The room was quiet.
Not the kind of silence that brings peace, but the kind that lingers after chaos, like the stillness of smoke after a fire.
I sat next to Ark, watching the last threads of spiritual energy fade from his leg. My hand hovered a few inches over the skin, tracing faint pulses, sensing for anything… unnatural.
Spirit magic flowed gently from my palm—soft, slow, deliberate. I wove the threads around his limb, not forcing the infection back this time, but searching for its leftovers.
Traps, traces, threads of intent that could cause damage down the line.
Nothing.
I let out a quiet breath. Good.
He would be okay.
I looked at Lavender, still hovering gently over Ark's forehead, her cloud-like form shimmering with dream energy.
"Withdraw from him," I said softly. "Let him sleep naturally. But don't wake him yet—the shock from the attack and… everything I revealed will hit him hard."
Lavender pulsed once. ^Understood. I'll keep the dreams calm. He will rest, even without me holding him.^
"Thank you," I said, standing up with a quiet grunt. "I'll be back later."
I stretched my stiff arms and glanced down at Ark one last time, watching his soft, steady breathing. Then I turned toward the door.
Willow floated silently beside me, matching my pace as we left the room.
The hallway was quiet too. The soft hum of magic in the air reminded me of the dryad's lingering aura—Traisa's presence was still there, in the wood, in the walls.
I walked for a few seconds in silence before glancing at Willow.
"What day is it?"
"Sunday," she replied instantly, tilting her head. "Late afternoon. Around four, I think."
I gave her a small nod. "Thanks."
"You lost track of time?" she asked.
"A bit. Time distortion can make it hard to track, and I didn't get a chance to check as I rushed here," I explained.
She nodded and floated a little closer.
I pushed open the door to the common room.
It was dimly lit, but not dark. Lamps hung low over the tables, and a soft greenish glow from one of the rune-etched walls gave the space an almost tavern-like warmth.
I looked around and saw that Terra, the twins, and Terisa, or Ms. Cottonflower, were not here, but Orin, Zek, and Araki were.
Orin was pacing back and forth, muttering something under his breath. Zek was hunched over a notebook, thinking of stuff and writing it down. Araki sat off to the side, fiddling with his bowstring and glancing at the doorway every few seconds.
Orin noticed me first.
"Jack!" he said, eyes wide. "Is… is everything okay?"
I nodded. "Ark's fine and sleeping. He should wake up later."
Orin let out a sigh of relief and stopped pacing.
I smiled slightly. "So. Catch me up. What happened while I was gone?"
Zek looked up from his notes, and Araki leaned forward, setting his bow down.
"All of our classes went fine, and we got summaries for the lessons you missed. Though Potion class was definitely the most... eventful," Zek said, scratching the back of his head.
I raised an eyebrow and asked, "How so?"
He sighed and explained, "The potions teacher, Professor Wogworth, brought in some upperclassmen to assist during the practical portion."
Araki's brow twitched.
"And Agatha was with them," he added with a growl.
I swore under my breath. "Shit. Did she suspect anything?"
Araki shook his head. "She didn't look at us. Didn't say anything. She wasn't assigned to our group. Honestly… she looked kind of disappointed."
I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "That's not good. I think she got her hands on my schedule. She's probably trying to track me down through class appearances."
Orin nodded slowly. "Ark seemed a little tense when she showed up… but when he realized she wasn't in our section, he calmed down. And considering that you two are dating, it doesn't surprise me."
I exhaled. "Good. That's… good."
"Other than that," Orin continued, "Ark finally finished those missing quests he had from the guild. Ranked up to E-rank."
My brows rose slightly. "That's good for him. Any complications or rumours you heard about Rook?"
Orin shook his head. "Nothing about Rook other than hearing he was in bars most days and ranting on about some conspiracy. I did hear one about him contacting someone from the black market, but I doubt it."
I nodded.
"Then our quest today was the only other thing," Orin continued. "We were taking on a single, yet better-paying, quest today. We wanted to grab some better armour for me and proper supplies for Ark. Maybe some gloves or bracers since he wants to learn fist fighting."
I blinked. Then smiled.
"Thank you. All of you. For helping him and doing your best to keep him safe while I was gone."
"Speaking of, how did you get back so fast? I thought you wouldn't be back until tonight or tomorrow," Araki said.
I shrugged. "Plans changed. Plus, when I felt Ark in pain, I had a reason to rush back."
"How did you know Ark was attacked?" Zek asked.
I pulled out my pendant and showed it to them. "They're bond charms. Both Ark and I are wearing one, so if one of us is in danger, the other will know instantly."
They looked a little surprised at the tone in my voice, but none of them interrupted.
We talked a bit more about what happened while I was gone, but none of it was important.
Eventually, though, we got to a topic they were avoiding.
Zek's gaze had turned serious as he asked, "Jack… what now? With the whole… shadow god situation?"
I sat down at the table, my smile fading.
"I need to find Aaron before I can prepare anything. If I don't see him again… I can't confirm what I'm dealing with."
"Does it really matter? It's a god," Araki asked.
I shook my head. "If it's an old god, I would need to use information from its old stories against it. If it's a false god, seal its divine shard. True god, make a bargain...
There are a few different types of gods, and each one has its own way of dealing with it. If I want to know how to beat the shadow, I need to know which one I am dealing with, and the only way to find out is to talk with Aaron at least once."
Orin raised an eye brow and asked "how do you even know all of this. i doubt any library or mage knows this much."
I put a finger to my mouth and said "certain rules prevent me from answering that question."
he sighed in annoyance but knows I cant answer.
Araki leaned forward. "How do you plan to find Aaron?"
I turned to him and smiled again.
"I've got a plan," I said. "But I have to do it alone."
Araki scowled. "You sure about that?"
"It's simple. Quiet. And effective," I said, rising from my chair. "And I'm not going defenceless."
~~~~~~~
[Third Person POV]
The forest was still.
Dark green leaves rustled under a gentle breeze. Shafts of golden sunlight filtered through the canopy above. The trail was narrow, hidden beneath roots and rocks.
And someone was walking it.
A cloaked figure. Sword and shield in hand. Steps cautious. Eyes scanning every branch, every rustle in the distance.
Then—crack.
A blur of motion.
The shadow leapt from the treetops.
CLANG!
The dagger missed by inches, slashing through the air where the man's neck had just been. Another blade swung upward from the shadow's opposite hand—
But before it could strike—
SCHING!
A second sword appeared out of nowhere, slashing in a wide arc and forcing the attacker to leap back, flipping midair.
Aaron landed in a crouch, daggers drawn, snarling.
The cloaked figure turned and lowered his hood.
Jack.
Three swords hovered behind him. Simple in shape, but sharp and gleaming with faint traces of magic. They floated with intent, silent as death, all pointed directly at Aaron.
They stared at one another.
Neither moved.
Aaron's eyes narrowed. Confusion.
'Why… why is Jack standing there like that? And those swords—how are they floating?'
Jack's eyes were calm. Focused.
"Are you sure this is the path you want to keep walking?" he asked.
Aaron tilted his head.
Then—
^He's trying to use mind control magic.^
Aaron growled.
"You won't control me!" he shouted, hurling a dagger.
It flew toward Jack's heart—
—and stopped midair.
FWOOM.
The dagger flipped around—floating—and joined the three swords, now four, all spinning slowly around Jack like orbiting stars.
Aaron took a shaky step back.
"…What are you?" he breathed.
"I'm worried about you, Aaron," Jack said softly.
^Liar,^ the voice hissed.
Aaron's eyes flickered. He looked torn.
Jack watched.
"You are being controlled," Jack said, voice barely above a whisper. "But not by me."
Aaron's hand trembled.
Jack stepped forward.
Then—
^MOVE.^
Aaron's body jolted. He dove to the left, rolled, and looked back.
His eyes scanned the ground, locked on where he once stood.
There was nothing there.
But the fear in his face was real, as if he reacted to some attack.
Jack sighed, waved a hand, and the dagger flew back at Aaron and stuck into the ground.
aaron eyed the dagger and grabbed it before looking at me with fear and... confusion.
Without another word, Aaron turned and sprinted deeper into the trees and shadows.
Jack stood still, watching him disappear.
The swords vanished, one by one.
The blue book floated into view beside him, pages fluttering.
Jack frowned, faintly.
"Thanks," he said with a tired sigh. "That's all I needed. Now I just need to figure out how to fight those things."
He turned back toward the trail.
And kept walking.