A loud explosion shook the air, rattling the calm of the Northern District of Divrik City.
The walls of buildings trembled, and thick dust filled the air.
The sound of the explosion was like thunder, breaking the peace that had previously enveloped the city.
Panic spread instantly, startling the citizens who had been strolling leisurely. People ran in all directions, trying to get away from the epicenter of the explosion.
However, amid the chaos, two girls ran in the opposite direction, toward the explosion.
Beatrix and Sherly, two young girls with determination, ran towards the danger.
They were not ordinary people. Each of them had an important goal.
Since the morning, Divrik City had felt unusual, like something was about to happen.
This explosion was the clue they had been waiting for.
"Beatrix, wait!" Sherly called, her voice breathless.
Her pale, exhausted face showed as she tried to catch up to the faster Beatrix.
Beatrix heard her shout and paused for a moment, turning to see Sherly far behind.
Gasping for breath, Sherly finally reached Beatrix's side.
She stood for a moment, trying to catch her breath, and looked at Beatrix with a hint of confusion on her face.
"You're running too fast," Sherly said, trying to smile despite her exhaustion.
Beatrix looked at her seriously.
"If we stay here and just watch, the man in the black cloak might have already left. We need to act now, Sherly. He might be here during all this chaos."
Sherly nodded slowly, though still looking unsure.
Ever since Sherly received the message from the man in the black cloak, she had felt things were going to change drastically.
He told them they would meet him during a chaotic moment, and this explosion seemed to be the sign.
But even though the message was clear, Sherly still felt something strange.
They didn't know who this man was, what his purpose was, or even if he could really be trusted.
"Do we really have to trust him?" Sherly asked hesitantly.
Beatrix sighed deeply.
"I don't know, Sherly. I just know one thing: the King Arthur diary we found a while ago didn't give us many clues. I feel we need more information, and maybe that man can provide it."
The King Arthur diary did indeed contain valuable information about ancient history and long-forgotten prophecies.
However, the book was very limited, containing only a little about the legendary wizard Merlin they were searching for.
And the man in the black cloak, though mysterious, might know more about Merlin and the things connected to their fate.
"I know, Sherly. We need to meet him right away," Beatrix said firmly. "If we wait any longer, we might miss this opportunity."
Sherly nodded, though her energy was nearly depleted.
But she knew she couldn't back down now.
They were on the brink of an important meeting, and despite the uncertainty still lingering in their minds,
Sherly knew they couldn't turn back. Even if she wanted to, Beatrix surely wouldn't let them.
Beatrix had spoken with such conviction and enthusiasm, and Sherly felt that following her was the only option—anything else might lead to something dangerous.
Beatrix ran again, this time faster, and Sherly bit her lip, trying to follow despite her labored breathing.
Step by step, they ran toward the Northern District, now filled with smoke and crowds of panicked people.
The sun began to set, and Divrik City, once bustling with life, now felt silent and eerie.
Everyone was trying to distance themselves from the explosion site, while Beatrix and Sherly kept running toward the heart of the chaos.
Although Sherly's body was exhausted, her mind was focused on one goal: to find the man in the black cloak and learn what was really going on.
The two girls continued running, passing empty streets now filled with shadows of panicked people lying in the streets.
As they ran, many things crossed their minds.
Sherly thought about their past, how they had arrived at this point.
Beatrix also recalled all their journeys, how they met, how they got to know each other, and how they ended up working together to solve many mysterious cases.
"Beatrix, are we almost there?" Sherly asked weakly.
She looked at Beatrix with a serious expression, reminding her to stay cautious.
Beatrix turned to her, offering a smile that carried a hint of tension.
"We'll get there. And we'll find the answers."
However, as they got closer to the site of the explosion, they sensed something strange.
The atmosphere grew more oppressive, and it seemed like something much bigger was waiting there.
Not just the explosion and chaos they were facing, but a deeper mystery.
When they finally arrived at the explosion site,
they saw a shocking sight. No, it was more accurately terrifying.
They saw a large crater from the explosion and debris scattered everywhere, with many mangled body parts and the smell of burning flesh.
"This really looks horrifying," Beatrix said, her face creased in discomfort.
Beatrix and Sherly began walking around, looking at their surroundings.
If the information the man left was correct, they should meet him at this location.
But after several minutes of searching, they found nothing—not even a single clue about the man.
Sherly began to think, though the man had given off a strange feeling, they might have trusted his words too much.
He might indeed have valuable information, but it seemed they were mistaken about this one.
They started to feel that perhaps the man was just full of nonsense in this case.
They planned to end this pointless chase and leave before the knights arrived to investigate the site.
But suddenly, they felt footsteps approaching.
They turned to see a small child standing there.
"Excuse me... sorry," the child said, trembling.
The child had many scratches and was covered in dust from head to toe.
Beatrix, seeing this, tried to approach the child.
The child initially took a step back but then slowly walked toward her.
The child looked at Beatrix and extended their hand.
Beatrix reached out and grasped it. She then knelt down, looking at the child's face and offering a smile.
"It's okay now," Beatrix said, trying to reassure the child.
The child began to smile at Beatrix's words.
But suddenly, Sherly sensed something and yelled at Beatrix.
"Beatrix! Get away from that child now!!" Sherly shouted in panic.
The child's body began to glow, emitting electricity.
The child stared at Beatrix with a smile, but it was a smile that looked terrifying.
"This is a surprise," the child said in a low voice.
Beatrix immediately let go of the child's hand and pulled away. But the event happened so quickly, they couldn't avoid it in time.
Both realized one thing—they were now likely involved in something much more dangerous and complicated than they had imagined.
Another explosion, nearly as big as the previous one, happened once again.
***
The first explosion that shook the district was followed by a second explosion of nearly the same magnitude.
Although the second explosion was not as powerful as the first, it caused a new set of problems.
A purple mist suddenly appeared after the second explosion.
The purple mist, hovering over the Northern District of Divrik City, thickened, enveloping the area in mystery.
This mist also brought destruction. The once-imposing, sturdy buildings that symbolized the city's progress were now nothing but ruins.
It was already night, and the chaos was far from resolved.
On the roof of a tall building in the Eastern District, an elderly man clad in worn-out knight armor stood, gazing at the increasingly dense purple mist.
His sharp eyes continued to stare intently toward the Northern District, as though unaffected by the rumbling sounds of the explosions in the distance.
The figure was Zefen Daremos, a knight commander who had served for 25 years in Divrik City.
Though no longer young, Zefen was known as a quick and decisive knight. Yet beneath his calm expression, there was a dark memory that haunted him.
"Sir Zefen..." A young knight's voice called out nervously, breaking the silence.
The young man ran up to Zefen, stopping in front of him and bowing respectfully.
Zefen turned slowly, raising an eyebrow, then nodded. "What's happening? Latest report."
The young knight appeared distressed. "According to reports from the alchemists, the purple mist does not seem to have a direct effect on living creatures. However, there's something more terrifying. If corpses come into contact with the mist, they will rise again as zombies."
Zefen fell silent for a moment, his brow furrowing.
He had heard of such phenomena before, around 16 years ago, during a mission that nearly cost him his life.
"This isn't the first time," Zefen murmured softly, more to himself than anyone else. "Continue."
"The citizens in the Northern District are now trapped, and we cannot confirm how many survivors are left. Some groups of bandits around the area have already started raiding and making the situation worse."
Zefen took a deep breath. "What can we do now?"
The young knight shook his head. "We've sent combat mages to try and clear the mist, but it continues to spread and seems impossible to stop through normal means."
Zefen said nothing in response to the report. He simply stared blankly at the purple mist enveloping the Northern District.
No matter how hard they tried, Zefen knew this mist was a far greater threat than mere bandit attacks or natural disasters.
This was something much darker and more dangerous. Perhaps it was a form of karma for something that had happened in the past.
"Don't just stand here," Zefen ordered after a moment. "Return to the headquarters, gather all the combat mages, and make a plan. We'll circle the Northern District and prevent anyone from approaching."
"Understood, Sir Zefen!" The young knight bowed once more before rushing off, leaving Zefen alone on the roof.
Zefen continued to gaze at the purple mist, his mind filled with uncertainty. Memories of the past began to haunt him once again.
Sixteen years ago, when Zefen was still young, he had been involved in a similar mission. A mission to cleanse the Northern mountain region of a troublesome bandit group.
The mission had seemed easy at first. Along with a small squad of young knights, they set out confidently.
But when they reached the mountains, the purple mist had appeared suddenly.
It came without warning, faster than the wind. In a matter of seconds, the region was engulfed by the dense mist.
From within the mist, hundreds of long-buried corpses rose. They crawled from the earth and began attacking with brutal force.
Zefen's squad was trapped in the siege. They fought as hard as they could, but the number of zombies that kept appearing was endless.
One by one, members of Zefen's squad fell, devoured by the unstoppable zombies. Zefen himself nearly became one of the victims, but fortunately, the city's reinforcements arrived just in time to save him.
However, his entire squad was wiped out. Hundreds of bodies rose as zombies.
The purple mist… did not just raise the dead, it also instilled a deep fear in anyone who faced it.
Zefen took a deep breath. "There's no other way, we'll have to do it like before. We'll cleanse the Northern District."
He turned and stared at the distant horizon.
The purple mist… must not be allowed to spread any further. If left unchecked, the city could fall in an instant, and no one could stop it.
"This chaos must end soon," Zefen muttered, his voice trembling but filled with determination.
Zefen's eyes narrowed sharply, and with a firm step, he turned and descended from the building.
This had to be dealt with right now, and this time, there was no room for failure.
***