The next morning…
"Are you sure you don't need the carriage to reach Everdawn?" the driver asked hesitantly.
"We'll walk," Aeron replied.
"The truth is, I don't want to relive that last carriage ride," he thought, shivering at the memory of the last time visiting Everdawn.
"We also want to look for clues about these Shadowfang attacks," Aeron added aloud.
The three of them bid farewell to the villagers and entered the forest.
After a while…
They walked quietly through the woods, the shadows of trees stretching long and dark around them.
"Do you think the stories are true?" Aeron asked.
Arcane gave him a sidelong glance while Allesio remained disinterested, keeping his gaze fixed ahead.
"The villagers' stories," Aeron continued. "About people disappearing in this forest…"
"There's no way people just disappear," Arcane replied. "Unless someone takes them, or they're killed."
"Exactly, but there's no sign of bodies or blood," Aeron said, frowning as he scanned the area.
He began checking the ground and trees for any clues, his curiosity outweighing his caution.
Suddenly, a group of Everdawn patrol mages appeared in front of them. They were dressed in White cloaks, their emblems glinting in the faint sunlight.
"What are you doing here?" the patrol leader demanded.
"We were—" Aeron started, but was cut off.
"Arrest them," the patrol leader ordered.
"Shouldn't you at least hear us out first?" Arcane protested, his voice edged with frustration.
"Why should we listen to you?" the patrol leader sneered.
Before they could react, the patrol mages moved in, seizing them and escorting them toward the Everdawn prison.
Later that day…
The heavy door of the cell where Aeron, Allesio, and Arcane were held creaked open.
"You're free to go," one of the guards said flatly.
As they stepped out into the hallway, they were greeted by Zorayel, waiting with a composed, apologetic look.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience," he said with a bow of his head. "We've been having some issues, so everyone's a little too cautious right now."
"What kind of issues?" Aeron asked, concern flickering in his eyes.
Zorayel handed them a small folded paper. "Meet me at this address this evening. I'll explain everything then." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and left, his footsteps echoing softly in the corridor.
That evening…
Aeron, Allesio, Arcane, and Zorayel sat at a small, cozy café in the bustling heart of Everdawn. The lanterns overhead cast a warm glow, their soft flicker contrasting the tension in the air.
"I thought you were supposed to go somewhere," Zorayel remarked, raising an eyebrow at Aeron.
"He lost the address," Arcane said with a resigned sigh.
Aeron gave an embarrassed smirk, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, my bad."
Zorayel shook his head with a faint smile. "I'll let the master know about this," he said, lifting his cup of coffee and taking a contemplative sip.
"Before that," Aeron leaned forward, his tone serious, "there's something I need to discuss with you."
Zorayel's gaze sharpened, giving Aeron his full attention.
"There's a village not far from here, where we spent the night," Aeron explained. "The villagers mentioned they've been dealing with attacks from mobs—Shadowfangs, mostly. And people are disappearing from the nearby forest."
"I've received numerous complaints about the same issue," Zorayel replied, his expression clouding over.
"Disappearing people from the town, too," he added quietly, swirling his coffee absentmindedly.
"Have you found anything?" Aeron asked, leaning in with urgency.
"Not yet, but we're still investigating," Zorayel admitted.
At that moment, a guard approached and stood at attention.
"Sir, we found bloodstains on some of the trees in the forest," he reported.
"Did you find any bodies?" Zorayel asked, his voice low.
"No, sir," the guard replied.
Zorayel sighed and waved him away. "Alright, you're dismissed." The guard left.
Zorayel tapped his fingers against the table thoughtfully, his eyes distant.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Aeron offered, his voice sincere.
Zorayel's lips curved in a faint smile. "You're our guests. You should enjoy the town while you're here."
He stood and placed some coins on the table. "I have to go now. Let me know if you need anything."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the three of them in the glow of the café's lantern light, each lost in their own thoughts.
Later that night…
Arcane stood alone in the dim shadows of the forest. The air was still, heavy with the scent of damp earth and fading moonlight.
Suddenly, Lynx appeared before him, materializing in an instant as if he had always been there.
"Did you find out anything?" Arcane asked, his voice low and urgent.
"There's a cave nearby," Lynx replied, his tone casual but with a hint of warning. "Inside, you'll find more than fifty mages, each one powerful and Dark magic user."
Arcane's expression hardened as he processed the information, his mind already racing through possibilities.
"There's one thing unusual," Lynx added, a faint smirk playing at the corner of his lips.
"What is it?" Arcane asked, raising an eyebrow.
"One of them can use Demon Art," Lynx said, his voice dropping just enough to suggest the gravity of the revelation.
Arcane's expression changed, his shoulders tensing.
"Is he a demon?" Arcane asked, brushing it off at first, though his tone was wary.
"He's human," Lynx said, his smirk fading into a serious stare.
Arcane's face twisted in shock, his mind struggling to grasp the impossible.
"I've confirmed it," Lynx continued, his voice deadly calm.
"How can that be possible?" Arcane murmured, his fists clenching.
After a few moments of heavy silence, Arcane spoke again, his voice clipped. "You can return to the castle."
"What will you do?" Lynx asked, his smirk returning.
"You don't need to know," Arcane replied coldly.
"You know if you tell me, I can kill all of them right now," Lynx offered, his tone dripping with arrogance.
"Interfere here, and I'll kill you myself," Arcane warned, his voice sharp as a blade.
Lynx chuckled darkly. "Fine, I'll leave," he said, vanishing into the air. But his voice lingered, soft and menacing: "But I'll be watching everything."
The next morning…
Aeron, Allesio, and Arcane stood before the grand structure of the Magic Association Administration (MAA), watching a group of Everdawn guards forming ranks.
"What's going on?" Aeron asked sharply as soon as he spotted Zorayel amidst the formation.
"We've found a clue about a group that might be behind the recent attacks," Zorayel said, his voice firm but tense.
"We'll come with you," Aeron offered immediately, determination clear in his voice.
"No," Zorayel said firmly. "Stay here. This is our matter. Don't interfere."
Zorayel's voice echoed with memories of a promise he had once made to his master—the day Aeron first visited Everdawn. He had vowed to keep Aeron and his companions out of the Blacktroops' tangled schemes. He knew how strong they were, how dangerous it would be. He couldn't risk their lives.
But Aeron, stubborn as ever, clenched his fists. His eyes locked with Zorayel's, filled with determination and an unwillingness to stand idle.
Arcane, standing at Aeron's side, noticed the spark in his gaze. Of course, he already knew Aeron would want to follow, and truth be told, Arcane had been the one who leaked the Blacktroops' location to the Everdawn mages in the first place.
"Shall we follow them?" Arcane asked quietly, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips.
Aeron turned to him, a silent message in his determined expression: Yes.
At the evening of that day…
Zorayel, along with the ten strongest mages of Everdawn—also known as the Pillars of the MAA—and twenty elite guards, arrived at the entrance of a shadowy cave.
Durein summoned a bat. With a wave of his hand, it flew silently into the darkness. Durein closed his eyes, his mind linking to the creature's vision.
Durein is the Tracking Mage. He could summon mobs or tap into the senses of nearby animals to scout, detect traps, and reveal hidden spots.
"What do you see?" Zorayel asked, his voice low but focused.
"It's a very deep cave," Durein replied, his brow furrowing in concentration.
"I see a few people chanting," he continued.
"There's… a lot of bodies," Durein added grimly.
"Let's go inside and kick their asses!" Rahzei growled, already crackling with energy.
Rahzei is the hot-tempered mage who always rushed into battle, but there was no mage stronger than him when it came to self-enhancement through chant-based spells.
"Calm down. We need strategy," Miren advised with authority.
Miren known as the Copy Mage is the oldest mage in the team. He could replicate any spell he saw—except for dark magic and demon arts.
"What's that, old man?" Rahzei snapped back with his usual heat.
"Restrain," Orion chanted calmly, casting a curse that bound Rahzei in place.
Orion is the Curse Magic user. He specialized in Curse magic. He uses curse to take down enemies.
Rahzei tried to move but was completely locked down by the spell.
"Revert," Liraeth said coolly, and the curse dissipated instantly.
Liraeth is the Anti-Mage. She could undo any curse or looping spell with a mere whisper of magic.
"Do you wish to die?" Rahzei scowled, fire in his eyes.
"Should I cut him?" Drelvan asked nonchalantly, drawing his glowing blade.
Drelvan is the Magic Sword user—one of the greatest swordsmen in the world. He enchants his sword with magic to fight. However, he is overconfident and occasionally misheard commands.
"I see a big fight in front of us," Arceal muttered with a sly grin.
Arcel's specialty iss foresight—he could glimpse a few seconds into the future under the right conditions. But he is also the group's clown, cracking jokes even at the worst times. And above all, he is a shameless pervert.
"You already seeing the future?" Ysera asked with suspicion.
Ysera excells at defensive magic. Legend had it her shield could block even the Demon King's attacks.
"Nah, I'm kidding," Arceal laughed. "But I can see you taking a bath when we return home."
A stream of blood burst from his nose.
"You perv!" Selvana shouted and kicked him so hard he went flying backward.
Selvana is a deadly assassin who uses magic for swift, silent kills. Her rapid chants made her perfect for eliminating targets. Like Rahzei, she is short-tempered. Some even whispers she is the ideal partner for Rahzei—if they didn't kill each other first.
Servin rushed to Arceal and knelt beside him, channeling a warm healing glow into his body.
Servin is the best healer in Everdawn, capable of treating nearly any injury.
"You are the best," Arceal said, grinning through the pain.
Servin smiled sweetly.
"I'll make sure to see you taking a bath too," Arceal added with a goofy smile.
"Die," Servin muttered as she punched him squarely on the head.
Despite each of them specializing in a single magical field, together they were unmatched. Their synergy, experience, and raw power made them a terrifying force.
"Shall we go inside?" Zorayel asked, his tone serious.
Everyone fell quiet. The laughter faded. Their eyes locked onto the dark cave before them.