Strands of smoke curled into the air before dissipating. Not a word escaped the men. They stood there, gazing at the fractured abyss that was slowly healing. The glass planes of the realm reassembled themselves like pieces of a puzzle. Something was wrong. Tucker could tell from the ghastly expressions on Alex and Charles’ faces.

  “Kandula would never leave this easily,” Alex said, locking eyes with Charles. “That bastard tried to fray us and create wax statues out of our bones.”

  “You don’t have to remind me, friend.” Charles pressed his palms against the surface of the table, staring at the ashes of where the severed arm used to be. “Kandula said we stole something from the fiends within the gloom… What exactly did you guys take?”

  “There’s only one thing I can think of, and it’s this.” Tucker took out the glass vial holding the black crystal, placing it gently on the table with a soft click. “We got this after killing a demon beneath the city of Alexandria.”

  “And you didn’t think to mention this to me before we began?”

  “That’s on me, Charles.” Alex cut in. “I should’ve told you about that, and I’m sorry I didn’t.”

  Charles slowly exhaled while shutting his eyes. He then opened them and looked at his comrades. “Look, we’re a team, and I trust you, but from here on out. We do not leave each other in the dark when it comes to important details like this.”

  “Agreed,” Alex said.

  “Heard you loud and clear,” Tucker added.

  “Good.” Charles nodded. “So what is this thing you guys have brought back? I don’t suppose it’s nothing considering how the Candlewick Demon scurried away like that.”

  “We don’t know,” Alex replied. “All we know is that a demon called Serevoth, the Unbound Curator, had it embedded in its chest.”

  “Serevoth?” Charles scoffed. “I’ve never heard of that name before.”

  “Neither have I; our best bet would be to ask the clergy from the Souldom.” Alex turned to Tucker, who scratched his head.

  “I could try asking Mary, but there’s no guarantee that she’ll have an answer.” Tucker shrugged, forcing a weak laugh. “Honestly, I haven’t seen her in a while; she might have forgotten who I am.”

  Alex rolled his eyes. “I doubt it.” He walked over to the map, gazing at the two candles that had formed. One was in the capital of the Avalon Empire, Crownspire. The other was in Gravecourt—a city on the far side of the Empire. Away from the war and carnage on the front lines.

  “There’s two locations… this shouldn’t be possible,” he grumbled.

  “Could there have been someone else’s blood mixed in?” Charles asked.

  “No, the cut was clean and even if there was—a person’s soul is bound to their flesh,” Alex answered. “It doesn’t make sense for two wicks to be lit on the map.”

  “Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.” Tucker stared at the azure flames dancing on the wicks. “The one in the capital is far too risky. There’ll be thousands of knights, mages from all the towers, and the Empire’s covert forces roaming the streets. If we went there, then it would be suicide.”

  “Then that would leave Gravecourt,” Charles said. “Its defenses are considerably weaker compared to the capital. A jolly good option considering what we have.”

  “You make it sound like you’re tagging along,” Tucker jokingly said.

  “If I were younger than perhaps,” Charles said with a grin. “I’m not like Salamander, who can still function on the field. I’ve long since fallen past my prime. Besides, I have to take care of Adira and her friend now.”

  “That’s right; you never know what’ll happen in the field.” Alex retracted his domain as the terrain slowly shifted back. “There’s always a chance we don’t make it back.”

  “It’s sad how true that is.” Tucker crossed his arms as the stone floors returned. He leaned against the bookshelf, which had been buried in books. “But that just gives us all the more reason to succeed.”

  “Well said. Now let’s figure out what our plan will be.” Alex turned to Tucker. “Should we bring Ray in—”

  Before Alex could finish his sentence, the wooden door fell with a loud bang. Pages flew from the stacks of books as the towers came toppling down. Dust rose in waves as Ray rolled across the wooden oak door with his sword drawn. A bright crimson aura flared. His gaze snapped to the three before he stood up.

  Alex sighed. “Speak of the devil.”

  “Oh, it looks like you guys have handled whatever you were doing,” Ray said, brushing the dust off his shoulder. “I thought there was a fight or something in here once I sensed your domain.”

  “We were just having a discussion about what happened during the mission,” Tucker said.

  “Huh, did I miss anything?” Ray asked.

  “We’ve found Pyron at Gravecourt.”

  “Really?” Ray looked at them in wonder before stepping over the books. “That was quick. I thought it would take longer.”

  “If we use the teleportation devices lining the outskirts of the city, it should be enough to enter the city.” Alex tapped on the map. “How we get to Pyron is the bigger issue.”

  Charles walked over to his desk and began skimming through his notes. “If it’s Gravecourt, then there should be a branch of the Emerald Tower there.”

  “And there should be a safe house as well,” Alex added. “The only problem would be if it’s stocked with resources we could use.”

  “It should be the standard arsenal. Keyword being should, that is.” Charles took a handful of notes and laid them on the stone table. “I don’t know what the previous watchmen stationed there did. But from what I do know, all watchmen on the southern border of the Empire have been recalled.”

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “So we’ll be on our own?” Ray asked.

  “Yes, but that works in our favour.” Alex held one note. “A smaller team means we’re harder to detect. Fewer chances of a leak as well, with just the three of us performing the mission.”

  “We would streamline decision making, and with how well we work together, there’s no need to worry about disagreements,” Tucker added.

  “Then that just leaves us with how we plan to break in.” Ray caught his fist with one hand. Then, glanced at the city’s map that Charles had placed on the table. “Is this even accurate enough for us to use?”

  “Unless the Empire somehow shifted the entire foundation of the city, then yes. This is more than enough,” Charles answered. “The only problem would be the layout of the Emerald Tower.”

  “Have any of the previous watchmen drawn anything?” Alex asked.

  “That’s only something you would know once you reach the safe house,” Charles replied. “I can arrange some preemptive supplies for you and schedule a chain teleportation system for you to reach the city. But besides that, it’s out of my hands.”

  “We’ll only be able to plan our next move in Gravecourt,” Alex said. “We have a lot to prepare. If there’s anything you want to bring up, then now’s the time.”

  Tucker looked at Ray. “You mind telling us how you used Spirit Reflux during our battle against Serevoth?”

  “Spirit Reflux?” Charles raised a brow. “That’s new. What does it do?” he quickly asked.

  “We’re not exactly sure,” Alex replied. “But whatever it is, it burned the ichor from that demonic being with ease.”

  “Could… this be a new discovery for spirit progression?”

  “It’s not a new discovery from what we know,” Tucker answered. “The demon we fought asked us why we didn’t use it, and Ray was the only one to awaken it.”

  “So it’s more aligned with being a lost technique?” Charles pondered the matter. “There are thousands of books in the Order, but I don’t believe any of them cover this topic. If it did, I guarantee you that many of us would know it by now.”

  He pulled out a stool from behind a stack of books and sat down, focusing on Ray. “Please tell us about this new discovery. I’m eager to learn more.”

  Ray glanced at the three. “I’ll be honest, I don’t really know. It just kind of… happened.”

  “Everything happens for a purpose,” Alex said. “You just need to remember the sensation that caused it.”

  Ray scratched his head, thinking back to the battle against Serevoth. There wasn’t much he remembered. Just the rain that swallowed his heart at the bastion and the friends he had buried. What remained was the feeling of loss, the pain of lowering his brothers into a shallow grave where they didn’t belong.

  “Loss and regret were what I felt.” Ray clenched his hands. “I remembered what happened at the bastion as I was buried in the rubble and how Rover was there with me through it all.” His eyes drifted to the ground. “Look, I really don’t know, alright? When I woke up, Rover was gone, and I just felt the essence within my body run rampant. Sure, my essence burned hotter than normal, but after the last of my essence vanished… I couldn’t use aura.”

  Tucker could see the pain in Ray’s eyes. He stared at Alex. “It’s best if we leave it at that.”

  Alex met his student’s gaze. He sighed but reluctantly agreed. It wasn’t enough information to figure out the key to unlocking Spirit Reflux, but it was a start. “In that case, we can leave it here for now.”

  “I’ll try to see what I can find regarding this phenomenon,” Charles said. “It’ll take some time, but hopefully I’ll find something by the time you return. Is there anything else you three have discovered?”

  Tucker nodded. “It’s not related to Spirit Reflux, but I’m confident that I found a way to expand how much essence we can hold in our hearts.”

  The three of them immediately turned their heads.

  “What?” Alex narrowed his eyes. “Since when?”

  “I’ve been working on it since I’ve returned, but I only completed it just before we departed,” Tucker replied.

  Charles stroked his beard. “This is revolutionary. How does it work?”

  Tucker walked up to the partially erased chalkboard and looked at Charles, who nodded. With the scholar’s permission, he cleared the rest of the symbols with the eraser set to the side. Then, he picked up the white stick of chalk and began drawing a simple diagram. First, he drew two circles. One representing himself and another for Gale, connected with a solid line.

  “To start off, this is something I learned from Benjamin, so I can’t take all the credit,” Tucker said. “When I was at the bastion, I found out that Benjamin didn’t have a contract with his spirit anymore, so what he was fighting with was only the traces of what was left.”

  Ray stared in disbelief while Alex and Charles simply nodded with remorseful gazes.

  “From him, I learned that spirit essence existed in harmony within our bodies even if our contracts with our companions ended.” Chalk dust drifted in the air as Tucker’s arm moved in a sharp stroke. “This meant that it was possible to assume that essence was far more stable than we believed.”

  Charles examined the drawing, watching Tucker draw a ring around his circle.

  “I realized that by constantly cycling my essence through my heart again and again, I could force a portion of it outwards,” Tucker said. “This would form external bands, expanding my capabilities.”

  “This would require a tremendous amount of control,” Alex said with a grim expression. “But… is this external band a thread?“

  Tucker could hear the sorrow in his mentor’s voice. He wanted to say that the ring surrounding his heart wasn’t a thread, but he wasn’t sure. “I know what you’re thinking, Alex, but even if your contract is with Sally—you still need to try.”

  “What are the risks?” His mentor asked.

  Tucker set aside the chalk and shook his head. “I don’t know. There are too many things in the dark. All I know is that if I tried to take Sally’s essence into my heart like when I fought that knight. It’ll rupture my heart. The backlash would be too great.”

  Charles crossed his legs on the wooden stool. “How many rings can you form?”

  “So far, I’ve only created one. But theoretically, if you prevent the rings from overlapping, you could create as many as you want,” Tucker answered. “There’s also another issue; we would need to see if this is capable with all other elements. The backlash could also be dangerous depending on the nature of the essence.”

  The room fell silent. None of them knew what to say to Tucker about the new discovery. For Alex, it was well known that low-tier spirits couldn’t form threads. This meant that Alex was limited in what he could do if the external bands were threads. But that restriction didn’t apply to Ray.

  Ray glanced at Tucker. “When do we leave?”

  “It won’t be for a few days. The Administrators would need to approve our request,” Tucker replied.

  “You can leave that with me.” Alex gave a firm nod. “I’ll meet with the Administrators and get their approval.”

  “Then in that case, let me be the first fire contractor to create this ring,” Ray said. “Let me do it and document the process for others.”

  “Are you sure?” Tucker asked. “It’ll be risky. I can guide you through what I did, but I’m not sure if it’ll have the same effect.”

  “Have I ever been the type to back down from a challenge, Tucker?” Ray grinned before turning to Alex. “Then once I’m done, it’ll be your turn next, Salamander.”

  Alex smirked at the young watchman’s enthusiasm. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Charles rose from his seat. “We have much to prepare; feel free to use my office whenever you like.” He looked at the simple diagram on the chalkboard while falling deep into thought. After a while, he said, “I’ll see what I can do and search for anything that’ll help us in this matter. But for now, you three need to rest.”

  “Agreed,” Alex said. “You know where to find me if you need anything.”

  “The same goes for me,” Ray said, stretching his arms over his head. “I need at least some sleep before I pull off something crazy again.”

  Once they had stored the summoning materials in the chest and hidden it. Tucker nodded as Ray, Alex, and Charles filed out of the office. Once they were out of sight, he stared at the map on the table, taking the vial back into his pouch. The wax candles had barely melted, and with the little time left, they had many things they needed to prepare. But with the newfound information they obtained from the demon, Tucker knew they were one step closer to reaching their goals.

  And another step closer to finding out what the Empire was so desperately hiding.

  A bit worried about the quality of my writing at the moment.

  I'm rushing to pump out chapters so that I can create a backlog for my Patreon.

  Right now, excluding this one, I'm at one. Not much, but it's growing...

  Thanks for reading, and I'll see ya in the next one~

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