"Izy?"
Traces of distress could be seen on the child's face of Izy as she sat on the road crying helplessly.
Meanwhile, other children appeared anxious.
The native villagers of Whitewood paid no mind to the fierce blizzard, their gaze fixed on the shattered house. Blood stained the floor, and flickering objects were scattered.
The exact events were unknown to the people, but they knew Sebastian and his father Gerald's home bore the marks of destruction and blood.
The entire surroundings were silent due to the blizzard, yet they heard loud explosions, and before the people could react, they heard successive bursts, resembling a war, but it happened in moments. What puzzled them more was that only one house was affected. When they saw where it originated, shock spread as Gerald's house was gone.
The children were about to enter the village when they saw the gathered crowd witnessing the scene.
"Monster!" exclaimed a man.
Jared approached, only to be more surprised to see only whites in the man's eyes. Nevertheless, the man displayed intense fear on his face.
"Monsters!" Tears filled his eyes, and 'monster' was his only utterance.
Chaos ensued in the whole village.
Jared, unable to make sense of it, quickly reported to Ashton and Teacher Angela. After a few minutes of waiting, the two arrived.
The shock was evident on their faces upon seeing the aftermath.
"Archmage!" was the first word from Teacher Angela's mouth, and Jared shuddered upon hearing it.
"Teacher, on what basis?" he asked, finding it hard to believe that an Archmage would visit a town.
"There are traces of the presence of magic, and the precision in the use of arcane force is controlled," explained Teacher Angela.
"Now that you mention it, teacher, I noticed only one house was affected, and the neighboring ones seem untouched," observed Ashton.
"TARGET LOCK!" Jared exclaimed loudly based on Ashton's observation.
"Return the students to school as soon as possible. For now, refrain from training outside. Wait until I give you permission," Teacher Angela sternly ordered, promptly followed by Jared and Ashton.
"Teacher, do you need assistance?" Ashton asked with concern, sensing that this might not be the work of a mere Archmage. Several traces of auras lingered in the scene.
Angela shook her head and gave Ashton a meaningful look.
"Alright, take care," he said.
Jared ushered the children back to school, despite their heavy hearts. They had no choice but to return, and for now, the safety of the Nexus was paramount. Even the parents had their own ways of reminding their children.
"Mom!" Izy's eyes remained fixed on what she saw.
Gerald's house had become her second home, so it was a shock to find it in ruins with traces of blood.
"How about Seb? Where's Uncle Gerald?" she asked, her voice almost unintelligible due to her choked sobs.
Even Izy's parents didn't know how to explain it to her.
"It's better if you go with Mr. Jared. You'll go back to school, and let them explain. Especially to Sebastian. Don't speak about this. I'm sure he'll insist on coming here if he learns what happened.
It was Izy's mother's concerned reminder.
They knew Sebastian would be deeply affected if the issue involved his father. So, they thought it best to advise Izy accordingly.
Sebastian's room held an unexpected sight as he discovered Darwin there following their LustraVive training session. Intrigued by this untimely appearance, Sebastian couldn't help but wonder why they were back so soon, especially when three days were initially allotted for the hunters' training.
Noticing the unease in Darwin's eyes, Sebastian felt the urge to approach him, yet he decided to withhold his inquiries for the moment. The atmosphere was charged with unspoken tension.
Planning to delve into meditation, Sebastian's plans took a detour when his stomach emitted an audible growl, a reminder that he hadn't eaten. In haste, he redirected his steps towards the canteen to satiate his hunger.
As he walked down the hallway, he overheard a conversation that made him pause due to its topic.
"One of the hunters from the other section said they were supposed to train today, but something sudden happened."
"What happened?"
"They were heading to the Night Forest, but they stopped in the capital town because of a severe blizzard. The hunters from the other section went home, but what they found was a destroyed house."
"So what if there's a destroyed house?" one of the listeners curiously asked the one sharing.
"I don't know, but even Senior Brother Ashton and their teacher went there. Someone even claimed to have witnessed it, but he lost his sanity. All he keeps saying is 'monster.'"
As the storyteller spoke, a chill ran down the listener's spine.
Upon hearing this, Sebastian quickly returned to the room to ask Darwin about it.
"DARWIN!"
Sebastian jostled Darwin, sensing his unease that persisted since a while ago.
"What happened in the village?"
Sebastian asked with a furrowed brow, gripping Darwin's shoulders.
"Uh... Well..."
Darwin remained restless, unsure of where to begin explaining to Sebastian.
*knock* *knock* *knock*
Sebastian halted his questioning as he heard the knock on the door.
"What's that?"
A young boy stood before him. Sebastian recalled him as a fellow newcomer from the neighboring kingdom, admitted around the same time.
"Sebastian, Senior Brother Ashton is calling for you." Despite the chilly weather, beads of sweat adorned the boy's forehead, having just come from their blacksmith class. Oddly, Harry seemed anxious as he spoke.
"What's going on?" Sebastian couldn't help but furrow his brow further upon seeing Harry's reaction.
"I don't know, but Senior Brother has had a gloomy aura since they returned earlier."
"Alright, I'll follow you."
Harry nodded before leaving.
Sebastian felt an unsettling sensation, from the moment he noticed Darwin's unease to Harry's unusual demeanor. Something was happening that he needed to know. He returned to the room, bidding farewell to Darwin.
Darwin simply nodded, but Sebastian failed to notice the deep sigh that escaped him.
Upon reaching the front of Ashton's office door, Sebastian took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever Ashton had to say. Ashton's office was conveniently located next to the Blacksmith and Inscriptionist Association.
He knocked as a sign of respect before entering. A serious voice from inside instructed him to come in. Sebastian took another deep breath and entered with courtesy.
"Good day, Senior Brother," he respectfully bowed, noticing the presence of his five seniors—Debi, Archie, Jared, Cassandra, and the one who summoned him, Ashton.
"Good day to all of you," he bowed again to show his respect.
"You don't need to do that every time you see us," Debi reminded him, though she knew Sebastian's innate politeness would persist, as their data revealed.
"Why did you summon me, Senior Brother?" Sebastian asked directly, hoping to swiftly finish any task Ashton might have for him so he could inquire about Darwin. However, his momentum halted at Ashton's next question.
"Do you know what happened in the residential area of Whitewood?"
Concern etched Ashton's face, and his serious tone suddenly softened. Sebastian was taken aback but replied, "I would like to know, but Darwin still hasn't answered me. What happened?"
Jared then recounted the events from agreeing to lean on the capital town for a while to their classmates returning home, up to receiving a message from Darwin. He also narrated Izy's inconsolable crying upon hearing the news.
Upon hearing this, Sebastian became anxious. What else could make Izy cry? She had grown up tough, and he had never seen her shed a tear. However, when he heard the part about the destroyed house with traces of blood being Sebastian's home, the child lost balance, almost toppling over. Fortunately, Archie was nearby and swiftly caught him.
"Senior Brother, are you joking? This isn't a good joke!"
There was anger in Sebastian's voice as he uttered these words. The once cool room suddenly heated up, noticeable to everyone inside. They exchanged uneasy glances.
"Where is my father?" he said coldly, yet there was still a hint of respect in his tone.
"Calm down, Sebastian. Teacher Angela is looking for him, and Cassandra is worried about his actions." With every passing second, the room's temperature continued to rise. Meanwhile, Sebastian's vision slowly darkened due to anger.
However, it wasn't the rising temperature that caught the attention of the five in the office; instead, it was the light emanating from behind Sebastian. The shape of a wand was gradually emerging from his back, and the sensation each of them felt resembled the awakening of a colossal primordial beast.
The members of the student council were aware that Sebastian was a young wizard, but the nature of his arcane power remained a mystery to them. Alcala had failed to report the temporary sensation caused by Sebastian during his awakening.
However, now they were witnessing Sebastian's arcane power rapidly draining due to the overwhelming aura he emitted.
Sebastian's vision dimmed gradually, and the majestic aura of the primordial beast slowly faded away.
"What a filial child," remarked Ashton, as he promptly escorted Sebastian to the medical room where Odette is.