"It’s... not a tree..."
The words sent chills down Auriel’s spine.
"What do you an?"
Auriel demanded.
Sophia struggled to speak, her body trembling.
"Not... a tree... it’s..."
Lady Sophia’s breath was shallow, and her body trembled as she clutched Auriel’s wrist. Her usually sharp erald eyes were hazy, barely able to focus.
"It’s... not a tree..."
She rasped out again, her voice hoarse from exhaustion.
The group stood in stunned silence as her words sank in.
Princess Evelyn narrowed her eyes.
"Then what is it?"
Sophia’s lips parted as if to answer, but she coughed violently, her body shuddering from the effort. Carol quickly reached out, helping her sit up.
"It’s...It’s an... organism... sothing that absorbs magic to survive..."
Sophia struggled to continue.
Auriel’s expression darkened.
"A being that feeds on magic itself?"
Sophia gave a weak nod before collapsing back against Carol. The young healer pressed a hand to the mage’s forehead, worry flashing across her face.
"She’s too weak to continue. We need to get her dical attention—"
Carol turned to Auriel.
"There’s no ti for that. We need to destroy that thing before it gets worse. I feel like I should declare an ergency because of this."
Evelyn interrupted.
Lilith clenched her fists.
"But how? If it’s not a tree, then normal thods might not work."
Evelyn turned back to Sophia.
"How do we kill it?"
But the mage master had already lost consciousness.
A heavy silence settled over the group.
Princess Evelyn clicked her tongue.
"Tch. So much for that."
"Then we have no choice. "I’ll go to it directly"
Auriel said, standing tall.
Lilith crossed her arms.
"Of course. But how do we approach sothing that’s draining all the magic in the area? We can’t afford to get too close."
Auriel hesitated for only a second before responding.
"I’ll go alone."
"What?"
Carol’s head snapped up.
"No way!"
Evelyn imdiately objected.
Lilith narrowed her eyes.
"Goddess, we cannot allow that. This thing is dangerous."
Auriel looked at them calmly.
"That’s exactly why I should be the one to go. I am not human. I don’t depend on magic the sa way you all do. If this thing feeds on magic, then I am the only one who can make it there safely."
The others exchanged uncertain glances.
Lilith was the first to break the silence.
"Even if that’s true, going alone is reckless."
Evelyn added.
"I agree. We should at least—"
"—You can’t co. If this thing drains your magic, you will all die before even reaching it."
Auriel cut her off gently but firmly.
No one had a response to that.
Evelyn bit her lip in frustration, fists clenching at her sides.
"So, what? We just stand back and hope you can handle it?"
Auriel turned to her with a reassuring smile.
"I am not asking you to do nothing. Your job is to protect the people. Ensure no one else falls victim to this organism while I handle it. And also, you all might be forgetting, but I am much more powerful than you re humans."
Evelyn exhaled sharply, clearly unhappy but unable to argue.
Carol frowned but eventually nodded.
"Fine. But the mont we sense sothing going wrong, we are stepping in."
Auriel smiled.
"I wouldn’t expect anything less."
Though reluctant, the group finally agreed, trusting Auriel’s judgnt.
______
Unbeknownst to them, soone else had overheard their conversation.
Hiding behind a pillar nearby, Nana White’s eyes widened in horror.
’They’re going to destroy it?!’
Her fingers trembled as she clutched her robe.
She had worked so hard to cultivate that tree—to bring it to life, to ensure its survival. She had poured her blood, sweat, and magic into it.
And now...
’No...’
A pit of dread settled in her stomach.
She couldn’t let them.
She wouldn’t let them.
Without thinking, Nana turned and ran.
She needed to do sothing.
And she needed to do it now.
Nana ran through the empty hallways of the Magic Tower, her breath coming in short gasps. The place, once teeming with energy, now felt hollow—as if sothing had sucked the life out of it.
Her mind was racing.
’They’re going to destroy it. I can’t let that happen.’
She had spent too much ti cultivating the tree—no, the organism. It was her responsibility, her only ticket to be able to have her funds and be able to find a way to pay for everything.
And now they wanted to erase it as if it were so disease?
No.
She wouldn’t let that happen.
But... how could she stop them?
Her hands clenched into fists as she skidded to a halt inside her small quarters, shutting the door behind her.
She needed a plan.
Nana knew she couldn’t fight them directly.
Goddess Auriel was a divine being. Even if Nana could use magic against her, it wouldn’t work. Princess Evelyn was a skilled warrior, and Carol and Lilith were high-ranking priestesses. Taking them on by force was suicide.
She needed to delay them instead.
Her eyes flickered to the assortnt of potions on her desk. So were harmless—healing tonics, energy restoratives. But others...
Her fingers hovered over a small vial filled with a swirling, grayish mist. A potion of illusion.
She grabbed it without hesitation.
If she could make them see sothing that wasn’t there—make them think the organism was sowhere else—she could lead them away from it.
She also had sleeping incense. If she could spread it subtly, they might not even realize they were getting drowsy.
If she could make them hesitate—even for a few precious minutes—it would be enough.
Nana wasn’t naïve.
If she was caught interfering, she would be executed—or worse.
She needed a way out.
She opened a hidden floorboard beneath her desk, revealing a small tunnel that led to the lower levels of the Magic Tower. It was ant for ergencies, but now, it would be her way out.
She just needed to stall them long enough.
Taking a deep breath, Nana clutched the illusion potion in her hand and steeled herself.
’I won’t let them take it.’
With determination burning in her chest, she slipped into the shadows.
It was ti to put her plan into motion.
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