early-rising clan members nodded at him as he passed. He returned the gestures with the casual familiarity Finesh would show.
