Darius's nose had not failed him.
Against an illusion that only changed what he saw, it was an excellent defence. He could ignore the false figure before his eyes and follow the scent of the real demon.
However, Hollow Sky Eye did more than change the picture. Its Hollow Gaze layer could interfere with how a target understood what their senses reported.
Darius had smelled Simon behind him. The technique had supplied a convenient explanation… old traces carried by the wind. His nose had given a warning, and his mind had dismissed it.
Simon had not needed to invent an entirely different world. Darius's early successes had convinced him to trust his nose completely. Simon built the false interpretations around that confidence, until the scent behind Darius became irrelevant and the empty ground ahead felt certain.
The human pinned beneath the spear completed the lie.
To Darius, the human he actually killed was Simon.
