One morning, we decided to grab breakfast outside, enjoying the fresh air and soaking in all the changes Frasha had gone through. The village, which had once been as quiet and empty, was now bustling with life. Merchants were haggling, kids were running around, and the air was filled with the buzz of conversation. The rundown buildings had been fixed up, and the marketplace looked like it had just been painted with a fresh coat of color. You could smell the bread and roasted meats in the air—Frasha had definitely had a glow-up, and I was here for it.We sat at a small outdoor table, soaking up the morning sun. It was all pretty chill, but there was still an edge of tension hanging around. As we waited for our food, we couldn't help but overhear the conversation from the table next to us. A group of mercenaries sat there, swords on the table and armor glinting in the sunlight like they were auditioning for a role in the next big action movie."Hey, you heard about the kidnapper from the capital?" one of them asked, his voice low and serious. "Word's spread all the way up here to Frasha. He's been snatching up students—mages in training.""Yeah, the bounty's massive," another mercenary chimed in. "It's so bad, they're practically offering a fortune for anyone who can catch him.""How many people's lives are we talking about here?""Too many," the first mercenary said, shaking his head like he'd seen too much. "This started a couple of months ago, and now the news is spreading fast. They found a kid from a noble family in the woods, west of here. He... well, he was dismembered. They only figured out who he was when they found his head with his family crest stamped on it. Some say he's using magic to erase his tracks.""Great," I muttered under my breath, feeling the tension rising."Well, he's been targeting students. They're easy prey, mostly alone and without protection," the second mercenary added. "But he's not just grabbing any student. He goes for the powerful ones, the ones with influence. The capital's in full-on panic mode now."The youngest mercenary, who had been quiet up until this point, finally spoke up, sounding a little too serious for someone who looked like they were still learning how to tie their boots properly. "And the worst part? They think he's got a whole network helping him out. People covering for him, hiding him, getting him safe houses. This isn't just some random thief. This guy's working with a team."The air around us felt heavier now. My friends and I exchanged looks, all of us realizing that this wasn't just some petty criminal. This kidnapper had more than just bad intentions; he had the kind of connections that could make even the most paranoid person break out in a cold sweat.Their talk made me remember a part I'd read in my dream, the one about a young mage telling Nine and the others that he had to save his master. Could this be the same kidnapper? Was everything starting to fall into place, like the plotline?The mercenaries kept talking, clearly oblivious to the fact that we were practically eavesdropping. "The latest victim was from the town west of Frasha," one of them said, shaking his head. "The guards are stretched thin. It's too easy for him to slip past. But we're after him now. When we catch him... he won't be getting away this time."They wrapped up their conversation and walked off, leaving us to sit in the silence they'd left behind. A chill crawled up my spine. The kidnapper may have started his spree in the capital, but the fact that he'd made it this far. Looks like we'd have to keep our eyes open—this story was far from over.-I decided to make my way up to the clocktower of Frasha. The view from there was perfect for what I had in mind. With a focused breath, I spread my mana outwards, activating a spell one of the dragons had taught me. It worked like a radar—letting me kind of feel and see everything within a certain radius. The magic was simple enough, but after spending a thousand years sealed away, I'd managed to extend the range significantly. Now, I could cover the entire village. Paired with my Dragon Eyes, it was practically flawless. I'd used it several times before to scan the area, making sure no monsters had slipped past the walls, and I was pretty confident Frasha was safe.But today... something was different. Specially after what those mercenaries said earlier.It was then when I felt a disturbance in one of the darker alleys, just on the edge of my range. A girl. Running. She was trying to escape, and the figures chasing her were all too familiar, like the one described on the novel, Masked men, the kind that looked like they were up to no good.Without a second thought, I opened a gate near the roof of the alley and peered through. The girl had hit a dead end, and she was on the ground, crying and begging. I could hear her desperate pleas."I didn't see anything, I swear! I'll keep quiet!" she sobbed, her voice trembling with fear."You were the original target, miss," one of the masked men replied coldly.That hit her hard. Her face fell, and the realization seemed to crush her. But then, just as the men stepped forward, she did something I didn't expect—she unleashed a flurry of wind blades in their direction. It was a decent attempt, but the magic wasn't strong enough. The men dodged effortlessly, the blades slicing through the air like butter."NO!" The little girl screamed, covering her eyes in terror, as if bracing for the worst.I wasn't about to let that happen.I dropped from the roof, landing with a soft thud on the cobblestones below. With a swift motion, I summoned earth magic, raising the ground beneath the men's feet and trapping them inside a thick box of stone—about 30 inches thick, to be exact. It wasn't enough to crush them, but it would buy us some time. For now, they were stuck."Stay there," I commanded, turning to the girl who was still crying, her hands clutching her face. At least she listened to me, staying behind as I stood in front of her, shielding her from their reach.The men weren't down for long. They grunted and struggled, breaking free from the earth prison with a growl of frustration. I could feel the air shift as they charged toward me. One of them swung a dagger at my face, but I dodged it easily, twisting to the side like I was dodging a flying potato. It's not like I hadn't dealt with worse."You'll have to try harder than that, buddy," I said. I didn't have time for a long fight, so I decided to make it quick. I flicked my wrist and sent a gust of wind their way. The men stumbled back, their feet sliding in the dirt, and one of them ended up crashing into a barrel. "Nice moves," I said sarcastically, watching him flail like a fish out of water.They recovered quickly, though, and tried to surround me.The next guy tried to rush at me from behind, but I was ready. I used a quick flash of earth magic to make the ground under his feet shift, sending him tumbling into the nearest pile of garbage. He looked like he'd just rolled into the world's most uncomfortable bed. "You okay there, bud?" I called out, barely holding in a laugh."Shut up!" he yelled, pulling himself out of the pile of garbage.Meanwhile, the girl behind me was still clutching her head, but she was watching the chaos unfold with wide eyes. "Wow," she whispered, a little awe in her voice.I just ignored her while sending another gust of wind toward the remaining guy. He stumbled backward into a stack of crates, knocking them over with a loud crash. By now, they were all looking a little less confident, so I decided to wrap things up. With a flick of my finger, I used earth magic again, causing the ground to rise beneath their feet like a small rock wave, knocking them all onto their backs. They all landed in a heap, groaning."Stay down, guys," I called out, putting my hands on my hips. "Seriously, it's embarrassing at this point. Don't make me send you all into the haystack again."The men groaned and didn't move. I turned to the girl, who was staring at me like I was some sort of superhero."Thank you so much!" The little girl said, her voice shaking with gratitude as she threw her arms around me in a tight hug. It caught me off guard, but I awkwardly patted her back. The hug felt like a combination of relief and disbelief—like she couldn't quite wrap her mind around what had just happened.As she pulled away, her face crumpled in confusion, and the words came tumbling out in a rush. "Valerie and I—we were just on our first mission out of the academy, you know, just like they said! We were so excited... we thought it would be easy. But then—then, some masked men—they just appeared out of nowhere and took Valerie! I tried to run, but they saw me and started chasing me, and... and..." She sniffled, trying to wipe away the tears, but they just kept coming, her words getting more and more incoherent.I frowned, kneeling down to her level and gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, hey, slow down," I said softly. "Breathe. You're safe now."She took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself, but it was clear she was still in shock. "I—I don't know what happened... One minute, Valerie and I were walking through the village like we were supposed to, and then... I don't even know! They came out of nowhere! I couldn't stop them! They grabbed her, and then..." Her voice trailed off as she buried her face in her hands again, sobbing like a small child who had lost their favorite toy.I gave her a moment, my gaze flickering to the still-immobile men behind me. They weren't going anywhere anytime soon, but I was more focused on the girl's story. "I couldn't—I couldn't even do anything to help her!" she cried between hiccuping sobs. "I—I... I don't even know—" Her words came faster now, her panic rising again. "They said something about me being the original target, but I—I don't know why!"I shook my head gently, trying to calm her down. "Hey, don't blame yourself," I said, giving her a reassuring smile. "You did your best to run, and that's all anyone could've asked for. You made it out, and that's what matters now. We'll get to the bottom of this."She looked up at me through tear-streaked eyes, her expression a mixture of confusion and gratitude. "But... what do I do now?" Her voice was small, fragile.I stood up, looking around the alley, considering our next move. "I'll take you somewhere safe," I said firmly. The girl sniffled again, wiping her nose with the back of her hand, but this time, there was a hint of determination in her eyes. She nodded, albeit still trembling, but I could tell she was starting to pull herself together."Let's get you somewhere where you can rest," I added, glancing at the men behind me who were still groaning.