Inside the Shadowland, the landscape had transformed into a twisted, nightmarish version of reality. Jagged rocks jutted from the ground at impossible angles, strange fog swirled around them, and shadowy figures flickered at the edge of perception. Despite all this, the group pressed on. According to Count Errenor's instructions, directions were still consistent, north was north, south was south—but finding true north was a challenge. There was no sky, no sun, and the compasses spun endlessly as if mocking them. Every step felt uncertain, and the oppressive darkness seemed to cling to them, slowing their pace.
After running for half an hour, they finally came to a cautious stop.
"There's no way they could track us here now," Arthur said, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the eerie terrain.
"What about Mr. Edgarth?" Elna asked, unease creeping into her voice.
Leo reached into his pocket and withdrew a folded piece of paper. "Ryan slipped this in my pocket thinking I didn't notice. It's enchanted with Seeker's Trace, a pure magic spell. He can locate us with it."
Arthur's gaze turned toward him. "And he can use telepathy as well."
"Yes," Leo said, frowning. "But those necromancers can also do the same. That's what makes it dangerous."
Arthur's new ring began to glow, faint threads of light dancing across its surface. As he focused, lines of colored energy appeared etched onto the ground, each representing a potential path. One faint blue line led toward a massive boulder, the safest nearby place to rest. Other lines flickered red and black, indicating danger zones, while shadows shifted unnaturally around them. Strange, fragmented shapes moved across the ring's vision—beasts of indistinct form—but Arthur couldn't tell if these were memories of the past, glimpses of the future, or illusions conjured by the Shadowland itself.
He pointed toward the massive, barely visible rock. "Let's rest there. It's the safest spot I can find."
As they approached, the oppressive aura of the Shadowland seemed to push against them. Arthur and Leo immediately began casting protective spells, etching runes into the ground and surrounding the group with shields of layered magic. Leo decided to maintain his two vision spells, their faint glow slicing through the thick darkness and allowing him to detect even the slightest movement in the shadows.
Around them, the land seemed alive, whispers of unseen creatures, subtle tremors beneath their feet, and fleeting silhouettes that vanished the moment they looked directly at them. The air was heavy, almost tangible, carrying a faint scent of decay mixed with air, as if the very atmosphere was charged with residual magic. Every moment in the Shadowland demanded vigilance; even a moment's lapse could mean walking straight into a trap or being caught unawares by the land itself.
The group settled cautiously, their senses straining. This was only the beginning—the Shadowland offered no mercy, and they had no way of knowing what would strike next.
After hours of waiting in the oppressive dark, when Elna and Briva had finally regained enough strength to move, Leo's Moonlit Gaze caught movement in the shadows. His irises glowed faintly, cutting through the shroud of shadow. He stiffened. "Three figures," he murmured, "coming from that direction."
Arthur's hand moved instantly, his golden sword manifesting with a low hum, its light faint but steady against the darkness. "Three?" he echoed. His gaze sharpened.
Lifting his free hand, he summoned a translucent sphere that began to pulse outward, expanding slowly like ripples across still water. "Revelation Veil," he whispered. The orb of clarity spread through the fog of shadow, brushing against the unseen. At the same time, the Ring of the Seer's Radiance at his finger ignited, tracing fine strands of light along the ground like glowing veins.
Leo cocked his head. "What was that?"
Arthur didn't blink. "A veil. It strips illusions bare."
"It can reveal real illusions too?"
Arthur gave the smallest nod. "Yes. But it can't dispel them. And it moves at a crawl."
Leo smirked despite himself. "Funny thing is that I never learned a dispel or detection spell. Even though I'm an illusionist."
Arthur cut him a sidelong look before his gaze snapped back to the hazy shapes ahead. "Then what do you do?"
"Usually? I just… feel the illusion," Leo answered, his smirk widening.
"There's a spell called Veilcraft," Elna said as she stepped closer. She stopped at Leo's side, her eyes locked forward. "It lays an illusion over illusions that already exist. It lets you probe them, test them, even unravel them. If you've got enough power, you can strip away Real Illusions too." A small, teasing smile curved her lips. "Do you want me to teach you?"
"That would be fantastic," Leo said at once, his grin flashing in return.
In his last month, Leo had been spent almost entirely on survival and growth of a different sort, learning to control his domain, testing the creation spell he got from Alexia and studying paths of A-rank foes so he could understand their strengths. His knowledge had grown, but his spellbook remained thin where it mattered.
Elna raised her hand, her spell weaving with practiced grace. Another ripple of translucent energy pulsed outward, mingling with Arthur's veil. The ground around them hummed faintly with power.
They stood ready. Leo's phantoms simmering at the edge of existence, Arthur's sword gleaming faintly gold, Elna poised and watchful, Briva steadying herself with silent resolve, until the figures broke into view.
Edgarth. Ryan. And Luciana.
Ryan lifted a hand in greeting, a grin splitting his face. "How many more spells are you planning to throw at us?"
Arthur's response was sharp. His blade plunged into the earth, and light detonated from it in a radiant explosion, flooding the clearing. "Just one more."
The brilliance washed over everything, shadows, rocks, even the figures themselves. When it faded, the three still stood unscathed.
Arthur exhaled, his grip loosening slightly. "They're clean."
Luciana's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp. "Hey be careful. Light does burn me."
Arthur didn't even turn to face her. "Like I care." He moved immediately to Briva, who was standing in a corner, her eyes following the entire exchange.
Ryan strode toward Leo, expression bright, while Edgarth approached Elna with a rare softness in his eyes. Luciana, however, drifted to the edge of the group, leaning lightly against a jagged rock, her sapphire gaze flicking to the shadows more than the people. She was silent, but her posture radiated calm calculation, as though she was measuring every move.
Ryan clapped Leo on the shoulder, laughing lightly. "You've grown. Tell me, what sub path did you choose?"
Leo met his gaze evenly, letting the silence hang a moment. "I decided to use phantoms. I took Phantom Enchanter."
Ryan arched a brow. "Really? I expected you to dive into Shifting Realities. That spell is brutal. I would've bet coin on it."
Leo's lips curved into a secretive smile. "Phantoms fit better with my new powers."
Ryan tilted his head, curiosity flashing in his eyes. "New powers?"
Leo lowered his tone into something darker, enigmatic. "You'll see soon enough."
Across the clearing, Edgarth spoke quietly to Elna, pride softening his stern features. For once, his voice carried warmth and as they talked, Elna's face lit up in genuine laughter.
"So, what next?" Ryan asked, and with that, everyone slowly gathered around.
"Well, first we need to find a city."
"What city?" Edgarth said, now standing beside them with Elna at his side.
"Not sure. But I'm meeting a friend there."
"You have friends in the Shadowland? I didn't even know anyone lived here," Ryan said, clearly surprised.
"It's… complicated."
Luciana crossed her arms. "And how are we supposed to find them in this place?"
"I gave them a vial of my blood," Leo replied. He closed his eyes, nicked his finger, and let a drop of blood rise into the air.
The bead of crimson hovered, glowing faintly in the dark.
Ryan let out a low whistle and instinctively stepped back. "Oh, this new power." The others shifted as well, keeping a distance.
The blood floated a moment longer… then fell lifelessly to the ground.
Leo opened his eyes. "They're out of my reach."
"Then I'll ask again," Ryan said. "Now what? We can't just wander aimlessly."
Leo frowned, thinking, then turned to Luciana. "How exactly are you going to find your brother here?"
"I follow the direction where the hate is strongest."
Everyone stared at her with suspicion.
Luciana sighed, rolling her eyes. "My family is… connected to each other. Our blood runs deeper than distance." She pointed to the right. "From that way, I can feel his presence."
Leo's brow furrowed. He ran through every spell he knew—illusion, vampiric arts, enchantments. Nothing gave them a reliable path forward.
Finally, he turned to Arthur. "Don't you have any diviner spell that could work?"
Arthur nodded reluctantly. "A few. Echo of the Lost, for example—but it requires the soul of the dead. I don't think that's wise here. Or Divining Beacon—it shows a light in the direction of the target. But that one can be disrupted by almost anything."
"I can brew a potion," Edgarth offered. "One to sharpen your focus, and shield you with enchantments."
Arthur shook his head. "That won't hold. An illusion could twist it too easily."
"You've got four illusionists right here," Ryan countered. "We can break whatever tricks this place throws at us."
Arthur's expression darkened, his voice steady but heavier. "And if the illusion is woven directly onto our target, it could still interfere with my divinations. Your dispel abilities have limits too, their range only stretches so far."
A heavy silence fell as they all considered it.
Then an idea struck Leo. Arthur's ring could reveal safe routes, but not destinations. His own Mirror of Truth inside his domain might bridge that gap. If they combined the two…
"Arthur. Come with me."
He led him aside, out of earshot of the others.
Arthur raised a brow. "What are you planning?"
Leo leaned in, lowering his voice. "Pray to the Creator. Ask for guidance."
Arthur blinked. "What? I can't just call on Him whenever I feel like it."
"I'm His vessel," Leo said firmly. "I say it's allowed. Just trust me, it feels right."
Arthur hesitated, studying him for a long moment. Finally, he sighed. "…Fine."
He knelt, pressing a hand to his chest, and whispered.
"The Creator, eternal presence, neither good nor evil, bearer of light and shadow, who forged balance from chaos and gave form to the formless…"
As his voice wove through the shadows, Leo stepped back. Half his mind slipped into his domain, sited upon his throne, and beside him the Mirror of Truth shimmered faintly, waiting.
…
"Guide me as You guide all."
Just as Arthur finished the prayer, a familiar pressure stirred within him. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the dark wasteland but standing once more inside the vast gathering hall. He turned slowly, scanning the endless space, until a pulse surged from the throne chamber above, reverberating through every fabric of the place, every corner of his being.
Instinctively, Arthur dropped to one knee.
"State your request, child of light, and I shall listen."
The voice was everywhere at once, vast and ethereal, carrying both weight and calm.
"My Creator," Arthur said, keeping his head bowed, "as You already know, we are lost in the Shadowland." He lifted his gaze just slightly. "I ask for Your guidance to our destination."
As he asked, doubt gnawed at him. The Creator was a god only just awakening—likely an old god, one who had once been cast down by the new gods. Could such a being truly pierce the shadow of the Moon Goddess?
Silence followed, heavy and endless. Then, the fog itself began to stir, winding around him like living threads.
"Receive My gift, that the path unseen may now be revealed to you."
Arthur's eyes widened. The Creator had spoken of the shadows as if they were nothing at all.
From the throne hall, two streams of pure radiance descended. One lanced into Arthur's ring; the other struck his forehead.
The surge was overwhelming, power that burned and brilliance that seared. Arthur clenched his jaw hard, his body trembling as pain and strength flooded through him at once.
…
In the real world, Leo saw Arthur's eyes flicker open, dazed and confused.
Stepping behind him, Leo laid a hand on his shoulder. "Try using your Divining Beacon, together with the ring."
Through the Mirror of Truth, Leo could glimpse the destination himself. With his link to Arthur, he projected that vision into the diviner's mind, into the ring. If it worked as he hoped, the two would align—spell and artifact guiding as one.
Arthur rose to his feet, voice steady. "Divining Beacon."
His eyes flared, glowing gold. At first, only a faint glimmer appeared far in the endless dark. Then it swelled, brightening, until the silhouette of a tower sharpened into view.
"Fascinating," Arthur breathed.
"What do you see?" Leo pressed.
"This… this isn't how the spell usually works." Arthur's tone was almost reverent. "I see them. Not just a light, but the place itself, a castle."
He activated the ring. A soft blue line traced itself across the ground, threading into the shadows, pointing the way.
Arthur pressed a fist to his chest. "Praise the Creator."
Leo allowed himself a smile and lifted a hand toward the others. "We're good to go."