The Dark Forest is a sacred area in the Winterflame Nation. According to rumors, the Blood Witch and her followers have taken control of the forest, making it a death zone for humans, especially men. It is said that the witches use men in rituals to gain beauty and magical power.
Despite its ominous reputation, the Dark Forest is a notable landmark in Winterflame. It is surrounded by four kingdoms, with Luveria to the north.
Luveria is one of the two most populated kingdoms in Winterflame, known for its bustling market that attracts many merchants each week, contributing to its wealth.
The ancient Luveria family has ruled Luveria as royalty for centuries. The kings and queens have always come from this old lineage.
Their territory is a large stone castle in the center of the kingdom, near the only magic academy in Luveria and one of the only three magic academies in Winterflame.
Inside the castle, the room was expansive, with high ceilings and stone walls adorned with tapestries depicting past battles and royal triumphs. A grand chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a bright light over the space.
At the far end of the room stood a majestic throne. Seated upon it was the king, an old man with a crown that seemed almost too heavy for his weary head, revealing his aged-blessed grey hairs. He is King Andrea Luveria IV of Luveria kingdom.
Sitting beside him was his only daughter, Clarissa Luveria, his only family left after a disaster that almost wiped out his entire kingdom.
Clarissa was a beauty to behold; she has a face that rivals that of top models on earth with long silvery hair decorated with ornamental jewelry that increased her charm.
Her eyes, blue as the ocean, stared peacefully ahead.
In front of the royals stood the captain of the king's guard, a tall man with a strong build and a serious expression. He held a scroll in his hands, the parchment slightly crumpled from his tight grip.
The captain cleared his throat and began to read the report. "Your Majesty, our scouts have returned with troubling news. The Flamespark noble family has been wiped out. After a thorough search by my men, we discovered that the bodies of all the male members are missing. We suspect it's a deliberate attack by the Blood Witch."
King Andrea's eyes narrowed, his fingers drumming on the arm of his throne. "How many men missing this time?"
"At least a dozen men, Your Majesty. Some of them were experienced soldiers, and two of them were new recruits of the magic academy."
"Hmm," King Andrea responded, falling into deep thought.
The terror of the Blood Witch has become stronger across Winterflame, especially in Luveria.
Although they have tried their best, using their stronger soldiers and even employing the assistance of the magic academy, they still haven't been able to figure out the location or identity of the mysterious Blood Witch.
Due to this incident, a lot of merchants became scared to do business with Luveria, causing a drop in their economy in the past ten years.
Princess Clarissa observed everything with a calm, noble gaze.
While she hasn't taken leadership of the kingdom yet, she felt tired about the recurring kidnappings and deaths caused by the Blood Witch.
This world is naturally cruel, but people like the Blood Witch make it even worse.
"Father, we should send more mages into the Dark Forest," she suggested.
King Andrea looked in her direction, shook his head, and replied, "We have lost more than three hundred experienced mages in the last two years. If we keep sending more, we will end up losing everyone. Then no one would be able to save us from the annual calamity."
Everyone in the room let out a sigh at the king's last statement, recalling the devastations caused by the previous three calamities.
Especially the one which occurred three years ago — The Storm Calamity: it was a supernatural storm that suddenly began and continued for a whole month, destroying the kingdom's largest market, rendering most citizens homeless, and even taking the life of 20% of Luveria's population, including the queen.
Apart from the Storm Calamity, there have been the Long Lasting Night Calamity, the Invasion of Shadowborns, and the Scorching Sun Calamity.
These mysterious events happened at the end of each year across all kingdoms in Winterflame. The causes of all these are unknown, as well as the prevention.
The time it begins has always differed, nevertheless it is known across Winterflame that it only occurs in the last half of the year.
While there haven't been any means to stop these recurring calamities, the presence of mages has been able to reduce the intensity of the calamity by a little.
Recalling the event that took her mother away wasn't a good memory for Clarissa.
"But if we don't stop the Blood Witch, there will be no one to save us from calamities in the future. I understand the magic academy is busy training the next generation of mages, but if we don't stop her now, I believe there wouldn't be any future for any of us," she replied after much thought.
The Blood Witch has been doing the same actions for months; when she attacks, no one expects or is aware of her until her deed is done.
Moreover, she targets the men likely to become mages, culling out the future protectors of Luveria slowly.
Her actions might bring the loss of everything, especially because she would be needing more men to grow stronger. The stronger she becomes, as her constant supplies of men dwindle, Luveria would definitely lose all its men when that time comes.
"What do you suggest?" King Andrea asked.
Every pair of eyes in the room focused on Clarissa at this moment, waiting for her answer.
"We should employ the magic knights immediately!"