"Golden Assassin?!"
Sunflower blinked, confused.
"Why yes," Reality replied with a smile. "You probably don't know this, but your popularity has grown over the past year. You're famous—people have given you all sorts of names. Golden Assassin is just one of them."
"Alright, both of you sit down," Dawn interjected. "We have something important to discuss."
As the two women joined him at the desk, Dawn cleared her throat before speaking.
"I believe you know why I hired her," she said, looking at Sunflower.
Sunflower gave a silent nod.
"It's been two months since Lance escaped. I've hired Reality, from the capital, to help us find a way forward."
"But I thought you said the task was so dangerous that no mage would want to get involved—no matter the price?" Sunflower asked.
Reality turned to her.
"That's true. Breaking a seal over 200 years old is dangerous—life-threatening, even. But I wasn't hired to break the seal. I'm here to prolong it."
"So what's your plan?" Dawn asked, intrigued.
Reality crossed her legs and leaned back.
"Well, it's known that if Lance dies, another will eventually emerge. But if we can acquire some of his blood, I might be able to estimate how long that would take—or how long it would take him to regenerate from a severed head. With that information, we could plan our defense more effectively."
Both Dawn and Sunflower fell silent. Neither of them had managed to secure even a drop of blood during their last encounter. Regret flickered in their eyes.
Noticing this, Reality gave a gentle laugh.
"Relax. Even if you don't have his blood now, judging by the way you described your last battle, I'd say he's in the final stages of recovery. He'll likely approach the village within a few weeks. But against you"—she looked at Sunflower—"he poses little threat."**
"And what makes you think he'll head straight for the village once he's healed?" Dawn asked.
Reality offered a mysterious smile.
"Call it a hunch."
The next hour passed in discussion—Reality's role, defense strategies, and Sunflower's many questions about the capital.
"Is it true it takes a whole month to reach the capital?" Sunflower asked.
"About twenty-eight days," Reality confirmed. "That's how long it took me to reach Tresia."
"What's the capital like?" Sunflower's curiosity bloomed.
"Busy. Especially the market—it's chaotic. New firms come and go every day, competition is fierce. But the civil sectors are well-maintained, neat. It's a wonderful place if you want opportunity—good jobs, new technologies. You should visit sometime. I'll show you around."
Reality's smile was warm and open.
Dawn stood up, straightening her coat.
"Alright, Sunflower. Reality's had a long journey. Escort her to her suite with a few of your men."
Sunflower nodded and opened the office door.
"This is Ben and Doffer," she said, gesturing to two guards.
As Reality followed them down the hallway, Sunflower turned back to re-enter Dawn's office.
Dawn sat at the desk, arms crossed.
"So? What's your impression of her?"
"Judging by her aura, she's definitely a mage. Her walk, her words—they were consistent. Do you think she's dangerous?"
Dawn sighed, resting his head on his hand.
"Dangerous? Absolutely. She's a big deal in the capital. A prodigy. One of the strongest mages alive, She has a promising future Yet she took this mission without hesitation. That alone makes her worth watching. Prolonging a curse isn't a task for the faint-hearted."
"How much did she cost?"
"A hefty sum. But I think she asked for such a high amount to avoid raising suspicion. If she'd asked for too little, it would've looked strange."
He leaned forward.
"By the way, what happened? You overslept today."
"Family," Sunflower replied simply. She didn't elaborate—and Dawn didn't pry.
"There's still time before your shift. Get some rest. My office is yours."
"I'm not sleepy anymore. I'll start early."
"You need to be in top form. Lance could appear at any moment. Get proper rest."
This time, she nodded. She lay down on the sofa. Dawn quietly draped a blanket over her and stepped out with a smile.
"Rest well."
He shut the door.
TIME TICKS BY...
Knock. Knock.
Sunflower stirred awake.
"Is it time for my shift?" she mumbled, half-asleep.
"Ma'am Sunflower—you need to see this immediately!"
It was one of her men.
She shot up from the couch, heart pounding, and slammed the door open. Following the soldier down the hallway, she reached the balcony at the top of the Chief's headquarters.
The wind was cold.
One of the guards pointed into the darkness.
"There!"
At first, she saw nothing.
Then—light. Faint, flickering. Not bright enough to be a group. Just one individual.
Someone carrying a torch. Slowly, deliberately, walking toward the village.
Her eyes sharpened. Her breath caught.
"Lance..."
She said it softly—but with absolute certainty.
...
In the Wide, Dark Forest of Tresia
A single man walked through the forest, He wore only a white shirt, black trousers, and leather boots. In one hand, he held a torch—its flame swaying gently with each step. His movements were aimless, yet he walked in a straight line, unwavering. Behind him, a strange silence followed mimicking his every step like shadows with no will of their own.
Suddenly, he stopped.
He didn't turn around.
He didn't take another step forward.
He stood perfectly still—statue-like—frozen in the darkness.
A minute passed.
Then five.
Then thirty.
Still, he did not move.
Whatever had been stalking him from behind had finally lost patience. Slowly, it crept from the tall grass, inching closer to him. Silent. Predatory. Its eyes fixed on its prey.
Two centimeters away from sinking its fangs into the man's back—
Poof.
He vanished.
The beast blinked, confused, glancing around. Nothing. He was gone.
Panic flared. The creature turned back toward the grass, retreating—
THUD.
CRACK.
The torch, now smoldering and blood-soaked, was buried deep into the beast's skull—right between the eyes. It fell, lifeless, the forest silent once again except for the hiss of the flame.
Seconds later, the man reappeared in the air, descending slowly like a wraith.
He landed beside the corpse, grinning.
"It died just like that. How funny. That's what you get for thinking I was your prey."
He cackled until he fell to his knees from laughter. Wiping a tear from his eye, he leaned over the dead creature and examined it curiously.
"Looks like a tiger… but why is it green?"
Unbothered, he drew a small blade from his belt, slit open the belly, and tore into the raw flesh with his bare hands, chewing without hesitation.
"Mmm. Not bad. Hope it's not poisonous."
He ate in silence for nearly an hour. When finished, he yanked the torch from the creature's shattered skull, still stained with blood and brain matter, and resumed his path—as if nothing had happened.
Chief Headquarters – Night
Gasp!
Sunflower jolted upright, her breath caught in her throat. Her skin was clammy. Her heart was pounding.
She looked around.
Still the Chief's office.
A dream. Just a dream.
She exhaled slowly, wiping the sweat from her brow. It was nearly time for her shift, but something in her gut stirred—a lingering unease. She decided to check in on Reality before heading out.
Reality, being a high-ranking mage from the capital, wasn't housed in one of the motels. Dawn had made sure to honor her properly by assigning her a room within the Chief's headquarters itself.
Sunflower made her way quietly down the hall and stopped in front of Reality's room.
Knock knock.
No response.
She waited. Tried again.
Knock knock.
Still nothing.
Concern creeping in, she pressed her ear to the door.
Silence.
Then—
A sound. Faint. A voice.
It was Reality.
But she wasn't speaking words. It sounded like… struggling. Choking. As though she were holding something back, resisting.
Sunflower's instincts kicked in. She reached for the door, ready to break it down if necessary—
Then Reality's voice rang out, loud and sudden from within the room:
"Burn—"
Sunflower froze.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.