The hall was warm. Music echoed softly through the air, and distant chatter gave the place a peaceful energy.
I sat with Edith. We both had drinks in our hands—she with a steaming mug of ale, and me with my usual mix. We lounged side by side, unwinding, talking about the day.
"You move really fast," she said, grinning as she gave me a playful slap on the shoulder.
I laughed.
"You too," I said. "Where did that suplex come from?"
She took a long sip of her drink, then exhaled with satisfaction.
"I might not look like it, but I'm pretty strong," she said, flexing one arm. Nothing showed, but her confidence made it real.
I smiled. She was definitely drunk. Her dark grey hair, usually tied up, now hung loosely around her shoulders. Her cheeks were red, her words a bit slurred. She swayed a little in her seat.
"Uhmm… can I ask you something?" I leaned in. Now felt like the right moment.
She nodded too fast. Too eager.
"Okay… what happened to Frey's parents?"
She froze. Just like that, all the cheer left her face. The sway stopped.
Her eyes darkened.
"We don't talk about them," she said flatly. "If you want to know, ask Frey yourself."
She stood up, finishing her drink in one long gulp. She stumbled a bit as she turned.
I stood to help her, but she waved me off and walked away without looking back.
I sank into my seat again, staring into the drink in my hand. That's when it hit me.
A warmth.
Not from the alcohol. Something else. Something soft… familiar. Like arms around my chest—feminine, gentle, comforting.
Then a voice, soft near my ear.
"Get stronger… my mage."
I snapped around.
No one.
The hall was empty.
I scanned every corner, every shadow. Nothing.
I sat still for a moment, heart pounding. The warmth lingered, like an invisible embrace. Then it slowly faded.
Maybe I was just tired.
I left my drink and headed to my room. My legs felt heavy. My mind buzzed.
I opened the door and dropped face-first onto the bed. The sheets were cold, but I didn't care. My eyes drifted shut.
"What a day…" I murmured.
Just as I was slipping into sleep—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I jolted upright.
"Helios," Frey's voice came through the door. "Open up."
She didn't sound happy. Not unusual for her.
I opened the door, and just like that, the room got colder.
"Where were you today?" she asked sharply.
"In the capital. With Edith."
"Edith?" she echoed, her eyes narrowing. The name softened her scowl for a second—but only for a second.
"That idiot," she muttered, then turned and stormed away.
I stood there, blinking.
This place had always been loud, unpredictable—but lately, things felt… off.
I closed the door and tried to sleep again.
Didn't work.
So I got up and stepped into the hall for a walk. Maybe moving around would help.
The place was a mess. Mugs on the ground. A bottle rolling gently across the floor. Chairs tipped over. Like a celebration had ended in a storm.
Everyone else had gone to bed. Just me left.
I walked slowly. Tired body. Restless mind.
"For crying out loud…" I muttered as I stepped into a puddle of vomit.
Groaning, I wiped my sandal against the floor, mumbling curses.
Then it happened again.
That same warmth around my chest. The gentle arms. A sweet smell—perfume, like fresh morning dew.
I turned.
Nothing.
But something was here. I felt it in my bones.
My eyes scanned every inch of the hall. The shadows twisted and danced like they were hiding something.
And then—
Thud.
I turned quickly.
A figure now sat in one of the chairs.
She looked like she had always been there.
Her hair was impossibly long, dark, flowing like a river down her back and around her body. It covered her like a robe. I couldn't tell if she wore anything beneath. Her skin was pale, almost glowing. And her eyes… hazy purple. Calm, deep. Ancient.
"Hello, Helios," she said.
That voice.
It struck something inside me.
"I bless you, kind soul."
"Rest, my mage… you have more to do."
"Get stronger… my mage."
Three times I had heard it.
Once when I died.
Once in a dream.
Now in front of me.
I stepped back, cautious. She didn't follow. She only watched.
"Who are you?" I asked.
She tilted her head slightly, like I was a puzzle she hadn't solved yet.
Then—
A soft touch from behind.
I froze.
Couldn't move.
When I looked back—she was gone.
Her voice, once again, whispered right next to my ear.
"My mage… You are not ready yet. Get stronger. Faster. The one ahead of you… is a force of nature."
Then—silence.
The hall was empty.
I stumbled to the nearest chair and sat down, heart racing. What did she mean? What was coming?
The fatigue hit me all at once. My thoughts blurred. My eyes burned.
I tried to get up, tried to make it back to my room.
I didn't even make it halfway.
The world went black as I collapsed to the floor.
"Helios… Helios, wake up."
A gentle nudge pulled me from unconsciousness.
Light hit my eyes. I groaned, blinking fast.
The whole guild was standing over me.
Edith was kneeling beside me, eyes wide with concern. Her hands hovered just above my shoulder, afraid to touch too hard.
I slowly sat up. My body still ached all over.
"What happened?" I asked, voice dry.
"We don't know," Roland said. "We found you like this when we got here."
The memories hit me like a wave. The woman. The warmth. Her words.
I grabbed my head. A sharp pain stabbed through my skull.
"Did you get drunk?" Frey asked coldly.
I looked at her, raising an eyebrow. Everyone knew I didn't drink like that.
"No."
She looked away, face unreadable—but I thought I saw a flicker of something. Embarrassment? Doubt?
Then it happened.
BOOM.
The main door burst open.
Wind howled through the hall. Cold. Violent.
Everyone spun around. Weapons half-drawn.
Asmond stood in the doorway.
But he was unrecognizable.
His robes were shredded and scorched, smoke curling from his body. One arm was soaked in blood. His breathing was fast and ragged.
He looked like he'd crawled out of a battlefield.
"Asmond?" Edith called.
No answer.
He stumbled forward. Each step slower than the last.
"I…" he gasped, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I couldn't stop it…"
Then his legs gave out.
He collapsed.
Edith lunged forward to catch him. Frey was already on her knees, checking his pulse. Roland shouted for a healer. Panic spread like wildfire.
I dropped to my knees beside them.
Asmond was burned. Broken. Barely breathing.
But alive.
"What happened?" I asked.
His eye opened a sliver.
His lips moved.
"War…" he whispered. "It's already here."
Then he passed out cold.
The silence was heavy.
"Who could do this?" Edith whispered. Her voice trembled.
And then—
That voice again.
Soft. Echoing through my mind.
"My mage… You are not ready yet. Get stronger. Faster. The one ahead of you… is a force of nature."
Was she talking about this?
Who… was ahead of me?
And what waited on the other side of this war?