They had been traveling for three days, following their usual pattern ride until sundown, set up camp, keep watch, and repeat. On the fourth day, as the road to Vikran stretched endlessly ahead, Coleen spotted a suitable clearing off the main path.
"This should be good enough, don't you think?" she remarked, looking at the map.
Valerius glanced around, assessing the site. "Yes, this will do."
"Hey, Draven, set up my camp too. I need to take a pee," Serephina announced, already walking off into the trees.
Draven sighed but waved a hand. "Alright. Be careful."
Minutes passed. The camp was set, the fire crackled steadily, and the group sat around it, letting the warmth sink into their bones. Shadows stretched long against the trees as night deepened.
Coleen shifted, glancing around. "Wait… where's Serephina?"
Draven, stirring the fire with a stick, frowned. "She said she had to take a pee, but… hasn't it been a while?" His voice grew uneasy. "It's dark now. Did she get lost?"
"That might or might not be the case," Grimwald muttered, cracking his knuckles. "Maybe she found a scenic spot and got distracted. Let's wait a little longer."
The minutes stretched. Then an hour passed. Still, nothing.
Draven shot to his feet, his unease turning into something sharper. "Alright, something's wrong. This isn't like her."
"You might be right," Valerius said, standing up as well. "Which direction did she go?"
Draven pointed toward the dense forest.
Valerius exhaled and closed his eyes, focusing. The world around him dulled, his senses stretching outward like an invisible net. He searched, scanning for any trace of her mana signature within a five-hundred-meter radius.
Nothing.
His eyes snapped open. "She's not in that direction. Not within five hundred meters, at least."
"What do you mean?" Hakon asked, his brow furrowing.
"If I focus, I can sense up to five hundred meters any living thing, be it a person or a monster. If I don't focus, my passive range is around a hundred to one hundred fifty meters." Valerius explained.
A heavy silence settled over the group.
"What do we do?" Coleen asked, gripping her bow.
"I and Draven will go after her. With my senses, we can track her down faster."
Coleen nodded. "Got it. We'll leave it to you."
"I'll come too," Grimwald said, grabbing his axes.
"No. Stay here." Valerius shook his head. "Coleen's a ranged fighter, and if there's an attack, the campsite will need a close-combat fighter. You stay back and defend."
Grimwald hesitated, then clenched his jaw. "Fine. But be quick."
"Here, take this." Hakon handed over a small lantern. "It runs on a mana crystal it's way brighter than normal lamps. Should help."
Valerius nodded, took the lamp, and turned toward the forest. "Let's go."
They moved quickly, their footsteps light as they navigated through the thick underbrush. The mana lamp cast sharp beams of white light, illuminating their path.
"I can see the plants and grass trampled this way," Valerius muttered.
Draven crouched, running a hand over the disturbed leaves. "Yeah. These tracks are definitely hers." His grip on his sword tightened. "She was here."
They followed the trail deeper into the forest until the tracks suddenly ended. Valerius lifted the lamp higher, scanning the ground.
Something glinted.
Draven stepped forward and picked it up.
"Serephina's earring…" His voice was barely a whisper. He turned it over in his palm, his heart pounding. "I got this for her when she turned fifteen. It was after her mana ritual."
His fingers curled around it, knuckles turning white. "Why the hell did she come this far? Was she looking for a better spot? There were plenty on the way. What was she thinking?"
Valerius crouched again, eyes sharp as he examined the tracks. "Look at this," he murmured.
Draven leaned in. Two sets of footprints. And then a third trail, this one different.
Dragged footprints.
A chill ran down Draven's spine. "Valerius…" His voice was low, dark. "She was taken."
Valerius met his gaze, then stood, scanning the area. "I think so too. Let's break it down."
He pointed to the ground. "She struggled at first, but then she stopped resisting. No blood, which means they didn't injure her. That means they used something probably a drug." He exhaled, stepping closer. "They covered their tracks well, but they made one mistake. A hint of mana still lingers whoever took her reinforced themselves to overpower her resistance. And if there's mana " His eyes darkened. "They can't escape me."
Draven swallowed his anger and nodded. "Then let's go."
They moved fast, tracking the faint mana residue until it disappeared.
"Right here." Valerius stopped. "This is where they stopped using mana. She must have lost consciousness by this point."
Draven cursed under his breath.
Valerius scanned the ground again, then gestured ahead. "They went that way."
They pushed forward until they reached a clearing. Near a tree, fresh horse tracks were pressed deep into the damp earth.
"They put her on a horse," Valerius muttered. "See how the prints are deeper on the right? That's where she was saddled. The soil's still wet from rain makes it easy to read the depth of the tracks."
Draven's clenched his fists.
"And the horse that carried her used mana to reinforce itself it had to, since it was carrying two people." Valerius continued. "Which means we have a trail."
He turned to Draven. "We got them."
Draven exhaled sharply, trying to steady his rage. "Then let's go. We need horses. Now."
They turned back and bolted toward camp, mana reinforcing their legs as they sped through the trees. Valerius, naturally faster, reached the campsite first. Without wasting a second, he untied his horse, swung himself into the saddle, and kicked off at full speed his eyes blazing with purpose.
"Arthur, hyahh!" Valerius urged, gripping the reins tightly.
The black stallion responded instantly, surging forward with powerful strides. The horse reinforced himself with mana sensing the urgency. The wind howled past him as he tore through the darkened landscape, his eyes locked on the faint tracks ahead.
As he rode, he spotted a lone figure running toward him in the distance. Draven.
"Follow me, quickly!" Valerius called out as he sped past.
He didn't slow down. The tracks wouldn't last forever, and every second wasted was another second Serephina spent in enemy hands. To ensure Draven could follow, Valerius flicked his fingers at passing trees, sending small bursts of flame against the bark. The flames weren't large enough to burn the forest, but they left scorched marks breadcrumbs for Draven to follow.
Minutes turned into half an hour. The horse's breathing was steady, trained for endurance, he was doing well.
Then he sensed it.
Multiple mana signatures ahead.
Valerius pulled hard on the reins, bringing Arthur to an abrupt stop. He dismounted swiftly, tying the horse to a tree before unsheathing his daggers and long sword. His body lowered instinctively as he slipped into the shadows.
If they saw him first, they might use Serephina as a hostage. He couldn't allow that.
Moving with practiced silence, he approached the camp. Three large tents stood in the clearing, torches flickering at their entrances.
Who the hell are these people?
Creeping closer, he positioned himself near a pair of guards chatting by a campfire.
"…So, did the boss like the red-haired woman that Vance and Tobi brought?" one of them asked.
"I'm not sure," the other replied, shrugging. "She's still in the third tent, so I can't tell for sure."
Valerius' eyes narrowed. Red-haired woman. Taken by two men. That had to be Serephina.
"What's with the tent numbering again?" the first guard asked.
"New, huh?" His friend smirked. "First tent's the boss's. Second one's where the 'elite' property is kept. Third tent is where the boss checks the new ones before deciding if they're worth selling or keeping."
"Ho ho… boss sure is organized."
Valerius clenched his jaw. He had no idea which tent was the third, but he didn't have time to figure it out. He needed to move.
Then hoof beats.
Draven had arrived.
But instead of stopping, he was charging straight toward the camp.
"That idiot," Valerius cursed, standing abruptly. He dashed forward, his feet barely making a sound as he intercepted Draven just before he reached the entrance.
"Draven, stop "
Too late.
The guards had noticed.
"Who's there?! Answer me!" One of them shouted, squinting into the darkness.
Silhouettes. That's all they could see. But soon enough, torches would be raised, weapons drawn.
Draven turned his blazing eyes onto Valerius. "Move." His voice was low, flat, simmering with barely restrained fury.
Valerius met his gaze, his own expression calm despite the storm between them. "Draven, you're supposed to be the level-headed one. I thought Grimwald was the hothead. Why didn't you wait? Why didn't you observe first?"
Draven's jaw tensed. "Sorry, Valerius. But I'm going in. This is not the time to be sensible."
Valerius studied him for a brief moment. Then, with a resigned sigh, he nodded. "Alright. But if you're going in, I'm not letting you go alone." He glanced toward the camp. "There are people inside stronger than you."
Draven exhaled sharply. "Got it. Thanks."
The guards were on full alert now. One unsheathed his sword, the other gripped his spear tightly.
"I said, who's there?! Do you want to die?!" one of them barked, stepping forward.
Valerius raised his hands slightly in a show of peace. "Gentlemen, we're not here for trouble. We just want our friend back. That's all."
Draven shot him a glance. "What are you doing?" he whispered.
"Stand back and let me handle this," Valerius murmured. "You're not thinking straight. If we push too hard, they might use Serephina against us."
Draven hesitated, then nodded.
"There's no friend of yours here!" the guard snapped. "Turn around and leave!"
Valerius kept walking. Slow, measured steps. "Is that so? That's odd," he mused. "Because I'm one hundred percent certain our friend is in there." He tilted his head. "How about this? Let us check. If she's not here, we leave. Win-win, don't you think?"
"Don't make me repeat myself. Stop coming closer. Leave if you don't want to die, I don't want to kill innocent people" the guard warned.
Valerius sighed. "You know, that's a bit hypocritical. You people kidnapped our friend, and now you're lecturing us about not wanting unnecessary bloodshed?"
"That's it," the guard growled. "You don't listen to words. They say that beasts don't listen to words but to beatings."
He lunged.
BHAM
Valerius moved faster than the eye could follow.
Before the guard even realized what had happened, his head was already slamming into the ground with bone-crushing force.
Dust billowed. The second guard froze, his grip on his spear tightening, his breath coming out in short, panicked gasps.
Valerius straightened, shaking the dust from his hands. "I didn't want this," he said calmly. "We just want our friend. Call your boss, or whoever's in charge. We'll talk."
The remaining guard took one last look at his unconscious comrade, then bolted toward the tents.
Draven's fists clenched. "Valerius… don't be a coward. You could kill every single person here in seconds if you wanted to. Why are you acting weak? Why are you negotiating?"
Valerius' eyes darkened. His voice was barely a whisper.
"I understand what you're saying. And trust me, I want to tear these bastards apart limb from limb." He turned slightly, his gaze burning like embers. "But we can't make a single move until Serephina is safe."
Draven's breath hitched at the sheer coldness in his tone.
Valerius continued, "I promise you, Draven." His lips curled into something dark. "Not one of these bastards will leave this place alive tonight."
The air between them crackled with restrained violence.
And somewhere in the camp, deep within the third tent, Serephina stirred.
A few minutes later, the guard returned this time, with a woman at his side.
She was tall. Not quite as tall as Valerius, but close, her frame thick with muscle, built for brute force. A massive greatsword rested on her back, the hilt worn from years of use. Scars littered her exposed arms. Those scars showed her battle prowess and the hardships she faced in her warrior journey.
Her expression? Bored and irritated. As if dealing with two intruders in the middle of the night was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.
Valerius took a step forward, offering a polite nod. "Good evening to you, Ms.…?"
The woman crossed her arms, her deep, husky voice cutting straight to the point. "What do you want?"
"We're here for our friend, Ms. Whatdoyouwant" Valerius said smoothly. "Red hair, about this tall " He raised his hand to gesture Serephina's height for comparison.
The woman barely glanced at him before turning on her heel. "No one like that here. Go home. I'll forget what you did to my men. And I am not Whatdoyouwant. I am Elena."
Draven clenched his fists, stepping forward, but Valerius stopped him with a subtle hand movement.
"Come on now, Elena," Valerius said, tilting his head with an easy smile. "We're reasonable people. We don't want trouble. We just want our friend. What do we have to do to get her back?" He placed a hand over his chest and gave a slight bow, his voice rich with mock politeness. "I am willing to negotiate. But if there's no other option…"
The polite smile faded. His voice dropped to something lower, colder.
"…then I'll have to use force."
The woman halted mid-step. Then, slowly, she turned back toward him, her lips curling into something between amusement and irritation.
"Ho… Force, huh?" she mused, rolling her shoulders. "It's been a long time since someone talked to me like that." Her fingers flexed, itching for a fight. "Just so you know, the last man who did, didn't live to tell the tale."
Draven's entire body tensed. He could already feel where this was going.
Still, Valerius remained composed. If anything, he seemed… amused.
"You seem rather eager, Ms. Whatdoyouwant or rather Ms. Elena," he mused, slipping a dagger from his belt. The blade glinted under the torchlight as he twirled it effortlessly in his fingers.
His voice lowered to something dangerous.
"You're going to regret not letting us take her back."
The woman grinned, eyes glinting with savage delight.
"Cocky words from a brat who doesn't even have a speck of hair on his face," she sneered, gripping the hilt of her greatsword.
She pulled it free in a single smooth motion, the sheer weight of the blade kicking up dust as it crashed against the ground.
"Let's see if you can back up your words with your actions."
Valerius' smile widened. "Gladly." He said before pulling out his dagger.