The night air was cool and calm as the group settled in after dinner. Kyle glanced toward lissa and Bruce, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.
"So… have the two of you kept up with your training while I was away?"
lissa straightened imdiately, her eyes alight with pride.
"Of course, young master! I've been doing double the drills. I've been pushing myself every day to catch up to your expectations!"
Bruce, on the other hand, shifted uncomfortably and chuckled nervously.
"Well, I an, I've been training too, but—"
His words died in his throat the mont Kyle turned his full attention on him.
There was sothing about the way Kyle looked at him—quiet, calculating—that made a cold shiver run down his back. Instinctively, Bruce took a step back.
Kyle's hand reached for his sword, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
"Good. Let's put that to the test, shall we?"
Both lissa and Bruce groaned simultaneously.
"Do we have to?"
Bruce muttered.
"No complaints. Block my attacks. That's all."
Kyle said as he unsheathed his blade.
What followed could only be described as a one-sided assault.
lissa and Bruce tried their best, coordinating defense and parrying techniques, but Kyle's movents were too fast, too precise.
Despite holding back, his strikes left them panting, bruised, and flat on the ground.
After what felt like an eternity, Kyle sheathed his sword and stepped back.
"Not bad. You've both made progress. Still…"
He looked down at them, his expression neutral.
"There's plenty of room to improve—for all of us."
lissa forced herself up, sweat matting her hair.
"But why? You're already so strong, young master. Stronger than anyone I've ever seen."
Kyle looked away, his smile faint but bitter.
"There are people out there who make even the strongest look like children. I haven't even touched the feet of the truly powerful ones… but I might face them soon. And when I do, I need to be ready. Power… influence… they're not luxuries. They're necessities."
Silvy, lounging on a nearby tree branch, had watched everything with mild amusent—until Kyle spoke those last words.
Her breath hitched, and her thoughts imdiately returned to Tirakos—the monstrous being they'd barely survived.
The mory alone was enough to send a chill down her spine. She leapt down from the tree and dusted off her clothes, intending to join the group.
But just as she took a step forward, the ground rumbled beneath her feet.
Kyle's eyes narrowed as a sudden tremor rocked the village.
"Brace yourselves!"
A powerful quake shook the land, catching everyone off-guard.
Buildings groaned. Dishes shattered. People stumbled out of their hos in confusion, clinging to nearby walls and poles for support.
lissa cried out as she lost her balance, Bruce stumbling beside her.
Silvy managed to brace herself against a tree trunk while Kyle stood calmly in the center of the chaos, unaffected by the tremors.
The earthquake didn't end in a few seconds—it dragged on for nearly five minutes.
Trees cracked and fell. The earth tore in places, and the villagers' panicked voices filled the night air.
When it finally ceased, a deep silence followed. People stood still, stunned by the sheer force of nature—or perhaps, sothing far more unnatural.
Kyle's gaze turned toward the forest that surrounded the village. His instincts scread.
This wasn't natural.
Soon, the other worke rs of the castle ca out running.
The frightened murmurs of the workers filled the cool night air.
So clutched rosaries or talismans close to their chests while others knelt and whispered prayers, trembling with fear.
"The wrath of the gods…We've angered the heavens!"
A man cried.
"What did we do wrong? What sin did we commit?"
Panic spread like wildfire as villagers stumbled over one another, driven by fear.
The earthquake had shaken more than just the earth—it had cracked open their sense of safety.
Margrave Ricca stepped forward, her long coat fluttering slightly in the breeze, her voice rising to address the crowd.
"Calm yourselves! You're safe! The tremors have passed! Help is on the way—stay where you are and breathe!"
She called out.
But her words seed to do the opposite.
More people began crying, voices raising in confused panic. No one was listening. Her authority was being drowned beneath their terror.
Then sothing shifted.
An invisible weight settled over the square as a low pulse of mana vibrated through the air.
It wasn't overwhelming—but it was commanding.
Every person, down to the youngest child, froze and looked in Kyle's direction.
Though they couldn't see what had changed, they felt it. Sothing primal inside them recognized power.
Kyle stepped forward calmly, his voice firm but composed.
"You are not going to die. No wrathful god is here. But danger is. And that's why you must listen."
He said.
The villagers stood silent, captivated by the sense of safety his presence seed to bring.
Their shaking hands stilled. Their wide eyes, though still filled with fear, were now focused.
But just as peace began to settle over the crowd, Kyle's gaze sharpened. He felt it.
Queen.
Above him, the hawk soared in wide, urgent circles, its feathers glimring faintly under the moonlight. It's voice echoed inside Kyle's mind, sharp and warning. At the sa ti, Kyle felt it's mana stretching toward him.
Without hesitation, Kyle reached back with his own mana and bridged their senses.
In an instant, he could see through Queen's eyes—hovering far above, gazing down at the dark forest encircling the village.
And then he saw it.
Pale light shimred unnaturally through the trees.
Dozens of magic ruins, previously dormant, were now glowing with a sickly violet hue. They pulsed in rhythm, like a heart pumping out corruption.
These ruins—cursed with ancient, foreign mana—were activating. Worse, they were spreading.
And as they crept closer to the outskirts of the village, the curses began to take hold.
A nearby farr doubled over in pain, his skin blooming with blackened veins. Another worker collapsed, eyes glassy and breath shallow.
Kyle's expression darkened.
The entire periter was slowly being encircled.
He was about to dash off toward the nearest ruin when the ground shook once more.
Another quake, stronger than before, slamd through the area like a tidal wave.
People scread, clinging to one another or falling where they stood. The shaking cracked lantern posts and sent loose tiles crashing down from rooftops.
Kyle gritted his teeth as his connection with Queen faltered. He was forced to break his focus and steady himself.
"Everyone! Head to the village plaza! Now!"
He shouted, raising his voice above the chaos.
Startled but obedient, the villagers hesitated only for a mont.
Kyle stepped forward again, his tone sharp.
"Move! The forest is cursed—the mana ruins are active. If you stay near the edge, you'll be cursed too. The plaza is the safest place right now."
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Mana ruins?"
"Cursed…?"
"What is he talking about?"
Kyle's eyes burned with unwavering resolve.
"You don't need to understand it—just trust . You'll be safe if you do as I say. I swear it."
His words, backed by the weight of his presence, settled over them like a protective veil.
One by one, the servants began to move, guiding their neighbors and loved ones with them. No one dared question him again.
Even the Margrave, though montarily surprised, nodded and began directing her soldiers to escort and protect the people as they gathered.
Kyle turned his gaze back toward the dark forest, his jaw clenched tight. The ruins pulsed like a living organism—an infestation ready to consu everything.
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