From MC's Perspective:
The next morning, I woke with a start, the sheets crumpled beneath as I blinked at the familiar room. Without a second thought, I vanished from the bed and reappeared back in the center of the hotel room, a trick that had beco second nature to .
Stretching my limbs, I headed to the bathroom, the steam from a hot shower already on my mind.
The shower lasted about 20 minutes, the hot water cascading over , washing away the fatigue of travel. Each drop felt like it was peeling away layers of tension as I stood there, allowing my mind to wander.
After the bath, I changed into fresh clothes, simple but crisp, a black shirt and dark slacks that fit the mood of my day. I glanced at the clock. It was still early.
Rather than venturing down to the lobby, I decided I wanted a quiet al in my room. I picked up the phone and ordered breakfast through room service, preferring the solitude of the space.
The minutes passed quietly, and soon enough, there was a knock at the door. The server ca in with a tray, the sll of eggs, toast, and coffee filling the air. As soon as he left, I dug into the al, my appetite waking up with each bite.
As I ate, my mind churned with thoughts of what lay ahead. I'd successfully crossed into the territory of the Ancient Redwood Country, but the next step was even more crucialreaching the True Elents Society. My fork hovered in the air as I pondered my next move.
"What now?" I muttered under my breath, pushing the half-finished plate aside. The answer seed obvious: find more information. I reached for my communication device, trying to connect to the city's network.
But as soon as I tried logging in, I was hit with an annoying realization: the access codes I used in Topset City were useless here. This was a different country, after all.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "I need a new ID," I muttered. That was priority one, but the weight of being in a foreign land without full access hit harder than expected. My gaze wandered across the room, landing on a book rack filled with novels and magazines, and a folded newspaper on the desk caught my eye.
"People still read these?" I mused with a hint of surprise, picking up the newspaper. It was a local publication, "Bellfort City Daily."
Skimming the pages, I quickly learned that Bellfort is a fortified border city. Massive walls lined the city's edge, built to guard against the wastelands beyond. A desolate stretch of land, the wastelands were barren and drained of mana, an inhospitable terrain compared to the fertile, mana-rich lands within the city.
Just as I was getting engrossed in an article about border patrols, a sharp beep interrupted my thoughts. My communication watch vibrated against my wrist. I glanced at it, noticing a new notification from an unknown number.
Curious, I opened the ssage. As I read, my eyes widened with disbelief. It was a letter from the True Elents Society.
"They've contacted already?" I whispered to myself, my heart racing. A smile tugged at my lips. So they were expecting . This was a good sign. The letter was concise, informing that soone from the society would be sent to et soon. I just needed to make contact.
A weight seed to lift from my shoulders. "I guess the Mage Union's been keeping tabs on after all," I thought. I'd agreed to join their special program after graduation, so it wasn't surprising that they were keeping an eye on my movents. I let out a relieved breath, feeling a bit more in control.
Following the instructions in the letter, I reached out to the contact they'd provided. The call connected after a brief mont.
"Hello, is this Vincent Carey?" A female voice on the other end, smooth and composed, cut through the silence.
Caught slightly off guard, I cleared my throat before answering. "Yes, this is Vincent. I'm staying at the Starfly Hotel in Bellfort City."
"Good," she responded crisply. "Stay put. I'll be there in an hour."
Before I could ask any questions, the call ended abruptly, leaving staring at the screen, a mixture of curiosity and anticipation swirling inside .
Forty-five minutes later, high above Bellfort City, a sleek black airship appeared through the clouds. It was a dium-sized vessel, painted in a shade so dark it seed to absorb the light around it.
The ship, with its silent, intimidating presence, could hold just under 20 people, an unmistakable indicator that it was soone's private craft.
As it hovered in the sky, the ship remained undetected by the city's inhabitants, concealed by thick clouds that veiled it from view.
The door to the airship slid open with a soft hiss, and a figure erged, a young woman dressed in a sharp, black military-style uniform. She stepped out into the open air, standing effortlessly in midair as though gravity had no hold over her.
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Her na is Darcie Lynch. Her black hair, cut short and neat, frad a strikingly beautiful face. Dark eyes, sharp and alert, scanned the city below with the precision of a predator.
Her fair skin stood in stark contrast to her all-black attire, and at 6 feet tall, her imposing figure exuded a silent authority. Even from a distance, her presence was commanding, this was not soone to be taken lightly.
From her elevated vantage point, she quickly located her target: the Starfly Hotel, a modest but elegant building nestled among the taller structures. She wasted no ti.
Swoosh!
In an instant, she vanished from the sky, reappearing at street level directly in front of the hotel's entrance. Her arrival was sudden, and though unnoticed by most, those passing by couldn't help but glance at her in awe.
The sharp lines of her uniform, her poised stance, and the intense energy she exuded were drawing attention. So paused in their tracks, captivated by the sight of this striking woman who seed both out of place and too important to ignore.
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