Fire Mage

Edith returned to the Mermaid's Inn by early morning and chose to rest for the day.

After that, she used the remaining sacred gold coins from the auction to buy potions, single-use magic scrolls, and emergency escape tools. Her spatial ring now held more than just wealth—it held preparation.

Edith left the inn as dusk painted the sky with muted red and purple.

At precisely 6 P.M., she stood at the center of the city's square, where the fountain barely trickled and street vendors closed their stalls. She stood silently, her hood raised, watching the flow of people with calm eyes.

Then, her shadow stirred.

It elongated unnaturally, stretching along the cobbled ground. It shifted and twisted within moments, taking the form of a tall, slender woman wrapped in a dark cloak.

Kirell emerged from the shadow like smoke from a flame.

"Are you ready?" she asked, scanning the surroundings.

Edith nodded without a word.

Together, the two walked toward the Commoners' Borough. Their path eventually led them to a narrow, forgotten stretch of street—Reaper's Alley.

It was the street between Commoners' Borough and Slum Borough.

As they neared the alleyway, Kirell extended her hand and touched Edith's.

Suddenly, the world dimmed.

A curtain of darkness enveloped them, yet nothing outside had changed. Edith could still see the world clearly—passersby walking, two cats fighting over scraps, a drunk man muttering curses. But none noticed the two standing just beneath the wall's edge.

"This is my Shadow Domain," Kirell said softly. "Unless I reveal my presence, not even a Demi-God can see through it."

Edith silently observed her surroundings with faint admiration. It wasn't ordinary stealth. They were in a different layer of reality altogether.

Neither spoke after that.

They waited in silence, cloaked in shadow.

Time passed slowly.

After an hour, a man entered the alley.

He had blonde hair, streaked with gray, and a deep scar running from his temple to his jaw. His steps were cautious, slow, but confident.

"Lord Meledin?" Kirell whispered. "What is he doing here?"

Edith didn't look away. A faint smile curved her lips.

"You're going to see many familiar faces, Lady Kirell," she said in a quiet, cryptic tone.

Kirell frowned and returned her gaze to the alley.

Meledin stopped near a flickering streetlamp. He placed one hand on the cold metal and began chanting an incantation under his breath. A second later, his body faded into nothingness.

He was gone.

Like he had never existed.

Kirell didn't speak. Her expression shifted into something colder, sharper.

Then, another figure entered the alley, clad in full silver armor.

His presence was striking.

Short black hair, crimson eyes, and a long sword strapped to his back. There was no mistaking him.

The Sword Emperor, Kaisar Lurien.

Kirell's eyes widened. "What is he doing here? What are you plotting, Miss Edith?"

But Edith didn't answer.

Kaisar glanced around cautiously, ensuring no one was watching the dark, narrow alley.

Once certain, he reached into his spatial ring and took out a long black cloak. He wrapped it tightly around himself and whispered something under his breath. The moment the chant ended, a strange transformation began to occur.

His body twisted.

His armor melted into the shadows of the cloak, his limbs shortened, and thick black fur covered him.

In the blink of an eye, Kaisar transformed into a black dog.

From within the Shadow Domain, Kirell narrowed her eyes.

"What a peculiar ability," she muttered softly.

The black dog quietly padded toward a nearby dustbin and lay down beside it, ears perked, tail unmoving.

Time moved slowly in Reaper's Alley. The only activity came from the disguised Kaisar, who occasionally got up and sniffed around the ground, sometimes scratching at the dirt or staring into dark corners with eerie precision.

Edith remained still and watchful, her posture calm, yet alert.

Hours passed.

Then, midnight came.

Above the city, three eerie blood moons floated in the sky, their crimson glow casting a bone-deep chill across the deserted alleyway. The air turned colder, heavier.

And then—they arrived.

From the alley's far entrance, three black-robed figures stepped forward.

Their hoods were raised, but to Edith and Kirell—observers hidden within the Shadow Domain, their faces were as clear as day.

The figure on the left was a tall man with black hair, black eyes, olive-toned skin, and a rugged face.

Asthar was the candidate representing the Azure Federation.

In the center, a striking woman with long red hair and piercing amber eyes walked with composed grace.

Nedia.

She was the candidate from the Blood Empire.

On the right, a muscular young man with a firm jaw, sharp eyes, and a confident gait walked alongside them.

Zegan, the Rogue Throne's candidate.

Kirell's brows furrowed with confusion.

"What is Zegan doing with those two?" she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

At that moment, another two figures emerged from the opposite end of Reaper's Alley, their footsteps barely audible against the damp cobblestone.

One was a silver-haired young man, his hood slightly tilted to reveal glinting silvery eyes. His movements were elegant, silent, and too controlled to be human. His face bore no expression—only cold calculation.

Beside him walked a woman clad in a loose black robe. She looked to be in her late thirties. Despite her concealed figure, her presence exuded confidence and seduction. Golden strands of hair spilled from her hood, shimmering faintly beneath the red moonlight. But what drew Edith's gaze most was the eerie, half-formed eyelid resting on her forehead—closed now, but not natural.

Kirell's eyes narrowed.

"Is she a demon?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"I think so," Edith murmured, not taking her eyes off the pair. "Let's observe what they're scheming."

The five cloaked figures converged at the center of the alley. The air shifted—colder, heavier—as if the blood moons themselves leaned closer to listen.

Asthar, always the tactician, was the first to speak.

"Is the preparation complete, Xelyra?"

The blonde-haired woman named Xelyra tilted her head, a faint smirk curling her lips.

"You should know… killing an Archmage isn't an easy matter, even for me, Mr. Asthar," she said, her voice smooth and languid. "If you provide me with what I've asked for, it will be far easier."

Nedia scoffed and folded her arms. "That's why I said I'll handle him alone. I won't rely on some exiled demon to kill him."

The demon woman's smile faltered, but it didn't vanish. Before she could respond, Zegan stepped forward.

"Don't forget," he said firmly, "we're at our weakest right now. We can't afford ego." His eyes darted to the moons above. "The World Will is watching."

Nedia clenched her jaw. "If not for that interference, I would've killed that Archmage myself."

Meanwhile, the silver-haired youth, until now silent, turned to Nedia.

"Did you find the identity of Runeth?" he asked quietly.

Nedia nodded.

"It's the Holem's Crown. From what I've learned, it was originally crafted from the soul of an Ancient Mage from the Easica Continent. The Holmes family—guided by their Divine Patron—experimented on the mage, binding his soul to a crown. He eventually escaped and ended up in the Edhen World, becoming the property of the Nightwind Family. After Eddie's death, it disappeared for a while… then reemerged thanks to the Red Prince's interference."

She paused, her amber eyes glowing faintly.

"The Fate Professor confirmed the contractor is Charles Nightwind. He and the Holem's Crown are the real culprits behind the deaths of the Red Prince's Avatars, Sasha, and even the Fate Professor himself."

A heavy silence followed.

Then, without a word, Asthar pulled out a strange, bronze disk covered in runes and handed it to the silver-haired man.

Zegan did the same, handing over a glowing blue crystal to Xelyra. She took it with a pleased smile and tucked it into her robe.

The meeting was coming to a close.

But at that precise moment, the black dog near the dustbin stirred.

Its ears perked sharply, nose twitching.

Then—

Bark!

A sharp, sudden sound echoed through the alley.

The five figures froze instantly, heads snapping toward the source.

The black dog stood on all fours, tail stiff, barking once more as its eyes locked onto them.

Xelyra's expression darkened.

"That's no ordinary dog."

The silver-haired youth's hand moved toward his belt.

Kirell's body tensed beside Edith.

Edith, however, didn't move.

Her lips curled into a quiet smile.

"Looks like it's time," she whispered.

In the meantime, the black dog transformed into a human and soon took the appearance of a middle-aged man.

"Sword Emperor?" Nedia's eyes widened.

A gust of silence swept through Reaper's Alley, colder than the air around them. Kaisar stood tall in his true form now, black cloak fluttering, eyes like drawn blades.

"A trap?" Asthar muttered, stepping back as his fingers twitched toward the hilt beneath his robe.

"No," Kaisar said, voice calm yet thunderous. "I came here out of curiosity but didn't expect to see such a meeting."

He pointed toward the group, gaze sweeping across all five. "Colluding with a demon. Plotting the assassination. I'm now wondering what your real identity is."

The silver-haired youth's lips moved. "You three, go back. We'll take care of him."

In a heartbeat, the veil of stillness broke.

A silver dagger flew from Xelyra.

But even before it left her fingers, Kaisar was already moving.