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THE BLADE AND THE MASK
last update2025-01-05 13:05:30

The air in the closet felt stifling as Marvin adjusted his prosthetics, carefully pressing the edges of the fake jawline into place.

He was meticulous, knowing any flaw could expose his true identity. But as the door creaked open, he froze.

Marvin slowly turned, his breath catching as his eyes fell on three men blocking the doorway. Each of them gripped a machete, their faces set in cold, grim expressions. The faint gleam of steel in the dim light made his pulse quicken.

Still, Marvin forced himself to remain calm. "Um, guys," he began, his voice was steady but wary, "I think you’ve got the wrong room. As you can see, I’m just a guest here, enjoying the party." He gestured lightly at his disguise, hoping to defuse the tension.

The men didn’t move. Instead, they stepped forward in unison, their boots scraping against the wooden floor. Marvin’s heart pounded, but he refused to show fear.

One of the men, taller than the others and clearly the leader, spoke in a low, measured tone. "We a
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    Marvin took a slow step forward, making them flinch. His voice dropped, calm but ominous, as if he were casually describing the weather. "You see, there’s a reason no one who tries to corner me lives to tell the tale. You think that my rivals are afraid of me only because of my schemes? No, gentlemen."His eyes flickered faintly, a subtle glow started forming at the edges. "They are afraid of what happens when I stop holding back."The faint glow from Marvin’s eyes wasn’t all—the air in the closet shifted. A low hum began to build, barely perceptible, but enough to make the machetes in the men’s hands tremble. Marvin wasn’t fully activating the Synapticore, but just enough to create the illusion of something catastrophic building.The leader’s smirk wavered, replaced by a flicker of unease. The other men shifted nervously, their grips tightening on their weapons as they exchanged uncertain glances. "What’s he doing?" one of the machete men hissed to the leader, with a cracking voice

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