The emblem lay on the ground, its rhythmic pulsations casting eerie shadows in the dim light, but it was pushed to the periphery of their concerns for now. Orion's breaths were coming out in ragged gasps, his face a grimace of pain as blood seeped steadily from his wounds. Yet, with a gritted determination, he managed to stay upright, refusing to succumb to his injuries.
Vale, his face a canvas of worry and fear, hurriedly approached his friend, his voice shaking slightly, "Are you alright? Here, I'll try healing you." Without waiting for a response, he activated his dream skill, "Wind's Caress". His hands glowed with a gentle luminescence as he conjured a soothing breeze that enveloped Orion, the wind tendrils caressing his wounds, alleviating the pain and fostering the healing process, albeit slowly.
Orion managed a weak nod, his voice barely above a whisper, "Yeah, thanks." He could feel a slight alleviation in his pain, a gentle reprieve granted by Vale's skill, but he knew he was far from healed, his body still screaming in silent agony.
The gravity of their actions seemed to crash down on them then, Vale's voice breaking the tense silence, "Did we just... kill someone? Like, actually take his life?" His eyes were wide, a mix of fear and disbelief clouding them.
Orion, despite his pain, managed to muster a firm resolve, his voice carrying a harsh truth, "Yeah, but you heard what he said before he died, right? This is just the beginning. Don't waste your sympathy on him, he was nothing more than a nasty scumbag." His face was stern, leaving no room for doubt.
Vale seemed to wrestle with the reality, his voice tinged with desperation, "We didn't have a choice, right?" He sought confirmation, a way to assuage the growing guilt within him.
Orion simply nodded, his face a mask of grim determination. Their attention was then drawn to the emblem on the ground, its pulsations growing more frantic, an ominous glow emanating from it. Vale bent down to pick it up, his face contorting in confusion as he noticed a symbol etched at the back, "What is this? There's a guild symbol here."
He handed it over to Orion, whose eyes widened in recognition, a surge of fear and realization hitting him. His voice carried an urgent warning, "We need to get out of here, now. And leave that damn emblem here."
Vale's confusion only deepened, his voice rising in panic, "Why? What's going on, Orion?"
Orion quickly explained, his words tumbling out in a rush, "That emblem is a tracker. The guild supervisors use it to keep tabs on their members. If they get their hands on it, they'll know exactly how he died, and who did it."
Vale seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation, his mind racing to find a solution, "Can't we just toss it in the ocean or something? They'll never find it then."
Orion shook his head vehemently, his voice carrying a note of desperation, "They're probably already on their way here. And the ocean is miles away, we won't make it in time. Trust me, getting involved with that guild is asking for trouble."
Vale's face was a picture of despair, his voice echoing the hopelessness of their situation, "But where can we possibly go? If they're as powerful as you say, we won't be able to hide!"
It was then that a flicker of an idea sparked in Orion's mind, a desperate plan forming rapidly. His voice carried a hint of hope, albeit tinged with fear, "What about the Dream Forest?"
Vale looked at him as if he had lost his mind, his voice rising in disbelief, "Are you insane? That place is forbidden, not to mention crawling with dangers we probably can't even imagine!"
Orion tried to infuse some confidence into his words, his voice carrying a determined edge, "We just need to lay low there for a bit, maybe a week or two. It's our best shot. Plus, it might be a good place to hone our skills, and get stronger."
Vale seemed to hesitate, his mind grappling with the risky proposition, "Shouldn't we at least inform Grimshaw? He might be able to help."
Orion's face hardened, his resolve firm, "I won't drag him into this mess. I'll contact him once we're in the forest. And who knows, maybe the forest will turn out to be a blessing in disguise."
With a resigned sigh, Vale finally agreed, his voice carrying a note of determination, "Fine, but we're doing this my way." With a swift motion, he summoned a wind convertible, a sleek vehicle formed from swirling gusts of wind, ready to carry them to their uncertain destiny. "Hop on, we've got a forest to find."
As they sped away from Eclipsia, the emblem lay forgotten on the ground, its pulsations growing more frantic, a beacon of impending doom.
In the heart of a labyrinthine network of shadowy corners and narrow alleys, the headquarters of the mysterious guild buzzed with a dark, pulsating energy. The room was a fusion of ancient elegance and foreboding darkness, illuminated by the flickering glow of gas lamps affixed to the rough, stone walls. Their golden light cast eerie, dancing shadows on the cobblestone floor, a canvas for the intricate patterns woven by the interplay of light and darkness.
At the room's core, a massive oak table stood as a silent sentinel, surrounded by shelves burdened with ancient tomes and relics, remnants of a time both distant and vividly alive within these walls. The air was thick with the scent of aged parchment and old wood, a silent witness to the countless secrets and stories housed within this dark haven.
The quietude was shattered by the sudden entrance of three guild members, their presence a ripple of urgency in the room's stagnant air. They moved with a grace that was almost predatory, their footsteps echoing ominously on the stone floor as they approached the shadow-shrouded figure at the room's helm, the undisputed leader who orchestrated their dark symphony from the shadows.
"Boss, we've lost Richsteist's signal suddenly. Should we investigate?" The first member's voice held a note of urgency, his stance rigid with the weight of the situation.
A moment of contemplative silence hung in the air before the shadowed figure responded, their voice a deep, commanding undertone that reverberated through the room, "Investigate immediately."
"Understood."
With a flicker of dark energy, the trio vanished, reappearing amidst the vibrant chaos at the outskirts of the Dream Hub. The atmosphere here was a stark contrast to the solemnity of their headquarters. They moved with purpose, their senses finely tuned to track the faintest remnants of the emblem's signal, a beacon amidst the swirling energies that engulfed the area.
Their search led them to a scene of devastation, a silent testament to a fierce battle that had unfolded. Amidst the debris lay the emblem, a pulsating entity that held the secrets of Richsteist's fate. Nearby, the shattered remnants of walls bore the scars of violence, a grim canvas depicting the struggle that had taken place.
The leader of the group reached down, his fingers brushing against the emblem. A torrent of information surged into his mind, the emblem narrating the grim tale of Richsteist's end in chilling detail. The word "Murder" echoed ominously, a chilling resonance that left no room for doubt.
He straightened, his face a stoic mask as he turned to his companions, "Murder. The emblem confirmed it."
Beside him, the second member, a woman of fierce beauty and predatory grace, grinned with a twisted delight. Her eyes, a swirling vortex of amber and gold, gleamed with a sadistic anticipation, a stark contrast to her delicate features framed by waves of chestnut hair that danced with the gentle breeze. Her voice was a siren's song of impending violence, "Oh, how delightful. I've been itching for a good hunt."
The third member, a man of formidable stature, shot a stern glance at the woman, his face etched with lines of wisdom and experience. His stormy gray eyes held a gravity that belied his years, a silent guardian of their dark secrets. "This isn't a game. The culprits have a head start. The emblem first signaled six hours ago. We need to secure this scene for the trackers."
A moment of silent agreement passed between them, a unified resolve to see justice served, albeit through their twisted lens of morality. With a fluid motion, the leader invoked the "Temporal Seal" skill, a rare ability that allowed them to encapsulate the scene within a bubble of slowed time, preserving every detail for their trackers to scrutinize later.
As the bubble solidified, encapsulating the scene in a shimmering veil of distorted time, the trio vanished, their figures melding with the shadows as they returned to their dark sanctuary, ready to unleash a maelstrom of vengeance upon those who had dared to cross their path.