"Kirk, listen to me... please, don't go," A woman's sobbing voice sounded from behind, followed by a warm hug. Her slender hands wrapped tightly around Kirk's robust body, leaving no room for escape. He could feel her tears dripping onto his naked shoulder, staining the grey scarf that his late mother had woven for him. "Please..." she said, her voice faint as a whisper.
Kirk looked at his reflection in the mirror—disheveled, black shoulder-length hair and obsidian-grey eyes. Then his warm gaze traveled toward the white-haired, emerald-eyed beauty behind him—there was a stark contrast between the two.
He was calm and collected, while she looked so vulnerable and fragile that one could easily imagine her falling apart at the tiniest touch. But Kirk knew that this was far from the truth.
He let out a helpless sigh and said softly, "You know that I have to go. Besides, I had been training for this day my whole life."
She didn't answer and just kept hugging him.
Seeing her in such a state pained his heart. He thought for a moment and then said with all seriousness, "Over thirty experts disappeared without a trace. I'm not going to lie, the dangers involved are far greater than usual."
He paused and then continued in a slightly warmer voice, "But there is also good news: over one hundred experts will be entering the Forbidden Territory this time, and every single one of them has more than enough experience under their belt. In view of all of this, it should be more or less safe with my current strength."
He tried his best to reassure her but deep in his heart, he knew that no one could guarantee anything in a situation like this. And he knew... that she also knew; lying through the teeth would have only made matters worse.
They stood in silence, feeling each other's warmth. She could hear his heart beating steadily, sending calming waves through her body.
"Kate, let's go to bed." He took off his scarf, gently freed himself from her hug, and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her on the forehead. She trembled slightly and followed him inside the bedroom.
After the door closed, a black kitten jumped onto the table in front of the mirror. It sniffed the wet marks that splattered the surface and tilted its head in confusion.
***
The night was still young. The Twin Moons slowly danced in the night sky, bathing the city in red and blue lights.
Legends said that during the Primordial Era—just as Mondrea was celebrating its first birthday—a celestial being, not quite satisfied with the result, trapped a ray of sunlight within their palm, thus giving life to Gabriel, Mondrea's first protector.
Ages passed in loneliness for Gabriel. The Celestial noticed it, and with just a thought, caught starlight from a faraway galaxy, giving life to Loria. Now Gabriel had a companion to chase after. Every night they would show up in the night sky, creating a beautiful, superlunary scenery.
Yet there was another legend, a story that filled many hearts with hopes and desire – Elysian Gardens. A mythical land that the Celestial created for their beloved daughter.
According to rumors, once it appeared, a prosperous era would descend upon Mondrea. Trees would blot out the sky and tower over the mountains, while beasts would soar high above the clouds and their physical forms would be hundreds of times tougher than spell-forged steel.
But all this paled in comparison to the legend of the Ascension. It's rumored that during the great era of prosperity, those lucky enough would go through a great transformation and ascend to divinity, attaining immortality. Some even claimed that there still lived a Goddes in a faraway land that was protected by an uncrossable sea.
Some believed, while others remained skeptical or just considered all of it a beautiful story. But there existed other places—commonly referred to as the Forbidden Territories—the reality of which was without a shadow of a doubt, and these were rumored to hide even more secrets, which were no less tempting.
Remnants of the Great Era, Dark Lands, Cursed Lands, all kinds of names were given to them over the past eras, and obviously, there was a reason for this—the number of experts who died there was more than enough to send a waterfall of shivers down one's spine.
***
"I've heard that your collection of useless papers outgrew that of the Imperial Library," said a middle-aged man with a goatee. "The city needs you, yet you slip away to collect... I don't even know how to call them..."
"Do you still believe in the story behind the Twin Moons?" he suddenly asked.
A man who was standing next to him, and whose appearance was frighteningly similar, lit a hand-rolled cigarette and blew out the smoke; a relaxed smile appeared on his face as a result.
"Is this how you welcome me after decades of separation?" he said and his smile turned bitter. He flicked the ash off his cigarette and added, "I traveled far and wide all across the empire, which made me realize one thing—the more you know, the less you understand about this world. Besides, if someone confirmed those myths, wouldn't it make our lives so much more exciting? Don't you agree, Torbud, my dear brother?"
They stood on the highest balcony of the city hall. The moonlight revealed athletic bodies beneath their sleeveless, dark red leather tunics. Apart from the six-pointed star—the City Lord's chest emblem—one would find it rather difficult to spot any other differences between their appearances.
Torbud gave his brother a sidelong glance, snorted, and said, "You're so caught up in your own fantasies. It seems that no amount of time can change it. That's why His Excellency named me the Lord of the City." He raised his eyebrow and asked, "Don't you regret your childish stubbornness back then, Beren, my dear brother?"
Beren, whose eyes were focused on the endless mountain range outside the city walls, suddenly coughed, almost choking on his cigarette.
"This name... The last time I heard it was more than a hundred years ago." He shifted his gaze from the broken cigarette and looked deep into Torbud's eyes. "If you remember, it was my..."
"Our mother, Loria." Torbud interrupted him.
"Hmph, you dare mention her name in front of me?!" He stared at Torbud as his eyes began to burn with dark red flames. The black marble floor around them started to melt slowly.
"Calm down." He remained collected despite his brother's scorching gaze. "I see. So much time has passed but you are still holding onto it. Grow up. She was my mother as well."
Beren flicked his fingers and sent both halves of the cigarette flying over the city walls, creating two small craters and falling down a few trees in the process. The sight alerted the guards at the city gates, but they failed to find the culprit.
"I thought you called me for a productive conversation. You were even bothered enough to choose such a nice place! But I've heard enough." He turned his back to Torbud and added, "Those two are a lost cause. I give them two days at best."
Torbud watched as his brother, whistling a catchy tune and acting as if nothing happened, punched the door open, ripping it off its hinges. In the next moment, he was nowhere to be seen.
Torbud sighed and murmured to himself, "In the end, he is still my brother..."
***
In an underground facility, two men were kept in a poorly lit room. Their skin was burned in many places. Not even their eyes were spared, to say nothing of the hair. But both of them were still alive, constantly mumbling something under their breath.
The atmosphere in the room was creepy as their voices echoed off the metallic walls. After an unknown amount of time, one of the heavy, thick doors slowly opened and a man—seemingly in his forties—entered the room. He was scratching his beard as he slowly walked towards the bed to which one of the scorched men was tied.
"These marks were left by Runic Fire," he silently thought to himself, "but Beren already took good care of them. His years as Cleric weren't wasted."
He was no other than Torbud. After carefully examining their skin, he took out а vial of glass from a sealed container. A liquid of deep blue color was slowly revolving inside it, emitting cold mist. The temperature in the room slowly started to drop.
"Let's hope this will work," he said and the liquid disappeared in the man's throat.
At first, nothing happened, but soon, the glowing marks on his body dimmed a fair bit. He stopped mumbling and opened his eyes after a few seconds.
"Where... am I? M-my body... I can't feel my body! Someone, help me!" The man started screaming in a hoarse voice but soon noticed a towering figure with the corner of his half-blind eye. A sight of a silvery-white, six-pointed star on the latter's chest immediately cleared his mind. He would recognize it even if he were completely blind—it gave off a unique aura of authority.
"My lord!" he exclaimed in shock.
"Sergeant Lou, listen up. I know there are many questions on your mind but you don't have much time left. Now, concentrate on what I am about to ask. If I find your answers useful, I will double your family's compensation." He paused, waiting for his response.
It only took him a few seconds to calm down and digest what he just heard. He rearranged his thoughts and replied in a weak but clear voice, "I understand, my lord."
"Good. Now tell me, did you charge through a barrier as you fled?" Torbud's voice was devoid of all emotions.
"Yes."
"How did it look like?"
"I only saw it for a fraction of a second. It appeared out of nowhere, killing half of our team on the spot." The last phrase made his voice tremble for a brief moment. "It was so bright... I couldn't see it clearly."
"What happened next?"
"Death was imminent, or so we thought," he continued, closing his eyes. "The captain gave the order to retreat. Basically, everyone just fled in their own directions, and... then we heard an ear-splitting explosion. Our captain must have sacrificed himself to save us."
"Captain?" Torbud suddenly thought of someone. "That would be a huge loss to the city. I remember he had a promising son who had recently graduated from the Regal Phoenix Academy. The city needs seedlings like him. Let's hope he doesn't make any stupid mistakes."
"Now to the main question. What made you flee in such a chaotic manner? You can't leave out even the smallest detail."
"I wasn't at the forefront when it all started, but I heard them mention a shadow that suddenly appeared from beneath the ground. It instantly devoured our youngest scout, Peter, a cousin of mine."
"A shadow? That's it? Who or what did it belong to?" Torbud was getting impatient. The runes on Lou's body started to disintegrate which was anything but a good sign.
"M-my lord, please save my younger brother. He was the one who carried me on his back all the way from..." Convulsions began all over his body as his consciousness slowly started fading away. "He... he is everything I have..."
"Sergeant Lou, concentrate! I promise I will save your younger brother, just answer my question!"
"He is..." Sergeant Lou's expression suddenly froze as the last breath escaped his throat.
"Damn it!" Torbud reacted fast, raised his hand, and a sphere of light appeared around him.
Boom!
The room shook as the shockwaves vaporized everything in it, including both of the ill-fated men—the last survivors. No more mumbling voices could be heard as deafening silence descended.
Torbud stood in the same place. Not a speck of dust could be found on his clothes. After a while, a soft sigh escaped his lips. This was the result he wanted to see the least.
He looked at the place where the other bed had stood a moment ago. It had belonged to Lou's younger brother. But he didn't dwell on it too much.
"Devoured?"
His thoughts raced with unimaginable speed. Shortly after, he left the room.