“Take a seat.”
With a soft thud, Elaine obeyed, her entire body shivering at the deep, resonant voice of the cloaked man before her.
As Elaine sat on the wooden chair, the man extended his hand toward her. Instinctively, she shut her eyes tight and raised her hands to fend off any incoming attack.
But nothing happened—no fireballs, no magical blasts, just… silence.
“Don’t leave this place.”
Elaine couldn’t find her voice to respond. Slowly lowering her arms, she glanced upward, trying to catch a glimpse of the man’s face beneath the deep cowl of his robes. Impossible. His features were completely hidden.
Why can’t I speak?
She wanted to yell at him, to demand answers for her abduction… but no sound escaped her lips. Panicking, Elaine tried again and again, but it was no use.
This was a new one. Sure, she’d dealt with magic that paralyzed her body, but an enchantment that sealed her mouth shut? That was entirely unexpected.
With a loud whoosh, the man vanished into thin air, leaving Elaine alone in the chair, as baffled as a cat who’d just seen its food disappear.
Once he was gone, Elaine felt a wave of relief wash over her. The oppressive tension dissipated, and suddenly, she could move freely again. Though only moments earlier, she’d felt compelled to do exactly as the man ordered.
Free to act, Elaine sprang to her feet and immediately tested the door in front of her. Predictably (and frustratingly), it didn’t budge.
She had no idea where she was, but the room offered zero clues—the walls bare, the absence of windows glaringly obvious.
Quickly scanning her surroundings, Elaine searched for anything usable as a weapon. Unfortunately, earlier moments of misfortune seemed to follow her—she’d dropped her sword somewhere in the chaos, and the scabbard strapped to her waist had been stolen by her kidnapper.
The room offered no substitutes, not even a sturdy chair leg or decorative vase.
Clutching her fists tightly, Elaine bit her lip. This sense of powerlessness was all too familiar. She thought she’d dealt with all that during the Festival Incident, but apparently, this universe had other plans.
“Come ON,” she muttered to herself, charging toward the door with her shoulder. A thunderous crash echoed in the room, but the door stood firm.
“Huffffff,” Elaine puffed, her shoulders sore from the impact. But she wasn’t giving up—not yet. Steeling herself, she launched another attack.
The door remained as unyielding as ever.
“Ugh—I’m useless,” Elaine thought, the sting of pain in her shoulder amplifying her frustration. Every time—every single time—it was the same. She either got kidnapped, or she ended up being a burden to those around her.
Worse still, this time, Elaine had become an international embarrassment. Captured by some mysterious rogue abroad, and without so much as putting up a fight.
Gritting her teeth, Elaine shoved aside the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her and focused on the task at hand: busting through the door. Again.
—
Meanwhile, back at the academy, the air buzzed with urgency.
“Did you find anything? Anything at all?”
Emily groaned in exasperation. “Apparently, O’Neil Kingdom already knows.”
“Figures,” murmured Cynthia.
“So what are we waiting for? Shouldn’t we storm in ASAP and rescue Elaine?”
Emily’s reaction was instantaneous, her voice rising with desperation. “Yeah, we can’t waste any more time!”
Professor Amillion raised a calming hand. “There’s been some progress indeed. However, the exact location is… being withheld.”
“Augh!”
This revelation threw a massive wrench into the gears. They hadn’t expected to find much at the crime scene anyway, so while disappointing, it wasn’t entirely shocking. What did catch them off guard was the deliberate lack of transparency from O’Neil Kingdom.
“I mean, why not just tell us the destination upfront?”
The professor sighed. “Because students won’t be allowed to accompany the mission.”
“But—but what if…?”
“Indeed, this seems like a job best left to the O’Neil Army.”
The professor scanned the trio, his gaze lingering on each of them. They all understood the implications—if Elaine’s rescue was handed over solely to the military, their chances of participating were slim to none.
“Anyway, I’m coordinating with the O’Neil forces directly. You three should stay here and keep things running smoothly.”
As he left the room, Emily shot up. “Wait!”
The window of opportunity was closing fast. Without knowing the exact location, sneaking along with the army would require careful planning—and perhaps a little rule-breaking.
“Ugh,” Emily groaned. She had two options: tag along as an Academy student and risk exposure, or borrow a Black Shadow Guild uniform and blend in with the bad guys. Neither option seemed particularly appealing, especially given O’Neil’s hatred for anything Black Shadow related.
Taking a deep breath, she made her decision.
—
“Alright then, let’s move!”
“Yes, Captain Ordine!”
Captain Ordine adjusted his grip on the reins and urged his horse forward. The moment had finally come.
Ever since the Silver Eagles had stumbled upon information about the enemy’s hideout, Ordine had hesitated, delaying action out of uncertainty about their chances of success. But now, with the added complexity of Elaine St. Claire’s involvement, hesitance was no longer an option.
An alliance between O’Neil Kingdom and the powerful Crescent Empire was not to be trifled with. If anything happened to Elaine, the diplomatic fallout could spiral into a full-blown international crisis.
“Stay calm, boys,” Ordine murmured to himself, his mind racing through various scenarios. The one thing he knew for certain? They’d need to be prepared for the worst.
As Ordine led the charge, a faint glow from the moonlight illuminated the darkened path ahead. It was fortunate tonight’s moon provided enough light to warn them against potential ambushes.
But Ordine’s focus remained steady. His mind was preoccupied with the dreaded memory of how the Silver Eagles had fallen victim to an unknown magic. For weeks he’d studied ways to counter it.
“Is there anyone here who’s faced poison magic in battle?” he asked aloud, addressing the professor trailing behind him.
“Indeed, I have,” replied Professor Amillion smoothly. “It’s surprisingly common in the Western Flora Kingdom, though relatively rare elsewhere.”
Ordine nodded, the gears in his head turning. “What’s the best way to handle it?”
“Depends on the type of poison. If it spreads like fog and incapacitates instantly, then your best bet is dispersing it with wind-based spells.”
“Sounds simple enough.”
“If wind doesn’t work, there’s always converting it into liquid or confining it within a shield.”
“Interesting. And if all else fails?”
Professor Amillion chuckled softly. “That’s when you hope your mages are clever enough to improvise.”
Ordine couldn’t help but smile at the professor’s confidence. It was reassuring to know they had such expertise on their side—not just a scholar, but an experienced practitioner of the arcane arts.
With that thought in mind, Ordine kicked his horse into a gallop, the sound of hooves pounding rhythmically against the hard-packed dirt as the rescue operation began in earnest.
