The kingdom of ruins, brewed by an air of hostility and also bombarded by forces of the unknown. Alex calmly observed the gate, his eyes fixed on the guards whom their keen eyes were also looking ahead as if they were expecting anyone or anything to try and Intrude. "I wonder," Alex started as he reframed from moving any further, "What would happened if I tried to get pass this guards. What exactly do I tell them?" Alex chuckled as he said this and slowly began to move. "I won't know till I move a muscle." Alex steady steps approached the sharp listening ears of the guards who immediately turned to his direction and pointed out their spears at him. His eerie shadow enveloped them, not only did his crazy shadow envelope the guards, it also casted a devilish gaze upon the guards. Two demonic eyes punctured through the shadow and glared at the guards. As if though it was a part of Alex subconscious. "An intruder." The First guard, Captain Thorne protested with his pointed

The mercenary squeezed his fists, “You're fodder, red eyes. I was only trying to warn you so you wouldn't do anything stupid. But it would seem I would have to beat some sense into you.” Alex couldn't help it at that point. With his head still cocked to the left, he grinned. Slowly unsheathing his axe, the mercenary announced, “By the way, the name's Borg. You should at least know the name of the man that wipes that stupid grin off your face.” Alex stretched his right hand to the side, “Borg… I'll try to remember that.” Space rippled by his right palm, cracking ever so slightly that nether and dark energies leaked out in a very small quantity, creating this red-black bubble of energies. He grabbed something within this bubble and pulled out a long broadsword. The flux of energies was immediately sucked in and space repaired itself. Gently, and with much care, Alex placed the tip of the sword on the floor, sending a slight tremor across the tavern and the surrounding areas. The b

Aelia moved to and fro nervously before the sleeping Alex. It was almost time and he was still fast asleep. She was scared that he might lash out at her if she woke him up abruptly—a negative side effect of being a slave to Lord Varek. She had been manhandled and violated over very little mistakes. She gathered some courage after two minutes and crouched down before him. She exhaled softly and tapped him on his shoulder, “Uh... Alex. It's time.” At that very moment, Alex opened his eyes. Crimson met blue as they locked eyes. Aelia almost jumped back in fright. She didn't expect him to wake up so suddenly. Alex could read the fear in her eyes. He sighed and stood up, stretching his left hand down toward her, “Sorry for startling you.” “I-It’s fine,” she took his hand and he pulled her up without any effort. She cleared her throat afterward and began to turn off each lantern, “It's almost time for the guards to switch. We still have about fifteen minutes, but it would take us over

There was no time to discuss it with Aelia. Alex took action immediately. He began to mumble some inaudible words under his breath whilst taking one step after the other out of the storage room. He placed his palms some distance away from each other, waving them in back and forth arcs, as though an invisible ball lay between them. The air got thick, red threads of mana sparking around him like electricity. The threads soon flourished into a dull red aura of magical energy around him. He had to keep the releases of his power to the minimum, or all eyes would instantly be on him—including the normal guards, who were weaker and less sensitive to mana auras. He could tell, his ears twitching to the constant shaking from Aelia behind him. She was already overwhelmed by such a small fragment of his full power. He continued reciting the spell in a whisper and the aura of mana around him flowed down his upper body, and up his lower body. It was as though the space between his open palms w

“Hm?” Alex knocked one of the standing guards down and half-turned towards Aelia. His eyes gradually dilated and he turned completely, appearing before the cell in a blur. Thick iron bars reinforced with runes of containment loomed like an unbreakable wall. The magic was palpable in the air, an invisible force that resisted their presence. Through the dim light, Alexander caught sight of her—Gaia, the witch of space magic, and one of his closest companions. She lay still on the cold floor, her vibrant energy suppressed, her body weakened from days of magical containment. "Gaia..." Alexander’s voice was soft but resolute as he knelt by the bars, his piercing red eyes scanning for any signs of life. Her breathing was shallow, her once brilliant aura now dull and muted. Without wasting time, he summoned Emberbane and created a scabbard with it, sheathing it by his side. “The prison is enchanted,” Aelia whispered, her eyes darting over the runes etched into the walls. “No wonder her m