Rogue's entire body froze in place at the sight of the horde, seemingly ready to act at the black mage's command. Each one of them, whether women or men, humans or elves, all without exception, radiated a mysterious, blood-stained aura. What truly terrified him wasn't the assembly of wizards, but the woman leading them - a blonde whose every move could mean certain death.
"Who—who are you?" he stammered, terror-stricken.
The woman turned to her peers, trying to decipher to whom he was speaking.
"Hey, who do you think he's talking about?"
"You, Your Greatness," detailed an elf from the procession.
"Me?!"
She repositioned herself to face Rogue and offered him a smile as morbid as it was disturbing.
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM?!"
"Uh... no."
"AHAHAH! OF COURSE! HOW COULD I FORGET?!"
Rogue tried in vain to discern the identity of the sorceress. Meanwhile, she caught her breath and pressed her hand against her face, gripping so tightly that red marks appeared.
Behind Rogue, five guards took Eliana under their protection.
"Well... in that case, I have another question. Are you familiar with the sect of inverse magic?"
He racked his brain for any similar name but came up empty.
"No, I don't know you..."
"UNBELIEVABLE!"
Screaming her fury, she teleported in front of Rogue, delivering a punch so powerful to his chest that he was hurled against the manor walls. He coughed up a torrent of blood, losing his breath's rhythm.
"ROGUE!" Eliana cried out.
The woman, meanwhile, was greeted with a wave of applause from her peers. Like an actress in a play, she dramatized her inner pain, exaggerating her gestures of despair.
"What a pity! How can this young boy be so ignorant of a world he's been charged to protect? So sad."
Suddenly, a lightning bolt as large as a building struck her.
"I am not... ignorant."
Rogue stood up, one hand pressed against his wound, the other charged with electricity.
"I'm just a novice trying my best."
He looked at the crater caused by his lightning, swallowing in terror when he saw the body of his victim, numb but completely unharmed, emanating even more chromatic aberrations.
"I thought I had hit you."
"Oh... But rest assured, my dear, you did hit me. It just had no effect on me."
She straightened up, placing her hands on her back, cracking it exaggeratedly.
"Wow! I suddenly feel old, it's really time we change leaders..."
Rogue took advantage of this moment of distraction and launched another lightning strike. But, unexpectedly, when the smoke cleared, it revealed the mage had vanished.
"Your hair's all messed up... It's a shame, you were quite the cute kid."
Rogue held his breath as he felt the woman stroke his scalp. He jumped and fell to the ground, terrified at her deranged expression.
"Are you scared of me? I was told I was the cutest in high school."
"In high school? What are you talking about?! I don't understand a word you're saying, you lunatic!"
"That's not very nice," she lamented.
"And what do you want from us, anyway?!"
"I already told you, we want to retrieve Lana Temparus..."
Then, caught in her own sentence, she remembered the letter she had mysteriously received earlier in the day.
"And let's say I also have to destroy this manor down to the last beam. Opportunities have presented themselves, and I prefer to seize them."
She turned to Eliana, a begging smile on her lips.
"May I? Madam Cleared?"
"Of course not! Did you expect me to agree nicely?"
"But you have several residences, don't you? This one won't hurt?"
"No, I will not let you destroy my family heritage!"
She sighed and leaned against the wall of the building, a plan forming in her mind as she surveyed her subordinates. A mischievous smirk escaped her.
"Asking so nicely... I'm afraid I'll have to be a bit more severe."
With a swift and commanding gesture, she snapped her fingers sharply, a motion that conveyed an unquestionable command. At that moment, her servants sprang into action, rushing towards the grand entrance of the manor. Their passage was tumultuous, a veritable wave of destruction, as they wreaked havoc, overturning everything in their path. The sound of shattered objects and toppled furniture filled the air, as Eliana cried and struggled with all her might.
"It's magnificent... This scream is so pleasant to hear... Continue, Mrs. Cleared."
"YOU MONSTER!"
"Yes, that's perfect, the tone is just high enough for me to savor it."
"YOU WILL REGRET THIS!"
The black sorceress laughed at Eliana's reaction, as the sounds of destruction inside the manor intensified. The night sky was lit by flames now devouring a large part of the building. The shadows of the servants wildly danced on the walls, giving the scene a nightmarish dimension.
Rogue, though weakened by his recent confrontation with the sorceress, knew he had to act. Despite the pain, he closed his eyes and began to relax, breathing with a controlled rhythm.
Come on... focus, Rogue.
He inhaled and exhaled calmly, until the sorceress's voice echoed in the garden with a mocking scream:
"What are you doing, kid? This is no time to sleep, come on!"
[Reversed Magic: Dissolution]
Rogue reopened his eyes in terror, thinking a spell was about to strike him. But instead, he was surprised to find himself floating in an infinite space, where colors swirled together, as if in a psychedelic delirium.
"Where am I?!"
Suddenly, an unexpected impact hit him spectacularly, bringing him back to harsh reality. The sorceress's devastating strike violently hurled Rogue backward, leaving a trail of dust smoke.
He raised his head, numb, towards the sorceress, who stood a little away, watching the destruction she had caused. With great incomprehension, Rogue noticed her nostalgic look, almost lost in her own thoughts.
He took a deep breath, seeking to break the heavy silence:
"I don't understand... Why do all this? What does Lana have to do with this? What do you want from her?!"
She turned towards him, a sad smile on her lips.
"Oh, it's not just Lana. It's a whole, kid. Soon, she will be one of ours."
"One of yours?!"
Rogue frowned.
"Listen, I'm just trying to understand everything that's happening around me and to protect the ones I love. I'm still studying to better master my powers and become what I was summoned here for... But what you're doing, all this, it makes no sense... That's why I will stop you, even if it hurts. Because I am a Lost One!"
"Mmhh..."
As he prepared another lightning bolt with his hand, the sorceress slowly approached him. She stared at him with piercing eyes for a moment before sighing:
"Tell me, on your planet, weren't you the class nerd?"
"Not at all."
She slapped him with such force that the sound echoed throughout the garden, colliding with the sounds of magical spells emanating from the manor. This gesture left the mark of her hand on his cheek.
"Stop lying, will you?"
He gave her a dark look, sparking an intriguing smile in the woman.
"That look, it says a lot about you... Do you want to know how I guessed who you were?
"I guess this is where you give me your villain's monologue?"
She chuckled.
"I have no morals to impart to you, after all, I'm not one to decide what you should think."
To everyone's astonishment, she gently placed her hand on Rogue's forehead, not with animosity, but with empathy.
[Healing Magic: Blessing of Light]
Suddenly, a green aura surrounded Rogue, circulating through his entire body, passing through his wounds and internal organs. Surprised, he widened his eyes.
"Why?"
"Because you remind me of myself when I was younger... And especially because you are a Lost One."
"You don't want my death?!"
"Of course not, why would I?"
"I don't understand... What are you ultimately seeking?"
"Chaos and rebirth, that's why I'm here. I perpetuate chaos and distress, to then better rebuild the world... Ah! And one last piece of advice, kid... Quit school, trust me, I know what I'm saying."
With an expert hand, she struck a precise blow to his neck, skillfully using the edge of her hand to plunge him into a deep sleep. Her concern for him reflected in the delicacy with which she gently laid him on the ground, ensuring he was comfortable.
As she watched over the adolescent, a familiar voice resonated near the entrance of the garden:
"It seems you were looking for me, so here I am before you," declared Lana.