Suzannah emerged swaying from the secret chamber, in a state of shock after witnessing what was in that place. Her knees trembled and her mind tried to process the implications of that abominable discovery. She needed to understand all things as soon as possible, but she knew that everything was rooted for a long time. She decided that the most prudent thing was to temporarily withdraw to her private room at the Imperial Academy, one of the few places throughout all of Alnuum where she could think clearly. After leaving with her invisibility magic, she sat in her chair, trying to calm her racing heartbeats.
She began mentally reviewing all recent events, seeking to find some clue that would clarify that cruel conspiracy. She then remembered the sealed scroll with the magic gem that she herself had given to Tiberius and grabbing it in her bag she took it out. Meanwhile, in the palace, the royal guards carried out desperate searches for the disappeared young warrior. That was when they found Clara, still unconscious on the floor where Katara and Orem had left her. Seeing in her a possible accomplice in escape, they imprisoned her in the cells under strict guard, awaiting an interrogation.
Suzannah would now have to act cautiously in the face of such an eerily complex scenario. Many pieces still needed to fit into that intricate puzzle, and the hidden truth behind the plot seemed to be even darker than imagined. On the arena stage, when she received Lilla's precise blow, Shiera became enraged. Her calm and reactive posture dissolved. She shouted angrily:
"If strength is what you want, little princess, strength is what you'll get!"
Then Shiera whispered very low:
"Forbidden magic of the 5th circle: Bloody Valkyrie"
At that moment, the drops of blood surrounding her gathered, forming a kind of blood armor around her body. A long cape of blood sprouted from her back and, with her hands, she materialized an enormous sword forged with her own blood. The audience gasped, shocked by the unexpected turn of events. Shiera was now ready to stop Lilla, willing to use all her strength and forbidden magic to destroy the princess's dreams. The combat seemed to be taking an even darker direction. It remained to be seen how much the valiant Lilla, until then victorious, would be able to face that demonic threat invoked by her opponent.
The Emperor, who was watching the fight, was intrigued by the strange blood magic that had surrounded Shiera, as for him it was very similar to the profane magic that the Necromancer conjured in Lilla's evil clone months ago. Shiera exploded in fury and advanced with all her strength against Lilla. Her intention was to finally end the princess once and for all. However, Lilla was also using her most powerful ability to face her rival. The two warriors came face to face with everything they had. The resulting shock caused a tremendous rumble in the arena that made the audience scream in excitement. For milliseconds, a deadly silence reigned while they faced each other amid the cloud of dust.
When visibility was recovered, Lilla and Shiera were already exchanging dizzying blows at superhuman speed. Their fury lent more power to the attacks, which now collided with even greater intensity, creating trails of blood and water across the place. One could clearly see the rage on Shiera's face and the determination stamped on Lilla's face during the epic fight. Hoarse shouts of effort escaped from their throats with each attack, while the crowds vibrated in total ecstasy, unable to predict who would prevail in that increasingly bloody battle. The outcome was near and promised to shake all of Alnnum.
In the palace dungeons, Clara awoke frightened and not knowing how she had ended up there. She could only think of Katara and Orem's betrayal in leaving her imprisoned. While trying to find a way to escape to warn Suzannah about the brothers' true plans, Clara heard a strange, hoarse voice coming from a cell ahead. Looking, she saw a pale, thin man with a long beard and dirty hair covering his face.
"Who are you?" - Clara asked fearfully.
The man did not respond. Clara continued carefully analyzing the dimly lit cell, looking for any clue that might reveal how she could get out of there. She needed to warn Suzannah as soon as possible about the seriousness of the situation. But how could she escape that place alone with her own strength? The hope of freedom seemed to be slipping away with each passing minute. The man locked in the cell ahead seemed trying to say something to Clara, but just babbled unintelligible words. She started getting desperate, as she needed to find a way out of there as fast as possible to warn Suzannah.
Clara tried to use a magic spell to destroy the bars, but it was in vain, as her abilities were still limited. Looking for other options, she began carefully inspecting every part of the cell, hoping to find some flaw in the structure. It was then that she noticed small cracks in the back wall. She approached to investigate and realized that an air current was coming from there. She pushed the wall with force and part of it moved, revealing a dark tunnel. Without a second thought, Clara entered the narrow passageway, relieved to have found a possible escape route. Now she had to follow carefully, hoping it would lead her to a safe place far from those dungeons.
Exhausted, Suzannah opened the scrolls she had taken from Tiberius' chambers once more, hoping to find some valuable clue. However, the formulas of profane magic contained there did not seem to answer anything about the case. Suddenly, she remembered the small scroll stamped with a red gem that she had given to Tiberius. She quickly searched for it and unwrapped it. To her disappointment, that one also contained only weak techniques of magical imbuing, on which the mage had been working.
Frustrated, Suzannah threw the scroll on the floor. She felt her mind clouding over faced with so many morbid discoveries and no concrete clues. Would the mysteries of this land continue to be denied to her? How would she unravel the plot before more lives were taken? Tired and disturbed, the queen massaged her temples, trying to keep hold of her reason. She would seek Katara, Orem and Clara again to see if they brought any useful information about Kal. She needed to maintain hope that together they would solve what was haunting everyone in Alnnum.
Clara followed through the dark passage. When she felt lost, she felt a faint breeze blowing in the right direction and followed it. Walking in complete darkness, she hoped not to be caught before reaching Suzannah. She needed to tell her everything she had discovered about Katara and Orem. How the brothers had probably deceived Kal to remove him from the capital at the right moment to continue their plans. Suddenly, she heard distant footsteps and voices approaching. Immediately she hid in a wall crevice, holding her breath.
Two guards passed by chatting above without noticing her presence in that fetid and dark tunnel. When the sound of footsteps was lost in the tunnel, Clara carefully resumed her way, more attentive than ever. She was almost at the exit, she could feel it, but any lapse could be costly. It was a race against time.
When the bells of the Fountain of Eternal Cathedral rang three chimes, the sky over the capital suddenly darkened. Suzannah looked through the window of the Imperial Academy and felt a strong chill run down her spine at that omen. In the tunnels, Clara glimpsed a faint light ahead, a sign that she was close to the exit. However, a profane and evil energy seemed to envelop the whole capital. The sorceress foresaw that something terrible was about to happen.
In the arena, Princess Lilla and Shiera were still fighting, but both were overcome by a bad feeling. Lilla got careless for an instant and almost was fatally hit. The spectators, including her brother Relon, also noticed the darkness growing and the black magic emerging over the city. The audience fell silent, taken by an intense cold. Lilla and Shiera interrupted the fight, looking worriedly at the sky darkening more and more, despite it being only three in the afternoon.
Suzannah rushed out of her room at the Imperial Academy, using her magic to run even faster towards the palace. She needed to talk to Clara, find out where Katara, Orem and if Kal had managed to escape from prison. Arriving at the palace courtyard, she came upon a chaotic scene. Servants ran in all directions, terrified. The empress called out to one of them:
"What happened here? Where are the Emperor and the courtiers?"
"An evil force is invading the city, Your Highness," the servant replied, out of breath.
The story continues describing the threat enveloping the city of Alnnum and the efforts of Suzannah, Clara, Lilla, Relon and others to unravel the plot and save the city before nightfall. The necromancer's power grows stronger by the minute as night approaches. It remains uncertain if they can stop the darkness from consuming Alnnum.
The priests of the court ran to the Imperial Hall to try to protect the capital with divine incantations. Emperor Mordret saw the darkness growing over Alnnum in horror. He shouted to end the fight in the arena and ordered the guards to protect his family and the nobility present. He ordered the priests to explain what was happening, but was interrupted by a hoarse and somber voice that echoed from above:
"In 4 hours, when night falls, I will summon my army over this entire place. This city is now mine!"
Emperor Mordret recognized with regret the necromancer who had once attacked the palace. He lied to the people saying it was just an excess of magical energy that would soon be controlled. He ordered everyone to return home while hurrying back to the castle to protect the subjects as best as possible with spells. Fearing the worst, he knew the power of that enemy was enough to destroy all of Alnnum.
Immediately, in accordance with Emperor Mordret's order, the people present in the arena hurried back to their homes, fearing the darkness that was settling. The Lords who accompanied the fights also left quickly towards their mansions. Strangely, Lord Silvus Felwave, father of Shiera Felwave, had not come to see his daughter in that final. Meanwhile, Suzannah ran as fast as possible towards the palace, hoping to find her husband and other courtiers to plan the city's defense. The magic of darkness seemed to spread more and more quickly over Alnnum.
When Clara was almost reaching the secret exit from the dungeons, the faint breeze that had helped her escape that place seemed to whisper in her ear: "Gem... Sanctuary...". She stopped frightened and turned abruptly, but saw no one nearby. Would it just be the wind echoing in the dark tunnel? But those words seemed to have some meaning. Clara pondered for a few moments. Maybe it was just her imagination. However, she needed to urgently get out of there and warn Suzannah about the terrible events.
The exit was near, she could see the light of sunset entering the tunnel. Soon she would be free from those dungeons and should run to the castle to alert everyone. She hoped it was not too late. When Suzannah was approaching hurriedly the palace, she noticed intense activity outside. Royal guards ran in all directions and servants rushed in urgent tasks. That was when she spotted Emperor Mordret's carriage approaching the castle at full speed. He needed to return to the castle as fast as possible to organize the city's defense.
As soon as he got off the vehicle, Emperor Mordret ordered the immediate convening of another emergency council. They needed to devise a plan before it was too late. Suzannah, who now suspected everyone, tried to find the young people she had left. Emperor Mordret entered hurriedly into the palace halls already heading to the council chamber. There he found some generals and priests in deep discussion about the threat descending upon Alnnum. Only a few hours of light remained, and the necromancer seemed determined to consume the entire city before night fell.
Before the assembled council, Emperor Mordret questioned the priests:
"What can be that darkness that plagues our beloved Alnnum?"
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but we still do not know. No known magic is capable of such a feat." - replied the high priest.
The generals lamented the absence of the experienced General Marcus, who had left for the battlefield front. Without his tactical counsel, they saw themselves in check.
"I ordered the summoning of all the kingdom's mages and priests!" - Emperor Mordret shouted urgently.
"We must eliminate that black mantle threatening to engulf the entire city before nightfall!"
The fate of Alnnum seemed suspended by a thread in that room. If not even the most powerful scholars had deciphered that magic, how could they stop it?
Lilla and Relon hurriedly entered the palace and spotted Suzannah spying from among the shadows, probably looking for Katara, Orem and Clara. Due to her great 150-year wisdom as a court witch, they approached the Red Queen in hopes of obtaining answers about the threat looming over Alnnum. Suzannah whispered to them that the Emperor had locked up his student Kal in the dungeons to one day use him as a weapon, a revelation that deeply shocked Lilla. Relon gritted his teeth in rage, determined to free his friend.
Without noticing, Clara emerged from the shadows of a nearby alley calling for Suzannah and Lilla, frightened. When they turned, they glimpsed the tired eyes of the young sorceress, still panting from her escape from the dungeons. Before Relon could impulsively leave, Clara warned that Kal was no longer in the dungeons. However, he had been taken out of the capital by Katara and Orem.
Realizing she had possibly been manipulated by Katara and Orem, a fit of fury assailed Suzannah. She cursed several forbidden words, taking out all her frustration in the chaotic situation. Lilla and Relon looked at each other not knowing how to react to the little one's outburst. After calming down, Suzannah questioned:
"Is there any clue that can help us?"
Clara remembered the whispered words in the dungeon tunnel during her escape: "Gem... Sanctuary...". However, at the time she thought she was delirious and did not give it importance. Relon asked:
"What happened, Clara? Do you have anything to add?"
She reported the whisper heard, but had left it aside believing it was a product of her imagination at that moment of tension. Suzannah pondered:
"Perhaps these words are the key. We must gather allies and investigate the gem and the sanctuary before sunset, or Alnnum will be lost to the darkness!"
Suzannah called Clara and asked them to return to the Imperial Magic Academy with urgency. Lilla and Relon, keep an eye on Tiberius, I have a bad feeling about him. In the Council, Emperor Mordret showed himself deeply concerned about the situation. He immediately convened all the city's military force, determining that they should be distributed at strategic points throughout all of Alnnum to protect the population from any creature appearing under that evil darkness.
Tiberius proposed also surrounding the Imperial Academy, putting Suzannah under suspicion of conspiring with that profane magic. The Emperor denied it, trusting in Suzannah. However, Lilla had noticed the magician's furtive movements, and whispered to her brother:
"We need to warn Clara and Suzannah. It really seems that Tiberius is involved in this!"
At the Magic Academy, Suzannah and Clara headed to the stuffy library and delved into research. They rummaged through ancient scrolls and books from past eras, looking for any clue that might clarify that profane magic or relate the words "gem" and "sanctuary". Throughout Alnnum, night fell in an increasingly dense way. The darkness took frightening proportions over the city. At the gates, the royal guard prepared for an intense night attack.
At the palace, the priests and court magicians gathered in the Great Imperial Library intensified their incantations, attempting to nullify the mantle of darkness. However, any spell seemed to dissipate without effect against that evil energy. The generals prepared themselves, awaiting the beginning of a large-scale attack against the capital, even under total darkness. The fate of Alnnum hung by a thread that grim night.
When night finally fell over Alnnum, it brought with it an absolute and impenetrable darkness. The people locked themselves in panic in their homes, awaiting the worst. At the Academy, Suzannah and Clara still rummaged through books in vain hope of a clue, illuminated only by fragile torches. At the palace, Lilla and Relon continued their disguised vigilances, fearing for their family's safety. Emperor Mordret had ordered the armies to wait on the walls, ready for the necromancer's promised attack. However, at midnight, nothing had stirred under that darkness.
The city was silent, immersed only in shadows. Had the necromancer's plan been only to sow terror? Or was the calm just a lull before the actual storm descended upon the citizens of Alnnum? Suzannah and Clara strove to solve the mystery before it was too late. The outcome of that long night was still to come.
In the throne room hall of the palace, Emperor Mordret waited tensely for the worst for Alnnum under the darkness. But as the hours passed in silence, he began to doubt the threat.
"Perhaps this necromancer is just bluffing! My son Morfrey easily defeated him once," said the Emperor, beginning to smile.
The courtiers, relieved, began laughing with him at what now seemed a mere boast. It was then that Mordret looked to the side and met the distant look of Tiberius as he said in a hoarse manner:
"Your Majesty may not realize, but the darkness grew all this time under your nose."
Before Mordret could understand, Tiberius raised his arms and his body underwent a terrible transformation. Amid the court's horrified screams, the necromancer's true form was revealed before them! The nightmare had barely begun for the unfortunate citizens of Alnnum.