"Are you sure you're prepared for this, Lady Alessia?" Troil Testmi's voice was stern, but there was a trace of anxiety as he looked at her armor. "The Vasselgrove Ruins aren't a place for the unprepared." Alessia looked up from the delicate silver etching she was running her fingers over in her armor. She smiled reassuringly, but her fingers quivered slightly. "Sir Troil, I wouldn't have arrived if I wasn't prepared. My armor might not seem impressive to some, but..." She paused, not wanting to appear cocky. "I crafted it myself. It's stronger than it appears." As they reached the ruins, Alessia could hear low giggles from a few of the knights moving beside them. Raizel, one of the most doubtful, snickered as he examined her small armor, his tone condescending. Raizel remarked, "It appears she's donning paper armor. She's certain to face death before she even makes it to the entrance." Alessia maintained her poise and ignored Raizel's jabs. She was not here to prove herself t
"Left," Alessia softly sighed, gently rubbing her temple as if it were the hundredth time. "I believe it would be best for us to choose the path on the left, Raizel. There appears to be a discrepancy with the path on the right." Raizel crossed her arms without bothering to glance her way. "Lady Alessia, the decision is not yours to make, whether it be right or left. I will consult the others," he mentioned casually, shifting his attention to the knights, seemingly unaffected by her words. Alessia discreetly tightened her jaw, suppressing a sigh while the skeptical knights looked her way. The flickering torchlight danced upon the damp walls of the ancient hallway, casting shadows that spread over the cracked stone. Troil observed from a short distance, his expression inscrutable. She wanted to speak with him, but he was busy organizing his own team, intent on finding a safe route ahead. As Raizel delved into discussions with his comrades, Troil made his way towards them, his eyes n
"It's Vorgath!" Alessia shouted, her voice trembling but clear as she recognized the ancient terror slithering toward them. "Everyone, stay alert! Vorgath hides in shadows, striking before you even see it!" Her warning echoed around the damp stone walls, but most of her comrades looked as though they had just witnessed a nightmare made real. Gritting his teeth, Raizel cast a skeptical glance at her. "Why should we trust you, Endymion? You're just here to—" A sudden hiss cut him off. The air grew thick, as though drenched in poison, and an oily black liquid shot from the darkness, hitting one of their comrades square in the chest. The scream that followed was horrendous, echoing through the chamber as his flesh melted, leaving only bone behind. The others froze in sheer terror, staring as their fellow knight collapsed—a lifeless skeleton where a man had once stood. "Get it together!" Alessia yelled, snapping them out of their horror. "Vorgath's too fast for us to stand here paralyze
"I'm really sick of this..." Alessia mumbled something under her breath as she slouched against the rough rock wall that was blocking her way to the Vorgath. She furiously rubbed her temples, her face contorted in rage. The other creature refused to surrender. Every time its huge body hit something, the rocks shook, sending shockwaves through the cave. "Great, really great. Could you not make this easy, please?" Alessia hissed at the trembling wall and glared through the cracks at the bright red eyes of the shadow snake. The animal hissed very loudly, and you could feel how angry it was. The rage of the Vorgath made the air feel colder and heavier. It was losing its cool, and she knew it would break through soon. "Okay. I get it. You're upset. I'm mad. Let's just get this over with," she said in a mean voice as she held her broken sword handle. She looked at the broken blade and sighed. "Facts. I find it difficult to hold my tool together. I'm going to make a real sword myself
Alessia said to herself, "I really hope there's an easier way out of this next time," as she stumbled out of the ruins. Every step hurt her body. Even though her legs felt like lead and her vision was a little foggy, the cool evening air felt great on her. The sun was low in the sky, and its fiery colors made the distance look gold and red. Alessia opened her eyes and looked ahead. A vast ocean, teeming with breaking waves, crashed against the cliffside. She whispered, "Beautiful." She limps to a nearby rock that looked like a temple section and falls. She didn't care that the hard surface didn't help her pain much. As she looked out at the sea, the sunset played in her tired eyes. A peculiar sensation in her chest halted her movement. The sword she had just bought, the Blade of Lumina, started to shimmer with light all of a sudden. Before she could do anything, the blade broke up into glowing bits that rushed into her body and sent a warm, soothing pulse through her veins. "Wh
"Please, Uncle! I need to go out," Alessia begged, her voice strong but full of desperation. She stood in Andro's office with her hands clasped together, as if she were praying to a god. With its dark wood furniture and shelves full of old books, the room had a sad vibe that made the mood even darker. Andro's serious face had a soft glow from the golden light of dusk that came in through the thick curtains. As Andro looked at her, he raised an eyebrow and curled his fingers under his chin. "Alessia, where do you really think you're going?" Even though his voice was cold, it was clear that he was worried. "The Endymion Empire," Alessia said, putting her back straight. "I need to check out what's going on there. I need to find out what's been going on since they declared me dead. I'll be hiding, so no one will be able to tell who I am. I promise!" Andro's face got darker. He got up and walked around the desk to face her directly. His tall frame made him look big. "After what happen
"Why are we here?" Raizel finally spoke up, but his tone was tense with doubt, and he looked quickly back and forth between Alessia and the tall trees in the Velmor Forest. There wasn't much light coming through the thick forest above, but the long shadows that danced around them were scary. Alessia didn't seem to be scared. She knelt down and removed an object from her bag, resembling a flattened sphere with intricate carvings that emitted a faint glow. Without responding to Raizel's question, she carefully placed the object on the mossy ground. "Lady Alessia, please answer." Raizel's voice was strong, but it was clear that he was getting tense. Sirena, the other knight, softly spoke up and put her hand on Raizel's arm. "Be quiet, Raizel." She looked back at Alessia with her golden eyes. "She must have a reason." Raizel clenched his teeth and didn't say anything else. As he watched Alessia work, he felt more and more uneasy. She stood up and rubbed her hands against her coat.
"Stop it!" Alessia's voice sounded as harsh and furious as the crack of the whip she had seized by her hand in midair. The overweight aristocrat, Marquess Lucresio Prite, turned, his face contorted with rage and wrath. "How dare you disrupt my discipline? Do you know who I am, you arrogant wretch?" His voice roared throughout the marketplace, drowning out the whispers of the assembled audience. "I don't care who you are," Alessia said, her tone cold and her grasp tightening on the whip. She stood steady, her hood covering her face. The child on the ground shivered behind her, his bare back covered in bloody welts. Raizel mumbled beneath his breath as he stepped closer. "Lady, stop. This is not the time for this. You are attracting too much attention!" But Alessia was not listening. Her eyes, aflame with anger, remained fixed on the Marquess. "You do not have the right to harm him. No one does." The Marquess snarled, his jowls trembling as he motioned to his knights. "Arrest he
"Are you even listening to me, Sia?" In the tense quiet, Raizel's voice broke through. His tone was sharp and angry. Alessia leaned back against the wooden bars of their cage. She looked calm, but there was a hint of boredom in her face. Raizel's words hung in the air because she didn't answer right away. "I'm talking to you!" Raizel snapped at her, and his brown eyes narrowed as he glared at her. Alessia gave him a lazy shrug and raised an eyebrow. "I heard you, Raizel," she said in a low voice. "And you're just keep on repeating yourself." Raizel sighed in frustration and ran his hand through his messy hair. "Do you not get it? We wouldn't be here tied up like animals if you hadn't stopped us earlier!" Alessia crossed her arms and said, "Yes, I know." Her carefree attitude seemed to make Raizel even angrier. Raizel mumbled, "You're unbelievable," and his voice was dripping with anger. Sirena, who was sitting still, looked back and forth between them. Her aqua-blue eyes were
"Move carefully, Alessia," Sirena said quietly, her voice cutting with a mix of anxiety and desperation. Alessia's eyelids blinked open, her vision clouded. The first sensation she had was anguish, a dull, throbbing ache that swept throughout her body. She attempted to stretch, but the movement caused additional anguish in her arms and legs, and she winced. The sight of her wrists shackled with harsh ropes biting into her skin nearly stopped her heart. A small rustling sound beside her caused her to turn. Silena was beside her and aquamarine hair was tangled, her face pallid, yet her eyes were bright. "Sirena..." Alessia's voice croaked. She attempted to sit up, but her muscles refused, and she grimaced. "We're tied up," Sirena said gently, attempting not to draw attention to herself. "Don't move too much. You'll only hurt yourself more." Raizel's voice ripped through the air, harsh and full of wrath. "This is what happens when you let your emotions get the better of you, Sia.
"Did you even sleep last night, Sia?" Raizel's loud tone interrupted the morning silence, his gaze locked on Alessia's exhausted, disoriented face. Alessia blinked, trying to focus. "I... tried," she muttered. She clenched the edge of the table in their little room at The Dusty Oasis inn, her knuckles white. Sirena, who sat next to her, sighed heavily. "She didn't. She was restless throughout the night, and I can attest that it is not an easy task to sleep next to someone who is as restless as a puppy." Raizel crossed his arms. "You're worried about them, aren't you?" Alessia did not need to ask who he was referring to. The unsettling pictures of imprisoned Chimeralys she'd seen the day before returned to her mind—half-human, half-creature beings tied in chains, caged, or dragged across the marketplace like commodities. Their desperate eyes and broken spirits had gnawed at her heart all night. "How can I not be?" Alessia muttered, her voice shaking. "They are hurting. Animal-l
Raizel muttered, "Keep your head down, Alessia," as their horses slowed at the grand iron gates of Arcas. His tone was firm but soft, just enough for her to hear over the clamor of the busy entrance. "Remember, you're Sia Larkstone here." "I know," Alessia said, her voice firm despite the unease building inside her. She adjusted her cloak, the cloth brushing across her face, as if to provide comfort. Sirena said from her side, "And don't react to anything you see. The city thrives on fear and power. We know how reckless you are. Openly expressing compassion could endanger us all." The guards at the gate were equally terrifying as Sirena's warning. They wore black armor with elaborate crimson patterns and featured a snarling wolf carved in silver, something Alessia had never seen before. Their piercing eyes searched the crowd as they approached. "State your names and purpose," yelled one of the soldiers, his penetrating eyes lingering on Alessia for a moment too long. Raizel too
"This is it," Alessia whispered softly, standing in front of the Pathweaver, which was shimmering faintly in the meadow's dawn light. Raizel and Sirena stood a few feet behind her, silent yet alert. "I suppose this is goodbye." The Pathweaver turned its head, its iridescent appearance changing like sunshine over water. "Goodbyes are just pauses in the flow of life, Alessia. We may meet again, but perhaps not in the way you think." Alessia smiled slightly. "I still want to thank you. Thank you for guiding us, for your knowledge, and for... everything. I'm not sure how to convey it correctly, but I'm glad." The pathweaver's glowing eyes softened. "Gratitude is a unique and beautiful gift that requires no embellishments. I accept it, Alessia." Curiosity flared in her sight. "I wish I could call you by a name, but... you don't have one, do you?" Alessia asked. "No," the Pathweaver answered kindly. "We, the Guardians of Luminary, do not have names. Our identities are based on ou
"This place is incredible," Sirena said, reclining back on the soft grass of the meadow. Her aqua-blue eyes reflected the sun's waning light as it set behind the golden-leaved trees. "It feels like we've stepped into a dream." Alessia sat nearby, her back against the trunk of a tree that glowed dimly in the twilight. Her fingers carelessly touched the grass, its cool, silky texture grounding her amidst her racing thoughts. Raizel lay out on the ground, hands behind his head, seeming calmer than Alessia had ever seen him. "Dream or not, I'm just glad we're not fighting for our lives anymore." He looked at Alessia with a taunting grin on his face. "Though I have to say, Alessia, you really have a knack for charging headfirst into danger." Alessia smirked but did not answer. Instead, her gaze shifted to the Pathweaver, who was sitting on a tiny rock beside the stream. The creature's iridescent glow appeared to brighten as the darkness deepened, throwing an ethereal light across the
"Alessia! Wake up! You cannot give up now!" Sirena's words cut through the tiredness that had clouded Alessia's consciousness. Alessia's eyelids fluttered open and her body screamed in outrage. Her hands trembled, clutching the Blade of Lumina tightly. She forced herself to stand, despite her body feeling like lead and her knees shaking, as she confronted the Chimeran Trivaltus once more. "You're insane!" Sirena yelled, her voice tinged with panic and wrath, as Alessia pushed forward. "You're going to get yourself killed!" Alessia did not respond. She couldn't afford to waste words explaining her decision. This wasn't just about surviving the Forest of Nyssor; it was about demonstrating to herself that she wasn't weak anymore, that she wasn't the Alessia who cowered in fear. With an aggressive roar, the Trivaltus lashed out with its tiger head, exposing its huge fangs. Alessia avoided narrowly and rolled to the side. As she regained her footing, the lion head, the creature's co
"Sirena, are you alright?" Alessia's voice resonated across the cavern as she grasped the Blade of Lumina tightly, imploring Sirena once more, the blade's faint glimmer the only illumination in the darkness. "I'm fine," Sirena answered, her voice quivering slightly. "But, where are we? And where is Raizel?" Alessia studied their surroundings, her eyes narrowing as she attempted to make sense of the immense cavern they had arrived in. The rocky walls were sharp, and water dripped from the roof and pooled on the uneven floor. Shadows flickered across the stone as Alessia shifted the light from her glowing blade. "I don't know," Alessia mumbled, clenching her jaw. "But we are alone. Raizel did not fall with us." Sirena shivered, tightening her robe around herself. "I do not like this, Alessia. There is something here." A loud, guttural growl resonated through the shadows, sending shivers down both women's spines. Alessia strengthened her grasp on her blade, and the light brighten
"Don't let go of me!" Sirena's voice was stern, with panic seeping through every syllable as she strained against the quicksand that was drawing her down. Her fingers pressed into Alessia's forearms, leaving her knuckles white. "I won't!" Alessia cried back, tightening her grasp on Sirena's wrist. Her heart raced as she braced her feet against the shaky ground, attempting to pull Sirena free. But the more she tugged, the deeper Sirena sank, with her legs totally immersed. "Raizel!" Alessia shouted, her voice cracking. "Do something! I'm trying!" Raizel snapped, his hands lit up with the brilliant green of his terra luminous. The ground shook beneath his boots as he focused his strength on the quicksand, hoping to solidify it into solid soil. However, every time the light touched the moving sand, it returned to its unstable state. "Why isn't it working?" Raizel hissed in rage, his hands clenched. He tried again, his face pinched with concentration, but the quicksand remained unc