The Brotherhood was deep in conversation, voices overlapping, but as usual, Macaque stayed quiet. He preferred to listen, letting the others speak while he sat on the edge of things.

Yellowtusk tried to include him—and the Monkey King—starting a soft conversation about books. Macaque responded gently, his words few but thoughtful. It didn’t last long, but it was nice.

Then someone mentioned they needed something. Before anyone else could respond, Macaque quietly offered to get it for Azure. Azure gave a simple nod and sat back down.

Macaque was relieved. DBK’s loud laughter had been grating on his ears—too much noise all at once. He welcomed the excuse to step away.

Walking through the dim corridors of Azure’s palace, Macaque kept his ears open. Every sound echoed. His hearing stretched further than most, picking up whispers, movement—anything that felt out of place.

That’s when he noticed something. Someone.

He slowed his steps, listening carefully until he could pinpoint the sound. Turning the corner, he suddenly bumped into you. His staff was in his hand before he even thought about it, drawn in a moment of panic.

"Who are you?" Macaque said, his voice sharp—trying to sound braver than he felt. Trying to sound like his brothers.