Umber’s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, market plaza, city of Luminara.


    The crowd pressed in, thickening with every step, their voices swelling in a tidal hum. The scents of exotic spices and freshly baked bread mingled with the salt-sweat of the sea breeze, pleasantly reaching Kaelyn’s sensitive nose. Her ears flicked at the high-pitched tones, picking out gossip and gasps with ease. Every sharp noise caused a twitch in her ear muscles, but she smiled to herself, letting her tail sway lazily behind her—just enough to catch the light, just enough to draw the eye.


    Of course, they were staring. Vaelith, with her silver hair, amethyst eyes and matching pendant, was impossible to mistake—especially when the market lights caught the golden, reflective scales that peppered her skin, glinting faintly like some hidden treasure. She was one of the city’s treasure, and everyone wondered what Kaelyn was up to.


    And she liked it that way.


    Kaelyn spied Vaelith’s eyes, stealing glances at her ears whenever they moved. She was nervous, coiled like a spring, even. She reacted so suddenly to the smallest things.


    She’s way out of her element.


    Kaelyn had been expecting this. The dracan’s shoulders were curving inward, trying to make herself small. She had not yet learned to wield the power of attention.


    No matter. I’ll show her how.


    The market was always the same—crowded, noisy. It would make things easy. This was Kaelyn’s stage. A place she could slip between bodies like a shadow, if she wanted to be.


    But tonight was not about walking shadows. Now it was time to do the opposite.


    A busker’s music reached Kaelyn’s ears, and she smiled as an idea came into her mind. She Kaelyn put a hand to Vaelith’s shoulder, bringing the small mage to a stop and turning to face her. Vaelith’s eyes slowly raised from looking at her feet until they met Kaelyn’s eyes. The dracan had a look of confusion on her face.


    She swung her tail in a slow, deliberate wave. A motion meant to draw everyone’s eyes. It was almost as if she had a tank’s ability—a spell that forced everyone to pay attention to her. Except, instead of affecting mobs, it worked on people.


    Was that a perk of the priest class? Or was it something uniquely fashion, a gift to her with her specific play-style? Kaelyn was glad to have it either way.


    And with the precious Vaelith at her side, there was a new dynamic. Kaelyn’s eyes followed the golden scales tracing Vaelith’s neck, a constellation of metallic glimmers that seemed to pulse with life in the low evening light. She was beautiful, in a rare, untouchable way.


    All eyes clung to them like smoke that wafted from nearby stalls. She had their attention. Now it was just a matter of keeping it. She moved her body, slowly at first, accelerating steadily until the sway of her hips matched the tempo of the music.


    She glanced sidelong at Vaelith, catching the way her breath hitched, the slight stiffening of her posture. And, most tellingly, her golden draconic tail—usually so still—gave a twitch, betraying the anxiety Vaelith was no doubt trying to conceal. Kaelyn’s ears perked, pleased.


    It was almost comical.


    Poor thing can’t handle that much.


    Kaelyn’s tail reverberated with deliberate amusement. The crowd’s attention was growing and while Kaelyn thrived in it, she could feel Vaelith shrinking beside her. She had to act carefully. If she did not stop her, she was sure Vaelith would literally Blink away and escape—she knew she could do that, for she had seen her do it before.


    Kaelyn’s tail swayed lazily behind her as she drew Vaelith protectively closer. No, she would not let her escape. Her eyes glinted with the thrill of the hunt.


    Vaelith flinched, but it was not at her gaze. No, the dracan was not even maintaining eye contact.


    Her golden fins gave a barely perceptible twitch, tracking sounds even Kaelyn’s highly sensitive ears did not register.


    She wondered what was going on in that little head. What was she hearing? Did she just pick up on the hushed whispers from onlookers, or the soft clink of coins at a nearby stall?


    Kaelyn did not dwell too long on that question; she had her own game to play.


    As she moved around the smaller girl, Kaelyn’s tail brushed against Vaelith’s leg, a subtle reminder that she was not alone.


    Not in order to reassure her, though. It was about keeping her close, keeping her under control. The power of this moment was not strictly in the gazes of the crowd—it was in the way Kaelyn could guide Vaelith.


    She felt Vaelith’s tension before she saw it, the girl’s golden tail compensating to keep her balance as her pace slowed. Taking Vaelith’s hands into her own, she pulled and pushed her along, forcing her to follow her every step and pace. As they turned, Kaelyn noticed the light catching again on Vaelith’s knees and shoulders—those golden scales reflecting in fragmented patterns like starlight on water. They were minor details, ones that most people might overlook. But Kaelyn was not most people.


    She allowed herself a small, hungry grin before looping her own tail around Vaelith’s waist, pulling her closer, just enough to force her into a spin. Vaelith stumbled—her hair a flash of silver—but Kaelyn caught her easily, steadying her before she could fall. The crowd gasped in unison, eyes wide, mouths half-open.


    “Do you realise, ni?a, how they’re all looking at you?” Kaelyn’s voice was an indistinct murmur, pitched just for Vaelith’s ears. She could see the way Vaelith’s shoulders tightened further, her breath quickening as the weight of the crowd’s attention pressed in on her.


    Kaelyn’s tail flicked again, punctuating the moment, a sharp contrast to Vaelith’s awkward stiffness.


    This is almost too easy.


    Vaelith’s violet eyes darted nervously toward the amethyst pendant hanging from her neck, the weight of it dragging her down. Kaelyn’s smirk widened as she watched the gears turning behind those wide, innocent eyes.


    Ah, she’s feeling it now.


    A twinge of guilt flashed, unbidden. Vaelith was not like her earlier cons. Wide-eyed, ignorant and pure in a way that tugged at something deep within her.


    Maybe I should slow down and let her catch her breath?


    But then Kaelyn shoved the thought aside, as quickly as it came. This was different. The power was worth it.


    The girl was still resisting. She was not seeing the game for what it was. Yet. Her hips still moving, captivating the crowd, Kaelyn once again leaned forward, pushing more of her weight to force the dracan to step along with her.


    As she drew closer and closer, Kaelyn’s voice was barely above a whisper. “You’ve been pretending to be small for so long you don’t even see what’s happening, do you?”


    Vaelith blinked. Her tail shifted nervously, a tiny motion betraying her attempt at composure. Kaelyn felt it through the brief contact, the unconscious struggle for balance.


    She’s unravelling. Kaelyn grinned in satisfaction, watching Vaelith’s every nervous move, reading her like an open book.


    “Look around,” Kaelyn said, her voice low and conspiratorial. “You haven’t been paying attention. You’ve been so busy pretending to be small that you don’t see it.”


    Vaelith hesitated. “I... I don’t know what you mean.”


    The crowd had become background noise now, their whispers nothing but fuel for Kaelyn’s game. She focused entirely on Vaelith, watching her struggle against the inevitable. Her golden tail swung low, then high again, fighting for control, while her gaze remained downcast, as though looking up would break something inside her.


    Push her. Gently. Just a little nudge.


    “Look up,” Kaelyn said softly, yet firmly. Urging her to follow her instructions.


    With one hand, she gently nudged her chin upwards, pushing through the hesitation.


    Just a little more. Not too fast, not too far.


    She had to be patient. For now, it was all about seeding the idea.


    “Look at them. Really look.”


    Vaelith hesitated. It was cute. Too cute. Kaelyn could see her fingers twitching at the amethyst around her neck, the gem pulsing faintly in the marketplace lights. A nervous habit. Kaelyn’s tail twitched again, not just to keep the beat this time, but in quiet amusement.


    She doesn’t even realise how obvious she is.


    But when Vaelith finally raised her head, Kaelyn caught the gleam of realisation in her eyes. Her entire body tensed—Kaelyn could feel it through the subtle shifts of her tail. She was seeing it now—the eyes, the stares, the way the crowd was not just watching Kaelyn, but watching her.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    She imagined what was going in everyone’s mind. “What was that felinae doing to this poor girl?”


    Their faces were plain to read.


    Perfect.


    “They’re watching you, cari?o,” Kaelyn whispered, slipping into a softer tone now that the truth was sinking in. “They’ve been watching you all evening.” She let her tail swish deliberately behind her, its complex patterns commanding the crowd’s attention just as it did Vaelith’s.


    The dracan breath hitched again, her golden tail twitching out of rhythm as she tried to process what was happening. Kaelyn could feel her resistance—how much Vaelith wanted to retreat, to curl up and vanish. But there was no running from this, not now. Kaelyn would not let her.


    “You’re not invisible,” Kaelyn said, her words wrapping around Vaelith like silk. “You’ve never been invisible. Not with that face, not with that body.”


    Vaelith’s tail snapped sharply at that, the motion betraying the tension still coiled tight inside her.


    Ah, that struck a nerve. Remember that insecurity; we can find some use for it later.


    The girl still did not fully understand, but she would. Soon. Kaelyn had seen this before—people stumbling through life, unaware of the power they held.


    What a waste.


    As Ryan, she could not wield that kind of power.


    Kaelyn would not let Vaelith squander her strength away. Not because of silly little fears.


    Her power, her potential, was a category of its own. There was a hint of divinity. Kaelyn meant to catch a ride on that same wind.


    She smiled, letting the moment hang, savouring it. The marketplace had fallen into a kind of suspended silence around them; the crowd holding their collective breath. They wanted to see what would happen next. So did Kaelyn.


    “Don’t resist it, mi peque?a diosa,” she said in a murmur, her hands on her, moving her and shifting her to the rhythm. Vaelith’s tail moved anxiously behind her, still fighting for balance, still trying to keep her grounded in a situation that was spiralling far beyond her control.


    But we’re in control here. She always was.


    “They’re following your every step,” Kaelyn said, the amusement in her voice giving way to something sharper, more deliberate. She was letting Vaelith in on the secret now. “You command attention without even trying. You just don’t know how to wield it yet.”


    Vaelith’s cheeks flushed, the tint deepening as the reality of Kaelyn’s words sank in. She wanted to look away, Kaelyn could feel it, but something in her kept her eyes locked on the crowd. Kaelyn’s smile widened.


    Good. She’s allowing herself to see it, at last.


    They stopped suddenly as the music hit a rest. The world seemed to hold a breath. Kaelyn’s own tail flicked again, a sharp motion that broke the stillness in the air. The crowd shifted, watching them, but the weight of their attention was not on Kaelyn this time. No, it was all centred on Vaelith.


    Exactly where it should be.


    “You wouldn’t have chosen that face, that body, if you didn’t want to be seen,” Kaelyn said, her voice lilting, as if the words were light and harmless. But they were not. She was pressing her button, the one she had noticed earlier.


    Vaelith’s mouth opened, but no words came out. She did not respond.


    Kaelyn did not need her to. She could already see the confusion, the slow burn of realisation in her eyes. Her golden tail fluttered, trying to keep up with the internal storm Kaelyn was stirring.


    “Don’t resist it,” Kaelyn whispered again, her voice barely audible over the hum of the crowd. She let her own blonde tail, soft and feline, brush deliberately against Vaelith’s golden draconic one.


    The contact was subtle—light, almost playful—but the effect was immediate. Vaelith stiffened, her breath catching as if the touch had sent a ripple of energy through her body. Kaelyn could feel the shift in the air between them, could almost sense the warmth radiating off the smooth, reflective scales at Vaelith’s lower back. It was like touching liquid gold.


    Her golden tail recoiled suddenly at the unexpected, near-intimate contact, like a muscle reflex she could not control.


    Kaelyn felt it. She felt the way Vaelith’s entire posture buckled for just a moment, her knees faltering as if the touch had unbalanced her in more ways than one. The dracan girl took half a step to steady herself, her body leaning involuntarily into Kaelyn’s welcoming arms.


    Her silver hair shifted, catching the market’s light as she tilted, and her fins trembled ever so slightly, as if they too were reacting to the sudden nearness.


    Kaelyn’s lips curled into a smile—both cruel and amused. Perfect.


    She let her tail linger a second longer, the fine blonde fur brushing against Vaelith’s smooth scales in a teasing stroke. “This is only the beginning,” she said, her voice low and rich with promise. “And trust me, it’s going to get so much more interesting.”


    Vaelith’s breath hitched, her violet eyes wide, pupils dilating with a mix of confusion and something deeper—something Kaelyn couldn’t quite name yet, but knew would come to the surface soon enough. The way the girl staggered, the way her tail moved nervously, told Kaelyn everything she needed to know.


    The sensitivity of that part of her body—of her tail, so deliberately intimate in a way Vaelith clearly had not expected—was intoxicating. Vaelith did not have to say anything. Her body’s reactions said it all: the way her hand almost instinctively brushed her pendant, as if seeking grounding. Kaelyn had disrupted her balance—physically, emotionally.


    She let the silence between them hang for a heartbeat longer, savouring the moment.


    Then, ever so casually, Kaelyn’s tail slipped away, leaving Vaelith standing unsteadily in the moment. The absence of the touch, the separation, was just as deliberate—letting Vaelith feel the sudden loss of contact as acutely as she had felt the surprise of its arrival.


    Pirouetting around, Kaelyn took a quick reading of the crowd before sliding in place in front of her prize again.


    The crowd’s whispers grew louder as Vaelith staggered under Kaelyn’s tail-brush, the murmurs like a ripple through the air, as though they could feel the tension too.


    Kaelyn’s tail swished lazily behind her, but her attention remained fixed on Vaelith, on the way the girl was processing the moment.


    She saw it in the way Vaelith swallowed, hard. The way her golden tail now curled closer to her body, as if trying to shield herself from the unfamiliar feelings Kaelyn was stirring. Kaelyn could almost taste the uncertainty—the conflict between what Vaelith thought she was and what Kaelyn knew she could become.


    So much more interesting, Kaelyn thought, her grin widening.


    Vaelith’s breath came out in short, uneven bursts, her hand still resting on the amethyst pendant. She was struggling to keep her composure, but her body betrayed her. It always did. The way she stood told Kaelyn that she had found the cracks in the girl’s armour.


    That would be enough for tonight.


    Mission complete.


    Kaelyn’s thoughts went back to earlier in the day. She had spent almost every hour online leading other fools by the nose, taking gifts and coins from men and women alike, slipping easily into the role of the innocent, wide-eyed beginner.


    Most of them had been so eager to help her—the poor little catgirl priestess with her basic gear, struggling to find her way in a world far too complex for her delicate sensibilities.


    It was always the same routine. A brief flirtation here, a coy smile there. An innocent tilt of the head, just enough to make her look helpless.


    And they fell for it, every single time.


    The memory of the afternoon was hazy, lost in a blur of flirtations and half-meant compliments.


    One particularly foolish adventurer—a tall Shadow sylvani with a fire-infused magical rod far too good for his skill—had been so flustered when she asked him for help with a low-level quest, he had practically tripped over his own boots trying to offer to buy her a high-quality sacred staff.


    Kaelyn had batted her lashes, offering a playful smile. “Oh, I could never accept such a generous gift,” she had said, even as her fingers closed around the shaft.


    He had insisted, of course, blushing furiously all the while.


    It had been easy. Too easy.


    She had kept wearing her starter gear on all day, despite the absurd wealth sitting in her coin purse. It was part of the game—the illusion of helplessness, the way they all assumed she could not find better equipment or did not know how to access the marketplace.


    Power is such a funny thing. People liked to think it came from status, from money or title.


    But Kaelyn knew better. It came from being seen, from controlling how others saw you.


    And they were all so quick to offer their help, their items, their ferrum pieces. Anything to make themselves feel superior. To think they were her heroes.


    They saw Kaelyn, and they always underestimated her.


    Just the way I like it.


    But when she looked at Vaelith, she did not see a victim to fleece for a few ferrums shards.


    She actually had paid a good aurum chip for that necklace; Vaelith was worth investing time and money into.


    She was a walking symbol.


    The dracan mage was her ticket to the upper echelons of Luminara’s society—perhaps even the entire realms.


    She was going to make sure she secured herself at her side before her rise to fame. And then she would be the priestess who helped make it all happen.


    No, not merely helped. I’ll be the one who made it all possible.


    All Kaelyn had to do was keep her close. Play the long game. Soon enough, Vaelith would be valuable, not just for the way she looked, but for what Kaelyn could make her become.


    By merely existing, Vaelith had just made all the day’s earlier conquests feel insignificant.


    The others had been her tutorial. Vaelith was the real challenge.


    All those priests, back at the guildhall, had all turned her away—Vaelith looked exactly like Luxoria. They feared her because of it. They thought that was part of some grand strategy to manipulate them, to hold power over them.


    “A Mage, a mere damage-dealer, trying to get over the healer in social standing?” They would never let that stand.


    They were all wary of her and the game they thought she played.


    Meanwhile, all the inhabitants of Luminara? They were wondering if their goddess had descended from the heavens and was walking amongst them. They all treated her as such.


    And everyone’s satisfied letting that goldmine unexploited? Well, don’t mind if I claim that fertile land.


    Continuing the smooth roll of her body and twisting of hips, Kaelyn weaved a pattern with her hands for the crowd to be mesmerised with. Whispers swelled around them like a rising tide, the gazes on onlookers darting between Kaelyn and Vaelith as though trying to solve an unspoken puzzle. Some faces reflected awe; others, quiet suspicion.


    She glanced at Vaelith’s face, watching as the uncertainty glittered behind her amethyst eyes. The entire market fixated on them.


    How are you handling the gazes now, my tiny goddess?


    She was steadier. She had learned and accepted Kaelyn’s advice.


    Kaelyn’s tail betrayed how proud she felt of herself right now.


    This was it, wasn’t it? The power Megan had wielded so effortlessly. The way she had walked into a room and bent it to her will, leaving us—no, Ryan—fumbling in her shadow. But now? Now it was our turn to shine.


    Kaelyn looked down. The little dracan mage was finally seeing it, the power that came with her appearance.


    Suddenly, a horrible idea invaded Kaelyn’s, her tail hanging low. A small flicker of doubt crept inside her mind.


    How long until Vaelith understood that power and no longer needed her guidance?


    Best not to dwell on that.


    Kaelyn smiled, her lips curling into a practiced, confident grin. But somewhere, deep inside, a small voice spoke to her.


    This is just a game. None of it is real.


    Here, in this world, she was Kaelyn Moonshadow, and the power was hers.


    Don’t let it slip. Not now.


    But then, there was still the matter of Vaelith’s friend. That Elyssia. An unknown.


    What do we know of her?


    Elyssia was not just a tank—she was Vaelith’s anchor.


    If I want to hold on to Vaelith, I’ll need to figure out just how deep their connection runs.


    Vaelith seemed to have complete faith in her, which means she could spell trouble. If Elyssia cared for her more than Kaelyn expected, getting close to Vaelith could become... complicated.


    Complicated just means the chase will be more exciting.


    Kaelyn grinned. A party with a blonde catgirl, a goddess, and a tank with a community-discarded build?


    It had the potential for more than just power and status—it had the makings of a new legend.


    All she had to do now was keep Vaelith close, keep her in line.


    She glanced at Vaelith again, closing the gap between them. “You’ll see it soon enough,” she said, her voice laced with promise. “You were born for this.”


    But as Vaelith’s gaze lifted, her amethyst eyes no longer filled with uncertainty but with something sharper—Kaelyn felt the first pang of unease.


    How long until she no longer needs me?