As night descended, they gathered around the campfire.
Having discarded food for more treasure, the group had little to eat; Charmion, who joined them midway, didn't have any provisions either. With no other choice, they spent hours catching and roasting a wild deer to stave off hunger.
The flames glowed brightly, casting a rosy hue on each face. Thal spoke up, "What plans do you all have now?"
Nia pondered for a moment and said, "I came out to gain experience, but now I must return to the Magic Academy in Chisu City. Uni, are you returning too?"
Uni nodded, "I ventured out to hone my swordsmanship, and now I will return to the Sword Academy in Chisu City, especially with the year-end sword competition approaching."
Roderick added, "My cousin's aunt's brother-in-law's uncle lives in Chisu City, so I must visit him. Haha, Miss Nia, fate seems to have intertwined our paths once more. It must be destiny!"
Nia ignored him and asked Wesley, "What about you?"
Wesley glared at Charmion and said, "I'm sticking with this black-clad oddball. He owes me so much; he has to repay me."
"Owes you money?" they all asked in unison.
Wesley gritted his teeth, tears almost in his eyes, "All that treasure—gold, diamonds, emeralds, agates…"
Charmion chuckled wryly and didn't argue, "I'm also heading to Chisu City. There's someone there waiting for me." At this, he glanced up at the sky, moonless and starless, shrouded in clouds.
"Ah, wonderful! Mr. Charmion is coming too," Nia exclaimed with delight. After discovering Charmion's power, she had begun to call him "Mr." with admiration. "So Wesley is also going to Chisu City?"
Wesley gave Charmion another glare, "Yes!"
"Great," Nia clapped her hands, happy to maintain the bond formed through their trials. "Now there's just Thal left—will you join us in Chisu City?"
Thal shook his head, "No, I'm too old." He looked at Charmion, then added, "I'm going home to retire."
Nia sighed in disappointment, "Oh, what a pity."
Thal smiled, "Silly girl, no party lasts forever. Come, let's toast to the friendship we've forged through tribulation!"
"To friendship!" they all said together.
…
"But how can we toast without cups?"
"Exactly, and we have no wine."
"Who said anything about toasting? Are we drinking air?"
***
Ten days later, the five adventurers arrived in the royal city of Chisu, within the Kingdom of Marquez.
Located in the southeastern part of the continent, the expansive and powerful Kingdom of Marquez is one of the four great nations. The capital, Chisu, with its population of millions, is a bustling hub of commerce and the largest and most prosperous metropolis on the continent.
Upon entering the city, they found lodging at the White Cloud Inn and subsequently headed to a small tavern for a meal.
Midway through their meal, Nia noticed Charmion had not touched the food in front of him. From the moment they met Charmion, he was never one to speak much, becoming more reticent as they neared Chisu. He often gazed silently in the direction of the city during their breaks, lost in inscrutable thoughts.
"Mr. Charmion," Nia inquired, "why aren't you eating?"
Charmion shook his head, indicating he wasn't interested, and his gaze drifted back to the window.
Finding no solution, Nia turned to speak with Uni. "Sister Uni, when are you returning to the Sword Academy?"
Uni replied, "I'll head back this afternoon. Once I finish my matters at the academy, I'll come to visit you."
Roderick interjected eagerly, "Then Miss Nia, when you return to the Magic Academy, be sure to visit us too. I'll be at the inn every day waiting for you."
Nia cast Roderick an annoyed glance and said to Charmion, "Weren't you looking for someone too, Mr. Charmion?"
Charmion's expression shifted subtly. Instead of answering, he asked, "Nia, is the headmaster of the Chisu Advanced Magic Academy still Elder Shuken?"
Admiration immediately lit up Nia's face, "Yes, Elder Shuken has been our headmaster for sixty years. He is one of the three strongest mages on the continent. But you're also very powerful, Mr. Charmion. Perhaps you could even have a match with Elder Shuken."
At this, Nia seemed to remember something, sighed, and said, "But Elder Shuken has been in the Mage's Tower for many years, and none of us have ever seen him. He might not meet with you."
Charmion suddenly sneered, "Mage's Tower."
Uni sensed something amiss, as Charmion's tone had an unsettlingly harsh edge towards the academy.
Yet Nia remained oblivious, continuing with enthusiasm, "Indeed, the Mage's Tower was specially built for Elder Shuken by the Marquez royal family. Elder Shuken is not only powerful but has also aided the Kingdom of Marquez for decades, playing significant roles in several wars. He is the kingdom's hero and the guardian of justice!"
Charmion's face grew pallid, his eyes twitched slightly. He murmured, "Guardian of justice, guardian of justice…" Then he began laughing quietly, his body bent over, face towards the ground. The others could see only his shoulders shaking with a chilling laughter and his hand clutching the Dark Staff so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
By now, even Roderick and Wesley sensed something was wrong.
***
Nia lightly skipped up the tall steps. The lazy autumn afternoon sun bathed the Magic Academy in warmth. Upon entering, she found herself in a vast stone square where students practiced magic by day and reveled by night. Beyond lay the hundred-step staircase leading to grand halls used for lectures, as well as housing the library, dining hall, and dormitories. The entire structure rose over twenty meters high, exuding an aura of unparalleled majesty. This place was the symbol of the Marquez Kingdom's spirit, where generations of the royal family had studied, as magic academies were often the pinnacle of knowledge in those times.
Nia ascended the more than a hundred steps and wove through the corridors, soon stopping before a blue-doored room, which she pushed open.
"Ms. Sherry, I'm back," Nia exclaimed joyfully, embracing the person within from behind.
She turned with a gentle smile, her voice soft and warm, "Nia, you've returned. How wonderful."
It was the time for practicing magic, and most students were outside in the square, leaving Ms. Sherry alone in the room.
She was a woman who embodied the word "gentle," with her shoulder-length black hair, almond-shaped face, and large, luminous eyes beneath delicately arched brows. Clad in a white teacher's gown, her fair hands rested on Nia's shoulders, resembling a fairy wandering into the mortal world, untouched by its coarseness.
Nia adored Ms. Sherry, particularly because she aspired to emulate her gentle grace in her own life. Holding Sherry's hand, Nia chattered excitedly about her recent adventures.
Listening with a smile, Sherry couldn't help but feel a touch of admiration: such a spirited child, so full of life.
Then, a dull thud came from outside, followed by a distant clamor, temporarily halting Nia's storytelling.
Glancing out the window, Sherry remarked with a laugh, "You students are so lively these days. When we started, everyone was too focused to make a sound, even during magic practice. But you all laugh at every misspell."
Nia pouted, "Exactly, they keep laughing at me."
Sherry chuckled, "So, you're really that bad?"
Nia blushed, just about to retort when several more thuds and commotion arose from the square. Nia couldn't help commenting, "It seems everyone's having a rough day today."
Sherry smiled, "Good thing you weren't there, or else…"
Suddenly, a huge crash and a chorus of screams interrupted them. Sherry immediately stood, taking Nia's hand as they rushed outside. "Something's happened, let's see."
The hallway was already crowded with people heading towards the square, drawn by the cries. The path was short, and soon Sherry and Nia stood atop the stone steps in front of the hall, looking down at the scene below.
Students in blue and white uniforms lined the square's edges, leaving a large open space in the center, now strewn with fallen students, blood pooling and spreading, some unconscious. Six middle-aged teachers in robes like Sherry's formed a protective circle, channeling their magic against a lone figure inside.
At the center was a man in a black robe wielding a dark staff.
Charmion—Nia could hardly believe her eyes.
Nearby, a student rapidly explained. The man in black had stormed the academy, demanding to see Elder Shuken (though Nia was sure those weren't his exact words), and when the students refused, they questioned his intentions. In an ambush, he injured them, leaving dozens unprepared and defenseless. Fortunately, six powerful teachers were present to restrain him. This was the first time in sixty years anyone dared cause trouble at the Marquez Advanced Magic Academy, and he would surely be severely dealt with.
As they spoke, the six teachers unleashed a display of dazzling spells towards Charmion, yet they halted one meter before him, as if encountering an invisible barrier. Simultaneously, the teachers moved sluggishly, like puppets under someone else's control.
Charmion stood there, his left hand clawed, reaching skyward, his right hand gripping the dark staff, eyes closed, muttering strange incantations. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, his face flushing red, as he forcefully struck the ground with the dark staff, shouting, "Break!"
With a thunderous boom, the staff's white gem burst into brilliant light. The six teachers coughed blood, as if struck by hammers, collapsing backward, limbs convulsing from severe injuries.
The square fell into a profound silence. Then Nia heard Ms. Sherry beside her whisper in an anguished, unfamiliar groan, "Heart of Darkness, it's the Heart of Darkness."
Charmion's color quickly returned to normal, clearly no longer fatigued as before.
In the moment when Nia heard Ms. Sherry's words, Charmion seemed to sense something as well. He lifted his gaze towards Nia's direction. Nia flinched instinctively, soon realizing Charmion wasn't looking at her but at Sherry.
His eyes, once harboring despair, pain, defiance, resilience, and an untamed spirit, now blazed with fiery madness, burning through time and space, returning from the dark realm, back to the world.
Nia suddenly noticed Ms. Sherry's hand holding hers had grown cold at some point.