Julius slumped beside the majestic statue of the great saintess, drenched in sweat, his breath ragged and heavy. Beside him, Cedric collapsed as well, his body just as fatigued. The night had been long, filled with relentless battles, and their faces reflected the toll it had taken on them. The town square, which had been a scene of chaos mere hours ago, now lay serene and still. The only sounds were the distant chirping of crickets and the soft rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze, as if nature herself were attempting to heal the wounds inflicted on the town.
The two had spent the entire night fighting off monsters and assisting with the rescue of the townspeople. With the arrival of the second rescue team, they finally decided to take a moment to recover their depleted mana. Their legs, having supported them through these restless services, had finally given out, leaving them utterly spent.
"That was a lot of work," Cedric said, flicking a pebble aside. His voice carried a tone of fatigue.
"True,"Julius agreed with a nod, his gaze drifting across the now peaceful town square. "Fortunately, the damage wasn't severe compared to other cases, and we're lucky that there were no casualties."
"Well, all thanks to this great apprentice knight who chose to spend his valuable vacation time at his best friend's villa," Cedric said proudly, gesturing to himself. "I'm quite the swordsman, after all."
Julius chuckled with a soft sound that lightened the heavy atmosphere. "Yes, what an honor it is to have such a great warrior by our side in this crisis."
Indeed, Cedric had been a tremendous help tonight.
Cedric Pendleton, the second son of Count Pendleton and one of the top apprentice swordsmen of Aetherium Academy, was staying at the family villa of his best friend, Julius Whitelock. Julius, the eldest son of Marquess Whitelock and an exceptionally talented apprentice mage of Aetherium specialised in restoration and healing magic, had found Cedric's assistance to be incredibly helpful when a small town in Marquess Whitelock's territory was attacked by monsters.
It was late at night, just one week before the end of the academy's vacation period. A crack had opened within the town's boundaries, allowing dark monsters to emerge from the shadow realm. The creatures began their rampage, attacking the townsfolk and causing widespread panic.
Upon hearing the news, the Marquess had dispatched his knights to defend the town. Julius and Cedric, though still students at Aetherium Academy, had joined the fight alongside the Whitelock family knights. Over the past few years, the academy's field assignments had provided them with ample experience in battling monsters and aiding locals during monster invasions.
After a grueling night of combat, they had finally managed to defeat all the monsters. The rescue team then immediately began administering first aid and treating the injured locals and knights. Julius, with his exceptional healing magic, had treated nearly fifty people on his own, spending almost all of his mana in the process.
"Ugh, I'm sweating so much. It feels like all the water in my body has evaporated," Cedric complained, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "On top of it, I'm extremely thirsty."
"Same here," Julius agreed, his throat dry and parched.
"Wait here. I'll go find some water for us," Cedric said, pushing himself to his feet with a small groan and headed off in search of drinking water.
Left alone, Julius closed his eyes and let the peacefulness of the night wash over him. There was nobody nearby. Only, the swishing sound of the wind carrying dry leaves can be heard from time to time. The sweet scent of blooming flowers wafted through the air, mixing with the faint aroma of earth after a battle. The stars twinkled brightly above, a serene contrast to the chaos that had unfolded below.
Julius gazed up at the night sky, his thoughts drifting. The vast expanse of the heavens, dotted with countless stars, filled him with a deep sense of calmness amd tranquility. It was a beautiful night, one that would have been perfect if not for the earlier devastation.
He closed his eyes again and pressed his hands together, silently praying for the peace, prosperity of all and for the end to the malevolent forces threatening the land.
Bathed in the soft moonlight, Julius's serene figure seemed almost ethereal. His long eyelashes cast delicate shadows on his fair skin, which seemed to glow under the full moon's light.
Had anyone seen him right at this moment, they would have surely mistaken him as an angel, descended from the heavens.
.
.
A sudden, faint scream echoing from a nearby dark alley, pierced the silence, pulling Julius out of his reverie. Being alert he instantly sprang to his feet and hurried toward the source of the sound.
As he ventured deeper into the alley, the darkness seemed to close in around him, the shadows twisting and warping in the dim light. At the end of the alley, he found a small boy, no older than five or six, trembling in terror. The child was cornered, with a menacing monster looming over him, its eyes burning with malevolent intent.
Using the last bit of his remaining mana, Julius casted a desperate blast spell at the monster. The spell wasn't powerful enough to kill the creature, but it did manage to distract it for a precious few seconds. Seizing the opportunity, Julius shouted at the boy, telling him to run and seek help.
The kid scrambled away as fast as his little legs could carry him, fleeing to safety as the monster refocused. Now all its attention pinned on Julius.
Alone with the monster, Julius knew he was doomed as his chances were slim. His mana reserves were nearly depleted, and he had only a sword to defend himself.
Being left alone with this high level monster, Julius knew he was doomed. Having no more mana left and armed only with a sword, it was impossible for him to defeat this huge monster all by himself. As a mage, his skills in swordsmanship were average at best, and without the aid of magic, he was severely outmatched. He could not even cast any more spells as to do that, he had to wait for his mana to get refilled again. But that's would have taken quite some time.
In this situation the only thing he could do was to only evade the monster's attacks and try to buy time until help arrived.
The beast snarled and lunged at him with ferocious speed. Julius barely managed to dodge the attacks that were being projected at him one after another. The sword felt heavy in his hands, and his body, already exhausted from earlier exertions, struggled to keep up. Fatigue was setting in fast, as he continued to evade the monster's relentless assault.
The creature's claws swiped dangerously close, and with a sudden, violent swing of its tail, Julius's sword flew from his grasp, skidding across the alley to a distance, far out of reach. Julius's heart sank as he realized the dire situation he was in. Desperately, Julius tried to retrieve his sword but stumbled as he tried to dodge another attack, his body hitting the cold, damp wall of the alley.
The monster towered over him, its eyes gleaming with a savage hunger as it intended to deliver the final blow. Fear gripped Julius, his senses beginning to blur. He felt his body froze in dread and unable to move, overwhelmed by panic, as the beast reared back, ready to strike.
Just then, out of nowhere, a flash of steel cut through the air, slicing into the monster's claw. The creature howled in pain and stumbled back from the unexpected attack. Blood splattered on the ground, pooling around its feet.
Julius's eyes widened in astonishment and disbelief. He blinked in surprise, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Before him stood a young girl, around his age, her stance firm and confident. She held a sword in a tight grip of her hand, the blade gleaming with the reflection of the dim light.
The monster roared in fury, its attention now fully focused on this new threat. It charged at her with all its might, its monstrous form barreling forward like a runaway freight train. But the girl didn't flinch. Instead, she met the beast head-on, her sword flashing in the darkness. Her every movement was precise and controlled.
With a swift, fluid motion, she sidestepped the monster's attack, her sword slicing through the air with excellent accuracy. The blade found its mark, cutting deep into the creature's side. The monster roared in pain, its massive body jerking with the force of the blow.
But the girl wasn't finished. She spun around, her movements almost like a dance, and struck again. Her sword slashed through the monster's flesh with a grace and power that left Julius awestruck. Every strike was calculated, her technique flawless. She moved with a deadly elegance that was both terrifying and mesmerizing.
Within moments, the battle was over. The monster let out a final, pained growl before collapsing to the ground, its lifeless form sprawling in the alley. The girl stood over it, her breath coming in controlled. She was drenched in the monster's blood, her pitch-black hair cascading down upto her shoulders like a stream of eternal darkness. In this atmosphere, maybe she looked more frightening than that monster, lying dead.
Despite this terrific presence, there was an undeniable beauty in her - a deadly yet alluring grace that sent shivers down Julius's spine. Her steady figure displayed a striking blend of fierceness and beauty.
'Ithara, the goddess of death.'
Yes, that's the first thing that came to Julius's mind — terrifying but still enthralling.
What else could this deadly beautifulness be compared to if not for that of the beauty of the goddess of death?
Could it be that Ithara herself had descended to save him?
Julius couldn't be sure, but his heart pounded so fiercely in his chest that he feared the girl standing before him might hear it. The echoes of his pulse seemed to drown out the world around him. For a brief moment, everything else faded away—the quiet rustle of leaves, the distant chirping of crickets, even the memory of the monster that had nearly claimed his life.
The girl, bathed in the pale light of the moon, extended her hand toward him. Her expression was calm, almost indifferent, as if the fierce battle that had just unfolded meant nothing to her.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice steady and composed, yet carrying a hint of urgency.
Julius stared at her, his mind struggling to catch up with the situation. The silver glow of her eyes held him captive, a mix of strength and mystery that left him momentarily speechless. He blinked, pulling himself back to reality, realizing that he had been gawking.
"Yes, thanks to you," he finally replied, nodding as he tried to regain his composure. The trembling in his hands betrayed his attempt to appear calm. He reached out, grasping her offered hand. Her grip was firm and assured, a stark contrast to the frailty he felt within himself. With her help, he pulled himself to his feet.
"Good," she said with a curt nod, releasing his hand as soon as he was stable. Her sharp gaze swept over him briefly, assessing his condition. "Now that the threat is gone, I guess you'll be fine on your own. I'm in a hurry, so I'll be on my way."
Without another word, she turned and began to walk away, her dark hair swaying with each step.
"Wait a second!" Julius called after her, his voice tinged with desperation. The thought of her leaving so abruptly, without him getting to know who she was, was unacceptable. "At least tell me your name before you go…"
She didn't stop, the distance between them kept on stretching more and more. For a moment, it seemed as though she might ignore his plea, but then she spoke, her voice carrying softly on the night breeze.
"Reese Lysander," she replied, still facing away, her tone matter-of-fact, as if it were nothing more than an afterthought.
And then, as quickly as she had appeared, Reese Lysander vanished into the shadows, leaving Julius alone once more, with only the echoes of her name and the remnants of his racing heartbeat.
"Reese… Reese…" Julius repeated the name under his breath as if he was enchanted, his voice barely a whisper. It rolled off his tongue like a spell. The name lingered in the air, intertwining with the night's tension, as if it held some profound significance he couldn't quite grasp.
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