Hours after Helene sent an astral message to the soldiers guarding the farmers, around a dozen knights rode through the night to my position. They informed me of Ulric's retreat, prompting me to send another message – this time, through a raven – to mother, urging her to secure the capital. Mustapha was said to be heavily injured and in recovery, making it impossible for him to join us here. Rather than rushing back home, I chose to make camp and wait for the barbarian to wake up. During this time, I practiced spells with Helene, who seemed truly fascinated by my grimoire and it's size.

  "...you shouldn't be able to do that yet" she said, shocked when I repeated a spell she did. It was a 'flying broom' spell.

  "Why is mine slower than yours?" I asked, hovering above the earth as I examined the mechanics of the spell, absorbing the sensation of levitation.

  Helene stared at me like she was witnessing something utterly impossible, and I didn't understand why. It was a simple spell on a stick, charging it to move.

  Her gaze followed me as I hovered to the ground, the spell dispelling.

  "The more familiar you are with a spell the stronger it becomes" she said tossing her stick into the big camp fire. "That is why the oldest witches are the strongest."

  That sounds logical, although it's a bit disappointing.

  I threw my own stick into the fmes. A series of lively crackles erupted from the fmes and at the same time one of the horse snorted.

  "Why do you travel by horse when you can fly with a stick?"

  "The mana cost is exorbitant." she said. "It's not worth it."

  Mana? The way she said the word makes it seem like it's common knowledge, yet I'm not familiar with it, and I don't think I possess it either.

  "What spell do you think I can't do because I don't have mana?"

  She looked at me like I said something stupid.

  "Every awakened have mana" she replied. "That's what separates us from everybody else. Abilities will be impossible without them. Ours are the lowest cost and very minimal but it is still a cost".

  She brought out her grimoire, suspended mid-air and opened by itself. It's pages flipped hurriedly then stopped abruptly. She stared at the page for a second, and maybe muttered a spell because her grimoire began to float towards me, trailed by it's purple smoke.

  The tome stopped before me, and I saw the spell.

  <Δια την εξουσ?α που αποδ?θηκε απ? το γριμ?ριο, διατ?σσω του? ουρανο?? να ελευθερ?σουν ?να κεραυν? κατ? το θ?λημ? μου>

  "<πληγ?>"

  The air quivered with tension as the deep growl of thunder reverberated through the heavens as though the gods were arguing loudly. Suddenly, a long lightning bolt traveled from the skies and struck a powerful tree, almost splitting the trunk in two.

  A heavy silence hung over the forest, accompanied by the crackling of red heat where the lightning had struck. The air crackled with fiery red energy, an otherworldly dance of sparks and heat that painted a vivid, almost malevolent picture against the backdrop of the forest's stillness

  "...what kind of a witch are you?" Helene asked, her shocked expression evident.

  The rest of the group wore simir expressions—some of awe and others of fear. Only that of the other elf was different.

  "I'm not a witch, " I replied simply.

  Her grimoire transformed into tendrils of swirling purple smoke, dissipating into the air.

  Confusion crossed her face. "What do you mean?"

  I shrugged and started walking toward the resting pce the knights had secured for me. I was tempted to show them that I was capable of [Water arts] too but I enjoyed the mystery my silence created. Of course, they will find out sooner or ter, but for now, I feel more comfortable with them not knowing, and wondering what the fuck I am.

  ┌─────── ??? ───────┐

  As I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep, I found my senses awakening in a surreal realm. A transition of existence occurred, and as consciousness returned, I found myself not upon the familiar forest floor, but upright, within the heart of an impossibly massive cave of emerald walls and lots of sculptures. Some warriors, some magicians, and some beyond recognition. The mist-covered ground obscured my view, and despite the ck of a visible reflection to confirm, for some reason I didn't feel like Daran. I was Robert Barnes. A dream?

  I heard a soft whistling behind me, though I couldn't feel the wind. As I turned around, I observed mist rising from the ground. Gradually, it formed into a man-like shape, and within seconds, Butler stood before me in his usual stoic pose. He bowed silently and stared at me and for a second I thought I saw a sad smile on his face.

  "It seems like my time has finally come " he said, his voice tinged with sadness "I bear no regret"

  A brief silence settled between us.

  "Is this magic?" I asked, taking another gnce of the surroundings.

  "Of some sorts, yes" he said. He too did the same.

  I nodded absent-mindedly. "You know who I am?"

  Now I saw him smile.

  "I believe we might meet again, if fate permits... my king" he said with a deliberate emphasis on 'my king'. "But until then, it's farewell for now. The path ahead is impossible but the gods have never been wrong. Till we meet again."

  And darkness came back.