Polished marble decorated the grand hall of Lumina clan's castle. The beauty stood in sharp contrast to the tension within.
The queen sat upon her ornate throne. Her posture was regal and composed, but her eyes showed keen alertness as she watched the kunoichi kneeling before her.
"Your Majesty," the elf began.
"I bring news of the system user you asked me to observe."
A pause.
Thoughtful.
The Queen leaned forward slightly. The mention of this person clearly caught her interest.
"Proceed," she commanded.
"He was found at the World Tower, my Queen. But what he did there was truly remarkable." The kunoichi's eyes gleamed with admiration.
"He helped a group of defeated adventurers. He gave them high-grade healing potions without hesitation."
A small smile played at the corners of the queen's lips. She seemed to expect nothing less from this mysterious figure.
"And did he ask for anything in return?" She asked, though her tone suggesting.
"Nothing, Your Majesty. He simply walked away after helping them."
Her smile widened. Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction and anticipation.
How very like him, she thought, already planning what such calculated generosity meant.
The kunoichi paused before continuing. "There's more, Your Majesty. Something... unprecedented occurred at the Tower."
The Queen's expression sharpened. "Go on."
"The World Tower rejected him. The portal turned crimson and cast him out violently."
A heavy silence fell over the hall. The elven retainers understood immediately what this meant. Even the guards stood straighter, their ancient training recognizing the gravity of such words.
"The Tower rejected someone?" one of the elder advisors breathed, his voice barely audible. "That hasn't happened since..."
He trailed off, his gaze meeting the queen's face before settling to the ground.
The Queen's crimson eyes remained fixed on the elf. "You're certain of what you saw?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. The entire plaza witnessed it. The ground shook, golden letters appeared declaring that cursed beings are prohibited from entering."
The kunoichi swallowed hard. "The adventurers were in chaos. Couldn't understand it. They kept saying that cursed adventurers enter the tower daily without issue."
A bitter laugh escaped the elven wizard standing near the throne. "Of course!" She practically spat the word. "They've forgotten what true curses are. Those pathetic imitations they parade around with such pride!"
"False skills designed to mimic true afflictions. They wouldn't recognize a real curse if it consumed them whole."
The Queen's fingers drummed against her throne's armrest.
"Generations have passed since true curses walked the realm. What they call curses now are mere shadows. Parlor tricks. Skills that can be learned and traded."
"But a true curse..." Another elderly elf continued, his weathered face grave.
"A true curse marks the soul itself. It cannot be cleansed, cannot be bargained away. The Tower would recognize such a mark instantly."
The implications hung heavy in the air.
The kunoichi's voice dropped to barely a whisper. "Your Majesty, if the tower rejected him..."
"Then he bears a true curse," the Queen finished, rising abruptly from her throne.
Her eyes widened with recognition that few would understand. Her fingers traced the space above her head where an invisible crown sat. A phantom weight she hadn't felt in centuries.
Guards who had served for decades had never seen their Queen react this way. The younger elves looked confused, but the ancient ones, those who remembered the old tales, paled visibly.
"Which curse?" the Queen demanded.
"The mark on his hand glowed blood-red, Your Majesty. The pattern was... wrong. It shifted and writhed as if alive. Those who saw it called it the Blight of the Vanquished."
Silence.
Absolute.
Even breathing seemed too loud.
Suddenly.
Hum.
A glowing, intricate magic circle blazed to life. The vibration thrummed through the marble floor, pulling gasps from the guards standing at attention.
In an instant, the hall erupted into controlled chaos. Guards appeared from hidden alcoves, their weapons trained on the unexpected intruder. Elven adventurers in enchanted armor, bristling with magical artifacts, formed a protective circle around the Queen.
The shimmering circle pulsed with energy. From its center, a second kunoichi emerged. She collapsed into a bow as if the journey had drained her strength. Despite her exhaustion, urgency drove her words.
"Forgive the intrusion, Your Majesty," she gasped.
"I am the one stationed outside the Elven Forests."
The temperature in the room dropped.
Everyone in the hall knew this agent was only to return if catastrophe struck.
Silence fell.
Deafening.
Only the faint clink of armor as guards shifted nervously. The Queen's hands clenched into fists.
"Report," she commanded.
The kunoichi swallowed hard. Her eyes darted around the room before settling back on the Queen.
"Your Majesty," she began, her voice trembling slightly, "the adventurer you ordered me to watch... he's begun an attack on Elderglade."
Gasps and muttered curses rippled through the guards and attendants. The queen remained motionless, her face an unreadable mask as she processed the news.
The other kunoichi breathe heavily. Her composure shattered. She stood abruptly, her face showing shock and disbelief that defied description.
Did I truly see him there?
The image of the adventurer at the World Tower flickered in her memory, solid as the marble beneath her feet. Yet even her own words felt surreal, like recounting a fevered dream rather than reality.
With trembling fingers, she yanked down her mask, revealing a face pale with shock.
"Impossible!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking. "He was just at the World Tower! The distance... it doesn't make sense!"
Her words tumbled out in a rush, each one laced with growing panic. "Even if he traveled by land, it would take him four months to reach Elderglade. Even if he flew, which is absurd, it would take weeks!"
The hall fell silent once more.
Eyes darted between the two kunoichi, searching for answers in a sea of uncertainty.
The queen's lips parted.
"Teleportation..."
A wave of murmurs and shocked murmurs rippled through the hall. Guards exchanged uneasy glances. The very word disturbed them.
Even among the seasoned warriors and wizards present, teleportation was a myth. A magic lost to the ages, far beyond their grasp. The tension grew thick, settling over the grand hall like a stifling fog.
"With all due respect, Queen Seraphina, that's inconceivable."
All eyes turned to the source. The same striking elven wizard who had spoken of false curses stood near the Queen. The intricate flames dancing along the hem of her robe seemed agitated now.
Despite her beauty, there was a hardness in her features. The tightness around her eyes betrayed barely contained jealousy.
"Our Recall spell is bound to known ground. Nothing but a sliver of the ancient power of teleportation." She spoke with pride, her tone edged with skepticism.
She let out a derisive laugh. "A fool's dream," she sneered.
As she finished speaking, her gaze returned to the Queen. Smugness and concern painted her features.
Seraphina turned, her gaze steely.
"If not teleportation, then what indeed."
The hall erupted in frantic discussion. Theories and speculations flew back and forth like arrows in battle. The impossibility of the situation only heightened the fear gripping everyone present.
But beneath the chaos, a darker realization was taking root among the ancient elves. A being bearing a true curse, the first in eons, with the power of teleportation, now attacking their domain.
Queen Seraphina became silent, her eyes distant. She seemed to see beyond the walls of the grand hall, witnessing events unfolding far away. The pieces of an unseen puzzle were falling into place in her mind.
Amidst the chaos and confusion—
Crack!
Booming.
The sudden sound silenced the room instantly. The very walls of the chamber seemed to fracture under the weight of an impending catastrophe.
For a fleeting moment, the weight of her long-abandoned crown settled on her brow. In that instant, she understood the stakes with perfect clarity.
All of Elderglade.
Poised to fall.
Under the shadow of a power long forsaken.