The air in the dungeon had changed. It was no longer cold, it was heavy. Rayne stepped forward, his boots clicking softly against the stone floor as he walked up to the iron bars of his cell. His eyes, still glowing a piercing blue, locked directly with Miles'. The sheer force of his presence rolled off him in waves, calm, composed, yet undeniably dangerous.
He wasn't hiding anymore.
Miles instinctively took a step back, breath catching in his chest as Rayne's aura pressed against him like an invisible storm. The pressure was suffocating, the weight of raw mana radiating from Rayne unlike anything he had ever felt. It was enough to make his knees weaken slightly.
"Y-You're not…You're not just a B-Class" Miles muttered, wide-eyed.
Rayne's expression didn't shift. "You were right" He said quietly. "I've been hiding my strength. For reasons of my own"
Miles swallowed hard, struggling to keep his composure. The calm in Rayne's voice only made it more unsettling. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I have no choice. And because I trust you"
Miles didn't answer, he couldn't. His mind was still reeling from the truth settling in front of him. It didn't feel real.Rayne stepped even closer, his gaze unwavering. "Xander and the others won't be able to find her. Not in time. Not at all. If we leave it to them, she'll die. I have to do it myself. But I can't do it alone. I need your help"
His voice was sharp now, like steel drawn in the dark. Miles stared at him, still breathless. "What do you need me to do?"
Rayne didn't answer with words. Instead, he stepped forward, and phased through the iron bars of the cell as though they weren't there. Miles jerked back, eyes blown wide in disbelief. "What the…?!"
Rayne now stood directly in front of him, his right hand calmly reaching out to grip Miles' shoulder. "Do you trust me?" Rayne asked. Miles nodded without hesitation, still too stunned to speak. Rayne's grip tightened slightly. "Brace yourself"
In the next heartbeat, a brilliant light erupted from where they stood. It flared without warning, engulfing them both in a rush of blinding magic. Then, silence. When Miles blinked, the stone walls were gone. So was the cell. So was the palace. His head whipped around, eyes scanning the dense trees and the faint mist curling through the underbrush. The chill of the forest bit into his skin.
They were standing in the middle of the woods. Miles gawked, trying to process what had just happened. "What the hell?!" He shouted, spinning toward Rayne, realization crashing over him like a wave. They had teleported from the cell to the woods in an instant. Rayne didn't flinch. He simply looked ahead. Focused. Determined.
***
The private royal meeting room was quiet, but the tension in the air was suffocating. A large map lay spread across the central table, surrounded by half-rolled scrolls, glowing communication stones, and open files. The hour was late, nearly midnight, and the weight of time was pressing on them all.
Commander Dion stood before the table, his face grim, holding a stack of letter in hand. Advisor Gray stood to one side, arms behind his back, while Xander leaned forward with both hands planted on the table, his expression tight with anticipation.
"The scout reports and updates from our mage divisions" Commander Dion began, placing the letters down. "All sectors have reported in by the hour, but…so far, nothing. No leads. No sightings. They keep turning up empty"
Xander's jaw clenched. He straightened up and exhaled, eyes dark with resolve. "Then it's time. We move forward with the plan"
He looked between Dion and his father. "I sent a message through the same Dark Mage who delivered their terms. The meeting point has been set. I gave them the location and instructions"
Commander Dion nodded. "Then we must move now if we're to arrive ahead of time and prepare the ambush"
"Gather the King's Guard" Xander instructed, voice steady, "The ones fully healed and battle-ready. And bring the strongest of the combat mages. Quietly. No one outside this room must know we're leaving"
Commander Dion bowed slightly. "As you command, King consult" Without another word, he turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Silence lingered for a moment. Advisor Gray turned to his son, the lightbulbs casting long shadows across his sharp features. "Stay calm…" He said gently, yet firmly. "This is your moment, Xander"
Xander turned to face him, listening.
"You must lead with confidence. This is your chance to win the people over even more, by saving your fiancée, the queen" His tone was low, almost conspiratorial. "Show them that you are not just a princess' betrothed, but a man of action. A future King Consult worth following"
He stepped closer, resting a firm hand on Xander's shoulder. "And this rescue will do more than win the people. It will win her. Her loyalty. Her admiration. Her heart. Once you save her, there will be no one else in her eyes. Not even that…Rayne who seems to be winning her heart slowly"
Xander's eyes hardened slightly at the mention of the name.
"This is your opportunity" Advisor Gray continued smoothly. "Make sure no one questions who she belongs to again"
Xander exhaled slowly, nodding. "You're right. This is it. My chance to prove everything, to prove myself"
His father gave a small, satisfied smile. "Make sure it goes smoothly. This rescue must be a success"
"I won't fail" Xander replied with confidence. With that, he turned sharply and strode out of the room, the door closing behind him with finality.
Left alone, Advisor Gray moved back to his seat, the fire crackling softly behind him. He settled in with a slow, sly smile curving his lips. Everything was falling into place. But the Queen needed to be saved and kept alive.
***
It was quiet in the abandoned cabin, the only sound coming from the soft creak of old wood and the faint crackle of dying embers in the hearth. In the dim light, Phoenix leaned against the windowsill while Neo stood by the far wall, arms crossed and silent as always. A flicker of magic pulsed through the air as the messenger mage appeared in the room, slightly breathless from the urgency of his task. A projection of himself that appeared to deliver his message.
"They've responded" The mage announced. "They want a meeting for the exchange. They said you should bring the princess to the meet and they'll bring the book with the direction of the Crimson Flower. The time and location have been set"
Phoenix turned to Neo, a sly smile curving her lips. "It's a setup" She said without a hint of doubt.
Neo nodded once. "Obviously. But we're going anyway"
She arched a brow. "Even knowing it's a trap?"
He shrugged. "They expect us to come. If we don't, they'll know we saw through it. And if we do, it keeps them playing the game by our rules"
They shared a long look, a silent understanding passing between them before Neo turned back to the messenger.
"Gather the Dark Mages" He ordered. "Every one left and still able to fight. Tell them to converge here and surround the cabin. We're leaving the Princess behind"
The mage blinked. "You're not taking her to the exchange?"
Phoenix pushed off the wall and walked forward, folding her arms. "They'll be expecting us to. That's the obvious play. But if it's a trap, and we bring her along…we might lose her"
Neo nodded. "She stays here. Surrounded. Guarded. Until we return. We don't know how many forces they're bringing or what plan they've hatched. It's smarter this way"
The messenger mage gave a curt nod and disappeared like he had appeared, after disclosing the location of the meet.
Moments later, almost twenty minutes later, the rustling of footsteps filled the air as the summoned mages began to arrive, thirty-two Dark Mages in total. Silent and lethal, they spread out on Neo's command, securing the entire area. Some took positions within the cabin, standing at sharp angles near doors and windows, watching Emeney who was still tied to the steel chair, without a word. Others stationed themselves in a wide perimeter through the surrounding trees, while the rest remained close, guarding every point of entry to the cabin.
Emeney seeing this, wondered what was going on. She asked but no one replied her questions. Satisfied with the defenses, Neo pulled his dark cloak from the hook by the door, slipping it on with fluid precision. Phoenix followed, flipping up her hood and fastening the clasp beneath her chin.
With the crescent moon overhead and only the sound of wind weaving through the trees, the two Z-Class mages turned and walked side by side into the shadows, disappearing into the night on their way to the meeting point.
***
The woods were quiet, save for the rustle of leaves and the soft crunch of footsteps as Rayne and Miles moved deeper into the forest. Moonlight filtered through the trees in slivers, barely enough to light their path. The air was cold, still, and tense with a strange kind of anticipation.
Miles, still wide-eyed from the teleportation and everything that had happened since, finally broke the silence.
"So, uh…you gonna start explaining now or what? Like, who are you really? What are you? Where'd you come from? How strong are you? No offense, but you don't exactly scream B-Class. You just, phased through a cell door like fog and teleported us across the damn kingdom"
Rayne walked ahead in silence for a few steps, the blue glow still faint in his eyes, then glanced sideways at him with a cool expression. "I'm just someone trying to help"
Miles scoffed. "Yeah, right. That's not gonna cut it anymore, man. I've seen A-Class mages train my whole life and you're…not that. You're something else entirely"
Rayne didn't stop walking. "I have my reasons for hiding what I can do. Reasons I can't tell you. Not yet"
"Right…" Miles muttered, half annoyed, half amazed. "Secrets. Fine. Keep your secrets, mysterious sword guy"
Rayne gave a slight smirk but said nothing. Miles jogged up beside him again. "Alright, so what can you tell me? What's the plan? What do you need me for?"
Rayne slowed, his voice firm now. "I need you because I can't let anyone know the truth, not even Emeney. Not yet. The plan is simple. We find the Princess. I take care of getting her out. You go get a squad of the search mages, bring them to her, and claim the rescue. As far as the kingdom knows, you saved her"
Miles blinked. "Wait, me? Why not just take the credit?"
Rayne looked ahead into the darkness. "Because I'm not ready to be known yet. And the people she loves can't know I'm involved and can't know the truth about me. Not until it's time"
Miles frowned, baffled. "You talk like this is some prophecy stuff"
Rayne said nothing.
"And how exactly are we gonna find her anyway?" Miles asked, looking around at the endless forest. "You got some sort of magical compass I don't know about?"
Rayne suddenly stopped.
Miles turned to him. "What?"
Rayne's eyes scanned the shadows. "I have a plan."
Before Miles could say anything else, he felt it, an eerie pressure in the air, the kind that raised the hair on the back of your neck. He turned sharply. "Wait, do you feel that?"
From the darkness, three shadows darted forward, Dark Mages. "That's our target. Down!" Rayne barked.
Both of them leapt back just in time as a blast of magic scorched the earth where they had just stood. The three mages emerged, dressed in black, swords drawn, eyes sharp and hungry for blood.
Miles summoned his sword instantly, ready to defend himself. But before he could even lift it, Rayne vanished.Like a shadow cutting through moonlight, he reappeared behind the mages, sword already drawn. He stood still, back to them, blade held low at his side.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, with a soft shnk, two of the mages' heads dropped cleanly from their shoulders, hitting the ground with a dull thud. Their bodies followed a second later.
Miles' jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?!"
The third mage stood paralyzed, eyes wide with fear, trembling. Rayne turned slowly, walking toward the last man, sword pointed."Where is she? Where is the princess being held?" He asked coldly.
The mage blinked, snapping back to reality. He shook his head, getting himself back. "I…I'll never tell you"
Rayne stepped closer, his blade hovering near the man's throat. "This is your last chance"
The mage clenched his teeth, and suddenly, before either of them could stop him, he pulled a dagger from his belt and sliced his own throat open. Blood spilled. He collapsed.Miles ran forward. "What the hell?!" He looked at Rayne. "What now? That was our only lead!"
Rayne let out a frustrated breath and dismissed his sword. "I didn't want to do this" He muttered. "But we're desperate and wasting time" He turned to Miles. "Whatever happens next, you never speak of this. Understand?"
Miles, now thoroughly confused, nodded hesitantly. "Uh…okay?"
Without another word, Rayne got down on one knee beside the dead mage's body. He placed a hand gently on the chest and his eyes began glowing red instead of glowing blue like before. Then, he whispered…
"EMERGE"
He commanded with a cold and deep voice. A golden light pulsed from Rayne's hand, spreading over the mage's body like liquid sunlight, engulfing the body. Miles staggered back a step, shielding his eyes. The light faded. And what happened next caused Miles jaw to drop. As soon as the light faded, the Dark Mage's eyes snapped open. Fully black eyes. Alive again.