After the chaos in the arena, the king canceled the remainder of the Spear Trial. Most of the young warriors complained, but no one dared question the decision after seeing a runaway draconic spirit almost devour the princess herself.
Rai'kanna stayed beside Lyannis the entire time, wearing that expression between relief and the sincere desire to punch someone—probably the weapons master.
We were escorted to a meeting room just above the arena. It was spacious, with large windows that let in the morning light, and at the center there was a reddish crystal table carved into a spiral shape.
King Drathen arrived a few minutes later, carrying a heavy grimorium with a golden cover. His eyes glimmered with a mix of concern and authority.
"Takumi," he called, before even sitting down. "Thank you for what you did down there."
"I just pushed her away from the creature. The ones who held the attack were Rai'kanna and my group."
"It doesn't matter," Rai'kanna said, crossing her arms. "Lyannis would've been badly hurt."
Lyannis, sitting at the end of the table, just smiled—that bright and dangerous smile that seemed to say do more, please.
"I liked the part where you jumped from the stands," she said. "It was very heroic."
The three from my group turned their heads at the same time.
It was almost funny… almost.
"Let's get to the point," Drathen said, opening the grimorium. "Takumi, describe again what you felt in the arena."
I took a deep breath.
"The spirit's energy was unstable. It didn't feel like raw power… it felt distorted. As if someone had tampered with its essence before the trial."
Liriel nodded. "Its shape was irregular. White flames at the edges… classic sign of external corruption."
"And it wasn't just instability," Vespera added. "That thing wanted to attack the princess specifically. It was aiming at her, not the rest."
Lyannis blinked. "Really? It was aiming at me? Wow. Does that mean I'm special?"
"It means you're easy appetizer," Rai'kanna replied. "Which is not a compliment."
Lyannis puffed her cheeks. "I'm not easy! Or an appetizer!"
Vespera smirked. "Well, easy I don't know… but appetizer maybe."
"Vespera!" Elara scolded.
The king raised a hand, asking for silence.
"This confirms my suspicions. The corruption is not only affecting monsters. It is reaching ancient spiritual manifestations."
He opened the grimorium to a page covered in flaming runes.
"You will go to the Scarlet Sand today."
Rai'kanna straightened her posture. "The Scarlet Sand? Father, that place is too unstable."
"I know. But that's where spiritual manifestations leave traces. You must collect them."
"Collect traces?" I asked.
"Yes. Grains of sand that carry fragments of memory. With them, we can identify who is manipulating the forces beneath the ground."
Elara touched the grip of her bow. "That means the monsters aren't the only focus. We're after the source, right?"
"The real enemy is always beneath the surface," Drathen answered.
Vespera muttered, "Yeah. And usually trying to kill me. I can already see it coming…"
"You don't need to go," Rai'kanna said.
"Of course she does," Liriel said immediately.
"Yeah," I added. "We're all going."
Lyannis raised her hand. "I want to go too!"
"No way," Rai'kanna replied.
"But I want to help!"
"You were almost roasted!"
"But I was saved!"
"Lyannis, no."
The princess looked at me with that expression… strangely sweet.
Too sweet. Suspiciously sweet.
"Takumi… you would let me go, wouldn't you?"
I swallowed hard.
The three in my group glared at me before I even answered.
Elara: "Don't you dare."
Liriel: "Don't even think."
Vespera: "If you say yes, I swear…"
I raised my hands.
"She's not going. It's dangerous."
Lyannis puffed her cheeks again. "You're all boring."
The journey to the Scarlet Sand began less than an hour later. The place was to the east, beyond two narrow ravines and a natural rock bridge. The ground below was red, as if ancient blood had dried and hardened over centuries.
The heat was intense—not suffocating, but constant, like the breath of a sleeping dragon.
Liriel opened her grimorium. "We're not in an ordinary desert. The sand here is made from fragments of spiritual rock burned by the first flames. That explains the vibration."
"It explains the discomfort too," Elara muttered. "I feel like something is watching me."
"This place watches everything," Rai'kanna replied.
"So it's like my mother-in-law," Vespera murmured quietly enough for only me to hear.
I almost choked.
Rai'kanna noticed and frowned. "What was that?"
"Nothing!" I answered way too fast.
"Hum."
We continued walking until we found a natural crater. At the center there was a pool of completely white sand—the only one in the region.
"There," Rai'kanna said. "That's where the echoes gather."
I knelt and grabbed a handful of the white sand.
It vibrated in my palm.
Soft.
Cold.
As if it breathed.
"Feel it," Rai'kanna said. "Focus."
I closed my eyes.
Instantly, an image appeared:
Flames… screams… shadows crawling…
and hands—human hands—drawing black runes on the stone.
I opened my eyes with a jolt.
"Takumi?" Elara approached.
"I saw someone," I answered. "A human. Drawing symbols. He… he was summoning creatures."
Vespera frowned. "A summoner?"
"A manipulator," Liriel corrected. "Someone who is guiding the corruption."
Rai'kanna took a deep breath. "That confirms the worst."
She lifted her gaze toward the horizon.
"It's not just an invasion. Someone wants to destroy our people."
Before I could say anything, I felt a slight tremor in the ground—almost imperceptible, but constant.
"Did you feel that?" I asked.
Everyone stopped.
Another tremor.
Stronger this time.
The scarlet sand around us began to move… as if being pushed from the inside out.
"Takumi," Rai'kanna said, "don't move."
"Why?"
The answer came from below.
A massive black shape burst out of the sand, opening the crater as if it were water. Its body looked like a mix of rock and flesh. Yellow eyes lit up in several directions.
"What is that thing?" Vespera shouted.
"A Basalt Serpent!" Liriel exclaimed. "But it shouldn't be here!"
Elara drew her bow. "I think someone rewrote its programming."
Rai'kanna spread her wings. "Defend yourselves!"
The serpent roared, lifting a wave of scorching sand.
Vespera fired slicing winds.
Liriel cast a barrier.
Elara shot multiple arrows.
Rai'kanna attacked with spiral flames.
I advanced with the flame pulsing in my fist.
The creature slammed against our barrier, cracking it.
"Takumi!" Liriel shouted. "I need a boost!"
"Go!"
She launched a rune into the air. I channeled my flame and struck the rune with all my strength. It exploded, creating a column of light that hit the serpent's head.
The creature screamed—a dry, metallic sound—and recoiled.
But only for a moment.
"It's aiming at you!" Rai'kanna yelled.
"At me?! Why?!"
"Because you touched the white sand!"
Great.
Perfect.
Wonderful.
The serpent attacked again.
"Takumi!" Rai'kanna beat her wings and moved in front of me. "Behind me!"
"I can—"
"Don't argue! Behind!"
The creature opened its mouth, revealing a pulsing red light.
Rai'kanna raised a draconic barrier, but it trembled under the impact.
"Elara! Vespera! Liriel!" I shouted. "Now!"
The three attacked together.
Elara with an arrow that exploded into four.
Vespera with a wind chain that tore through the serpent's flank.
Liriel with a spell that pierced its central eye.
The creature toppled to the side, convulsing.
Rai'kanna cleared a path, and I struck the ground, releasing a wave of flame that ran through its entire body.
The serpent screamed one last time before collapsing into smoking black rocks.
Silence.
Then, heavy breathing.
Rai'kanna looked at me, sweaty and serious.
"You saw who was drawing the runes?"
"I did… but not the face."
"We need to find them before they do something worse."
"I know."
She touched my hand for an instant—brief, but firm.
"Takumi," she said. "Thank you."
The three from my group turned their heads immediately.
Rai'kanna noticed.
She pulled her hand back quickly.
"I mean… thank you all!"
Vespera muttered, "Hmph. Too late."
Elara simply looked away.
Liriel turned a page of her grimorium with more force than necessary.
I just sighed.
The serpent was defeated.
But the bad feeling, the trembling earth, the vision of the manipulator…
Everything indicated that this was only the beginning.
And I knew that—because the white sand was still vibrating in my hand.