When Raze used the Astral projection technique, he needed to form a connection. The connection he used was his dark magic, and it was why when he had used the technique the first time, he was able to appear in the middle of the meeting between Kelly and Harvey.
Two members who had learned dark magic and frequently met up to discuss matters and to grow the group of their power, but all of that was long ago.
Now when Raze used the astral projection technique, he could feel so many dark connections. It gave him an idea of just how much the Dark Guild had been growing.
‘This is even more than last time?’ Raze thought. ‘Was it because those events were seen by many? Did that allow Harvey to grow the group to what it is now? Or those that were in hiding before have finally come out.’
The view in front of Raze was strange. It was a dark space with several dark spots of dark energy like stars in the night sky. Because he had appeared at the underground meeting place several times, he knew the location and was drawn to the darkness in that area.
But that wasn’t where he wanted to go. Instead, he strayed and had decided to head in another direction, a dark connection he had met with once before.
In the middle of a small bedroom apartment, a special image was starting to appear out of Dark Magic.
Kelly was lying in her bed with her eyes half open, while Sophie the black cat was lying on top of her belly. She noticed what was happening and could see a few things lifting up.
“Not again….not again!” Kelly thought as she looked around the room in a panic.
She quickly climbed out of bed, though, as the image was already in the middle of appearing and went down on one knee, while Sophie had come down by her side as well.
Raze had entered into Kelly’s bedroom. He looked down and could see her and Sophie side by side.
“We greet the Dark Spirit…no, the Dark Magus!” Kelly claimed.
“Didn’t I say you didn’t have to do that?” Raze replied. “I understand the importance of your hierarchy in front of other members to make sure that they stay in line with each other, but when it’s just us two, then there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Kelly lifted her head and stood up straight immediately. ‘He said just us two…I wonder why he’s come to visit.’ Her face was heating up and turning a shade redder.
“MEOW!” A voice came from below.
“Sorry, we’re not the only ones here,” Raze corrected himself. His face turned back to Kelly, and he was getting ready to speak when he noticed something that caught his eye.
It was the set of pajamas that Kelly was currently wearing. They were completely white in color, but they had several different colored dinosaurs on the outside.
“You like dinosaurs?” Raze asked.
Immediately, Kelly grabbed her quilt off her bed and wrapped herself.
“They’re just the most comfy,” she replied, her head heating up. “Anyway, I think we should talk about what might be bothering you, the fact that you came here so late in the middle of the night?”
It was quite clear she desperately wanted to change the subject, and quite fast.
“I wanted to talk to you about a few things, to gather details from you. The information you had provided last time was valuable, and I need to stay updated on a clear image of what is going on in Alterian.”
Raze stopped there, as he wanted to say so that it didn’t affect Pagna, but it was too much to tell her about the other world that Raze was in right now, where he was stuck.
What he was saying was true. If Alter and the Grand Magus were working together, and if it was believed what Bofan, the Dark Faction founder, said was true, then Alter was trying to move into Pagna for some reason.
What was going on in Pagna was a little too much for Raze to handle right now, so he needed to make sure no other problems would occur.
“Oh…well not that it bothers me that you drop in. You can drop in anytime you like, although I might not always be at the apartment. But yeah, you can just use my apartment as you wish,” Kelly said as she lifted her hand and brushed her hair back behind her ear.
“Meow!” Sophie purred, but it almost sounded like a wolf whistle based on the way the tone was felt.
“But I wanted to ask, why have you come and asked me? Harvey is more the brains of the operation and knows everything that’s going on. I think it would be better if you talked to him.”
Using the astral projection technique, Raze knew it would be a little harder to track down Harvey. He could take a guess that the easiest route was to go for the biggest Dark Magic connection, but as Harvey was the chief of police, at any time he could be out on a mission, or maybe even in the police station itself, so it was a big risk to ever go to him.
Despite all of that, there was the biggest reason of them all.
“We talked about this the last time. Although I believe Harvey is good for the Dark Guild and is focused on the goal, in his mind the Dark Guild, and the Dark Magus, are bigger than what it is.
“The truth of it all is that I trust you. I trust that your interests align more with helping me, with helping people that were in the same situation as us, rather than what the Dark Magus and the Dark Guild represent.”
The heat from Kelly’s head almost made her overheated, but she needed to keep her composure.
“So can you tell me, what’s been happening in Alterian, and what has been happening with the Dark Guild?”
****
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Kelly wasn’t so taken aback by the question asked; she had assumed that the Dark Magus at some point would want to know. With her position as well, she practically knew everything that was happening within the Dark Guild, and further on the outside.
“The Dark Guild has been growing by a significant amount thanks to the performance that you made last time,” Kelly answered.
“It seems that reports and details came out after talking about the Guild’s wrongdoings. Other Guilds had even reported the wrongdoings. For a short while, there was small support for the Dark Guild, but that had been quelled fairly quickly.”
“Support, for the Dark Guild?” Raze repeated. It was unbelievable to hear. Sure, he understood those wanting to join the Dark Guild.
Even when he was the Dark Magus there would be fanatics here and there, those that were like Harvey, but the general public’s opinion was never heavily in favor of the Dark Magus.
“Yes, there were protests, and people started to talk online about how the Dark Magus might have been doing some good. Some reporters and online streamers even began to look into particular past matters.
“However, it was hard for them to find anything. Many seemed like extremely loose connections, coincidences, and it was claimed that people were just doing it for attention and views.”
This in particular had affected Kelly quite a bit. In the past, she was also saved by the Dark Magus’s actions, which was why she knew the Dark Magus wasn’t completely evil like the news reports stated.
Yet, no matter what she would say or comment, the public opinion had already been decided. It was hard, almost impossible, to convince others when they had already made their decision for whatever they wanted to believe.
“The public appearance, and targeting that Guild, it was a good choice made by Harvey. I never cared about trying to get the support of others in the past…the power of the Grand Magus, I just thought it was too strong…maybe I really had been going about things the wrong way,” Raze spoke openly as if talking to himself.
“Because of all of that, many people have been joining the Dark Guild. Harvey has made sure that they are serious about joining. Only allowing those willing to learn Dark Magic, making sure to learn of their motivations as well.
“He knows that society, regardless of if someone had joined on impulse, doesn’t care. As long as you know Dark Magic, it’s considered a crime.”
Raze was sure of that, and he was sure that rule would stay in place.
“The situation has changed somewhat,” Kelly continued. “There aren’t as many people trying to join the Dark Guild currently, and there is a reason for that.
“The journalists that had reported on the Dark Magus’s past, or talked badly about the guilds, have been tried. It was said that evidence was found that they were working with the Dark Guild.
“Claiming that there were bribes, documents, notes, plans, and more. Of course, there was no such thing. It was set up. All of the information was fake.”
“Right,” Raze answered. The more he thought about it, the more obvious it was that this would be the Grand Magus’s next move. “More so, that played as a warning. To stop anyone talking positively about the Dark Magus and the Dark Guild.
“Regardless if they really had connections or not, now people would think twice, as those rumors spread, and as long as there’s no evidence, no one willing to be a whistleblower, things will get quiet and go back to the way they were.”
Kelly nodded along like she knew it was the reason, but truthfully she had overlooked the bigger picture of things.
“And what about the Dark Guild in general? Has there been any more movement, any planning from Harvey, or perhaps efforts from the Grand Magus?”
“No,” Kelly replied instantly. “The Grand Magus seems to be working on trying to find the Dark Guild and its members. Because of that, Harvey has decided it’s the best time to stay low, making sure they have no idea when we’re going to strike.
“That, along with the influx of members, we have a lot on our plate. The good thing is nothing has happened in terms of them finding us, but there does seem to be another issue.
“Many of those that are in the Dark Guild are not in the best situation. They are either on the run, need finances badly, or elsewhere. Guilds typically support these people, but we are not a typical guild.
“We are not even a guild on the black market. We have talked about ways of increasing our finances. Maybe doing assassination tasks in exchange for payment or…”
“No, don’t do any of that,” Raze answered instantly. “We are not other people’s tools to be used. Doing such things will also ruin the reputation of the Dark Guild that it’s started to build up.
“Also, doing things like that will just create more people who are in the situation of those that joined the Dark Guild in the first place. I don’t want the guild to become that.
“Finances, I should be able to solve the problem one way or another when I arrive,” Raze answered.
“When you arrive?” Kelly’s heart was thumping louder when she heard this.
“It’s not long now, but I predict the next time we meet, I will be in my real body.”
Kelly could feel her heart beating even faster as she heard these words, and she had to let out a big breath to slow it down.
“So has there been any other news?” Raze asked.
Kelly thought about it as she placed her finger on her chin until something came to mind.
“Ah, there is one thing. It’s been in news reports everywhere, and all over the academy as well. It’s about the disappearance of Aurora…and it seems her brother Alen is making quite the big deal out of it.”
****
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Raze was surprised himself when he saw Aurora appear in Pagna. What made it worse was when it had occurred right at the tail end of his last visit.
With everything that happened, Raze wouldn’t be surprised if Alen was even accusing him of doing such a thing, which led him to ask the next question.
“Did he come to visit you, or talk to you?” Raze asked.
“How did you…” Kelly shook her head as she answered. “Actually, Alen had come to visit the entire academy. He asked everyone questions, but he pulled me to the side.
“He asked about Aurora, and he actually asked about you as well, but I didn’t say anything.”
“Nothing?” Raze replied back. “Based on how he is, I find it hard to believe that he would just leave you alone if he found no information at all.”
“You’re right, but then he asked me another question…which I guess I did inform him.” Kelly was moving about on her feet, shuffling around. The words weren’t flowing easily from her mouth.
“He asked if you were my real brother. I didn’t answer—I was so stunned by the question that I guess my silence was a way of him knowing. He then asked if I knew where you were, but I had no clue, and it was the truth.”
Hearing the story, Raze was a little uneasy. Alen was a good person, but when one’s family was involved, when it was someone close, there were things one would do that might be slightly out of character for them.
Maybe for now, he had just put Kelly aside as he continued his investigation. He couldn’t waste time on no leads, but if he couldn’t find anything, then there was a high chance he would return to focus on just one lead.
“I don’t worry that he will find out about me—it will be impossible for him to reach me—but I worry that by looking into you, he might learn more about the Dark Guild. We have to divert his attention from you somehow,” Raze figured.
“Does this mean you know where she is, or what happened to her?” Kelly asked.
Raze nodded in response. “She’s safe, so that’s not to worry. Is there anything else then that I should know—any small detail at all?”
“The only other thing—it might be nothing, and it’s really small—I wasn’t sure about telling you this or not,” Kelly said but spoke about it anyway. “It’s about Enaxx. It’s only been a few days, but he hasn’t had any appearances at all. Some think he’s gone on his first break in a long time.
“But since he is the Grand Magus, I thought there might be something to it, or if he was even the one looking into the Dark Guild, which is why we haven’t seen or heard anything.”
There weren’t any more details other than that, but it was something Raze had to take note of. Out of everyone that was moving, Enaxx of all people.
It was the person he had confronted the most in the past.
“Thanks for all the information, and all of the hard work,” Raze stated, but it appeared as if there was more he wanted to say. “I want to…ask you one more thing, and I want you to be sure.
“You have already done a lot for the Dark Guild, and for me. Whatever debt you think you had to the Dark Magus, it has long been paid. You don’t have to keep doing this—you should continue to live your life.
“I won’t force you into a decision, but I also want you to not feel like there is still a debt to be paid.”
From the conversation Raze had first had with Kelly, he could guess the reason why she had learned Dark Magic, why she was in the Dark Guild, and why she served the Dark Magus.
“Why are you saying this?” Kelly asked. “You’ve asked me twice now, and the last time you asked, I stayed…it feels as if you want me gone for some reason. Did I do something to annoy you, or have I not lived up to your expectations?”
Raze shook his head. “It’s not that…recently, I have been reflecting a lot. There have been people that I lost around me, that I noticed I cared about, who didn’t need to lose their lives. I don’t want to forcefully drag people into all of this mess that they have no direct involvement in,” Raze answered.
There was silence for a moment because if she heard Raze right, what he was saying—the reason he was asking the question again—was because he felt like she was a person close to him.
He didn’t want her to get hurt, and it was the reason why he was asking her to leave. Little did he know, him acting this way just solidified her reason for helping him out even more.
The person who she owed her life to was looking out for her. “Thank you. As you said before, I will do as I wish, and right now, I wish to stay, helping you any way I can,” Kelly said with the brightest smile on her face.
“MEOW!” Sophie let out, which broke the silence between the two of them.
“If that’s the case, I believe you can leave looking into Enaxx for now. Soon I will need as much information and background research done on the Grand Magus as possible. Although the principal of the Central Academy would be easiest, it’s too close to you.
“I think we should look into Gizin and his pharmaceutical company. Look into and get a list of all of the guilds that are connected to him.”
Raze remembered Safa talking about how they had a link to the Rylon Religion back in Pagna as well. It was best to try cutting off all of the connections between the two places.
“Right, I’ll do that,” Kelly answered.
“As for the situation with Alen and Aurora, I’ll deal with it,” Raze said. “I think I should go pay him a visit.”
****
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As quickly as Raze had come into Kelly’s room, he had left as well. She was a little baffled because she thought he would be heading to wherever Alen currently was.
Instead, though, he had just disappeared. Seeing him gone, it did leave her with a little sigh of relief.
“That was tough,” Kelly said. “The last time he came, I was so embarrassed about everything in the room that I’ve been keeping it clean every day just in case he came again. It was a good thing I did that, right?”
“Meow,” Sophie replied as she jumped back up onto the bed.
“Although now what am I meant to do? He saw my pajamas and they were so embarrassing. Should I get some more adult ones next time? Or maybe something that might make him…get a little flustered?”
Squirming about in her bed, rolling from side to side, Kelly wasn’t so sure she would be able to get some sleep that night.
——
Back in Pagna, there was a reason that Raze had decided to head back. He was in the town of Flendon, and there was one place he needed to stop by before he went to where Alen was.
The town of Flendon was empty, with few people out due to the late hour. It was pitch black, and most would be sleeping. Heading to the town hall, Raze went up to the second floor and then gave a slight knock on the outside of the door, but there was no answer.
He knew the door would be locked, so he decided to talk with his voice, using his wind magic, directing it under the small gap and then projecting it until it reached its target.
“Wake up.” The voice was played in her ear.
“I’m up, I’m up!” Aurora said, lifting herself out from the bedsheets, but she could see no one around her with her eyelids half-open. Eventually, she heard more words floating in her ear.
“I’m at the door, don’t make too much noise—it’s late. It’s me, the Dark…it’s Raze,” Raze stated.
Following the words, Aurora had gone up to the door and pulled it open while rubbing her eyes. As she did, she noticed the white-haired man standing in front of her.
“Oh…it’s really you, Jake—ah right, the Dark Magus and all. What are you doing here so late?” she asked, letting out a big yawn.
Yet she noticed ever so slightly that Raze’s eyes weren’t looking at her eyes; instead, he was staring at something else.
“I think it might be best for you to put some clothes on or stay under the bed quilt for this one,” Raze commented as he turned to look away.
That’s when Aurora noticed that she was in nothing but her underwear. She never did like sleeping in clothes due to how stuck to her it would get when she twisted and turned in bed.
She was half-asleep and walking in a daze to even realize what was going on, and immediately she rushed right back to the bed and got under the sheets.
“How could you do that, you perv, just coming in unannounced!” she shouted.
“First, there are other people sleeping here, so it might be best for you to keep your voice down a little,” Raze said. “Second, you were the one who had come to the door on your own accord. Lastly, you shouldn’t have to worry too much—I am not into kids.”
“Kids!” Aurora almost shouted at the top of her lungs but realized where she was and what time it was. But how could Raze call her a kid?
She was over eighteen years of age—she was nineteen and considered an adult in the world of Alterian. She wasn’t a kid by any means.
But to Raze, almost everyone he met apart from the older Pagna warriors appeared as just kids in his eyes. If he did have any feelings for them, or protection or affection, it was always more so as a fatherly figure.
“Anyway, what did you come see me for in the middle of the night? You’re not planning to do anything strange, are you…because if you are…if you are…” Aurora’s mind was going in all sorts of different directions.
She had already been feeling a little strange when she found out the man, Jake, was actually the Dark Magus, Raze. So she didn’t know whether to hate this person or not still.
Yet seeing him in person in the middle of the night, it was almost as if she wanted to forget all of the mess of who this person really was.
“I came here to ask you some questions, and I don’t have a lot of time, so I’m in a bit of a hurry,” Raze answered.
“Oh right,” Aurora said, looking out the window at the night sky. “I heard from the others—tomorrow there’s some big war or fight going on, right?
“Is this what you talked about before, about getting and finding a way back to Alterian? If that’s the case, shouldn’t you be resting?”
“My body is not a typical body from Alter anymore,” Raze answered. “I thank you for your concern, but I don’t need the same amount of rest as before, and besides, I wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway.”
“I see, you’re right about that, and here I am just resting in bed while you do all of the work. Thank you for that,” Aurora answered. In the end, no matter what she thought, she had to be thankful for what Raze was doing.
The only person that had made her feel comfortable in this new scary strange world.
“So, what was it that you needed from me?”
“I need to ask a few questions—it’s about your brother. I need you to tell me everything you can about him,” Raze asked.
****
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Having just settled back in her room, Kelly thought that she would do her best to try and sleep. As she ruffled and turned to her side to look inside her room, she could see something happening again.
The same translucent energy was brewing inside.
‘Again? But didn’t he just arrive? Why is he coming back so fast?’ Kelly thought.
Sure enough, it didn’t take long until the Dark Spirit Raze had returned to her room.
“You can sleep well,” Raze instantly said. “As I said before, I’m going to go and solve an issue. Something that you will no longer have to worry about anymore.”
After saying a few words, Raze was already walking to the door and had opened it up, exiting from the room. He had used Kelly’s room as a connection point because he didn’t want the others from the Dark Guild to know he was here.
This was a private matter and affair.
‘Do I really have to worry now?’ Kelly thought. ‘That at any second, the Dark Magus could just pop into my room? Wait, it’s not just my room, right? The Dark Magus can appear anywhere close to where I am…that means…what if I was using the toilet and he decided to appear?’
The embarrassment was making Kelly’s face turn red, and now she was somewhat afraid of even using the bathroom.
Raze quickly lifted himself up through the city and started to head in the direction of the manor. He had spent a lot of his life in Alterian, so getting around was easy, especially at this time of night when there was next to no one.
As Raze saw the manor in the distance ahead, he could see the number of guards that were present last time as well.
‘I imagine the guards aren’t the lowest of tiers. I’ll use silent steps with my wind magic and try to sneak around…it should be okay,’ Raze thought.
Although he couldn’t use Qi when using the astral projection technique, he still had his keen fighting senses about him. He could somewhat tell when a person was going to move from one area to the next.
When someone would turn their head due to the feeling of uneasiness. Using all of this, he managed to reach the top of the house. He looked down carefully and then continued to descend until he had reached a particular bedroom.
He landed on a large balcony and reached for the door handle. As he went to touch it, his hand was unable to go through, as he could feel a soft barrier.
‘Was this here before?’ Raze thought. ‘Or did they set it up after what had happened to Aurora?’
Either way, if it was a barrier, it was something that Raze was able to break. He used a small amount of his dark magic in his hand and then pushed it out like a laser.
Hovering his hand over the barrier, he made an outline of the door.
‘It’s important to use the dark magic just to cut part of the barrier out, rather than destroy it. If I attacked the barrier constantly and it shattered, then it would alert the guards outside. The good thing is, dark magic, which destroys other magic particles, is able to do this.’
Right after that, the locked door was easy to go through as Raze used his dark magic again to break through the other side.
Locks were usually enchanted with magic these days rather than a mechanism; a mixture of both was the best. But again, for Raze, all of that was easy for him to get through.
He passed, moving the white sheet above him, and realized where he must have entered instantly.
‘There’s a particular smell,’ Raze thought to himself. ‘But there’s no doubt that this is Aurora’s room.’
When looking around, he could tell that the room had been emptied. The drawers, clothing, particular objects. Not just that, but also the area was taped off.
So that others couldn’t enter from the door. Raze carefully walked around as he wondered what could have happened.
‘So a portal opened here of all places?’ Raze thought. ‘I wonder what it was that triggered it. Was it my appearance, or was it something else?’
‘The portal situation, opening and closing between worlds, is still something that doesn’t make too much sense. When I first arrived in Pagna, there was a set rule placed by Alter.’
‘Those from Alterian shouldn’t use magic. If magic was used, then there was a chance that it could cause a portal break.’
Raze remembered there were many times when he had almost caused a portal break, and just breaking through to the next star stage, he had nearly opened a portal a few times.
He had even attempted to use it in particular situations, to force a portal open, but lately with everything going on, he was using more magic than ever, yet no portals were opening at all.
‘What was Bofan looking into that had to do with Alterian? Why are they even trying to get to Pagna? He said that’s the reason for the portal breaks, right? But does that make sense?’
Before, Raze didn’t think about it too much because he wanted to focus only on the Grand Magus. He only wanted to understand what he could, or what he needed, to take out the Grand Magus.
But, because of that, things like the Rylon Religion had gone unchecked as well.
‘Maybe, it’s something I should get Harvey and the Dark Guild to look into?’ Raze thought.
“Well, well, look at this.”
Instantly, Raze turned his head and could see Alen had entered the room, in his usual smart attire even at this time of day.
“They say that the criminal always returns to the scene of the crime,” Alen commented, his fingers ready to click at any second.
*****
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It was somewhat expected that a talented mage like Alen would notice when something like his barrier was taken down. Or that he would have something set up in his sister’s room to see what was going on.
There was a part of Raze that feared that the police force might even be watching the room since it was under investigation, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
Raze was, however, watching carefully at Alen’s fingers, which were ready to click and summon fire spells at a moment’s notice.
“If you thought I really had something to do with this, then you would have already harmed Kelly, and you would have snapped your fingers the moment my back was turned,” Raze commented. “The fact that you haven’t means you trust me somewhat.”
“Well, I don’t trust you,” Alen answered immediately. “Truthfully, I thought I would never see you again; that is what it sounded like when you spoke to me before. But I thought there was a chance you might return because why would someone go after my sister?
“She has no secrets, she has nothing that could be of use to anyone, which means the real target would have been me all along!” Alen raised his hand and was ready to snap his fingers and burn the whole mansion down with Raze in it.
“She’s alive!” Raze shouted quickly.
Avoiding a fight was for the best. If he used up his magic here before the big day tomorrow, it wouldn’t be good news for him. Thankfully, those words had stopped Alen in his tracks.
“So it really was you, you took her! I never thought you were like this after everything I did to help you in the past. Why would you even take her? What reason could you have?” Alen shouted.
Raze lifted up his hand, gesturing for Alen to stop so he could speak.
“The situation is complicated,” Raze answered. “I’ve decided that I will tell you the truth, and it’s up to you to believe me or not.
“I have only come here to give you peace of mind. I can only imagine how restless your nights have been thinking about this.”
Raze paused for a moment before he continued. The good thing was Alen wasn’t acting out and was inclined to listen, at least for now.
“In Alterian, there have been frequent disappearances occurring, where people disappear without any reason and no trace of them. No leads as to where they have gone or what happened to them.”
“Sure,” Alen replied. “But people go missing all the time. Every day there are those that go missing, and no one knows what happened to them. But are you suggesting something else?”
“I don’t know about all cases, but in this case, in particular, it’s related to the portal outings,” Raze continued. “You know about the countless portal expeditions that guilds and mages go on that are linked to other worlds?
“Well, what you probably don’t know is at times, these portals can open up randomly, anytime, and anywhere. A person can go through these portals to another world, and when that happens, the portal can close. This might sound strange, and you might say you’ve never heard of anything, but I’m sure in your position you could get the information.
“One of the Grand Magus or someone in the military would have noted these occurrences somewhere, kept quiet from the public. If you find that, then that’s your proof of the matter.”
Waiting for a moment, Raze wanted to see Alen’s reaction to the whole thing.
“You know, you come up with some crazy conspiracies sometimes. You almost sound like those supporters of the Dark Guild,” Alen said. “But the thing is, there’s a clear gap in your story.
“Even if I find out that’s true, how would I even know that’s what happened to her? Not only that, how can you be so sure that’s what happened to her? How could it be that it happened right after you left this place as well?” Alen asked. “I’m losing my patience here as well; if you don’t come up with a good answer, you better be prepared for a fight to the death.”
“The answer is simpler than you think,” Raze answered. “It’s because I’m stuck in that other dimension as well. Both of us are…”
There was clear confusion plastered all over Alen’s face. He could see Raze right in front of him, so what did he mean he was stuck?
“Why don’t you cast a simple wind spell at me?” Raze said. “I won’t block it.”
Alen moved his hand instantly and cast a sharp wind attack. It was a little too quick for Raze’s liking, but as it hit him, it went right through his body, breaking it apart, and mana formed it back together.
“As you might have been able to tell, this here isn’t my real body. Each time I have met you, each time I have come to Alterian, it hasn’t been my real body.
“This is a technique that only I can do from the other dimension, and I’ve been trying my best to find a way back for as long as I can,” Raze answered. “As I said, right now, Aurora and I are stuck in the other world. But what I want you to know is that she is completely safe, and I am doing everything in my power to find a way back to Alterian.”
There was a big silence between the two. Raze was thankful that Alen was a man who listened and used his thoughts. He wasn’t rash. Based on their past experiences with each other, he knew he would at least hear him out.
“Every time you come here, you say something that’s bizarre, some type of government or military secret that’s kept hidden. Why should I believe what you have to say? Who even are you?” Alen asked.
*****
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The big question that had been on Alen’s mind since he had met this man. A person who knew a secret room in the academy. An individual who had an idea of what the Grand Magus were truly doing.
And now what? A mage who was able to use a technique that allowed him to create a magical body in another world. Alen, being a high star mage himself, had never heard of such things, and such a powerful and talented individual—someone like him—should have heard of this man before.
Name, status, position, any of these things would help Alen get to the truth, and either believe this man or believe him less.
“It’s quite clear that you are not Kelly’s brother,” Alen said. “So why would you need to get close to her? Your relationship with them… and the fact that you’re gone—if I don’t know who you are, then how am I meant to believe your words?”
Alen was huffing and panting, he was sweating without knowing it, magic was seeping out of his body and heating it up. He was startled. He was a man that tried to keep his composure in any situation he came across, and he had been doing the same now in front of everyone, but deep down he was worried, he was scared, wondering what had happened to his sister.
“When you were 11 years old, you and a group of friends were playing dares. One member of the group would give you a kiss in return for completing the dare, and by accident, you had completely burned one of the musical instruments in your school. Thankfully, no one was hurt,” Raze said.
Alen’s eyes widened as he heard the details of the story. “That story… there are only two people that would know that…”
“When you were five years old, you jumped out of a tree trying to perform wind magic but were unable to cast the spell and badly sprained your ankle. You cried about it for weeks,” Raze continued.
“These… stories.”
“When Aurora was thirteen years old, she had a stalker—a person who couldn’t accept no for an answer. For his actions, you made sure that he and his family wouldn’t dare think of doing such a thing again.”
Alen understood why ‘Jake’ was telling all of these stories. The stories that were only said and shared between him and his sister.
“I thought you might have trouble believing what I said, so before coming here I paid a visit to your sister,” Raze explained. “She told me stories that only the two of you should know. There were more stories, more embarrassing ones, which I can tell if you wish.”
“No, no,” Alen said. “That’s enough. I believe you, and I don’t think she would have told you those things out of torture either. Besides, it’s not like you’ve asked anything from me… can you just tell me one thing? Is she really safe? Is she truly safe where she is now?”
“For the time being, she is,” Raze answered. “And I have promised her I will do everything I can to protect her due to the relationship that we two have as well. She had one final message that she wished for me to give to you:
‘Don’t worry too much, and just smile. It’s easier to smile than to stay sad.’”
The meaning behind the words—when Aurora said them to Raze, he didn’t quite understand them. It seemed random, but he figured it might be some type of code between the two.
In an instant, when Raze finished the sentence, he could see tears falling from Alen’s eyes. For Raze, he didn’t know why, but one of the saddest things he saw was when people who always remained strong—always had composure about them, hardly ever showing emotion—broke down right in front of him, and that was what was happening now.
“Those words,” Alen said as he sniffled. “They are the words from our mother. Our father died as a general in the military, leaving our mother to look after us.
“It was some tough times, life with just the three of us, but then our mother had come down with a sickness—one that slowly took away her life.
“Each time she would see the two of us and the sad look on our faces, she would say those words: ‘It’s easier to smile than to be sad.’
“These words are something that is deep in both of our hearts. Jake… please do your best to protect my sister. Bring her back so I can see her again.
“You’re the only person right now that can help, and I hate the fact that I can’t do anything. Please bring her back safe to me. She’s the only family I have left, and in return, I will forever be in your debt.”
To Alen, the fact that his sister had trusted Jake, he would do the same. How could he attack the person in front of him now, when it could be the only chance he got to see his sister again?
Seeing everything play out, Raze was happy that he had decided to pay a visit to Alen. He could only imagine the pain and problems he had been going through.
And how much more he would descend into madness not knowing what had happened to his sister. Now, he would still worry, but he had more of a reassurance.
“There’s one more thing I think I should tell you before I leave. As usual, you have the choice to believe me or not, but I think it’s quite important,” Raze said. “The magical inhaler you gave me last time, in order to force an individual to break through—
“It has a nasty side effect. Not only is the time halved for the person who forces a breakthrough, but their life force is halved as well.”
****
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