Timeless Assassin

(Juxta Military Base, A few minutes later)

"What? You perceived three intent colors at once?" Charles asked, as he clutched his own hair in disbelief.

He had never heard of anyone ever grasping three intent colors at once, as usually it took one decades of comprehending a single color before they could see its intent cord.

Yet, Leo had somehow managed to perceive three of them at once.

"It's good…. It's very good, definitely solves a lot of our problems," He encouraged, as he began racking his brain on how to help Leo perceive the three remaining intent cords he still lacked to complete his mastery.

"Black I'll help you perceive it….. Black is the easiest intent cord to perceive and if you have seen red, blue, maroon and pink, I'm sure the breakthrough for black will come effortlessly for you.

So let's not worry about black." Charles said, as he retrieved a cigarette from his pocket and nervously lit it up.

"The problem definitely is Green and Golden, because coming across both those intent cords is more circumstantial than comprehension." He continued, as he recalled how he had witnessed Golden and Green intent, and how it had taken him over a century to come across the opportunity to see either.

"Don't sweat it, boy, I'm still here…. I'll figure out a way….. so what if it's next to impossible." Charles grumbled, as Leo raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"But I'm not sweating….. in fact I'm not saying anything at all." He protested, as Charles glared at him in response.

"Hush boy! I told you to not worry. Now shut up and let me think.

I'll find a way! I will…. Won't I?" He mused, as towards the end the statement began sounding more like a question than an answer.

"Green….. I know where to show you Green, but can I bring you to him? And reveal his true condition to you?" Charles wondered, as he shook his head in disappointment.

On one hand, he knew exactly where to show Leo Green Intent, as an old friend of his was the biggest source of Green Intent Cords he had ever seen in his life.

However, on the other hand, he wasn't sure if he was allowed to reveal about his friend's true condition to anyone, including Leo.

"Decisions, Decisions….. Well, I'll make the other ones later. First let me help you perceive Black." Charles said, as he took the last drag from his cigarette before stubbing it under his toe.

"Watch me closely boy, Black Intent is slightly different in meaning to Black Aura.

As while Black Aura is confirmation of when one is lying to you.

Black intent, reveals to you someone's intention of lying, before they've committed the act.

So it's not a confirmed event, but rather a visualization of a probability." Charles explained, as he pointed towards the cigarette butt he just stubbed underneath his toe.

"Absorb some Life Essence and ask me whether or not I stubbed that cigarette butt under my feet." He instructed, as Leo followed his guidance and first absorbed a sliver of life essence to the back of his eye, before asking Charles the question.

"Commander, did you stub that cigarette butt under your feet?"

He said, and almost immediately saw a black thread snapping into place between the two of them, connecting his own heart to that of Charles's.

"Do you see it boy?" Charles asked happily, as he could see Leo perceiving the cord where it was supposed to be.

"Now watch this closely." He continued, before saying "No…. No I did not stub that cigarette"

As immediately, the black cord connecting them splintered apart like brittle glass, dissolving into a haze that wrapped around his entire body.

Leo's eyes narrowed. The aura that coated Charles's body was the same as what he had been able to perceive before today when someone lied to him, however, the cord was a new addition.

"Interesting…" Leo muttered, his pupils contracting slightly as he traced the residual strands of black surrounding Charles.

Charles, however, only chuckled softly and leaned in closer. "Good, you saw it. But don't stop there. Ask again. Do not let your focus waver this time."

Leo inhaled slowly, centering himself before repeating, "Commander, did you stub that cigarette butt under your feet?"

This time, the black cord snapped into view once again, but instead of quivering violently it seemed more brittle, more fragile, as if something had changed from last time.

"Yes," Charles replied evenly as the cord shattered once more, yet unlike before, no black aura spread around him.

His presence remained still, unchanged, clean of deceit.

"I see now…." Leo mused, as Charles tilted his head, watching his expression closely.

"You see it now, don't you? Black intent is the thread of choice, the moment where truth and lie diverge. When the intent to deceive exists, the cord forms between us. But only when the lie is carried through does that intent become an aura."

He explained, as Leo exhaled sharply.

This was yet another color crossed off his list.

"So if someone talks to me without the intent to deceive me, the cord won't form.

But only if they harbor the intent to deceive me will it snap into place, and only if they follow through with it, will it turn into black aura." Leo concluded, as Charles nodded happily.

Leo had grasped the concept of Black Intent in full, yet just to be sure, he opened the Codex for confirmation, where just as he had expected, fresh golden ink began bleeding onto the page.

—-------------

> You have grasped the shadow of Black.

The thread before the lie, the fracture before the fall.

Mastering Black Intent is the ultimate curse.

For now you will see the betrayal before it breathes.

You will know when even the ones you love harbor deceit.

Their words will cut before they are spoken.

Their eyes will wound before they betray.

And in time, it will drive you mad.

For no heart is free of shadow.

No bond is free of fracture.

Black does not reveal truth.

Black reveals the sickness that festers beneath trust.

—-------------

The Codex revealed, as though it itself delighted in the torment it promised, causing Leo's left eye to flutter in anger.

"Someday I'm going to punch the sick creator of this book on his face…." Leo mused, as he closed it shut and stored it away.