Chapter 5: The First Mission
Three days had passed since the attack on Asterfall.
Evan sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his hands.
He slowly raised one palm.
“Fire.”
He concentrated.
Nothing happened.
Evan frowned and tried again.
A tiny spark appeared between his fingers.
Pop.
It vanished.
Evan sighed.
“That’s embarrassing.”
The door opened.
Kaela stepped inside carrying a small bag.
“You’re awake.”
“I’ve been awake for an hour.”
“Good.”
She placed the bag on the table.
Evan immediately looked inside.
“Food?”
“Food.”
His expression brightened.
“You brought food?”
“You’re recovering.”
Evan pulled out a piece of bread and began eating.
Kaela watched him for a moment.
“You were unconscious for three days.”
Evan slowed down.
“I remember.”
“Then remember this too. You shouldn’t be using magic yet.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Evan looked away.
“…I’m trying.”
Kaela sighed and sat across from him.
“You have a serious problem.”
“What?”
“You don’t know when to stop.”
Evan gave an awkward smile.
“I’ll work on that.”
Kaela’s expression became more serious.
“There’s something else you need to know.”
Evan lowered the bread.
“What?”
“The attack on Asterfall wasn’t random.”
Evan’s expression changed.
“I figured.”
“The Voidborn were searching for you.”
“Why?”
“We don’t know.”
Kaela placed a folded map on the table and opened it.
A red circle marked an area north of Asterfall.
“We did discover where some of them came from.”
Evan studied the map.
“Blackwood?”
Kaela nodded.
“Several Voidborn were seen there before the attack.”
Evan looked up.
“So we’re going there?”
“We’re investigating.”
Evan smiled.
“That sounds like a mission.”
“It is.”
Evan immediately stood.
Kaela grabbed his shoulder.
“You’re still recovering.”
“I can walk.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
“I can fight without magic.”
Kaela stared at him.
“You’ve barely begun your training.”
“Then I’ll train while we travel.”
For several seconds, Kaela said nothing.
Finally, she sighed.
“Fine.”
Evan blinked.
“Really?”
Kaela tossed him a black cloak.
“Put this on.”
Evan caught it.
“Why?”
“You’re an assassin now. Avoiding attention is part of the job.”
Evan put on the cloak and looked down at himself.
“Do I look cool?”
“No.”
“You’re supposed to say yes.”
“I don’t lie.”
Evan laughed.
For the first time in three days, the weight in his chest felt a little lighter.
They left Asterfall before noon.
The road toward Blackwood crossed a wide grassy valley.
For several hours, nothing disturbed their journey.
Birds flew across the sky.
Small magical creatures moved through the grass.
The strange dark-blue sky stretched endlessly above them, with faint stars still visible despite the daylight.
Evan slowed down.
“This world is beautiful.”
Kaela glanced at him.
“It is.”
“Do you ever get tired of seeing it?”
“Sometimes.”
Evan looked at her.
“Have you ever wanted to leave?”
Kaela became quiet.
“Everyone wants to leave somewhere.”
Evan noticed the change in her expression.
He decided not to ask anything else.
By late afternoon, they reached the edge of Blackwood.
The forest was enormous.
Its trees towered above them, their branches blocking much of the light.
The air was colder here, and the usual sounds of the forest seemed strangely absent.
Evan stopped.
“Something feels wrong.”
Kaela looked at him.
“Good.”
Evan blinked.
“Good?”
“Your Mana Sense is improving.”
Evan closed his eyes.
At first, he felt nothing.
Then he sensed it.
Mana.
A lot of it.
“It feels like the whole forest is filled with it.”
Kaela drew her weapon.
“Then stay close.”
They entered Blackwood.
The deeper they went, the darker the forest became.
After several minutes, Evan noticed strange marks covering the bark of a nearby tree.
He reached toward one.
“Don’t.”
Kaela’s warning stopped him.
Evan pulled his hand back.
The mark suddenly glowed anyway.
His eyes widened.
“That’s the same symbol as the Voidborn.”
Kaela’s expression hardened.
“Then don’t touch anything.”
They continued carefully.
A few minutes later—
“Help…”
Evan stopped.
“Someone’s there.”
Kaela raised an arm.
“Wait.”
The voice came again.
“Please…”
Kaela moved forward cautiously.
Behind several trees, they found a young girl sitting against a tree.
She looked exhausted and frightened.
Evan lowered his daggers.
“Are you okay?”
The girl slowly looked up.
Her eyes widened.
“You’re…”
Evan frowned.
“What?”
Her gaze moved to the mark on his hand.
“The Traveler.”
Kaela immediately stepped between them.
“Who are you?”
The girl didn’t answer.
She kept staring at Evan.
“I’ve seen that mark before.”
Kaela tightened her grip on her weapon.
“Where?”
The girl pointed deeper into the forest.
“Inside the ruins.”
Evan looked at Kaela.
“Ruins?”
“There is an ancient temple farther north,” the girl said.
Kaela’s expression changed.
“That could be what we’re looking for.”
Evan turned toward the girl.
“What is your name?”
“Liora.”
“Why are you here, Liora?”
Her expression darkened.
“I was looking for someone.”
“Who?”
“My brother.”
Evan’s expression softened.
“He went into the temple?”
Liora nodded.
“Two weeks ago.”
“And he never came back?”
She shook her head.
Evan looked toward the dark forest.
“We’ll find him.”
Kaela glanced at him but didn’t object.
Liora suddenly grabbed Evan’s sleeve.
“Don’t go there.”
Evan looked down at her hand.
“Why?”
Her voice became quiet.
“Because something is waiting.”
A deep growl echoed through the trees.
Liora froze.
Kaela immediately drew her weapon.
“Behind me.”
Evan pulled out his daggers.
Something moved between the trees.
Then another.
Then another.
Dozens of glowing eyes appeared in the darkness.
Evan swallowed.
“Wolves?”
Kaela shook her head.
“No.”
A creature stepped into the faint light.
It resembled a wolf, but its body was covered in black crystal.
Evan’s System appeared.
WORLD SYSTEM
Void Beast detected.
Threat Level: C
Recommended Action: Retreat.
Evan stared at the message.
“C?”
Kaela glanced at him.
“What does that mean?”
“The System says we should retreat.”
“Then listen to it.”
The creature suddenly charged.
Kaela moved first.
SHING!
Her weapon struck the beast’s crystal armor.
The impact forced her backward.
“It’s tougher than it looks.”
Another Void Beast lunged from the side.
Evan barely dodged.
He remembered Kaela’s training.
Don’t rush.
Watch.
Move.
Evan struck with his dagger.
CLANG!
The blade bounced off the crystal armor.
Evan stared.
“That didn’t work.”
The creature lunged again.
Evan stepped backward.
Then he noticed something.
A faint glow beneath the creature’s neck.
His System responded.
WEAK POINT DETECTED.
Evan smiled.
“I found you.”
He activated Shadow Step.
Darkness surrounded his feet.
FWOOSH!
He vanished and reappeared behind the creature.
His dagger struck the glowing point.
CRACK!
The beast collapsed.
Evan stared at it.
“That worked.”
Kaela gave him a brief nod.
“Good.”
Another creature charged.
Evan tried to activate Shadow Step again.
Nothing happened.
His body suddenly felt heavy.
He dropped to one knee.
“What…”
Kaela turned toward him.
“Your mana hasn’t recovered!”
Evan looked at his hand.
The System appeared.
MANA STABILITY: 42%
WARNING: DARK MAGIC UNAVAILABLE.
Evan clenched his fist.
“So that’s the cost.”
The battle in Asterfall came rushing back into his mind.
Four elements.
Overload.
Three days unconscious.
His body still wasn’t ready.
Evan slowly stood.
“Then I’ll fight without magic.”
The next beast charged.
Evan waited.
At the last moment, he moved aside.
The creature missed.
Evan stepped in and struck its weak point.
The beast collapsed.
Kaela defeated another.
Then another.
After several tense minutes, the remaining Void Beasts retreated into the forest.
Silence returned.
Evan breathed heavily.
Liora stared at him.
“You really are a Traveler.”
Evan turned toward her.
“Who exactly are you?”
Liora hesitated.
“I already told you. My name is Liora.”
Kaela stepped forward.
“And why do you know about Travelers?”
Liora looked toward the ancient ruins.
“Because I’ve seen that symbol before.”
She pointed north.
“My brother found records about it.”
Evan’s eyes narrowed.
“Records?”
“Inside the temple.”
Kaela exchanged a glance with Evan.
Before either of them could speak—
BOOOOOOM!
The ground shook.
Birds suddenly flew from the trees.
Liora’s face went pale.
“It’s awake.”
Evan looked toward the ruins.
“What is?”
Liora whispered:
“The Guardian.”
The System appeared again.
UNKNOWN ENTITY DETECTED
Classification: ???
Level: ???
Threat: ???
Evan stared at the screen.
For the first time since arriving in this world, the System had no answer.
Kaela raised her weapon.
“Evan.”
“Yeah?”
“Stay behind me.”
Evan looked toward the ancient temple.
“No.”
Kaela turned toward him.
“I came here to find answers.”
Evan tightened his grip on his daggers.
“I’m not running from them.”
The blue mark on his hand began to glow.
Deep inside the ruins, something answered.
A voice echoed through the forest.
“Another Traveler…”
Evan froze.
The voice continued.
“After all these years.”
The enormous stone doors of the ancient temple slowly opened.
Darkness filled the entrance.
Then—
Two enormous golden eyes opened within it.
Evan’s heart pounded.
Far away, beneath the star-filled night sky, a mysterious man opened his eyes.
Aurelion Veyr smiled.
“The boy has found the first gate.”
Back in Blackwood, Evan stared into the darkness.
For the first time, he understood something.
His journey wasn’t simply leading him toward the truth.
The truth was waiting for him.