Eo observed.

  The humans had been cautious for a while now, their speech measured, their expressions carefully composed. They masked their thoughts well, but Eo could still see it—the tension lingering in the air like an unspoken threat.

  A trap.

  That was the simplest conclusion, yet it was also irrelevant to him. They had prepared something, a formation etched carefully into the ground, its interwoven runes pulsing faintly with energy. From the moment he laid eyes on it, he understood that this wasn’t a simple containment spell.

  It was sophisticated. Layered. Purposeful.

  It radiated an intent to suppress, to restrain, but also… to measure?

  That part intrigued him the most.

  He wanted to understand it.

  More importantly, he wanted to see how they would react if he willingly stepped inside.

  And so, with deliberate intent, he materialized further—his presence shifting from an indistinct specter to something undeniable.

  Not mist.

  Not an illusion.

  But something real.

  The humans saw him, and their responses varied.

  Thorne remained composed, as if he had rehearsed this moment. Aelith’s curiosity burned in her eyes, though her grip on her staff tightened ever so slightly. Antru looked as though he were analyzing something far beyond his understanding, his aged face lined with careful scrutiny.

  Frid…

  Frid trembled, his breath uneven, his sunken eyes wide with something bordering on ecstasy.

  "Ah… it… it returned…"

  A feverish whisper, barely audible.

  He was shaking, his frail fingers curling into fists, his breath coming in short bursts. The others ignored him, as if used to his strange reactions.

  Eo noted it all.

  It was… fascinating.

  Before anyone else could react, Thorne took a step forward. His voice was steady, measured.

  “We have something to show you.”

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  There was an edge of persuasion to his words, careful and calculated. “You might find it… interesting.”

  Eo almost found it amusing.

  No—silly.

  There was something strangely silly about how they chose to present this, as if it were some mere curiosity rather than a deliberately crafted experiment.

  That word. Silly.

  Where had it come from?

  Why had he thought of it in such a way?

  He didn't know.

  But the thought remained.

  Still, he played along.

  Without hesitation, he stepped forward.

  Into the formation.

  And then, the world shifted.

  The very air around him trembled as the runes ignited, weaving a network of glowing symbols beneath his feet. Magic surged upward, wrapping around him like unseen chains, pulling at his existence.

  For a moment, Eo simply allowed it to happen.

  He felt the effect before fully analyzing it.

  The formation sought to bind him—not physically, but conceptually. It tried to impose limitations, to establish a framework in which he was forced to exist within the confines of their understanding.

  Fascinating.

  It wasn’t simply a trap.

  It was an attempt to define him.

  To categorize his existence within something the humans could comprehend.

  The magic encased him in a field of structured energy, pressing against him like unseen walls. His very being felt compressed, as if something was forcefully reducing him into a more familiar form.

  Eo could tell.

  This wasn’t designed for ordinary creatures.

  The formation worked under the assumption that its target was something beyond normal classification.

  And that assumption was correct.

  But the problem with trying to force a definition onto something that defied definition was that it would never be enough.

  Eo remained still, letting the magic push against him, testing its limits.

  He could feel how the formation strained to hold him.

  It could capture a lesser being.

  It could restrain something that fit within the established rules of magic.

  But Eo…

  Eo was something else.

  The formation struggled.

  He watched the shifting patterns of magic, analyzing their structure. The interwoven sequences pulsed erratically now, as if confused by what they had ensnared.

  There was a flaw.

  Not in the formation itself—it was masterfully constructed.

  But in its assumption.

  It had prepared itself for something extraordinary…

  But Eo was beyond that.

  The formation pulsed once more.

  This time, the magic shifted—not just analyzing, but enforcing.

  A secondary function activated, one that the humans had likely kept hidden until they were certain their scrutiny was complete. The interwoven runes altered their patterns, shifting from mere observation to direct imposition.

  The structure of the magic changed.

  It was no longer trying to understand him.

  It was now trying to control him.

  The energy constricted, forming unseen shackles around his being, pressing down with intent. This was no longer a passive examination—it was a deliberate act of containment.

  Eo could feel it.

  A force attempting to define him had become a force attempting to limit him.

  And, for the first time, the humans believed they had succeeded.

  Thorne exhaled, his stance relaxing ever so slightly.

  Aelith’s grip on her staff loosened, her cautious curiosity shifting into satisfaction.

  Antru’s frown deepened, his gaze flickering between the formation and the thing they had supposedly restrained. He still harbored doubts.

  And Frid…

  Frid let out a breathless laugh, his tears still flowing.

  "It remains…" His voice trembled, a mixture of awe and overwhelming emotion. "It lingers among us… still…"

  The runes glowed, stabilizing their newfound hold. The humans had prepared well. The formation had been crafted not just to examine, but to bind.

  And yet…

  Eo remained still.

  He allowed them their moment of triumph.

  Let them believe.

  Let them think they had him.

  Because the longer they thought they held control…

  The more interesting their reactions would be when they realized the truth.