----Page 7----
Night had fallen like ink over Thalorein.
Lanterns swayed in the inn, throwing golden pools of light that danced across rough timber walls.
The smell of roasting meat lingered in the air, mingling with the faint tang of spilled ale. Outside, the cobblestones glistened with dew, reflecting the moonlight in scattered shards.
I sat on the inn bench, shoulder straps heavy with packed gear, and tried to commit this moment to memory. The guild's collapse, the Tyrant's Hand spreading its shadow, the scattered adventurers, all of it now weighed on us.
Thalorein's once-proud guild, now silent, hollow, and scarred. Follie's crystal, Ruscious' warnings, the Codex that thrummed against my side, everything had brought us here.
I recounted the story aloud to Maleen, watching her eyes narrow and soften in turn. She listened like someone reading a storm quietly brewing, lips twitching at moments she found amusing.
"You've done more than most, Kinon," she said softly, setting her hands on the counter.
"Even when everything seemed lost, you held onto hope. You're… a young master now."
The words struck me with both pride and weight. Young master… Not a title I'd ever imagined, yet here it was, carrying expectation and responsibility in equal measure.
She turned to Arin, tapping lightly on his shoulder.
"You, elf boy, I like it better when you act like a child. Smile like the world doesn't matter, like you don't care about the darkness waiting outside. It suits you."
Arin's lips twitched into a small, carefree grin, one that barely touched the tension in his shoulders but gave the faintest spark of light.
"And Missie," she said, bowing her head to Lysera.
"I know you're stronger than these two boys. Keep them safe, will you? I trust you with that responsibility."
Lysera inclined her head, voice calm and unwavering.
"I will. You have my word."
Maleen's gaze returned to me, soft but resolute.
"Young Master Kinon, promise me you'll come back safe. And thank you. Thank you for giving Thalorein a spark of hope, for not letting faith die, even when it seemed impossible."
I swallowed, my throat tight.
"I will. We'll return, safe, and stronger for what comes next."
She chuckled softly, shaking her head.
"Go. Stay alive. Arin, watch out for wolves. Lysera, protect them. The ale's waiting when you return."
Her humor was light, but I could hear the worry beneath it. It was grounding, a tether to normalcy in a world unraveling.
The inn doors swung open, spilling us into the chill of night. Lantern light flickered behind us, casting long shadows across the cobblestones. The city gate rose ahead, tall and silent under the pale moonlight. Libert waited there, armor catching the glow of torchlight, a sentinel standing against the dark.
"Master Kinon," he said, voice low, tempered by the weight of responsibility.
"You gave me courage, hope and will to change. I know you carry more than just a sword, you carry the hopes of Thalorein."
I felt a lump in my throat.
Am I truly ready for this?
The wind whispered through the streets, carrying the faint scent of the river and the echo of distant night birds. My hands itched toward my hilt instinctively.
"I don't know what to say," I admitted.
"Say nothing," Libert replied, hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Just promise me you'll come back. Not just alive, but still the people I trust. Thalorein needs you, even if it doesn't realize it yet."
Lysera's eyes met his, steady as stone.
"We will return. Safe, and with purpose."
Arin's gaze flicked toward the city walls, his jaw set. No words, just determination.
Libert exhaled slowly, the tension in his broad shoulders easing just a fraction.
"Good. Then go. May your path be swift, and may the gods watch over you."
The night swallowed the city behind us. Lanterns faded to points of light, shadows stretching across empty streets. Follie and Ruscious waited at the guild doorway, lamps casting small pools of warmth against the darkness. The guild, hollow and battered by fear and time, felt like a lighthouse before the unknown.
Ruscious gave a tired, half-amused smile.
"If you succeed, tell me all about it. If you fail, at least bring back something interesting."
Follie's voice followed us, low and measured.
"Are you sure this is the right choice?"
Ruscious' eyes softened as he watched us fade into the night.
"We do not have a choice, do we? Hope is a dangerous thing to hoard."
---
Few hours later....
The fog pressed heavy around us, muffling every sound. Even the forest seemed afraid to breathe.
Lysera suddenly grabs my arms preventing me to move forward..
"What??.." I ask.
And then, two figures swayed ahead. Seraphine and Kael. Their limbs were twisted at impossible angles, faces blank, eyes wide with silent agony.
"No, this cannot be happening."
I whipered, under my breath, stepping forward cautiously.
"Oy! What happened to you both!?" Arin shouted, nocking an arrow instinctively.
"Wait!" Lysera yelled, eyes glimming blue.
"They are being controlled Master."
A low, mocking laugh echoed through the fog.
"Bingo."
The mist shifted. A figure emerged, long black hair spilling from a hood, black coat fluttering around him. Ten silver rings on his fingers gleamed faintly. Every movement was fluid, yet wrong.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" he whispered.
"Two perfect toys. Their screams… exquisite."
Threads of silver burst from his rings, burrowing into Seraphine and Kael. Their bodies convulsed violently. Seraphine arched backward, fingers clawing at the air. Kael's arms snapped upward as if torn from the inside. Bones creaked. Tendons groaned.
"Stop it!" I roared. Mana flared along my sword.
"Oh, how touching. Someone cares for the slaves," he said, tilting his head.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Coreon, of the Tyrant's Hand. One of the Ten Fingers. And they are my toys."
Kael jerked forward suddenly, black mana forming claws around his fingers.
"Kael! No!"
"Kill the elf," Coreon whispered.
Kael lunged at Arin.
"Arin!" I shouted.
Arin rolled aside just in time. Kael's claws shredded the bark beneath him.
"Master, what do I do!?" Arin cried, bow trembling in his hands.
"He will kill me if I do not fight!"
Arin said, as he keeps dodging Kael's sharp claws.
"Do not hurt them! There is another way!"
I screamed.
"The threads!" Lysera's eyes blazed.
"They are bound by mana. If we cut them precisely, we can break his control."
"Oh? Someone noticed," Coreon sneered.
"How clever."
"I cannot see them!" Arin shouted.
"Focus your mana into your eyes. Trust your instincts!" Lysera commanded.
Arin gritted his teeth, pupils glowing faintly blue.
"I see them now. Threads around their joints. I can target them."
"Good. Shoulder anchors first!" I shouted.
"One at a time, carefully. We keep them alive!"
Coreon yanked the threads hard. Kael screamed, body bending backward, bones threatening to snap. Seraphine's limbs trembled violently, forced into an arch of agony.
I slashed forward, blue mana coursing through my blade. Sparks flew as threads sliced against steel.
Arin fired his first arrow, striking a thread near Seraphine's arm. The metallic snap echoed through the fog. Lysera followed, cutting another anchor with fluid precision.
Coreon hissed and raised both hands. Dozens more threads erupted like whips, slicing the fog.
"Arin! Take the left shoulder now!" I shouted.
Two more arrows flew in tandem. Threads snapped. Seraphine sagged slightly but was still partially controlled, still trapped in Coreon's web of magic.
"She's almost free!" Lysera called, glancing at me.
Coreon's grin twisted.
"Annoying pests." He roared.
He tugged Kael's threads, dragging him toward a black portal forming at his feet.
"No!" I lunged, cutting through as many threads as I could, but new ones appeared faster than I could strike.
Kael's eyes flickered with brief clarity. He saw Seraphine struggling, her body just shy of freedom. His jaw clenched.
"Kinon…" His voice trembled, human for one last heartbeat. Then he pushed with all his strength, shoving Seraphine toward Lysera's arms.
"She is safe!" I shouted as Seraphine finally slipped free.
Kael's body jerked violently. The threads tightened like iron chains. With one last scream, the portal swallowed him whole. Silver light flared and then he was gone.
Coreon's laughter echoed through the trees.
"So noble. So predictable. Keep your empathy close. It makes such beautiful cracks."
"Coreon!" I roared, but he had vanished into the mist.
The forest fell silent. Rain dripped through the leaves. Seraphine trembled in Lysera's arms, finally free but broken. Arin lowered his bow, chest heaving.
Lysera placed a hand on my shoulder.
"He is gone." She said softly.
I stared at the empty space where Kael had vanished. My sword shook.
"No," I whispered.
"He is alive. He has to be."
The fog thinned slowly. The first light of dawn filtered through the trees. For us, morning had never felt darker.