...A DANGEROUS SITUATION...
~ RIVIAN ~
The Mjrna tree had a thick cluster of compound yellow leaves and smooth white bark. It resembled a short, stout willow that didn't belong in our world.
The Epican Lao was a vast forest covering the northeastern half of the island, dominated by towering Myrkv trees. Their dark brown bark and dense, bright green, ovate leaves blocked out the light, leaving the forest floor in near darkness.
Cora's black scales shimmered in the pale moonlight. She slithered around a low-hanging branch, her body constricting like she was suffocating prey, before angling her head toward the water below. I studied the raging river. It was more than five meters wide and deceptively deep, its powerful current sliced through the Lao, sounding just like a screaming waterfall.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" I asked skeptically. Cora's tongue flicked in and out of her mouth. Her hesitation made my stomach twist. "I could just touch it," I suggested again.
Cora glanced in my direction. Her eyelids narrowed, as if she offered me a glare. "She already explained to him why that is a terrible idea," Cora's voice came, sharp as ever. "The tree will take his mana and use it against him. That is how it defends itself."
"Even so, I don't want you to risk your crystal. It would be the safer alternative."
"She will pull it into the river. The current will help bring it down. Keep his attention on the roots. Only when they have been severed, burn them. That is the only way the two of them can take care of this nuisance."
"This better work, Cora. If you fail, I'm not fishing your crystal out of the river. I can't survive this current. You'll be lost."
Cora ignored me as she entered the water, her sleek form disappearing beneath the surface. I moved closer, my eyes following her as the current tried to drag her away. Her body tightened around the branch; its string of leaves slapped the water's surface.
My mouth dried, and my palms felt clammy. Doubt crept in, gnawed at my thoughts. The Mjrna groaned and tilted slightly, resisting, but Cora's plan was working—kind of.
Sighing, I got to work. Grabbing my single-bladed spear, I thrust its blade into the soil beside the tree's trunk and began loosening the roots.
The blade was forged from dragon glass—sapphire-clear and deadly sharp—Cain had obtained it from the Draegr beneath Ski'Mar. It was his sharpest weapon, locked away in a secret vault under his mansion. The staff was made from the tooth of a long-extinct Daemun called Bismyrae, a beast said to be larger than a mountain. Cain had slain it with a burst of pure mana. That's how Ataraxia'a's crater came to be. Or so the story has been passed down.
The tooth had been transformed into the spear's staff, inscribed with a spell that allowed the wielder to control its length by channeling mana through it.
The Mjrna tree came from their world. Layer 689. It didn't belong in ours. It was poisoning everything around it, sucking the land dry of mana and nutrients. Here, it was a parasitic organism; there, it was just an average tree.
Layer 86 barely had a fraction of the mana that Ataraxia'a radiated out. Their world was overflowing with power, seeping through the rift, trickling into ours. It was the source of our power, and the reason we could use magic.
The Mjrna was just trying to survive. It was impressively resistant to magic… by our standards, at least. Its bark couldn't be cut by ordinary weapons, but its roots were its weakness. Cutting them wasn't enough; they had to be burned, or they'd reattach to the tree and keep it alive.
Cora swam through the current, pulling her tail closer to the river. Finally, the tree toppled, some of its branches sucked into the water, which helped Cora to pull it down. The ground beneath me shifted.
I focused on the thicker roots, knowing the smaller ones would snap under enough tension. Five roots later, the tree finally popped free from the riverbed with a loud crack, sending dust, leaves and water flying up into the air. As its canopy crashed into the water, and I felt the tree's mana pour out into the soil like a flood.
I stabbed the spear into the ground and rushed forward as the tree started to drift away. My heart skipped. Cora was still out there, and I feared for her safety. A rock could hit her, strike her crystal—her weak spot—and I'd lose her too.
"Cora!"
"Rivian!" Her voice echoed from the water. I saw her head break the surface, struggling to keep herself steady as the current fought to drag her under.
"Gods! I knew this was a bad idea! You- you can't even see. Hold on! I'm coming!"
"She may be blind, but she's not without her senses. She will be alright. Burn the roots, Rivian. It is the only way!"
"Fuck! You better not die on me, Cora!" I screamed. My voice was swallowed by the sound of rushing water, but I knew she heard me.
I returned to the roots, working desperately to sever them before they could crawl out of the ground and follow the tree down river. As I dug into the earth, I felt something stir deep within me—unease, a gnawing dread. But I didn't have time to think about it.
Opening my hands, I raised them in front of me. I closed my eyes and bowed my head, offering a moment of respect.
'May you be set free of your suffering. Rest in peace.'
I exhaled, hands still trembling as I drew my mana into my palms. I opened my eyes. The spell came easily now, fluid and instinctive.
"Ygni."
I murmured the incantation, shortening it for quicker casting. Fire magic was volatile, but I imagined it like water shooting from a hose—quick and sharp.
Mana erupted from my palms, forming a tight line of flame that consumed the roots in seconds. They writhed, hissed, then fell still.
My left arm twitched. The ink glowed faintly. It was Cain's mark. The flame tattoo began to flicker wildly. My gut clenched. Something was wrong. A sharp pain seared my left arm. It glowed brighter now; an intense flare of golden yellow light fought the glow of orange fire.
I stopped casting, my breath catching in my throat.
Without warning, my body folded inward. In an instant, I was crumpled into a ball the size of my fist, sucked through a rift, and spat out onto a bed of dried leaves on the other side. I unfolded quickly… returning to my original state before entering the portal.
It all happened so fast.
I scrambled to my hands and knees, retching violently. Blood, bile, and mucus poured from my mouth. Every breath burned like fire, and my head swam in a thick ocean of pain.
'What the hell just happened?'
"No, no, no! He should not be here!" Maeve's voice rang out. He sounded panicked.
I looked around. My vision was blurry, and realized I was somewhere unfamiliar. Dense fog surrounded me. I could feel Cain again. His presence overwhelmed me. Cora's protection was gone, now that we were separated. She wasn't there to block him out anymore.
I didn't know where I was. Only that I was in pain. I felt like shit.
'A cigarette won't fix me this time.'
Something stirred beside me. I squinted, barely able to make out my hands in the fog. Something dripped down my elbow. Blood.
Then, I felt it. Something had bitten me.
And, of course, Cain's spear was nowhere to be found. Left back near the Mjrna's roots. I could only hope I could retrieve it before Cain realized it was gone. I had borrowed it without permission.
I conjured my regalia, slamming it into the thing circling me. I felt the impact, but mana coursed back up my arms. Mana was meant to flow in one direction, pushing against the natural flow felt like shards of glass were scraping at my insides, but I pushed through the pain and persisted.
The thing came back, sinking its teeth into my arm again. I winced. Its tongue slid into the wound, slurping my blood.
"Ygni!" I shouted, willing my magic into a circle of fire. Flames burst from me in all directions, illuminating the fog and revealing the fiends closing in around me.
They hesitated, but I didn't wait. I slammed my regalia into the nearest one, and it screamed as it turned to ash.
Something about the fiends was off, though… they shouldn't have disintegrated like that. They weren't Daemun. They were Daenoi. What was going on?
I saw Maeve in the distance, tackled by something large. I couldn't get a better look, because the fog returned, obscuring them. I rushed to his side, my body trembling with every step. A hand grabbed me, and I swung my fiery spear into it, hearing it burn away.
"No! Do not use magic!" Maeve urged.
Then, a voice—a voice that sounded like Cain's—spoke.
"Welcome, Raegus. I've been waiting for you."
My body chilled. Instinctively, I sucked my mana back into my crystals. It fucking hurt. It fell off… like it didn't belong to me.
I dropped to my knees, feeling the crushing pressure of the Daemun's presence. I picked up on its hostility. It was about to attack me, but Maeve appeared underneath me, and I desperately clung to his fur as we burst through the fog.
"He must close his eyes, Rivian," Maeve ordered.
I shut them tight, and that's when I heard it—the snarls and growls from all around us. The fiends were closing in. But… there was something else, something worse than the fiends hiding in the fog. It wasn't Cain. It was only mimicking his presence.
I was around a lot of Daemun every single day. I spent time with them, talked with them, and touched them even though I wasn't supposed to. But there was only one Daemun Cain told me to stay away from.
Even though I was terrified, I had to stop it. I sensed it closing in. I don't know why, but it felt like it was about to lunge at us.
"Azran!" I shouted, focusing every ounce of my remaining mana into one last spell. Blue flames exploded from my body, following the trail I'd set.
Maeve cursed, but I didn't care.
The fog scattered. And then, there it was. Entity 387. The Lacuna. It was menacing. A cloak was draped over its ghostly black body. Its hood was down and its tentacles on top of its head slowly raised up into the air. It watched us with a wicked smile.
"Interesting," it said, lowering one of its arms. I shivered in terror. It swatted my most powerful spell into the ground like it was nothing. It was overwhelmingly strong. It felt like I was facing Cain with most of his restrictions removed, and that alone terrified me.
"Do not look at it, Rivian!" Maeve roared.
"A bit late for that, Maeve!"
The Daemun laughed maniacally. It pissed me off hearing it do that while using Cain's voice. It faded away and disappeared, just as the fog covered it back up. I felt it's presence fade. It was leaving.
The fiends, however, were still following us.
"Faster, Maeve!"
"He is going as fast as he can!" Maeve hissed.
He shot forward, weaving through the trees with agility that seemed impossible. The fog parted as we broke through it, and suddenly we were in a vast courtyard, surrounded by students and teachers.
The girls wore uniforms: heeled shoes that clicked on the cobblestones, black stockings that hugged their legs, knee-length skirts, white button-up shirts with stiff collars, and brightly coloured bowties that popped against the dreary backdrop.
'Oh, fuck. Maeve was right. I shouldn't be here.'
I tumbled off his back, landing hard. My breath hitched; the wind knocked from my lungs. I wheezed like a frightened child in front of all those eyes. The heat of embarrassment spread through me. But at least we were alive.
"What was he thinking? His impulsiveness is unacceptable!" Maeve's voice boomed in my mind, furious.
"Oh, spare me the lecture. I already know it was reckless," I shot back, pushing myself up. Maeve circled me, his gaze tracking every inch of me.
I was shaking, my body trembling uncontrollably. I had nothing left. No mana, no strength—just raw, unsteady exhaustion. The world around me tilted as nausea swelled in my gut. Somehow, I stayed on my feet, my hands braced on my knees as I fought the urge to collapse.
"Dangerous? Maeve was not referring to Rivian's reckless magic. If he thought it was only dangerous, then he is a fool," Maeve's growl was low, full of disgust. "Not only has Rivian attacked it directly, but he has also gazed upon its true form. The Lacuna's restrictions have been lifted. It has been set free from this place."
"Well, I had to do something. It was about to hit you!" I snapped, frustration bubbling in my chest.
"What he did was mindless. That Lacuna was trapped here. And Rivian's actions have set it free by interfering. Maeve saved Rivian. Not the other way around. He warned him not to use magic. And he urged him not to look at it! What if Rivian died!"
"Fuck! Do you ever say thank you?" I shot back, the words hot on my tongue.
"What for? He was not saved. There was never any risk to him."
"I don't care! I saw that thing tackle for you. Cain would burn the world down before letting anyone hurt you. I did it for him. Don't get it twisted," I crossed my arms over my chest, defensive, even though the sharp sting of guilt twisted in my gut.
'Fuck! Did it use Maeve to bait me into attacking it? Did I really set it free? Is that why it left after I attacked it?'
Maeve's sharp eyes softened for a moment, his shoulders loosening. His alert tail lowered slightly. He had every right to be angry. I'd acted on instinct and nearly killed myself for it.
"He admires Rivian's bravery. But he feels the need to remind him that Maeve can come back from the brink of death. Rivian cannot."
The girls around me watched, eyes wide, confused by the conversation they couldn't hear. They saw me talking to myself. Lucky them. If they could see Maeve, they'd be frozen in terror. He was a force of nature. A monster wrapped in shadow. But right now, he was right. I could die any moment.
"I won't lose anyone else, Maeve. I can't."
A pool of shadows flickered beneath him, dark tendrils stretching out, as if the very ground responded to his presence. He summoned the Maji. They appeared from the inky abyss: six girls with ash-blonde hair, their coral-coloured bowties dishevelled and stained with blood. Their bodies were riddled with bite marks and scratches, and there was a seventh—Cain. His face was pale, and a dark bruise was forming around his neck. He was in his female form. I stared at him in shock. He was in a terrible state.
"What happened to him?" I asked, my voice shaky, as fear crept into my chest.
"Cain was not their target. They were after the girls."
"Then why the hell is he unconscious?" I demanded.
"Is it not obvious? Cain has lost too much mana. He is in stasis. He will wake up when enough mana circulates through his crystals."
"Okay." I rubbed my face with both hands. I was relieved that he was alright.
"Stay here. He will return soon."
"What? You're going back out there?"
"Yes. There are too many fiends surrounding the premises. He will cull their numbers. Do not follow him."
He wasn't leaving without extracting a promise from me.
"Yeah, okay, I get it. I won't follow you," I muttered. Maeve nodded and faded into the fog without another word.
"Kjevsky!?" Aeron's voice shattered the tension. "By the stars, what are you doing out here? Cain will be furious. And the Kjevskanna-"
"Can kiss my ass," I interrupted, the words escaping before I could stop them.
Aeron's face drained of colour when he saw the blood dripping from my arm. I ignored him, though my mind screamed at me to sit down and tend to the pain. It wasn't a big deal. Not yet.
"What is this boy doing in my courtyard?" A voice, smooth and sharp, cut through the air like a blade. I turned to see a woman approaching. Her gaze was hostile, even though her face was set to appear indifferent.
"This is Headmistress Valere Flamesworth," Aeron spoke, barely keeping his composure. "I apologize for his unexpected arrival. This is-"
"I know who he is, Aeron," she interjected. "And he's not welcome here. Escort him back to Arcane Academy."
I felt my lip curl in annoyance. I tried to hide it, but her sharp eyes caught me anyway.
Aeron cleared his throat nervously. "It would be wise to keep your tongue in check, Headmistress Valere. This boy is Cain's Raegus."
"So what?" The woman sneered. "He's just a pest clinging to Cain's legs. I will grant him one night, but he better be gone by noon tomorrow, or I will exterminate him."
With a final, dismissive look, she turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving me standing there.
"Kjevsky, you shouldn't be here," Aeron said, his voice hesitant.
"My name is Rivian," I snapped, irritation flickering through my words. "Stop calling me that, Aeron. You know how I feel about being called that in front of others."
"Yes, of course, Kjevsky - Rivian," he stammered. "Come. I'll escort you to Cain's chambers. You need rest."
"Lead the way."