Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece

The air inside the tent was still and quiet. Broken only by the faint sound of voices from far-off campfires outside.

Kyle stood over Lena's bedroll. Fingers brushing against the fabric as he carefully placed the earring back where he had found it.

His expression was calm, but his eyes were sharp. Focused and cold.

He exhaled slowly and straightened up.

'So I was right,' he thought.

He didn't smile. Not this time. There wasn't anything funny about it.

From the moment he had met Lena and Rook, something had felt off.

Their story had been... convenient. Too smooth. The timing. The vague memories.

Their explanation about the system message and how they "just ended up here."

It all lined up a little too well.

And now. He had proof.

A Red Legion communication artifact. Hidden in something as small and harmless-looking as an earring. Clever. Subtle. Almost perfect.

'Almost.'

He turned and stepped out of the tent, letting the flap fall quietly behind him.

The night air was cool against his skin, brushing away the lingering heat from the tent's stillness.

Smoke drifted from nearby fires. The scent of burning wood and cooked stew mixing in the air.

The camp was quieter now, filled with the soft murmurs of tired soldiers and the occasional sound of steel being cleaned or armor being fastened.

Kyle walked slowly. Hands tucked behind his back. His thoughts were moving faster than his feet.

He had suspected them from the very beginning.

The moment they appeared. Bleeding, panicked, supposedly running from Red Knights.

It was too well-timed. They had looked like victims, pulled into the chaos like everyone else.

But Kyle knew better. He saw the way Lena had moved in that first fight. The way Rook swung his halberd with practiced control. They were too smooth. Too coordinated.

They pretended to be inexperienced… until the moment blades were drawn.

No ordinary mercenary learns to fight like that overnight.

Still. Kyle had played his part. He greeted them. Shared stories. Laughed with them around the fire.

He even cooked for them. Let them feel welcome.

That was the trick.

Let your enemy believe they have fooled you. And they'll drop their guard.

Only Eleanora and Serena knew. He had warned them early on to keep watch, to observe quietly without drawing attention.

He trusted them. They were smart. Watchful. And they didn't get carried away with kindness like Cedric or Cassian.

Cedric especially was too soft. Too quick to forgive. Too quick to believe.

Kyle had seen it during training. How fast Cedric had started calling Lena and Rook friends.

How Cassian joked with them like they had known each other for years. The others had accepted them too easily.

But Kyle remembered every detail.

He remembered how Lena and Rook had somehow known the layout of the battlefield. Even when they weren't supposed to.

When they were running from the Red Knights during the first encounter. They hadn't asked where to go.

They led the way. Straight to the Black Legion barricade.

No hesitation. No questions.

Like they already knew where it was.

That wasn't luck.

That was familiarity.

Kyle's eyes narrowed as he stepped near the edge of the camp.

The moonlight cast long shadows across the trampled dirt and broken stones. His thoughts stayed sharp.

'They didn't come to the dungeon with us.' That much was clear now.

Lena and Rook had likely entered this dungeon long before their group had arrived.

And if that was true… they were likely chosen by the Red Side. Not Black.

They might have been sent here to spy.

Or worse.

To assassinate Commander Halric.

Or perhaps they were meant to simply gather intel. To feed constant information back to the Red Legion from inside the Black Legion ranks.

And if that was their true goal... then it was actually a good plan. Quiet. Precise. Subtle enough to avoid notice.

'They were waiting to make a move,' Kyle realized. Waiting for the right moment.

When trust had fully settled. When everyone around them had dropped their guard.

But now the pieces fit.

The way Rook once warned Cedric about an ambush. Before the scouts confirmed it.

The way Lena always positioned herself near the map table during strategy talks. Listening but never asking questions.

The little slips. The things that didn't make sense unless you looked close.

Kyle had looked.

And now. They were the ones being watched.

He glanced across the training field.

Near one of the fires. Eleanora sat beside Serena. Her long pale blonde hair swaying gently in the wind.

Serena was cleaning her glaive, the steel glinting under firelight.

They looked relaxed, but he knew better. Both of them were paying attention. Always alert.

Their eyes flicked toward him as he passed. Kyle gave them a slight nod.

That was all it took.

No need for words.

They understood the truth now.

Rook and Lena weren't just strangers who stumbled into the wrong camp.

They were plants. Operatives. Maybe not killers. But dangerous all the same.

And Kyle wasn't going to confront them head-on. Not yet.

That would be too easy.

No.

He had a better idea.

He would use them.

Twist their presence into a weapon of his own.

Feed them just enough false information to keep them useful. Mislead them.

Make them think they were still doing their job. Until the Red Commander walked straight into Kyle's trap, believing he had the upper hand.

Let them believe they were in control. Let them keep thinking they had fooled him.

Until it was too late.

Kyle stopped at the edge of the path that led out toward the outer defenses.

The cold wind blew gently against his cloak. Carrying the scent of metal and ash.

This wasn't just survival anymore.

This was a game of moves and countermoves.

And now…

It was his turn to move first.

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Author's Note:

Sorry for the slow updates, everyone!

College decided to hit me with the 'plot twist: adulting is hard' arc. 😭

But now that I've clawed my way out of the assignment abyss (for now). Expect more chapters soon!

...Or at least that's the plan. Assuming my coffee supply holds out and I don't get ambushed by the sudden urge to nap mid-sentence.

Thanks for sticking with this eternally tired (but very grateful) author! Your support keeps me going... And mildly caffeinated. 💙"

(Now back to writing... or possibly napping. We'll see.) 😂📖

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