When Adrian returned to the academy that night, he imdiately noticed Ariana’s absence. She wasn’t in her quarters. She had ntioned earlier that she’d be attending a eting in the capital, so he didn’t bother contacting her.
Annabelle, too, had departed—heading east with a few mbers of Umbral. She hadn’t shared much, only that there were strange disturbances detected in the wastelands.
Jean’s report had been brief but troubling: the magnetic field in that region was completely unstable, and gravity itself seed to fluctuate wildly. The cause was unknown, and their limited personnel—two field agents without research expertise—made it difficult to gather solid data.
Adrian had instructed Annabelle to remain cautious, to pull back if the situation turned suspicious. Since communication would soon be out of range, he’d given her an artifact similar to the rings he’d crafted for his fiancées—one that would alert him instantly if she was in danger.
Now, he sat alone in the Ti Chamber, surrounded by ancient tos stacked in uneven piles. His eyes scanned the shelves filled with knowledge—ranging from runesmithing to advanced blacksmithing and enchantnt theory.
Then, one section caught his eye.
"Oh my..." he murmured, stepping closer. His brows rose in genuine surprise. Several books on witchcraft rested neatly on a lower shelf. Not one—but several.
He reached for the nearest volu, but before his fingers could touch the cover, a familiar notification echoed in his mind.
[Host, please rember that witchcraft is a sacred subject, kept hidden from the world for a reason. The host must exercise extre caution before sharing any of this knowledge.]
Adrian’s hand stopped mid-air. He frowned. "Are you telling ... not to trust this knowledge with anyone?"
[If possible, yes. There exists a being in this world capable of corrupting even the purest hearts and bending the most loyal souls. To protect yourself—and those dear to you—the host must keep so secrets hidden... even from his shadow.]
Adrian lowered his hand, crossing his arms. The air around him felt heavier, quieter. He never planned on spreading what he learned here, but after that warning, he decided he’d guard this knowledge even around Ariana or Ruby.
Not out of mistrust. Never that.
It was because he trusted them too much.
If this unseen manipulator truly existed, then the less they knew, the safer they’d be.
His gaze drifted back to the rows of books. Witchcraft—one of the most forbidden branches of the arcane.
Perhaps it was connected to beings like Forgelet, who had found ways to dismantle independently ford spells. Yet, without knowledge of witchcraft, they lacked the understanding of this field and thus, no one could produce anything that could dismantle or counter witchcraft.
It finally made sense—why the system wanted him to guard this knowledge with silence.
So truths weren’t ant to be shared.
Not because they were dangerous to know,
but because they were ant to remain out of everyone’s reach.
After a mont of silence, Adrian gave a small nod.
"I understand, system. I’ll keep this knowledge to myself."
He reached for the book once more—its dark cover gleaming faintly under the soft chamber light—when a new notification popped up in his vision.
Raven:[When are you arriving, dear? I’m still waiting.]
Adrian blinked. Right. He’d forgotten.
He had promised to visit Ruby today, and because of that, he’d politely declined Raven’s earlier invitation. But now that his schedule was clear...
"I can co now," he typed back. "Will that be okay?"
Raven: [Absolutely. Then I await seeing you in person.]
A small smile tugged at his lips. "Alright then."
He straightened, glancing once more at the shelves of forbidden tos before saying,
"Send to Raven’s world, system. You already know the purpose."
[Command received.]
[Assessing host’s belongings.]
[No unnecessary commodities detected.]
[Initiating transfer in 3... 2... 1...]
A sharp pulse of white light engulfed him.
Adrian’s body stiffened as the world around him began to fold in on itself. His vision turned to haze, his balance faltering as a violent pull dragged him forward.
It wasn’t like his usual shift to the Ti Chamber—this was rougher, harsher. The air itself seed to tear around him, pressing against his skin like needles of light.
He gritted his teeth as the sensation of distance stretched endlessly—until, at last, the blinding brilliance swallowed everything.
And in the next instance,
"You are finally here."
...
Only four mbers of the Umbral set out for the site inspection, and Annabelle was among them.
The eastern lands stretched endlessly, but not a single settlent could be found there. Once, long ago, these lands had served as a battlefield during the Era of Darkness—a war so devastating that it changed the very nature of the soil.
The surface had been soaked with blood and corrupted by wild magic until it lost all fertility. Crops would never grow again, and no human dared to live there.
But the dead soil wasn’t the only reason people stayed away. There was sothing far worse.
Ancient beings.
During the war, the army of Darkness had summoned colossal creatures—beasts so massive they could shatter mountains as if crushing sandcastles.
These monsters were not born of this world; they ca from a distant realm known as the Hollow Side, a dinsion shrouded in mystery.
When the war ended and Darkness fell, their master’s death severed their connection to that realm. Unable to return, the creatures sank deep into the earth, rging with the planet itself.
They slept beneath the land, especially in regions where mana remained thick and untad—waiting for the day their master would rise again.
That is why no one dares to live in those barren lands.
After all, who would build a ho knowing that sowhere beneath their feet, a giant monster might still be breathing in its sleep?
Annabelle along with the other three were standing near the mountains where the fluctuation was sensed.
The raven-haired woman had a severe frown on her face as she felt it, slight tremble of the surface, the heaviness in the atmosphere and the sudden wave of mana surging every few seconds.
It felt as if, "Soone is breathing."
There was a high chance that this sudden change in air was because of an ancient being who has suddenly decided to show itself.
Or could there be any other reason? Annabelle hoped so.
While she was born in the post era of the war, when Darkness was already subdued, she still has heard the tales of the war and how frequently the ancient creatures were ntioned.
They were a crucial part of the war who caused mass destruction and one-sidedly crushed human forces—even though humanity was at its peak.
’I hope my fear turns out to be unneeded.’
°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comnt.
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