"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
"What were you thinking, Alessia?" Andro's voice echoed throughout the room, and his fists slammed into the desk with enough power to rock the inkpot perched on its edge. Alessia stood in front of her uncle, arms crossed, with an enigmatic but defiant face. "I was thinking someone had to stop that monster," she stated calmly, despite her hammering pulse. Andro looked at her, his expression a mix of fury and exasperation. "You thought recklessly—that's what it is! Do you understand what you have done? Do you have any idea what would have happened if someone had recognized you?" Alessia's jaw tensed, but she maintained her stare. "Yes. I know exactly what the implications are. And if I had to do it over again, I would not hesitate." Her comments were like a spark that ignited dried tinder. Andro stood up from his chair and paced behind the desk, running his hand over his hair. "Unbelievable. It's just unbelievable. You're meant to be hidden, Alessia! Instead of drawing attention
"What were you thinking, Alessia?" Andro's voice echoed throughout the room, and his fists slammed into the desk with enough power to rock the inkpot perched on its edge. Alessia stood in front of her uncle, arms crossed, with an enigmatic but defiant face. "I was thinking someone had to stop that monster," she stated calmly, despite her hammering pulse. Andro looked at her, his expression a mix of fury and exasperation. "You thought recklessly—that's what it is! Do you understand what you have done? Do you have any idea what would have happened if someone had recognized you?" Alessia's jaw tensed, but she maintained her stare. "Yes. I know exactly what the implications are. And if I had to do it over again, I would not hesitate." Her comments were like a spark that ignited dried tinder. Andro stood up from his chair and paced behind the desk, running his hand over his hair. "Unbelievable. It's just unbelievable. You're meant to be hidden, Alessia! Instead of drawing attention
"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
"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.
"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
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
"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
"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
"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
"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