Lyan and Alicia stood in the courtyard, the tension around them almost tangible. The aftermath of the explosions left the air heavy, tinged with the acrid scent of burnt magic and scorched earth. The remains of the assassins were scattered around them—twisted bodies, dark stains on the cobblestones, remnants of magical artifacts glinting in the dim moonlight. The scene was a ss, but Lyan knew there was sothing they could learn here—sothing important.
With a deep breath, Lyan let his hands hover above the ground, a faint blue glow surrounding his fingers. He closed his eyes, channeling the lightning-infused wind magic that Griselda lent him. The energy flowed through his fingertips, swirling along the surface of the courtyard, lifting dust and debris gently into the air. The lightning danced across the scorched earth, revealing the aftermath beneath the cover of darkness. The calm hum of his magic seed to ease the tension in the air, if only slightly.
Beside him, Alicia was on one knee, her hand pressed to the ground, her psychokinetic senses stretching out to take in the entire scene. Her eyes were closed, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to find any lingering traces of the dark magic that had caused the assassins to explode. Lyan glanced at her, appreciating the determined look on her face. She always seed to know how to focus her abilities in situations like this. He couldn’t help but admire her focus, but quickly turned his attention back to his task, trying to hide the tiny smile that crept onto his lips.
The courtyard was still, save for the occasional crackle of Lyan’s magic as it swept over the ground. They both worked silently, the only sounds being their controlled breathing and the distant crackling of dissipating energy. As Lyan cleared away more debris, he started to notice details—burn marks that didn’t belong to any spell they had cast, strange patterns etched into the ground, pieces of charred fabric with small tallic clasps attached. It was all significant, but he couldn’t put the pieces together just yet.
Alicia opened her eyes, her gaze imdiately finding a spot among the remains. She rose to her feet, her expression one of intense focus as she walked forward, kneeling beside a particularly charred section of the courtyard. Her fingertips brushed against the edge of one of the remains, and she closed her eyes again, her senses expanding once more.
"There’s sothing here," she murmured, her voice distant as she focused on the magical energy. Lyan looked over, his interest piqued. He moved closer, his eyes following Alicia’s movents.
"What is it?" Lyan asked, his voice low, not wanting to disturb her focus.
Alicia didn’t respond imdiately, her face scrunching in concentration as she tried to sense whatever trace was left. After a long pause, she opened her eyes, her gaze sharp and serious. "It’s faint, but there’s still so residual magic. It’s... different. Not just a regular spell. It’s sothing older, darker. The kind of magic that’s ant to cover up tracks."
Lyan nodded, his jaw tightening as he absorbed her words. He let out a slow breath, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the remains around them. The explosions hadn’t just been a ans to kill—they had been a cover-up. Whoever had planned this wanted to make sure that nothing could be traced back to them.
"This level of dark magic isn’t just for show," Lyan muttered, more to himself than to Alicia. He looked over at her, his eyes eting her gaze. "It’s forbidden. Sothing to prevent any form of interrogation. A fail-safe."
Alicia nodded, her eyes narrowing in thought. "It’s more than that. The energy left behind..." She trailed off, her brow furrowing as she tried to put her thoughts into words. "It’s consistent with blood magic. Power drawn from a living sacrifice. Whoever did this—they didn’t just want to protect information. They wanted to ensure their operatives couldn’t be captured. It’s a dark pact."
Lyan clenched his jaw, his hands balling into fists. He had seen this kind of magic before, during his past quest, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth. The mories ca rushing back—of comrades lost, of battles fought against enemies who were willing to do anything, sacrifice anyone, to achieve their goals. It was the kind of dark magic that left a stain on everything it touched.
(They’re willing to kill their own people to protect their secrets) Cynthia’s voice was analytical, her tone calm despite the grim subject. (They value their lives less than their mission)
Lyan sighed, nodding slightly. "It’s a high-level form of sorcery," he said aloud, his voice filled with frustration. "This isn’t just so rogue faction. They have powerful mages working with them. People who know exactly what they’re doing."
Alicia looked at him, her expression thoughtful. "Which ans this goes deeper than we thought. If they’re using blood magic, then they have resources—access to forbidden texts, rituals that are kept hidden for a reason." She glanced back at the remains, her face hardening. "And they have no qualms about using them."
Lyan frowned, his eyes narrowing as he looked around the courtyard. "Varzadia," he muttered, the na dripping with venom. "They’re not just trying to destabilize Astellia. They’re prepared for war."
Alicia’s gaze turned to him, her eyes eting his. "We need to find out who else is involved," she said, her voice steady. "We need to know how far this goes."
Lyan nodded, determination settling in his chest. They needed answers—and they needed them fast. The enemy was willing to play dirty, and they couldn’t afford to be caught off guard.
They continued their examination, their eyes scanning every inch of the courtyard for anything that might provide a clue. Alicia moved thodically, her psychokinetic senses guiding her, while Lyan used his lightning magic to clear away debris and reveal what was hidden beneath. It was tedious work, but neither of them complained. They both understood the importance of finding out as much as they could.
After a few minutes, Alicia paused, her eyes narrowing as she spotted sothing among the rubble. She knelt down, carefully lifting a fragnt of what looked like a shattered artifact. It was small, barely the size of her palm, and covered in faintly glowing runes.
"Lyan, over here," she called, her voice urgent. Lyan turned, his eyes imdiately finding the fragnt in her hand. He moved closer, his gaze fixating on the runes etched into the surface.
Lyan knelt beside her, his fingers brushing against the fragnt as he examined the markings. "These runes..." he muttered, his brow furrowing. "They’re not just decorative. This is an ancient language. One used by secretive mage factions."
He focused, letting his mana flow through his fingers, lightning crackling faintly as he activated the residual magic in the fragnt. The runes began to glow more brightly, the energy surging as the fragnt ca to life. An image flickered into view—a darkened room, cloaked figures standing around a table. A map of Astellia was spread out before them, their fingers pointing to different locations.
The image was brief, flickering for only a mont before it faded, but it was enough. Lyan and Alicia exchanged a knowing glance, their expressions grim.
"They’re organized," Lyan said, his voice low. "This isn’t just so spur-of-the-mont attack. They’re planning sothing big."
Alicia nodded, her eyes narrowing. "They have operatives, resources, and a plan. We need to figure out what it is, and fast." She clenched her jaw, her determination clear. "We can’t let them stay one step ahead."
Lyan agreed, his eyes scanning the courtyard once more. There had to be more clues—more pieces of the puzzle that could help them figure out what Varzadia was planning.
As they continued searching, Alicia’s gaze caught sothing glinting in the dim light, near the remains of the leader. She moved towards it, her fingers brushing against the small object. It was a dallion, the insignia of Varzadia’s royal council engraved on its surface.
Alicia’s breath caught, her eyes widening in recognition. She held the dallion up, her expression serious as she looked at Lyan. "This insignia... it’s from the Varzadian council. Soone high up is involved in this."
Lyan clenched his jaw, his mind racing. This wasn’t just a rogue faction—it was connected to the heart of Varzadia’s power. "They’re using official resources," he muttered, his voice filled with frustration. "This is a direct challenge. A declaration of war."
Alicia nodded, her eyes eting his. "We need to show this to Will. This changes everything," she said, her voice steady but tinged with urgency. She tucked the dallion away, her expression thoughtful. "This isn’t just an attack. It’s a statent."
Lyan let out a slow breath, his eyes narrowing. He could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him, the knowledge that they were up against sothing far bigger than they had anticipated. They needed to be careful, to plan their next moves ticulously. One wrong step could an disaster.
He glanced at Alicia, her face set in determination, and he felt a surge of respect for her resolve. She wasn’t backing down, and neither was he. They had a responsibility to protect Astellia, to ensure that Varzadia’s plans didn’t co to fruition.
Lyan raised his hand, channeling Cynthia’s light magic. A soft, warm glow emanated from his palm, illuminating the darkened courtyard. The light revealed faint traces of magical residue left behind by the assassins—dark, almost oily stains that pulsed with an unnatural energy.
"This is..."
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