The night slowly passed.
Most of the tribe had begun preparing for the expedition. Weapons were being inspected, supplies were being stored, and the shamans were choosing the ritual objects they would take with them.
Brigir, however, was still awake.
Sitting in front of the entrance to her hut, she gazed at the mountains.
From there, she could see part of the forest illuminated by the moonlight. The shadows of the trees moved with the wind, while, far in the distance, the roar of the A-Omega once again sent a shiver through the night.
Brigir tightened her fingers around the small white feather.
It was old.
Her mother had given it to her years ago.
"It belonged to Sylvi," she had told her.
Nothing more.
Brigir had never met her sister.
When she was born, Sylvi had already left.
During her childhood, she had to make do with her parents' stories.
Sylvi was brave.
Sylvi was strong.
Sylvi had learned the elders' combat techniques before any of her siblings.
Sylvi could run through the forest for hours without getting tired.
Sylvi was the daughter who would one day inherit an important part of the shamans' knowledge.
And then she disappeared.
Captured by a man from the kingdom.
Brigir had heard that story hundreds of times.
But she had never been able to stop wondering what Sylvi was really like.
Did she remember her home?
Did she remember their parents?
Did she remember the tribe's language?
Did she still consider that forest her home?
Brigir lowered her gaze to the feather.
"Will you recognize me?" she whispered.
The wind answered with a whisper among the trees.
A figure appeared behind her.
Brigir didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
"You're still awake."
It was Invald.
Brigir hid the feather between her hands.
"I can't sleep."
Her father sat down beside her.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
"Do you still want to go?"
Brigir nodded.
"Yes."
Invald let out a sigh.
"It's dangerous."
"I know."
"We could run into Imperial soldiers."
"I know."
"We might not find Sylvi."
Brigir fell silent.
That possibility was the only one that truly hurt.
Invald glanced at her.
"Your sister left this place many years ago."
"But she's still my sister."
The old man gave her a faint smile.
"Yes."
Brigir raised her gaze.
"What was she like?"
Invald took several seconds to answer.
"She was a lot like you."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Like me?"
"Not in appearance."
Her father smiled.
"In the way she looked at things."
Brigir lowered her head, embarrassed.
Invald continued.
"She never accepted anyone deciding her fate for her."
The smile slowly disappeared from his face.
"That is why I'm worried about what happened to her after she began living among humans."
Brigir frowned.
"Do you think she forgot about us?"
"I don't know."
That answer hurt more than any other.
Invald stood up.
"But we'll know soon."
Brigir stood as well.
"Then I'll go."
Her father looked at her seriously.
"Don't leave Linn's side."
"I won't."
"And if we encounter Imperial soldiers..."
Brigir placed a hand on her weapon.
"You won't need to remind me."
Invald let out a small laugh.
"You're definitely a daughter of this tribe."
Brigir smiled.
But when her father walked away, she looked at the white feather again.
"Wait for me, Sylvi."
She carefully held it against her chest.
"I'll find you."
Several kilometers away, beyond the forest and the tribe's borders, a woman slept beneath a stone roof.
She didn't know that her family had begun searching for her.
Days later, while Brigir's expedition was preparing to leave the forest, the Academy finals were reaching their climax.
Lusian Douglas, the champion of the knights' division, would face Elizabeth Erkhan, the champion of the mages' division.
The murmur of the coliseum disappeared.
For the first time since the finals had begun, no one was shouting.
Lusian stood at one end of the circle, resting his training sword on one shoulder. His body still bore the marks of his previous battles, but his breathing remained calm.
Across from him, Elizabeth held her staff with both hands.
She was smiling.
She didn't look nervous.
That made Lusian narrow his eyes.
She's too calm.
The field master raised one hand.
"Ready."
Lusian slowly lowered his sword.
Elizabeth raised her staff.
"Begin!"
The magic circle lit up.
Lusian reacted first.
"Dark Mana."
A layer of energy covered his body.
It wasn't a powerful spell. Just a basic Rank Five technique, enough to strengthen his muscles and provide partial protection to his body.
But Lusian didn't need anything more.
He shot forward.
His boots struck the stone.
One.
Two.
Three steps.
The first energy circle crossed beneath his feet.
The pressure increased.
Lusian gritted his teeth and kept moving.
Elizabeth raised her staff.
"Lightning."
A bolt tore across the arena.
Lusian tilted his body.
The lightning passed just inches from his shoulder.
The smell of burning flesh filled the air.
"Oh!"
A second bolt appeared immediately afterward.
This time, he couldn't dodge it.
The electricity struck his chest.
His body convulsed violently.
For an instant, he lost his balance.
The audience held its breath.
Lusian drove his sword into the ground to keep himself from falling.
Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly.
"Already?"
Lusian raised his head.
He smiled.
"Not yet."
He pulled his sword from the ground and started running again.
Elizabeth let out a small laugh.
"Then I'll have to try a little harder."
Her staff began to glow.
Three magic circles appeared around her.
Lusian recognized them.
Three consecutive shots.
He prepared to change direction.
The first one fired.
Then the second.
Then the third.
Lusian dodged the first.
He blocked the second with his sword.
The third exploded against his side.
The blast sent him flying several meters.
He rolled across the ground.
The audience erupted in cheers.
Lusian remained motionless for a second.
This wasn't how it happened in the game.
Elizabeth had changed her pattern.
She had adapted to him.
Lusian slowly got back to his feet.
His arm was trembling.
"So you learned too..."
Elizabeth smiled from the opposite end.
"Learned what?"
Lusian didn't answer.
He ran again.
This time, he didn't follow a straight line.
He changed direction once.
Then again.
Elizabeth fired a bolt.
It missed.
Another.
It missed as well.
The audience began rising from their seats.
Lusian was getting closer.
Elizabeth stepped backward.
For the first time, her smile disappeared.
"Lusian..."
He accelerated.
Ten meters.
Eight.
Six.
Elizabeth drove the end of her staff into the ground.
The magic circle beneath her feet expanded.
A barrier.
Lusian understood what she intended to do.
She wasn't going to keep attacking him.
She wasn't trying to stop him.
She was waiting.
She wanted him to enter her range.
Lusian smiled.
Then I'll wait too.
He had no intention of stopping.
If he retreated now, Elizabeth would have time to change her strategy.
Besides, he had already figured out what she was trying to do.
She wants me to reach her.
And when I do, she'll release all the energy she's been gathering.
Lusian clenched his jaw.
If I take that head-on, it'll knock me down.
Five meters.
Elizabeth raised her staff.
The magic circle beneath her feet began to shine with blinding intensity.
Lusian kept moving forward.
Four meters.
Three.
Elizabeth smiled.
"Heavenly Lightning."
The circle exploded.
A massive bolt of lightning swept across the arena.
The audience screamed.
For an instant, Lusian disappeared behind a curtain of light.
Elizabeth kept her staff extended.
"I'm sorry..."
Then she saw a shadow cutting through the radiance.
Her eyes widened.
Lusian emerged from the lightning.
His clothes were burned.
Smoke rose from his shoulders.
Electricity still coursed through his body.
But he kept moving forward.
Elizabeth barely had time to react.
Lusian took the final step.
He swung his sword.
The blunt blade stopped against her shoulder.
Silence.
The referee looked at both of them.
Then he raised his arm.
"Victory goes to Lusian Douglas!"
The coliseum exploded.
The students' cheers filled the stands.
Lusian released the breath he had been holding.
He rested his sword against the ground.
"That was close."
Elizabeth was smiling.
"Yeah."
Lusian looked at her.
"Did you enjoy it?"
Elizabeth tilted her head.
"Very much."
She took a step closer.
"We should do this more often."
Lusian laughed.
"I'd rather not get electrocuted every time."
"Then you'll have to get stronger."
She smiled.
And for some reason, that smile made Lusian forget the pain in his body for a moment.
He didn't know why.
Nor did he want to think about it too much.
The day of the closing ceremony came far too quickly.
The banners of the noble families began disappearing from the Academy's towers. Carriages waited outside the main gates as students and teachers said their goodbyes with hugs, promises, and plans for the following year.
For Lusian, however, the Academy didn't feel like a place he was leaving behind.
It felt like something he was losing.
He wouldn't see it again for eight months.
Eight months.
It might have seemed like a short time to anyone else.
To him, it was an eternity.
Because Lusian knew something Elizabeth didn't.
He knew that one day, the cult would find her.
He knew they would try to take her.
What he didn't know was when.
Or where.
Or how much time he would have to stop them.
And that uncertainty was worse than any enemy he could face with a sword.
Every time he looked at Elizabeth, the same question crossed his mind.
Will this be the last time?
He knew that after that afternoon, meeting her would become much more difficult.
They would each return to their own territory.
That was why, when evening fell, Lusian slipped away to the mages' building.
A door closed behind him.
Elizabeth was there.
Waiting for him.
For several seconds, neither of them said anything.
There was no need.
Elizabeth was the first to approach.
Lusian pulled her into a tight embrace.
Their lips met in a long, desperate kiss, filled with everything neither of them dared to say out loud.
For a few moments, the Academy disappeared.
There was no demonic cult.
There was no grim fate.
There was only them.
But even then, Lusian couldn't push one thought from his mind.
Eight months.
He held her a little tighter.
Elizabeth pulled back just enough to look at him.
"What's wrong?"
Lusian shook his head.
"Nothing."
She smiled faintly.
"You're lying."
Lusian held her gaze.
If you only knew what I know...
He couldn't tell her.
Not without knowing when it would happen.
Not without knowing who was behind it.
Not without knowing whether telling her would only put her on alert and cause the cult to change its plans.
So he kissed her again.
As if he could memorize her.
When they finally separated, Elizabeth rested her forehead against his.
"I'm going to miss you."
Lusian closed his eyes.
"Me too."
But those words weren't enough.
He wanted to tell her that he didn't want to spend eight months without seeing her.
He wanted to tell her that he was afraid.
He wanted to tell her that he didn't know if she would still be the same when they returned to the Academy.
He wanted to tell her that, if something happened, he would search for her even if he had to cross the entire continent.
But he said nothing.
Elizabeth lowered her gaze.
"It's a shame the academic term is ending."
"Yeah."
Lusian took a deep breath.
"From now on, it'll be much harder for us to see each other."
"Then we'll have to write to each other."
"Yeah."
Lusian gently caressed her face.
"But we'll have to be careful."
Elizabeth nodded.
"We can send the letters through my brother."
Lusian looked at her.
"Do you think he'll agree to help us?"
"If I ask him, he will."
She smiled.
"You don't have to worry so much."
Lusian remained silent.
I wish that were true.
Elizabeth took his hand.
"Trust me."
Lusian intertwined his fingers with hers.
"I trust you."
And that was precisely why he was so afraid.
Because trusting her meant accepting that he couldn't protect her from everything.
Elizabeth hugged him again.
This time, Lusian closed his eyes.
He wanted to stop time.
Just a few more minutes.
Just one more night.
But the Academy bells began to ring.
The final day had arrived.
Elizabeth slowly pulled away.
"See you in eight months."
Lusian looked at her.
He wanted to answer.
Yes.
But the words wouldn't come.
Because he knew that eight months could be far too long.
Especially when there was someone out there waiting for the right moment to take her away.
Even so, he smiled.
"See you."
Elizabeth gave him one last kiss.
Then she left.
Lusian remained alone in the room.
The door closed.
And for the first time since he had arrived at the Academy, he felt that he was truly losing something.
He didn't know when it would happen.
He didn't know how to stop it.
He only knew one thing.
I won't let them take her.
Somewhere far away, a young tribeswoman was beginning her journey to find a lost sister.
And as Brigir made her way toward the kingdom...
Lusian prepared himself for the longest eight months of his life.