The wind blew, stirring the leaves on the trees as Shade balled his fist and backed away. "Regina wants you. Go back to the academy," he said.
The clicking sound of the high heels continued as a woman with fiery red hair grabbed the metal bar and stared at the young man with her sparkling green siren eyes as she laughed. Her hoarse voice permeated Shade's ears and her eyes turned deadly.
The smile on her luscious red lips vanished as she leaned her face into the metal bars separating the two.
"I see, you still haven't learned respect, little Shade," the woman said as she focused on the young man as if scanning everything about him. "It is a grave mistake for Regina to send you to this place. Go back home while I'm still being considerate."
"Why would I care about that? I have never failed a mission, ever before."
The woman snickered and moved slightly away from the metal bars as she held onto her stomach. She flipped her blazing red hair after calming down and leaned closer again, making Shade look clearly into her vibrant green eyes.
"This shall be your first failure then, Shade Cromwell," she said and sighed. "You better listen to me if you don't want to become a laughingstock after this." The woman turned her back to the young man.
"Why would Regina even want me back in the academy? It's too late," the woman muttered.
"There's a plague."
The woman froze, she could not take another step forward and her smile vanished as she turned around. Her eyes quivered as she spoke, "What did you say?"
Shade gulped as he saw the woman's eyes glisten. The memories of his childhood with the woman triggered Shade's instincts, making him back away.
"A plague's haunting the academy. This is why I'm sent to this place with amateurs. Just go back, Scarlett."
The woman with straight and long red hair, the phoenix they have been searching for, Scarlett Jenkins was her name. She was famous as the red-haired sorcerer and the last of her kind, the legendary phoenix that could cure even death.
"Who has she sent here with you?"
Shade raised an eyebrow; it is rare for Scarlett Jenkins to show such curiosity. "What is it to you? Just come back and you'll know."
"Hey."
The young man flinched and backed away. He had put both hands in front of him as if automatically putting himself in a defensive position.
"It is obvious you are still quite afraid of me, so you better talk now before I remind you of your fiery hot childhood with me."
It was the first time Shade Cromwell showed genuine fear of someone that he could not retort at all as he was forced to start talking like how Scarlett wanted him to.
"What did you say!?" Scarlett banged her hands on the metal bar. "Eirin Luxfield? Madam Eleanor's granddaughter?"
Shade's brows furrowed with the unexpected reaction from the woman. 'Why is this witch making a big deal out of this?' the young man wondered as he saw how pale the face of his mentor turned.
"Hey, described this so-called plague to me this instant."
Shade clicked his tongue but immediately explained everything he knew before Scarlett could lash out at him. And after telling, he heard Scarlett click her tongue as she even glared at him as if it was the young man's fault.
"I should be the one getting annoyed. For my former mentor to be caught by those fools, it's more than embarrassing—"
Shade immediately crouched after a blazing flick of flame coming from Scarlett's finger aimed at the young man's forehead almost hitting him.
"Are you an idiot? Do I appear that I am locked in here? I am the one locking myself inside this fucked up place, protecting an idiot like you from the trouble this basement holds. So be a lad and get the hell out of this village."
Meanwhile...
Eirin could not stop biting her fingernails as she patiently waited for Shade to come back, wondering if the young man had already left her and was playing tricks on her because that's the kind of man she thought he was.
The sound of the leaves rustling caused Eirin to keep looking behind, anxious about someone appearing and seeing her in front of the warning sign. She didn't know what to do, should she leave? Should she stay? If she leaves and Shade Cromwell comes back, he will surely lash out at her. But if she doesn't leave and the young man doesn't come back, she'll get caught by the villagers sneaking around.
'I'm between a rock and a hard place.' she thought as she looked around once again and muttered, "They probably wouldn't come here, wouldn't they?"
Eirin's eyes went wide upon hearing male voices as a gust of wind caused her hair to get all over her face, but she could only cover her mouth as the footsteps continued to get nearer. She looked back to the path Shade took and glanced right back in the direction where the voices were coming. The nearer they get, the faster her heart beats.
'Dang it!'
Eirin swiftly ran towards the path Shade took. It was a risk— no, it was more than risky. For someone who does not have any sort of ability, Eirin would not be able to defend herself. Why would the villagers put up a warning sign if the forest is nothing but dangerous in the first place? However, being caught by the villagers and ruining their chance to find the Phoenix terrified Eirin more than putting herself in danger.
With heavy breathing, Eirin ran with the only thought of surviving this day flowing through her head. If Shade Cromwell indeed didn't leave, she was bound to meet him along the way, that's what kept pushing her to move forward and not look back.
As Eirin dashed, her eyes squinted after witnessing what seemed to be a hut far away where a man stood still. Her heart calmed down seeing the familiar posture and that jet-black hair, realizing that it was Shade Cromwell. He didn't leave the trail and pranked Eirin.
"H-Hey, there are people."
Eirin approached the young man while trying to catch her breath, but soon her eyes widened after seeing a woman standing behind the metal bars of what turned out to be a prison cell and not some kind of hut.
"W-What is that?"
The woman scoffed. "How rude. I am a person just like you, young lady," Scarlett Jenkins shook her head. "Who might this girl—" her eyes widened as she cut her words off. She gawked at the teenage girl, causing Eirin to feel frightened as she moved closer to Shade.
"Who is she?"
"Don't whisper to my ear like an idiot."
Eirin's brows furrowed, wondering what could be wrong with this man this time. He's so fickle that Eirin does not even want to react anymore.
"What is your name?" Scarlett stared at Eirin.
Eirin gulped. "I don't think I should introduce myself to some stranger," she said, causing the woman's eyes to glisten as she cackled. However, to Eirin's eyes, the woman appeared terrifying.
"I might think of going with you back to the academy if you tell me your name."
The teenage girl glanced at her companion and glanced back at Scarlett. "Are you the Phoenix? The one that could cure the plague?"
Scarlett cackled once again, but her eyes were dead serious. "Is that what Regina calls me now? How laughable. State your name this instant."
Eirin's eyes quivered as she felt such an ominous aura coming from the woman. "Eirin Luxfield, that's my name."
Scarlett grabbed onto the metal bars with much strength, surprising Eirin as she backed away, almost falling to the ground if it wasn't for her good balance.
The woman pushed her hair back as she cursed. "You two can't be here together," she said as she bit her lower lip and started walking back and forth. "Leave this place. Now!"