I winced as I tried to sit up, the pain shooting through my body a sharp reminder of how close I came.
"Yeah, I remember the fight... but after that? Everything's a blur."
Charlotte leaned against the doorframe, her arms still crossed, eyes scrutinizing me.
"You passed out. Jack stepped in before they could finish you off, lucky for you."
"Jack?"
I frowned, trying to piece it together.
"What happened to the fortress? The dark elves... and Esmeralda? Did we—"
Esmeralda suddenly stepped inside, followed closely by Arienna. The moment she entered, the room seemed to grow heavier with her presence.
"Ah, you're awake. We were worried."
"Worried? What about the dark elves? Did they get rescue? Is the fortress—"
Arienna stepped forward, concern etched on her face.
"Kira, you were in a bad spot. The fortress is destroyed, but we managed to save my clan, all thanks to you."
I blinked, trying to process what Arienna had said. Thanks to me? I didn't even manage to free them.
"Your clan... they're safe?"
"Yes. I don't know how can I thank you for this... so, we are having a feast right now!"
A feast? I don't know If I want to eat right now... I feel empty in the inside, my magic... wait, my magic! I need to tell them something.
"Right, so, there's something that all of you need to know."
I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. My body still ached, but there was a more urgent weight on my mind.
"During the fight, something happened. I died, then I woke up in a void, a voice grant me some power and I took on this frost form. My entire body was feeling cold, and I could feel this immense magic surging through me."
I paused, glancing between Charlotte, Esmeralda, and Arienna.
"And I feel so tired in that form, I don't know how... but it removed half of my personality. But don't worry, I'm still the Kira that you know!"
Charlotte's brow furrowed, and she took a slow step forward, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Did you hit your head really hard during the fight, or are you just dumb?"
I blinked, confused by her sudden change in tone. Wait... she doesn't believe me.
"What? No, I—"
"If you died, then how is it that you're standing here, alive and rambling about a 'frost form'? Magic can do a lot of things, Kira, but bringing people back from the dead? That's not one of them."
Esmeralda raised an eyebrow, clearly curious but more composed.
"Kira, what you're describing... that kind of magic is incredibly rare. You sure you didn't just black out?"
I shook my head, my frustration bubbling up.
They must think I'm crazy.
"I know what I felt, Charlotte! I did die. Or at least, I was on the verge of it. That voice… it brought me back and gave me power."
Charlotte crossed her arms again, her skepticism is clear.
"Power or not, you're still an idiot."
Before I could respond, the door creaked open, and Master Merrick stepped inside. He wore a wide smile on his face and his hands are on his back.
"Ah, Kira. I see you're up and talking again. I came to congratulate you."
"Congratulate me?"
Master Merrick nodded, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He coughed slightly and stared at me proudly.
"You've completed the quest. The dark elves were saved, and you destroyed the fortress. And you're not scared of Esmeralda anymore."
Suddenly, the memory hit me like a bolt of lightning. My eyes widened as flashes of the battle at the fortress came rushing back. Hooded figures, chaos, and, oh no.
"The spirits," I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest. "Esmeralda, you summoned those laughing spirits!"
Everyone in the room turned toward me, confused by my sudden outburst.
But I couldn't shake the image, the twisted, maniacal laughter echoing in the fortress as they tore through our enemies. Their cackling still echoed in my mind, sending a chill down my spine.
Esmeralda's lips curved into a sly smile, clearly amused by my reaction.
"Oh, Kira, did they scare you?"
"Scare me? They were insane! They laughed like they were enjoying every second of it... It was creepy as hell!"
Esmeralda chuckled softly, stepping closer with that same teasing smile.
"They do have a bit of a... twisted sense of humor, but they got the job done, didn't they?"
I recoiled slightly, still feeling the lingering terror of those spirits. Let me forget! I don't want to remember!
"You call that a sense of humor? I thought they were going to turn on us any second!"
Without thinking, I leaped from the bed and bolted across the room, my legs are shaky but driven by pure instinct. I sprinted around in circles like a man possessed, trying to shake off the eerie sensation of the spirits' laughter lingering in my ears.
"I can't! I can't! Esmeralda, keep them away from me!"
I darted towards Arienna like a frightened child.
Arienna's eyes widened in surprise as I skidded to a stop and clutched onto her arm, hiding behind her like she was my last line of defense.
"Kira, calm down!"
Everyone in the room burst into laughter... except Charlotte, of course. She rolled her eyes, still leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed.
"You're such a coward."
Even Master Merrick was chuckling, shaking his head.
"I've seen wizards run from battle, but never like this!"
Esmeralda smirked, clearly enjoying the scene.
"Oh, Kira, they wouldn't hurt you. Unless, of course, I told them to."
My grip on Arienna tightened as I peeked out from behind her, eyes wide with fear.
"That's not funny, Esmeralda!"
"You're just too easy to scare."
Arienna patted my hand reassuringly, trying to calm me down through her own laughter.
"It's okay, Kira. They're gone. You're safe."
I wasn't entirely convinced, but seeing everyone laughing, except Charlotte, of course it helped ease the tension. I let out a shaky breath, trying to calm my racing heart.
"Just... keep those spirits away from me."
I muttered the last words, but before I could fully relax, a strange sensation washed over me.
My skin prickled with cold, and a deep chill seeped into my bones, spreading quickly. The laughter in the room began to die down as the temperature noticeably dropped.
"What...?"
Frost began to form along my fingertips, spreading like tendrils of ice. My breath came out in visible puffs, and the air around me shimmered with a light mist.
Panic flickered in my chest as I realized what was happening... my frost form.
"Kira?"
I could feel it, that same overwhelming cold that had taken me in the void.
It surged through me, but this time it felt heavier, more draining.
My body tensed, and the next moment, I was fully enveloped in the frost form I had described to them earlier. My skin had taken on an icy hue, and the air around me crackled with the biting chill of winter.
Master Merrick and Esmeralda exchanged wary glances, and even Charlotte raised an eyebrow, her expression shifting from irritation to something more cautious.
"Kira, what is this?"
"I want to sleep..."
As I say that, all of them shouts "What?!" in unison, their eyes are widened in shock.
Now they know that I'm not lying. But I feel so drained that I want to sleep and never wake up. How can I change back?
"Kira... Hahahaha!"
Esmeralda's laughter burst in the room. Why the hell is she laughing? Do I look funny? Ahh... thinking about it is quite tiring.
"You're saying that you are scared of ghost! But you look like a ghost yourself!"
She's pointing a finger at me while laughing.
It's so loud, let me stand here in peace and take a nap.
"Shut up... brat..."
She suddenly stopped, her gaze settling over me like she wants to summon a bunch of spirits in this room to drag me down to the underworld.
Then I can feel my frost form flickering out of me, and in a matter of second I'm back to my normal form.
I don't feel any tiredness and exhaustion.
"Look! I'm back again! Time to eat!"
With waiting for them, I rush out of my room and head downstairs to the main floor of the guild house.
I see the guild members staring at me, especially the one who's sitting on the bar stool.
He's wearing a black cloak but his head is out. His back is turned on me but I can see that his hair is brown and I feel like I know him.
In a matter of fact? He's an enemy of mine. The one who embarassed me in front of Tiara, and the one who saved me in the fortress.
I heard his name is Jack.
Before I can approach him, an arm wrapped around me.
"Yo, Kira. I heard you saved a bunch of dark elves, I knew you had it in you!"
This elf... is drunk again!
"Tiara! You're drinking again?"
"Of course, I am! We completed another quest!"
Please, even if you're in a day off, you spend it all on drinking. But I wouldn't say that to her. She was my bestfriend after all.
I removed her arm around my neck and gave her a grin.
"Let's catch up later!"
I waved her off and continued my way to Jack. He's still sitting silently on that chair.
Alice serves him another drink with a smile.
I approached the bar and sit on the stool beside Jack, but I'm not going to talk to him. Not yet.
"Oh, Kira. Are your wounds healed now?"
"Ah, yes Alice. Thank you. Can I have some water?"
Alice nodded, she walks off to the back of the bar, where the kitchen is.
Now, we're alone. This is a good time to ask something to him.
"So your name is Jack?"
He just nodded at me. Where's the usual taunting facades of him?
"Why did you saved me?"
He finished his drink before speaking. "Ask your Master."
"Master? No, I wouldn't understand him."
"Then stop talking to me."
What? Is he shrugging me off? My pride is taking a great hit in this conversation.
"Last time I remembered, you're a prisoner. Why did Master free you? And why can I feel the magic of the Arcane Brigade flowing through you?"
Strange... Is he part of the guild now? Is he using his dark magic to manipulate Master Merrick? No, that wouldn't make sense, Master is one of the great wizard in this kingdom, he won't get manipulated by this depressed looking guy.
"Is that all you have to say? Cause if it is... Then I'm leaving."
He put the cup down on the table and slowly stand up without looking at me.
"What happened to them?"
"Them?"
"Akira, Callieber, and your Master?"
"Ask Akira yourself."
Huh? It can't be... Is that emotionless girl is in this guild? That explains the feeling I've got when I woke up.
By the time I turned around to ask for more, Jack is already far. I return my gaze back on the table before Alice breaks the silence by putting the cup of water down.
"He's strange... But if Master believes in him, then we should believe in him too."
Believe? I don't believe in anything. But that was when no one is accepting me in this kingdom. Arcane Brigade change the way I believe in things, that's why this guild and the guild members here is a family to me.
Sometimes, if you're afraid of taking the path that you take. Asking someone for help is needed and if you don't have that someone, then find that someone.
But for me? That someone found me, she was wearing a red and white expensive clothes at that time. And she was like a fiery demon that can annihilates me completely.