Ryan closed the door slowly behind him as he stepped out of the Archmage's chamber.
The faint click echoed through the corridor, far louder than it should have been.
Only then did he realize it.
His hands were trembling.
His legs too.
He stopped walking.
Lowering his head slightly, Ryan stared at the stone floor beneath his feet.
Is this… excitement?
The kind a nine year old child is supposed to feel?
A quiet chuckle escaped his lips.
"Tch… ridiculous," he muttered under his breath.
He adjusted his breathing, changing its rhythm again and again like he had been taught. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Slowly, deliberately. The pounding in his chest eased, if only a little.
When he finally lifted his head, he froze.
Standing in front of him was Isabella.
She seemed surprised to see him, but not displeased. Judging by her expression, she had come to meet Archmage Nathan.
A gentle smile curved her lips.
"You weren't planning on leaving without saying goodbye, were you?" she asked with a light giggle.
Ryan forced a small smile in return.
"See you around, Isabella," he replied.
His voice was calm.
Cold.
Isabella's smile stiffened almost imperceptibly. She was clearly annoyed by his distant tone, but she didn't say anything.
After all… she knew why.
In the past seven years, there was hardly a single hardship Ryan hadn't endured because of her. Endless scolding, cruel training sessions, merciless words disguised as 'discipline'.
She exhaled softly and stepped closer, placing a hand on Ryan's head.
"Take care of yourself," she said quietly.
Ryan hesitated for a brief moment before nodding.
"I will."
Without looking back, he turned and hurried down the spiral stairs of the Magic Tower.
Step after step, faster and faster, until he finally reached the exit.
He paused there.
Ryan had spent a significant portion of his life inside these walls. The Magic Tower… he would miss it. More than he wanted to admit.
He would also miss Lisa.
The Archmage's granddaughter had been the only person his age in the tower, and the two of them had grown surprisingly close. She was kind, curious, and unlike most others never afraid of him.
Unfortunately, she wasn't in the tower today.
So he couldn't say goodbye.
A faint smile crossed his face as he turned his back to the tower and walked away.
Blackfen Village was located in a mountainous region, just as he had been told. However, unlike the frozen northern ranges, this area rarely experienced heavy snowfall.
As Ryan made his way through the forest, his thoughts drifted to the mission ahead.
A monster…
He frowned slightly.
He had never fought one before.
Sure, he had trained endlessly inside the tower. Mana control. Spell theory. Combat simulations. But none of it compared to facing a real monster something that wanted him dead.
For a while, he wandered through the forest without direction. The village was nowhere in sight.
He slowed his pace, carefully scanning his surroundings. Every rustling leaf, every snapping twig made his senses sharpen. He was cautious perhaps overly sobut he refused to underestimate the danger.
After some time, Ryan pushed aside a cluster of bushes with his hand.
And there it was.
A small village stood before him, the banner of the Kingdom of Khaelis fluttering gently above its entrance.
"So this is it…" he murmured.
The terrain matched the
description perfectly.
He quickened his steps toward the village and pulled a small pocket watch from his coat. One glance was enough to make him sigh.
Nearly nine hours.
That was how long it had taken him to find the place.
Suppressing his fatigue, Ryan reminded himself of the instructions he had been given.
The first priority was simple.
Find a tavern.
The sun was already setting, and he needed a place to rest.
Near the edge of the village, he spotted a small, rather shabby
looking tavern. Without hesitation, he approached the door and stepped inside.
Behind the counter stood an elderly woman with tired eyes.
"What brings you here, little one?" she asked.
Ryan straightened his posture, doing his best to appear polite and composed.
"I'd like to rent a room for the night."
The woman raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised that someone his age was asking for a room alone. Still, she didn't refuse.
"Five copper coins for one day."
Ryan noticed immediately how cheap it was. He reached into his pocket and placed five copper coins on the counter.
"Follow me," the woman said, leading him down a short hallway to the third room on the left.
The tavern was only one story tall, but it was wide, with far more rooms than Ryan had expected.
Once inside, he set his belongings down and collapsed onto the bed.
It was more comfortable than it looked.
His eyelids grew heavy almost instantly.
Before he could think twice, sleep claimed him.
Morning came faster than he would have liked.
Ryan wasn't used to waking up early, and his body protested as he forced himself out of bed.
Still half-asleep, he staggered toward the door.
By the time he reached it, he managed to regain his focus.
He stepped outside sharply, cold air hitting his face.
I didn't come here to rest, he reminded himself.
Perhaps he had been a little too relaxed.
His mission came first.
Deciding to start at the source, Ryan headed straight for the village's administrative building.
When he arrived, he asked the guards at the entrance to meet with the village leader privately.
They laughed.
There was no way they would let a child meet the village leader.
Ryan sighed internally.
Looks like I'll have to prove myself.
He raised his hand.
Mana surged.
A massive sphere of water formed above his palm, shimmering with power before he absorbed it back into his body.
"I'm a mage!" Ryan shouted.
The commotion quickly drew attention.
Moments later, the village leader stepped outside, having witnessed the scene himself.
He looked down at Ryan with a complicated expression.
Ryan bowed slightly.
"My name is Ryan. I come from the Magic Tower."
The village leader stared at him in disbelief. A child this young…
from the Magic Tower?
Of all the people they could've sent… they sent this kid?
Ryan could feel the doubt radiating from him, but he remained silent.
After a brief pause, Ryan spoke again.
"Could you bring the people who claim to have seen the monster?"
The village leader nodded.
"They're already inside."
He gestured for Ryan to follow him.
Inside the building, two men stood waiting.
They were trembling.
Their faces were pale, their eyes unfocused, as if they hadn't slept in days.
Ryan approached them slowly.
When he tried to speak, their reactions were minimalbroken words, shaky breaths.
Fear clung to them like a curse.
And for the first time since arriving in Blackfen…
Ryan felt it.
Something was deeply wrong.