The group stood before the border of Tauris, the stillness of the surroundings unsettling. Thalia's excitement was palpable, her curiosity shining in her eyes."Ah! The famous village of Tauris," she sighed, a mixture of anticipation and wonder in her tone.Henry's keen observation broke the silence, his gaze shifting to Lucas for confirmation."Is it too quiet?" he queried; his voice low with concern.Lucas, ever vigilant, nodded in response, his expression grave."Everyone, stay on high alert," he commanded, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of his sword.Diana, the skilled archer, wasted no time in readying her bow and arrow, her movements fluid and precise. Thalia, attuned to the rhythms of magic, closed her eyes in concentration, her hands moving gracefully as she focused her energy.Aspens, ever prepared, reached into her bag, retrieving a bottle of mysterious liquid, her gaze steady as she assessed the situation. Henry, drew his sword with practised ease, his face set in determination.Emily, feeling out of place among the skilled fighters, shifted uncomfortably, her hands fidgeting at her sides."Ugh, this is what I get for baking all my life," she muttered under her breath, her tone laced with self-deprecation.The group entered the village, their footsteps echoing softly against the empty streets. Emily's eyes darted around, searching for any sign of life, her worry for Eric and Zack growing with each passing moment.As they ventured deeper into the village, a collective gasp escaped their lips as they reached the village square.The guards, usually a formidable presence, were now a sight of devastation. Some were tending to their wounds, grimacing in pain, while others lay on the ground, their bodies battered and bruised.The group dropped their guard, their initial alertness giving way to shock and concern.Lucas, his expression a mix of concern and shame, approached one of the injured guards."What happened here?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.The guard hesitated, avoiding Lucas's gaze as they continued to tend to their wounds."Emily!" Eric's voice rang out, cutting through the tense air. The group turned towards him, watching as he ran up to Emily, his expression a mix of relief and anger. Lucas moved closer, observing the interaction."Where the hell have you been?" Eric demanded, his grip on Emily's shoulders tight as he shook her frantically. Emily winced, noticing the bruises on Eric's face and the crookedness of his nose, causing a pang of sadness to wash over her. Lucas stood by, silent, choosing to observe for the moment."Why are there finger marks on your neck?" Eric's voice cracked with emotion as he stared at Emily's neck, his eyes filled with worry and fear."A lot happened last night... but I'm fine now," Emily replied, trying to reassure him."Eric," Lucas interjected, drawing Eric's attention for a moment while he still held onto Emily. "What happened?"Eric let out a shaky sigh, his hand trembling slightly. "There was a man and a woman with strange powers. They came to the village last night," he explained, his gaze fixed on the ground.Lucas clenched his fists in anger. "Those bastards," he muttered under his breath."They came here after they woke up... Maybe we should have restrained them," Diana suggested, walking up to Lucas, lost in thought."What the hell are you people saying? Do you know those people? Who are they? What is going on?" Eric's voice rose in confusion and frustration, his eyes wide with disbelief."We will explain later. Let's head to the guard tower," Lucas said, leading the group towards the tower."Who are the children?" a voice called out, causing everyone to turn and see Zack approaching, also bearing wounds.✨🌙✨The group of adults—Emily, Lucas, Diana, Henry, Eric, and Zack—all stood inside the guard tower, their expressions serious and focused."So, you're telling me that there's an organization in the middle of the sea causing all this?" Zack questioned; his voice tinged with curiosity."And people with magic powers exist, like those girls outside the towers?" Eric added, his voice exhausted from the recent events."And Lucas..." Henry trailed off, his tone blank, causing Eric and Zack's eyes to widen as they shifted their gaze to Lucas, expecting an explanation."I was born in the East, so I have shadow powers, like the man who attacked the village did," Lucas explained, chuckling lightly to ease the tension."Wait, wait, how did you get that power? Where is it from?" Zack asked, his curiosity piqued."No idea," Lucas replied honestly."The society did a great job of erasing the origins of these powers, so most people have no idea where or how these magic abilities manifest... But some believe it comes from a force outside these lands," Diana explained, shedding some light on the mysterious origins of their powers."Let's not forget, Emily has a northerner aura... that the girls mentioned," Henry interjected."But I'm not from the north," Emily replied, still confused by the revelation."Emily, your birthplace is the North," Eric said awkwardly, surprising Emily."What? You never told me that," Emily exclaimed, shocked by the news."I thought it was not important..." Eric explained."And the aura part?" Zack inquired, curious about the mysterious aura."Emily has northerner powers," Diana revealed, causing Eric to scrunch his face in concern, his mind racing with thoughts."Eric, you also have powers of the East," Diana added, smirking at the revelation.Emily and Lucas's eyes widened as they looked at Eric, waiting to see his reaction to this newfound information."That's awesome," Zack exclaimed."No, I'm not interested in this evil magic," Eric retorted, folding his arms defiantly."It's not evil, Eric," Lucas corrected him."Your fingertips say otherwise," Eric stated smugly, causing Lucas to frown at his comment. Zack looked at Lucas's fingers, scrunching his face in disgust and concern."It's not the magic's fault, Eric. It's mine," Lucas said, his patience wearing thin."Doesn't—" Eric's sentence was cut off."That's enough," Diana stated firmly. "Let's focus on a plan," she added, effectively ending the discussion.Eric dropped the subject, turning his attention to Diana. Lucas grunted in anger before letting it go, and everyone turned their attention to Diana, eagerly anticipating her words."The people who will infiltrate the organization must possess magic abilities; no others will be allowed. Therefore Eric, Emily and Lucas are going there." Diana explained, her expression serious."Emily can't fight," Eric stated bluntly, causing Emily to slump a bit, feeling self-conscious."You can, but you don't look too good yourself," Lucas retorted, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. Eric's confident expression wavered slightly, clearly bothered by Lucas's comment. Zack and Emily exchanged surprised glances, not used to seeing Lucas act in such a manner, let alone engage in banter with Eric. Henry smirked, clearly amused by the exchange."In answer to your question, Eric, you won't be fighting when you get there. You'll be assimilating yourself into the environment, slowly sneaking your way to the top leaders to gather their next plans," Diana explained, her tone reassuring."To be frank, these missions may take months," Diana added, her voice firm."That long?" Emily clarified, her eyes widening in surprise, while Eric's expression hardened with determination, accepting the challenge ahead."Yes...This is why we are going to create backstories for you. Eric will still be known as your brother," Diana said, deep in thought."And Lucas?" Henry asked, his curiosity piqued."I'm thinking of him playing the role of Emily's husband while one of the girls will act as their daughter," Diana answered.Lucas glanced at Emily momentarily before avoiding her gaze entirely. Eric furrowed his brows a bit, causing Henry to smirk in amusement and Zack to chuckle awkwardly."So basically, I'm the annoying relative... the odd one out," Eric said, clearly annoyed with his role."Do you want to act as their child?" Henry said, amused."Ugh, whatever," Eric said, dropping it.Emily chuckled lowly, causing Eric to roll his eyes jokingly."Sadly, I am no master of any of the region's magic, so you should use the opportunity to learn. I'm sure there should be some master in the organization," Diana stated."For those of us who aren't infiltrating the organization, what are we doing in the meantime?" Zack asked."To the North... We need to find a way to undo the withering of the plantation. But before we head there Henry, Zack, and one of the girls will follow me to villages to seek and inform the Lord and even the emperor of the organization," Diana said."So, we are going to be travelling a lot then," Henry sighed. "I get boat sick," he added."We haven't yet decided how exactly we are going to enter the organization," Emily questioned."We're working on that. Meanwhile, you and Lucas should go decide on one of the girls you want to follow you, while Eric and Zack should let the Tauris guard know to be prepared to head to the North... They are not needed now," Diana commanded."My lady, we should also head to Lunaria to start the evacuation," Henry informed. Diana nodded in acknowledgement, following Henry out of the tower."Well... that was a lot," Zack said, breaking the silence."I'm still sketchy about me having to learn that magic," Eric said, looking at Lucas momentarily to gauge his reaction."Lucas," Emily called. Lucas turned to face Emily, paying perfect attention to her."Let's go check on the girls," Emily said, smiling softly. Lucas returned the smile.Emily and Lucas left the tower, leaving Eric and Zack alone."What was that?" Zack said to Eric, his tone curious."Just worried," Eric replied blankly, his gaze fixed on the exit."You were being snarky to Lucas. I doubt Lucas is like those people that attacked us last night... he has always protected this village," Zack assured, placing a reassuring hand on Eric's shoulder."This is just a new thing to learn... shadow powers? And the true name of the regions. I just hope you are right about Lucas not being like them," Eric said, uncertainty creeping into his voice."You are just scared of the new reality of these lands... We should look at this with an open mind," Zack suggested, offering a supportive smile."Let's go tell the guards about their departure," Eric stated, determination resounding in his voice as he took the first step towards the exit, Zack following closely behind, their footsteps echoing in the empty tower.✨🌙✨"You need one of us to act as your biological child," Aspens said, looking between Emily and Lucas."Which one of you is interested?" Emily asked, glancing at Lucas for support."Can't we both go?" Thalia pouted, trying to sway their decision."No, Diana needs one of you with her," Lucas interjected, dismissing the idea."Well, which one of us looks most likely to be your biological child?" Aspens pondered; her expression serious.Lucas groaned in frustration. "It's not that deep. Just decide.""Sir, this is a serious mission. We need to make it believable that you and Miss Emily birthed one of us," Thalia said dramatically."Thalia, you look like you would be the most likely candidate to be their child," Aspens concluded, breaking out of her deep thought.Thalia's face lit up with a smile. "Really? You think so?" she exclaimed.Aspens nodded, pointing at both Emily and Lucas. "You look like a combination of Miss Emily and the head guard here."Emily straightened up, trying to hide her amusement. She let the girls talk it out, feeling slightly embarrassed by the attention. Beside her, Lucas couldn't help but cover his face with one hand, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment."I am honoured to be your daughter," Thalia exclaimed, a bright smile on her face."Very well. That should be all... You girls can go now. Thank you," Emily said, waving at them as they walked away.As the girls left, Emily turned around to walk away, but Lucas spoke up. "You shouldn't wander alone. I will accompany you," he said, concern evident in his voice."I would like to be alone," Emily replied, her gaze dropping to the floor."Remember, the stakes are high now. It will be as if I'm not there, just looking out for a friend," Lucas said, smiling softly."Friends... I guess we could call ourselves that, with what we've been through," Emily chuckled softly."I'm glad you agree. Please, lead the way," Lucas said, bowing dramatically. Emily couldn't help but laugh at his gesture, and Lucas smirked, glad to have lit the mood.✨🌙✨Lucas followed her closely as Emily walked out of the village's borders. As she approached a small patch of land, she gasped in shock. There, stood the blankets, lanterns, and candles she had carefully arranged, lay a scene of destruction. The pictures of Casper that she had placed so lovingly were shattered on the ground, dirt and glass mixing to form a cruel mosaic of her shattered memories.Emily's heart was pounding as she rushed forward, dropping to her knees beside the broken frames. With trembling hands, she swept aside the dirt and glass, lifting the portraits gently as if cradling a fragile part of her soul. She could feel a growing anger as she looked at the broken pieces of glass; anger at the injustice of Casper's death, anger at whoever caused this destruction and anger at herself for not protecting him. Lucas arrived at her side, his face reflecting concern."Come on, let's clean this up," Lucas said, placing his hands on her shoulders in comfort."Alright," Emily said, her voice dry.