The worn stone streets of Wyrdeer were eerily still as Indra and Gabriella moved side by side, their eyes scanning the countless spell markings spread across the village like scars left behind by something ancient and unnatural.
"So," Gabriella said casually, breaking the silence, "who is Kalanie? A friend of yours?"
Indra glanced over at her, his expression softening slightly.
"Yeah. You remember that incident in Partera?
She was one of the people with me."
Gabriella's face grew more serious.
"Oh, I'm sorry. You haven't heard from her?"
Indra shook his head.
"No. I need to visit home when I get the chance.
I always wanted to but… it's kinda hard to go back."
Gabriella watched him, sensing the weight beneath his words.
"Because you'll be reliving it?" she asked gently.
Indra shrugged, his voice low.
"That too, but mostly because I don't want to find out who didn't make it.
I'd rather hope they're okay… if that makes sense."
Gabriella nodded, her tone softening with understanding.
"No, I get it.
If you want, I can go back with you.
Give you some moral support."
Indra blinked, surprised—but then his features relaxed with quiet gratitude.
"Are you sure?
I don't want to take you away from anything more important."
Gabriella shook her head.
"No, it's fine.
I would love to help," she said warmly.
A small smile tugged at Indra's lips, the tightness in his chest easing ever so slightly.
"Okay. You wanna go after—"
"Excuse me?!"
A sharp voice cut through the moment.
Both turned at once. A middle-aged woman stood nearby, waving her arms with urgency.
"Were you the group asking about the markings?" she called out.
Gabriella stepped forward calmly.
"Yes ma'am. Is there a problem?"
The woman shook her head quickly.
"Not a problem, I just thought I should help you."
At that moment, Rika and Kiyuri joined them, walking up from behind.
"You want to help?" Rika asked, folding her arms.
"I appreciate that, ma'am," Kiyuri added politely, though her tone stayed wary.
"But I don't know how you can help in this situation."
"Unless you knew something about them," Indra said, watching the woman carefully.
"I do," the woman answered, voice steady.
"I recognized these markings when I was in Varis."
"In Varis?" Gabriella repeated, her tone sharpening.
"Yes. These markings spread across the street right before the village was destroyed."
"So it has to be the twins," Indra said immediately.
"Maybe," Gabriella said slowly, "but if that's the case, why isn't the village destroyed?
Why sit them here for so long?"
"Maybe they're planning something," Kiyuri suggested.
"What if it was set for us to find and get caught up in the blast?" Indra added.
"Like some revenge plan for Varis."
Gabriella frowned, thoughtful.
"No, that's not them.
I've never known them to plan anything out.
They're like children seeking a good time.
It's all random.
So this… seems like a reach."
Indra didn't look convinced.
"What if that's what they want us to think?
If they're like children, then revenge is an obvious next step."
"But a planned blast?" Gabriella challenged.
"How would they know we would show up and not someone else?"
"And it would have blown up by now, right?" Rika said.
"I mean, we've been here for a while."
"Unless there's a trigger… like a switch or something," Kiyuri muttered, eyes scanning the area.
Gabriella folded her arms.
"I honestly think we're dealing with something else.
I seriously doubt they planned all this."
"That's true," the woman mumbled, almost to herself.
"They are stupid."
"You said something?" Kiyuri asked sharply, eyes narrowing.
The woman flinched slightly.
"Oh no, I was thinking about this spot over here," she said quickly, guiding them toward a specific marking on the ground.
"I can't remember where I've seen this before."
Indra knelt, examining the pattern carefully.
"Is it me, or does this look like an origin point?"
"It does," Gabriella agreed.
"Why does this spot stand out to you?" she asked the woman.
The woman wandered slowly around the spot, fingers tracing the air as if following a memory.
"It's like something happened in one of these," she murmured.
Standing slightly back, Rika leaned in close to Kiyuri.
"LT. Something's off with this woman," she whispered.
"You noticed that too?" Kiyuri murmured back.
"You think they noticed it?" Rika asked, voice tight.
Kiyuri shook her head slightly.
"No.
They don't look for the wrong in people.
It goes against their nature.
Velari let people be people and deal with the outcome.
That's why we're here."
"To back them up?" Rika asked quietly.
"That's right," Kiyuri confirmed.
Ahead of them, Gabriella tilted her head.
"I don't know what we're supposed to be looking for."
"I don't either," Indra admitted.
The woman pointed again.
"This here. Do you see it?"
"You seem to know a lot about these markings," Kiyuri said carefully.
"What did you say your name was?"
"My name is Carmeine," the woman answered smoothly.
Kiyuri's gaze hardened.
"So Carmeine… wanna come clean about why you're really here?"
Gabriella turned sharply.
"What's wrong?"
"I knew something was off about this woman," Kiyuri said without pause.
"She hasn't done anything," Indra said, frowning.
"Did something happen?"
"It was the comment she made earlier," Rika added, stepping forward.
"So are you going to come clean?" Kiyuri pressed.
Carmeine casually knelt beside the markings.
"I don't know what you mean," she said innocently.
"I just want to help."
"Let's calm down for a second," Indra said, stepping between them, trying to ease the tension.
"I know we're trying to figure out what's going on, but we can't just point fingers."
"I hear you, Indra," Rika said, not backing down.
"But this lady has an agenda."
Carmeine smiled faintly.
"I have no agenda.
I just want—"
She paused.
As Rika stepped closer, Carmeine's voice dropped into a whisper.
"—you to come closer."
In that instant, the spell markings scattered across the ground ignited in a blinding flash of blue light.
The earth trembled. A powerful force surged upward, ripping through the air like a vacuum.
The group staggered, caught off guard.
Indra's eyes locked onto something—the energy surrounding him, Gabriella and Rika was separate from the light around Kiyuri.
His instincts kicked in.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward, grabbing Kiyuri by the waist and throwing her toward Rika.
Kiyuri gasped, flying through the air. Rika reached out, catching her wrist—just as the pull intensified.
The second their hands touched, the two of them vanished—swallowed by the blue light, along with Carmeine.
Indra barely had time to react.
The ground pulsed again beneath him and Gabriella—markings flaring brighter than before. A second surge hit them like a tidal wave.
They fought to resist—but it was too strong.
In a flash of searing blue light, both of them were pulled under, their bodies swallowed by the magic.
And then—
Wyrdeer was silent.
The streets were empty once more.
The wind moved softly between the buildings, carrying no sound but the faint hum of still-burning markings—
and the echoes of a vanished battle.