The sea was calm, with only gentle waves lapping against the rocky shore. The moonlight shimmered faintly across the water, casting a silvery hue over the quiet harbor.
Arin stood alone on the stone-paved path near the docks. Since sensing that unfamiliar aura earlier, she hadn't been able to settle down. Her sharp eyes locked onto the horizon, where the darkness seemed unnaturally thick.
Then she saw it.
A shadow… not quite rising from the sea, but seemingly lifted by the wind from afar. Its form was unclear, but the pressure emanating from it made the air tighten. Arin's hand instinctively gripped the short blade hidden in her sleeve.
In the blink of an eye, the shadow vanished.
— "Impossible…" — she took half a step back, unease spreading through her chest. Her gaze flicked upward toward the sky — a chilling certainty washed over her: that presence hadn't come from the sea… it had descended from the sky.
On the forest trail leading back to the village, Karl and Molvar had just returned from a patrol around the island.
— "Did you feel that?" — Karl came to a sudden stop, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Molvar squinted, inhaling deeply. For once, his usual playful expression was gone, replaced by a rare seriousness.
— "Yeah… That aura… doesn't belong to anyone on this island."
A cold gust swept past them, carrying with it an invisible pressure that weighed down the air. Karl turned toward the harbor — the source of that intense aura.
— "Let's go," he said firmly.
No explanation was needed. Molvar followed without hesitation, the two of them becoming streaks of shadow racing through the night.
Moments later, they reached the hillside overlooking the docks. Arin was still there, her gaze fixed on the sky.
— "You've arrived," she said softly, without turning, as if she had known they would come.
Karl nodded. He could still feel it — that presence hadn't vanished. It was simply hiding… and waiting.
— "So… he's here?" — Karl stepped up beside Arin, his voice low and tense.
She gave a small nod, her eyes still fixed on the hazy expanse of sea and sky.
— "I sensed him from far away… but what truly chilled me was how he appeared. No warning. No ripple. Just… as if he dropped from another layer of reality."
— "That confirms it. One of the Seven Exalted," Karl muttered, his aura stirring slightly in response to the looming threat.
Molvar, standing a short distance behind, murmured under his breath:
— "The Seven Exalted, huh… Always the troublesome ones."
— "This one can completely suppress his aura," Arin continued, finally turning to meet Karl's eyes. "If I hadn't encountered him before, I wouldn't have noticed him at all."
— "You've faced him before?" — Karl's brows furrowed.
She hesitated for a moment, then gave a solemn nod.
— "He came to the temple several years ago. I was still young… not strong enough to resist."
— "What's his name?" Karl asked quickly.
Arin's tone dropped as she replied:
— "They call him… the Sage."
Before any of them could speak another word, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.
— "Fall back!" — Karl shouted, pushing Arin behind him.
A jagged crack tore open the earth, and from it surged a spear-like blast of black energy, shooting skyward before arcing down toward their position. Both Karl and Molvar leapt back, their auras flaring as they blocked the attack.
BOOM!
The shockwave from the impact sent rocks flying and stirred a violent wind. As the dust cleared, a lone figure stood within the fractured ground. A black cloak fluttered in the still air, long white hair obscuring half his face.
— "Tch, quick reflexes. But I didn't come here to kill," — a voice echoed, not through sound, but directly into their minds.
— "You're… the Sage?" — Karl lowered his stance, eyes narrowing, ice-cold and focused.
— "Oh? I'm flattered someone still remembers me," — the figure smiled, slowly stepping forward. "I'm only here for one thing… the priestess."
Arin gripped her staff tightly, her face instantly tense.
— "You think you can just show up and take whoever you want?" — Karl said coldly, eyes fixed on the figure.
The Sage chuckled dryly, his voice like wind scraping across bone.
— "I don't think, Karl. I know."
Molvar raised an eyebrow, muttering:
— "This guy's no joke…"
Arin stepped forward, standing between Karl and the intruder.
— "You won't find her here. I left that place a long time ago."
The Sage tilted his head, the crimson glow of his eyes visible through the curtain of white hair.
— "Ah, so it really is you."
He smirked.
— "That blend of pure aura and divine trace… unmistakable. No point hiding it now."
Karl's hand moved to his sword hilt.
— "I won't let you take her."
— "Oh no, I don't need to take anyone," — the Sage replied, his voice darkening into something like a cursed hymn.
— "I only need a little information. And I'll extract it… from your blood."
The air turned cold in an instant. The pressure around them spiked sharply — as though a mountain had dropped onto their chests.
No more words were needed.
In a blink, a surge of pitch-black energy exploded from the Sage's body, ripping through the pier and cracking the ground as if the earth itself were about to give way.
Karl responded instantly. A silent vortex of gravity spread from beneath his feet, distorting space as if the world were folding in on itself. The air cracked like shattered glass, light bent unnaturally, and even sound seemed to vanish.
Their auras collided.
The sky above quaked. Clouds tore apart like thin paper. Trees were uprooted, and the sea surged into massive waves despite the stillness of the wind.
Arin stepped back, eyes wide with alarm, while Molvar shielded his face and yelled:
— "Damn it! Are they trying to flatten the whole island?!"
The ground beneath them groaned under the strain. But within seconds, the Sage paused.
He blinked, then took a single step back, his gaze growing colder.
— "…Interesting," he murmured to himself.
Karl remained still, unwavering.
Finally, the Sage smirked and turned away.
— "I see. Now... is not the time."
And just like that, he vanished — leaving behind no trace, as if he had never been there .
Silence lingered after the Sage vanished into thin air.
Karl remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the empty space, his brow subtly furrowed. A sense of unease settled in his chest like a stone.
It was Molvar who broke the stillness first.
— "Hey… do you know who that guy was?" — he asked, brushing off his cloak after the storm of energy.
Karl gave a slight nod, his eyes still locked on the spot where the Sage had disappeared.
— "One of the Seven Eminent… A very dangerous one."
Molvar let out a low whistle.
— "The Seven Eminent? Sounds like something out of a legend. But his aura—by the gods—I thought my heart was about to leap out of my chest."
He glanced at Karl for a moment and shook his head.
— "You, on the other hand, looked way too calm. I don't know whether to admire you or be terrified."
Karl sighed and finally turned to face him.
— "I was scared too. I just… couldn't let it show."
Molvar gave a short chuckle and nodded.
— "Yeah, well… you're a strange one, that's for sure."
He looked up at the sky as it slowly began to clear, then spoke again, as if something had just dawned on him.
— "He didn't come just to flaunt his power, did he? He's searching for someone."
Karl was quiet for a beat, then slowly nodded.
— "He's looking for Arin."
A gentle morning breeze swept across the harbor, carrying the scent of salt and the soft murmur of waves. Arin stood leaning against the railing, her gaze cast far out to sea—where the Sage had once appeared. There was contemplation in her eyes, but also clarity.
Karl and Molvar approached from behind. Arin turned as they neared, her expression softening slightly.
— "I'm leaving," she said quietly—almost a whisper, yet firm enough for both to hear.
Molvar raised an eyebrow, ready to say something, but held back upon seeing the seriousness in her gaze.
Karl stepped closer.
— "Where are you going?"
Arin met his eyes, calm and unwavering.
— "The Ancient Library in the Valley of Black Thorns. There are answers there—ones we both need. If you want to learn the truth about the priestess… and about yourself, meet me there."
Karl looked at her for a long moment. Then he nodded, without hesitation.
— "I'll come."
A faint smile appeared on Arin's lips, as if a burden had been lifted.
— "I believe you. Don't keep me waiting too long."
Without another word, she turned and boarded the small vessel that had been prepared. Her figure slowly faded into the morning mist, leaving Karl and Molvar standing silently by the dock.