Silence settled over them like a heavy fog, the gravity of Kaelyn's words echoing in the air. Sam and Lyra exchanged uneasy glances, their minds grappling with the implications of Kaelyn's request."Tell us more," Sam urged, his voice a mixture of curiosity and concern.Kaelyn took a deep breath, her gaze drifting back to the orphanage. "His name is Felix. He’s about fifteen years old. He's been restless for the past few months, and nobody's sure what happened. I was away during that time, doing odd jobs to earn money for the orphanage.""Doesn't the orphanage receive funding from the church?" Lyra asked, her tone skeptical."We do, but it’s not enough," Kaelyn explained. "The number of orphans we have far exceeds our capacity.""But with the war having ended more than ten years ago, how can there still be so many orphans?" Sam questioned, trying to make sense of the situation.Kaelyn sighed, the weight of her experiences evident in her expression. "The war might have ended ten years

Felix started to float, the burst of crimson energy lifting him off the ground. Some kind of energy also seemed to sap from the unconscious Connor. It became clear that Connor’s power increase was also from an infernal daemon, masked by another daemon Connor had."If only I knew that, I would have absorbed it first!" Sam said to himself.The air around them started to heat up, causing everyone to sweat profusely. The Hellhound warlocks scurried away from the intense heat, dragging their unconscious comrades with them.“Kaelyn, Lyra, step back. I’ll handle this,” Sam said, not really affected by the heat as he had mastery over the fire element himself.“Don’t hurt him, Sam!” Kaelyn pleaded.“I can’t promise that,” Sam replied, being realistic.“Then I won’t leave!” Kaelyn insisted.“Go away! You’re just going to hold me down!” Sam snapped.Felix unleashed a barrage of fire at Sam, which he managed to control and redirect back at Felix with little effort.“Felix, stop this!” Kaelyn shou

Sam squared his shoulders as he faced the monstrous hybrid, its terrifying form a grotesque fusion of many different forms. The beast towered above him, its scaly skin glistening with an unnatural sheen, small wing-like spikes on its back beating the air with a demonic rhythm. Its horns curved menacingly, and its tail lashed out like a whip. The ground trembled with each step it took, and the forest seemed to recoil from its presence."Stay back!" Sam shouted to Lyra and Kaelyn. "This thing is dangerous."The infernal daemon let out a roar that echoed through the forest, shaking the trees and sending birds flying in panic. Sam's eyes narrowed, his fists igniting with demonic fire. He could feel the raw power coursing through him, the culmination of his training and trials. But he could also sense something else—Connor's presence, buried deep within the beast, tormented and suffering.The monster lunged at Sam with incredible speed, its claws tearing through the air. Sam dodged to the

Lyra sat up and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"Sam hesitated for a moment but then decided to confide in her. "The nightmare... it was a barren wasteland. There were these tall, curved rocks like a giant ribcage. And so many undead, just lying there, lifeless. Among them was a hooded man with glowing eyes. He was commanding the undead."Lyra's eyes widened slightly. "Do you think it could be related to the Savior? Or maybe one of the spell thieves you’ve been hunting?""I don't know," Sam admitted, his brow furrowed. "It could be either. Or both. But I can’t be sure. It just felt... significant. Like a warning."That morning, Sam and Lyra made their way to the city to meet with Kaelyn. The streets of Aetherion were bustling with activity, the noise and movement a stark contrast to the eerie silence of Sam’s nightmare. As they walked, Sam couldn’t shake the lingering sense of dread.When they reached the designated meeting place, Kaelyn was al

The journey into the Blighted Plains began uneventfully, with the group settling into a steady pace along the road. Sam, Lyra, Kaelyn, Felix, Nagmora, and Mimi filled the cart with a surprising mixture of somber purpose and light banter. As they crossed a forest with twisted trees, the atmosphere shifted to grim. The trees, once tall and proud, were now gnarled and blackened, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. The air grew colder, and a thick fog began to seep through the woods, obscuring the path ahead.Nagmora's face suddenly turned serious. Her eyes became vacant as if her thoughts and vision were not here. “Be careful. Darkness will soon come,” she said cryptically.Mimi’s expression became sour as she hugged Lyra tightly. “No, Mommy showed that face again!”“It’s okay, Mimi. Nagmora just told us to be care—”The horses suddenly reared up, whinnying in terror. The cart jerked violently, nearly tipping over as it veered off the road."What’s happening?" Sam shouted,