322 - When the Light Fades
Alice Asalon:
The rain was slowing, and the clouds were gradually dissipating.
The mysterious man had vanished, and at that very moment, the light from the globe above us flickered on, illuminating the area as if it were daylight.
I looked down and saw Nathan holding his feline companion in his arms.
"Nathan, what happened to her? What happened to you?" Chloe asked, her voice thick with concern.
"You look awful, Nathan. You're covered in wounds," Kinue added.
The Saint approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder, but Nathan remained still, his eyes locked on the wounded feline in his arms.
Melina moved closer to me, glancing at the injured panther cub before looking at Nathan with pity.
"He looks terrible… I feel so bad for him," she murmured, sadness in her voice. "What was that thing, cousin? It was terrifying."
The image of that dark figure floating in the air was still vivid in my mind—a shadow that refused to fade.
"That wasn't something easy to deal with…" Anastasia replied, deep in thought.
"Either way, we were lucky nothing serious happened to us," Sebastian said beside me. "We should have stayed in that tunnel."
"If we had gone straight to the elevator instead of wasting time looking for Nathan Evenhart, we never would have crossed paths with that guy," Duncan muttered.
"Brother, don't say that…" Melina chided. "He's already devastated because of his familiar."
"The prince is right. His recklessness caused the professor to be separated from us," Sebastian said. "Something could have happened to us because of him."
I turned to him, and he placed a firm hand on my shoulder, his gaze serious.
"I'm relieved nothing happened to you, Alice. I care about you… and not just because it's my duty as your vassal."
Duncan stepped toward Nathan, who still held the wounded feline in his arms, unmoving.
"What happened?" he asked, trying to make sense of the situation. "What was that thing? Where did that strange man go?"
"I don't know…" Nathan replied, his voice distant.
Duncan clicked his tongue in irritation.
"What do you mean you don't know? Those two men spoke directly to you. Do you have any idea how badly you screwed up by putting your king in danger?"
"Enough," I said firmly. "It's over."
"Stop talking to Nathan like that!" Chloe snapped.
"She's right," Syvis agreed, stepping forward.
Duncan let out a heavy sigh.
"I'm just being pragmatic. I'm worried about all of us. He disappeared, and his recklessness could have put us all in danger. We had a plan for how to handle this situation. You all saw that thing. The professor disappeared because she went after him. I might sound insensitive, but I'm just being realistic. Many students probably died… and we could have been among them. Luckily, only his cat got hurt."
Nathan slowly stood up and began walking toward him.
Sebastian immediately stepped in between them.
"You're upset because of your familiar, so think carefully and don't do anything foolish," he warned.
"You better shut your mouth, Duncan. Remember, it was your brilliant idea to go to the elevator," Tiffania retorted.
Duncan clicked his tongue again.
"I'm done arguing. The orcs are gone. We can move forward either way."
At that moment, a loud noise echoed through the area.
The elevator tower vibrated, the globe of light above us glowed even brighter, and the environment took on an artificial daylight-like clarity.
Everyone turned toward the tower as the elevator doors slowly began to open.
A tense silence settled over the group as we held our breath, waiting to see who would emerge.
The tension melted away as soon as we saw the first figures stepping out.
Director Victoria was the first to exit, followed closely by Professor Adrihna.
Behind them, a large force of soldiers marched out, all fully armed, moving in disciplined formation.
Among them, I recognized elven, human, and demi-human troops.
And among the crowd, I spotted one of the undercover inquisitors, walking with unwavering purpose.
The moment I saw him, my heart pounded.
I knew him well.
Then, my cousin Elara stepped out of the elevator, her eyes scanning the devastated battlefield, her concern evident.
At that moment, a profound sense of relief washed over me.
Help had finally arrived.
Adrihna Akonium:
My heart was restless.
I had spent the entire day standing before the elevator doors, not leaving for even a moment.
We had to mobilize everyone to help. The city's soldiers were summoned, and the news that everyone inside the tower was in danger spread rapidly. Victoria contacted monarchs, generals, and inquisitors, gathering as many reinforcements as possible.
She and I had faced that pink-eyed being who called himself Vaelor, a Demonic Archbishop.
We quickly realized his origin—the other world, the domain of malevolent beings.
His presence was an overwhelming threat. But the worst part was his ability—he could teleport, a power so superior that it turned the battle into a mere game of survival. At any moment, he could have killed us.
Victoria unleashed tsunamis of scalding mud, while I conjured a rain of light arrows, trying to keep him moving and away from Elara. It was only when Queen Garnora arrived to aid us that we finally understood the limit of his power—his teleportation had a range.
Even so, he toyed with us, never revealing the full extent of his strength.
And then came the revelation—he never intended to kill us.
Everything was just a distraction.
The true target was the tower.
His allies had managed to seal it—something that should have only been possible for the academy's director, using a secret passed down for generations.
The tower, an enchanted relic, had become impenetrable.
Before the barrier fully closed, Vaelor slipped inside, stepping into the elevator where others were already waiting for him.
They had completely deceived us.
I had spent hours before that door, trying in vain to break the barrier. My heart was in pieces, tormented by the thought that I had failed to protect my own.
Garnora and Victoria had disappeared for a time, but when they returned, they had regained control of the tower.
Now, I was in the elevator, descending with the soldiers, not knowing what awaited us.
"I'm worried too," Victoria said, her voice low and measured. "But Garnora assured us that no harm has come to them… at least, not to those who matter to us."
I didn't respond. I only stared at the door, waiting for it to open.
The moment it did, we surged forward.
Soldiers shouted orders. Inquisitors scattered.
Lillian soared ahead on her broom.
A human inquisitor conjured a massive wave that carried him forward, while the others dispersed into the forest.
Before I could even choose a direction, I saw people emerging from the undergrowth.
"Protect them immediately!" one of the commanders on our side shouted.
The water-element inquisitor reached them first, raising a towering liquid wall to shield those coming out. The others fanned out, searching the forest.
I ran toward the group emerging from the foliage.
They were covered in mud, soaked from the rain, and some were visibly injured.
"Princess! Saint… Kinue…" I murmured, my heart clenching at the sight of them.
But then, I saw Nathan.
And I almost collapsed.
"Nathan?! What happened to you?"
He was in a horrific state.
His entire body was covered in wounds. His face was bruised purple, as if he had been brutally beaten. His clothes were drenched in blood, slashed and punctured, revealing the severity of his injuries.
One of his eyes was swollen shut.
Both showed traces of having cried blood.
And in his arms, he cradled his familiar, unmoving.
"A-Adrihna…" the Saint murmured weakly. "I already healed his worst injuries…"
So that meant… there were still more terrible wounds beneath the surface?
Everyone started talking at once, trying to explain what had happened.
But Nathan remained silent.
His eyes were lost in an incomprehensible void.
"You all need to leave—NOW!" Wilfred Saul, one of the human inquisitors, shouted. "There's no time—getting everyone out is the top priority!"
Nathan handed his familiar to Tiffania and, without a word, suddenly took off running.
"Nathan!" Chloe called out, but he disappeared into the trees.
I ran after him.
"Nathan!" I shouted.
He ignored me.
He just kept running.
Nathan Evenhart:
I ran through the forest, my boots sinking into the damp earth.
The rain had stopped, and my storm clouds had vanished.
A part of me was filled with urgency, my mind racing as I sprinted toward the cave where I had fallen.
I leapt into the chasm.
The drop was long and dark—a fall like this would have killed anyone who wasn't a mage.
As I plummeted, memories of my battle with the Herald surged through my mind, each moment burned into my thoughts.
Just before I hit the ground, I used the last remnants of my recovered mana to cushion my fall with wind magic.
My body touched down gently, but the darkness consumed me completely.
Daylight didn't reach this abyss.
From my bracelet, I pulled out a light orb, illuminating the area around me—revealing a scene of utter devastation.
On the ground, something was written in blood—giant letters etched like a scream, meant for anyone who passed through.
"MORVAT."
I didn't need to think twice about who had done it.
The dark elf.
It was his name.
Marked there like a taunting signature, left behind on purpose, daring anyone to see it.
I started running again, my breath ragged, my footsteps echoing against the cavern walls.
"Professor!" I called, my voice reverberating through the depths as I ran without stopping.
I soon reached a section where parts of the tunnel's ceiling had collapsed.
Massive stones and debris blocked the passage, a gaping hole in the structure a clear sign of destruction.
The creature had passed through here, likely carving a path to reach me.
The tightness in my chest grew unbearable.
I pushed forward, entering the tunnel.
Inside, the environment was slightly brighter, thanks to the faint glow of crystals embedded in the walls.
The contrast against the suffocating darkness outside felt almost surreal.
However, many of those crystals had been shattered, their fragments scattered across the ground—a result of the battle.
As I moved forward, my eyes caught sight of the battlefield's scars—craters in the walls and floor, remnants of magical explosions.
I quickened my pace, adrenaline pumping through my veins.
The air was thick, carrying a pungent stench—a mix of blood and damp earth.
"No…" I murmured when I noticed it.
The ground beneath me was stained red.
With every step, the metallic scent grew stronger, like an unseen force pulling me forward.
The tunnel ahead seemed like a dead end.
My light orb revealed something further ahead.
A detail that made my heart stop.
The crystals along the walls cast a pale, cold light over the scene.
From a distance, I saw something lying on the ground, still and unmoving.
I swallowed hard and began advancing slowly, dread clawing at me with each step.
"Nathan…?"
A weak voice shattered the silence of the tunnel, coming from deep within.
I froze.
I recognized that voice instantly.
I stared into the depths of the tunnel, where the darkness was densest.
"Professor!" I shouted, sprinting toward her, the light orb illuminating the path ahead.
Every step felt heavier than the last, as if the air itself resisted my movement.
The light cut through the darkness, revealing, piece by piece, what had been hidden.
And when I finally found her,
my heart froze.
There she was—Beatrix.
Slumped against the tunnel wall.
Or… what remained of her.
"Is that really you?" she asked, her voice frail, exhausted.
I swallowed hard, struggling to hold myself together.
"It's me, Professor…" I replied, my throat tightening as I stepped closer.
The light in my hand flickered, finally revealing her full condition.
And I nearly lost my breath.
Beatrix sat in a pool of her own blood, the red liquid still slowly seeping into the ground.
Her arms and legs…
Were gone.
Amputated.
The wounds had been cauterized grotesquely, as if someone had used magic or raw fire to stop the bleeding.
A horrible pain clawed at my chest, an agony beyond words.
"It's dark…" she whispered, her voice barely audible, as if lost in the shadows swallowing her whole.
"Yes… it's dark," I answered, kneeling beside her.
The light trembled in my hand as I brought it closer to her face.
My heart shattered when I saw her up close.
Her eyes… had been ripped out.
In their place, two hollow, dark cavities gaped back at me.
The sight was horrifying.
Beatrix was still conscious, but her suffering was undeniable.
Her face was twisted in pain, her body barely holding on, clinging desperately to the last threads of her consciousness.
I didn't know what to do.
My body trembled, my mind struggled to process the scene before me.
"Professor…"
My voice faltered.
I didn't know what to say.
I didn't know how to save her.
"Beatrix, I'm going to take you to get help, don't worry," I said, forcing my voice to sound hopeful, even as despair tore through my chest.
My eyes locked onto her abdomen—a gaping, grotesque wound, pulsing irregularly.
She turned her head toward me, as if she could still see me, following the sound of my voice.
"He… said he's coming for you."
Her words were broken, filled with fear.
"Now that they know who you are… he said that as soon as he returns… he's going after your family."
I tried to pull her up, determined to carry her with me, but she shook her head weakly, her motion hesitant, uncertain.
"I'm scared, Nathan…" she admitted, her voice trembling as her body began to slump to the side.
"Professor!"
I caught her quickly, keeping her from falling—but she flinched at my touch.
She was still traumatized… from being mutilated by that monster.
"It's me… it's me…" I murmured, trying to soothe her, holding her gently, desperate to comfort her in the midst of this nightmare.
A soft, painful smile crossed her lips—even through the unbearable agony she must have been feeling.
"At least… I managed to protect my students…" she murmured, her voice growing weaker with every word.
"C-can you stay with me? I feel like… it's getting even darker…"
"Y-yes, of course, Professor," I answered, my voice thick with emotion, a tight knot forming in my throat as I carefully adjusted her, sitting her in my lap.
"Can you warm me? This place… it's so cold…"
"Y-yeah…" I whispered, my body trembling as I held her close, trying to keep her warm—trying to keep her here.
Her body was so cold.
As if the life within her was already slipping away.
Even blind, she turned her face toward me, as if she could still see.
"W-was I a good warrior?" she asked, her voice fragile, uncertain—pleading for reassurance.
"You were. You were the best I've ever known," I answered firmly, my voice breaking under the weight of my own sorrow.
She smiled again.
Weak. But sincere.
"Father… I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling with regret.
"I'm sorry for leaving home…"
Her voice grew softer.
"I'm sorry, Mother… I don't know if I was a good daughter," she continued.
Her already pale skin faded even more.
"Did I make you proud?"
I held her tighter, pulling her closer, trying to warm her—trying to give her even a shred of comfort.
But my words—they caught in my throat, crushed under the weight of my grief.
My tears fell uncontrollably.
"You did," I whispered, my voice breaking.
I answered for her parents, hoping—praying—that, somehow, it would ease her heart.
"I… I want my mother… I want my mommy…" she sobbed, her voice no longer that of a hardened warrior, but of a lost, frightened child.
"Daddy… forgive me… because I… I'm leaving… before… you…"
Her final words were no more than a faint whisper.
And then—
Silence.
I felt it.
The last strength in her body vanished.
And Beatrix's heart…
Stopped beating.
The light of her life faded forever—right there, in my arms.
Professor Beatrix… was dead.