THE light mood inside the silver house suddenly turned tense when Lucius came in a hurry. It was already past midnight. All of them were in the library except Krecia, who had already left earlier that day. They were discussing their upcoming plans for their journey to Cape Madura when they were interrupted.“My lord, I just received news from our network in Herex, the empire decreed a Death Horde in the Aolien Village, and soldiers are already approaching. Semme accused them of supporting the insurgents.” Lucius looked worried.Jie didn’t know what was going on. Every ear was alert to Lucius’ words. Ryker seemed to be the most affected among them. He got up to face his attendant.“Lucius, are you certain? A death horde is the harshest punishment given to a certain village.”“I couldn’t be wrong. Some of the guild members are there.” Lucius was turning pale.“So, the death hor
“WHO is that?” Jie asked, looking at the old man in a handcuff.“Based on the crest in his clothing, he must be Magistrate Golvig.”“I see. I hope nothing bad happens to him.”Damien heaved a sigh. “I highly doubt it.”Jie silently followed Damien as they made their way to the public square, where Mareo was mercilessly killed. They crouched and hid at the base of the ledge of the fountain.“Goodness gracious! What did he exactly do to be punished that way?” Jie immediately shifted his gaze since he couldn't let himself stare at the gore.“The empire had the most severe punishment for treason. Look around you; even the villagers who had nothing to do with Mareo are brutally murdered.”At a distance, when the commander motioned his hand up to the dragon riders hovering above, the monsters suddenly halted their onslaught.The magical leash mounted on every monster’s neck glinted as it served as the controller for their movements. The beasts around them paused and remained still, as if in
DAWN was approaching, and Jie shivered in the sudden gush of cold wind. There was a blackout in his mind again that he could not recall after chanting the Mizuagua Conjuration for the second time. He was perplexed as to why this was always happening to him.“Oh, please. Not now.” Jie blinked hard when his eyes slowly became blurred. He fought hard not to lose consciousness.Ryker ordered his men to disperse after ensuring all the survivors were retrieved.Liv was still silent, trying not to shed tears again. Magistrate Golvig was always beside her and always motivating her, even though the old man also needed urgent medical care.“Magistrate, the burn marks on your face must have hurt a lot,” Damien said. He used his earth magic to produce an herb and carefully rubbed it on the magistrate’s burned cheek. “This is just first aid. You’ll need a skilled healer since this wound might be infected if left untreated.”“This is nothing compared to the lives we lost here.” Golvig gazed down.W
RYKER was in the dining hall of the mansion in Vaughn Estate when Lucius came. “My lord, as expected, they’re here again.” Ryker wiped his mouth with a white table napkin. He was still trying to breathe normally since they had just arrived from Aolien. He predicted that Semme would do this again since they had an encounter during the Death Horde. He smirked because it was a near miss. Before he could even reply to Lucius, a familiar red-haired soldier barged in along with Commander Semme. Semme seemed shocked to see him there. “Didn’t I warn you last time? It’s so early, Commander. What is it again?” Ryker sounded irritated. “Where have you been last night?” Semme interrogated him. Ryker chuckled. “Are you my wife, Commander? Shall I update you on my daily activities? Of course, I’ve attended the Empress’ banquet at the rear palace.” The red-haired soldier whispered to the commander. “We have seen him at the banquet.” Commander Semme’s jaw hardened. “Soon you’ll regre
KAFLE had been listening in silence to the conversation among the three. He’d take advantage of the chance that they were here at Rigin Port.“May I suggest that we go to Amaris Island? That way, we’ll be closer to Hanum as we travel by sea,” Kafle said as he stood up. He had been thinking about this while they were still crossing the Gherja Mountains.The three looked at him with their questioning faces. They must be flustered since he asked it all of a sudden.“Will you risk it, Kafle? You and Izora are traveling alone to Amaris unguarded?" Damien expressed a little disapproval.Kafle nodded his head. “I’ve weighed the situations and ended up with this decision. There are a lot of factors to consider.” He paused for a moment, then he added, “I don’t mean to be rude, but what if you guys were stuck in the time loop in the Litus Forest? My daughter’s future will be bleak. I don’t want her to spend eternity in that dreadful place.”“Point taken. Elves live for thousands of years. Izora
WHEN the seven corpses in the sea resurfaced, Birsha, the guild master of the Black Destroyers was fuming in anger. He was at the Rigin Port searching as soon as his men did not return.“I knew this would happen.” Birsha hardly gripped the hilt of his sword as he checked if the culprit was still around.The sun was already up and there were fishermen around and some bystanders gossiping about the corpses found in the port. It was the first time for them to witness members of the Black Destroyers got murdered. As they were the strongest guild in Fernwick Province.“I can't believe we lost seven men in one night. They are the best in the field at that.” Birsha’s chest moved up and down. “Was I wrong to get the commission? We were told the targets were mere travelers. I should've double-checked.”Meanwhile, his other companion remained quiet as if contemplating how to calm his master whose hands still trembled in rage. He was Zimus, the guild’s second-in-command.The guild master breathe
“ETHROS, your stamina training will start now,” Damien said as he drew his long sword from its hilt. It was tied at the bottom of his rucksack bag.All of them wore a dark-hooded cloak carrying a full load since they had planned this expedition for fifteen days at most. If they failed to obtain the Orb of Oblivion, they'd return to Ankhe and formulate a new plan.“How can I do that?” Jie’s forehead crumpled. He was walking behind Damien, as everyone trekked using a torch light. “I want to be strong. I’m tired of passing out every time I use magic.”“For now, don't use magic unless it is needed. I'll use my sword to preserve my mana. Anything can happen; be ready.”“Understood.”Liv prepared her crossbow as she guided everyone. “Sheagan used to be lively twenty years ago. But when Taftani started dumping his failed experiments into the cape, it became uninhabitable for humans.”“What kinds of experiments?” Jie asked while still alert, anticipating if the beasts in hiding would attack t
JIE’S heartbeat became rapid as the flow of the acid river suddenly became turbulent. He started to concentrate, but he could not focus because he imagined himself falling into the purple water. “Hey, are you sure I’m safe? The acid level is rising!” he shouted. The three seemed to purposely ignore him as they enjoyed roasting meat on the fire. A protective invisible shield was put in for additional safety. “Are you saying something, Ethros? If I were you, I’d stay quiet. You’ll attract the night creatures here.” Damien gave him a furtive glance. Jie exhaled sharply to calm his nerves. Surely, they weren’t bullying him to make fun of him. He should believe that Damien was doing this for his own good. He’d show them he was up for the challenge. He sat still, breathing in and out. As he slowly closed his eyes, Jie tried his best not to get distracted. You need to stabilize your mana if you want to rescue Nyssa, he kept on reminding himself. As he finally reached tranquility in hi
CRISTON’S dumbfounded expression turned into awe as a series of flickering blue lightning countered the attackers. It was not long until it was revealed that a platoon of military elves consisting mainly of mages was positioned in proximity of the border for defense.“Indeed, the military might of the Southern Hanum is state of the art. Look at that? In just a blink, the aggressors retreated. That’s the famous Starlight Regiment, stationed on the borders. Their sole task is to kill all enemies on sight.” Xylas shook his head as he chuckled, and he added, “General Ibri is surely ruthless. Rumors had been circulating that he secretly trained private elite armies of mages defying the order of the late queen.”“That’s why Advani remained untouched. General Ibri is the head of the war council after all. The Supreme General of Hanum. We’re lucky; even though they vetted on us, General Mord did everything so we could have easy access in this territory.” Criston stared at the magnificent view
ON THE rocky shore of West Advani, Pearlie crawled with her severely injured body while carrying Nyssa on her back, while Damien remained unconscious near them. The huge waves had helped them reach the island.The dawn was breaking, but the sounds of the night insects could be heard around, along with the turbulent splash of the waves and lightning piercing from the sky.“We are safe now.” Her tears kept falling from her eyes and turned into pearls as she recalled Tiedus’ heroic sacrifice for everyone to reach the shore of Advani.“Captain, wake up. We’re here,” Pearlie whispered through her dried throat. She felt her body was on fire.Pearlie fought hard not to lose consciousness, knowing they might meet their demise with the wild animals around if no one could rescue them. Fortunately, as her vision started to get blurred, she witnessed two gigantic birds—a falcon and a raven hovering above them.“It’s them!” said the man riding the giant falcon. It was Criston holding his golden gr
AS TZEITEL scurried to return to her villa to check on Izvern, she was not expecting to see his brother waiting on the entrance without his usual two guards. Agni seemed agitated.“Brother, what are you doing here? I thought you left since I haven’t seen you in the banquet hall.” She turned to her ladies-in-waiting behind her, headed by Marina. “Leave us. I need some time alone with my seventh brother.”“Yes, Princess.” Marina stepped back before she turned along with the other four maids.“What are you up to?” Agni stared at her eyes as if he saw through there the dangerous things she did.Tzeitel looked down. “What do you mean? Come in. So many prying eyes around.”“Do you think I will not notice how restless the imperial armies are around the estate? I sneaked to the nearest military camp; everyone seemed to be in chaos searching for something. I know how schem
DESPITE the current predicament of the Elsher Estate losing their precious captive, the marriage alliance between Cariux and the third princess still pushed through. The noble feast was held a day before the wedding, and several members of the imperial family had come to Kaitseri, including King Malik.Princess Tzeitel pretended to warmly welcome her family. Her two older sisters came to her just to assert their dominance since, just like her, they were married off to the powerful families to support the empire.“I can’t believe our youngest legitimate sister is getting married now,” Princess Gweyr giggled. She was the first princess. She came along with their second sister, Princess Eletha.They were in the receiving hall, and all the ladies from aristocratic families had gathered there, and some of them showcased their music skills. The festive sounds reverberated around.Eletha playfully touched Tzeitel’s hair. &ld
SURV Elsher gathered all the members of the family in the private hall of his residence to discuss their current dilemma. His old face was fuming in anger and scolding everyone.“Father, calm down!” Lord Filus tried to pacify the Elsher patriarch. “It already happened. An ordinary person could not even set foot in this estate, let alone abduct our source of healing power.”“What are you trying to say, Filus? If you were not so lax around here, this would not have happened!” Surv pointed his finger to his eldest son. “If that creature managed to return to Hanum, how would we answer to the empire?”“We control a military might in the North, we have the strongest armies. Who would dare to provoke us? I heard the intruder used an advanced technique of portal magic. Only Iridessa is capable of doing it.” Lord Filus sounded calm.Surv gritted his teeth. “A mere rebel dared to trespa
TZEITEL observed the three of the Elsher siblings gathered in the courtyard of the main house, drinking in celebration for the upcoming wedding, which would be held in two days. Using her portal magic, she could hear their conversation from a distance. Hidden on the roof of her villa, she prepared to return to the forbidden dungeon.“How’s the feeling of tying the knot, little brother? I heard Grandfather punished you the other day for having a tryst with your lover. How brave you are to disobey our elders while you're with the third imperial princess!” Fenton laughed as he teased Cariux. He raised his wine glass and clicked it to Halix’s glass.Halix chuckled upon hearing the words of their oldest brother. “I can’t believe you’re this immature, brother. You're carrying this duty, a task specifically given to you. You can’t mess this up.”Cariux chugged his wine. “Am I not fulfilling my du
TIEDUS reinforced the water bubble while Pearlie tended to Damien, who was still unconscious. They were traveling southward, holding out not to use their last resort to swim, as it could easily lead to their demise. “Captain Winward will kill us if he finds out we left the lieutenant to die,” Pearlie’s body trembled, remembering Hisila’s sacrifice. “The dead will remain dead. Why would we drown ourselves in regret? It’s useless! This is war, Princess. Thousands of lives will be the collateral. And now we have no choice but to cross the Lightning Sea. Maybe it’ll be our turn to die next.”“I know,” Pearlie gazed down. “Perhaps I’m too young to understand these things.”“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you reach Advani safely.” Tiedus strengthened his resolve, knowing the very low probability of survival. Crossing the Lightning Sea was a suicide.The water bubble came to a halt for a moment as they witnessed the sudden change of turbulent rift in the water from a distance. The roar of thu
BAHARINI quickly checked Hisila’s pulse, praying that she could feel even a faint throb, but there was none. It was difficult for her to accept that the lieutenant had already passed away. Silently, she blamed herself for her immaturity; had she heeded Kafle's advice to avoid wasting time in the pit, she might have avoided capture. This tragedy may not have fallen on Hisila if they had followed their plan.“She’s gone,” Baharini’s voice cracked. “It's my fault.”Kafle did not say a word. He looked around to check if he could find Damien and the others, but they weren't there. “We need to keep going,” Kafle said as his face was void of expression. Baharini turned to wipe her tears. She gazed down at Ethros, who seemed frozen on the ground. “Can we give her a proper send-off?” The princess suggested. “I'm afraid we don't have time. Our enemies are approaching. I can't risk your life.” Kafle had to make a hard choice, knowing time was of the essence.Jie finally came to his senses. H
ISLAND OF ASTRAEAIRIDESSA kept pointing to the island of Kaitseri on the map as she conversed with her deputy chief inside the war room. They had just finished discussing war strategies with other officials a while ago since the grand fleet of the Empire initiated an attack on the West Astraean shore.“Aren’t you worried we might lose this main base?” Nacht mused. He crossed his arms as he studied the cold expression of the liberalist chief.“You’re not helping, Nacht.” Iridessa heaved a sigh.“Take it easy, Chief. We’ll find a way to save your adoptive daughter.” Nacht teased her again.Iridessa rolled his eyes. “Tzeitel can fend on her own. I’m just waiting for her report.”“Her wedding is approaching. With the Elshers keeping her hostage, how can we guarantee her safety?”Iridessa scoffed. “Worry about your kids, Nacht. If you are not too foo