The instant the Awakening of all the young people on that platform concluded, the obelisk stopped glowing and reverted back to its black state as before.
But while the young people, still happy about their Awakenings, were grinning from ear to ear, three magicians suddenly appeared on that platform, drawing everyone's attention.
The trio appeared around Lauren, each of them already had their mana surging, instantly raising the pressure on everyone in the surrounding area.
Without being unperturbed by the people in the temple, as they were watching the awakening of their friends and family members, one of the men shouted.
"William, The Barbarian of Nixlas. Get away from this girl. My Temple of Seeton wishes to recruit this girl!" The speaker, a blond man dressed in dark blue, said this to the man who donned an all-black robe.
William, the man in black, was already holding Lauren by her neck, not even giving this girl any time to comprehend the improvements and skill she had just gained.
After the formation of the Magic Gem, a Magic Pentagram would form, and the magician would be able to feel their powers after the enhancement of their aptitudes.
Yet Lauren hadn't even got a moment to savor her newfound abilities before she felt as if someone was squeezing her neck.
William, The Barbarian of Nixlas, heard that demand and smiled, his tone and laughter making everyone in the surroundings shiver. "This girl has a Scythe... Whom do you think she has an affinity with? With you pure ones? Or with us, the dark ones?"
"If she doesn't come with us, she won't go anywhere else!" Declared the other man, who had also appeared on that platform. His black hair seemed to be trembling because of his body's violent mana.
"Is that so?" Inquired the man who had his face hidden, his words creating a sudden, frigid sensation in the surroundings.
"William, you can't take this girl without her consent. She didn't even choose to go with you!" the blond man brandished, but neither he nor the other man made any move.
They both were well aware that dark magicians like William were far stronger than those at the same level as them who did not dabble in forbidden arts.
So they were both cautious!
"Hahaha, choose? That's for the strong! This girl, however, has to run a long way before she can have that kind of ability. Today, she's coming with me!" William shouted while the youngsters in the vicinity had already fainted due to the sheer pressure that was being generated by the three individuals.
Vicente, witnessing this from outside the platform, instinctively tried to run toward his sister.
However, before he could do so, the woman next to him firmly restrained him.
"Are you out of your mind? These people are Mages! The one holding your sister is at the peak of that stage! What are you going to do?" she asked, firmly holding Vicente's arms and legs, keeping him in place.
"I don't know! Anything! I can't allow my sister to be taken!" Vicente cried out.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the strength to break free from this woman's grasp. "Boy, this is not a fairytale! See, your sister is out of your reach!
I told you that having a good ability was not a good thing for her. Someone without a backing but with a good talent will naturally suffer!
That's her reality! There's nothing you can do to help!"
For Vice and his family, that was the reality.
Being talented was undoubtedly positive. However, if one does not have good support or influential people to rely on, having such talent could cause a lot of problems.
One could be taken by force by powerful groups or even eliminated so that they could be prevented from growing into formidable experts.
As foundationless people, this was beyond their control!
Andrew, witnessing this distressing situation, held Nina tightly in his arms but remained paralyzed, unable to do anything to intervene.
In stark contrast to Vicente, Andrew knew there was little they could do in this dire situation.
"Damn it!"
He fell to his knees, while little Nina was bewildered by the presence of these strange men who had surrounded her older sister and was unable to understand the unfolding events.
Their two guards, who had been grinning just a few moments earlier, now had their expressions tainted with worry.
"Cough... What... What's going on? Cough! Who's there? Who's grabbing me?" Lauren managed to speak something with great struggle as those people loomed over her.
"Oh? Can't you see me?" that man dressed in all black inquired, but soon he and the others realized Lauren was blind.
"It doesn't matter. Blind or not, your talent is valuable to Nixlas' Shadows!" he declared before summoning a huge Pentagram, which appeared beside one of his arms, glowing in a Yellow hue.
"Damn it! The fucking bastard is really going to fight!"
"Let's temporarily join forces and fight against him!"
Those two men exchanged with determination to confront the enemy together.
However, just as they prepared themselves for a fight, bat wings as enormous as that man's body sprouted from his back.
"See you next time, hahahahaha!"
With those words, he flew out of there with Lauren, leaving those two Mages behind.
"Shit! Don't let him get away! We have to stop him!"
The two remaining Mages followed right away but were at a disadvantage since they didn't have the ability to fly like their enemy.
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
Vicente screamed at the top of his lungs as he helplessly watched his older sister being taken away, unable to do anything to prevent it.
"LAUREN! LAUREN!"
He cried out, his voice reaching his sister's ears, but it was too late...
Tears streamed down from Vicente's eyes while his lips formed terrible outlines.
The woman who had been holding him released him, her heart heavy with sympathy for this boy.
'Poor things... And she had to be taken away by that person of all.' She gazed at the direction of the vanishing figures of the Mages and sighed.
"Boy, forget about your sister. While she has a good talent, in the place where she is being taken, there is no hope for her to escape.
She will eventually either become one of them or meet her end. Regardless of the cases, you will never see her the same way as you knew her before."
"What does that mean? Who was that person?" Vicente asked amid his despair.
"Never mind about that. It won't do you any good after knowing it," she said, believing it would be better to hide the truth so this child would have a chance to lead a more normal life. "It will be better if you consider that she died. It will be better for everyone to consider that..."
With those words, she took one of Vicente's shoulders and squeezed it gently.
Vicente wanted to scream at her for what she had said, but just as he felt that squeeze, his vision started blurring and darkening as he lost control over his own body.
Just before he was about to fall to the ground after slipping into unconsciousness, that woman picked him up by his clothes and instructed someone to take him to his family.
...
Later that day, news of what had happened at the Awakening Temple had already begun circulating throughout Saltstar City.
Vicente had been returned to his family, and his group had returned to the resort where they were staying.
There, Vicente lay in his room, still unconscious, his mind replaying the horrifying events that had happened to his sister over and over again.
Once again, someone important had been taken away from him!
Amid his nightmares, he gradually recovered from the earlier knockout, opening his eyes to confront the harsh reality.
'Lauren...'
"Lauren!" he shouted, sitting up abruptly, his eyes filled with desperation and anger for being incapable of doing anything even now.