The scene was not too far from the city. It had taken them 30 minutes to arrive. When they got there, Darius's knights were already present, and the fight was ongoing. Who were these men, and what did they want from Kael? That was the question on everyone's mind.
When Vega saw Kael lying on the ground covered in blood, he was shocked for a moment, but quickly pulled himself together and ran to Kael's side. Aryel was protecting Vega with her powers. Maia, on the other hand, was waiting a bit behind in the carriage, prepared to give first aid to the wounded.
When Vega reached Kael, Kael was unconscious. At first Vega wondered if he might be dead, but Kael's magical power could still be felt. Vega let out a deep breath of relief. With Aryel's help, he lifted Kael onto his back and quickly headed for the carriage.
In the middle of the forest, there was a fierce battle. After Aryel safely escorted Vega to the carriage, she headed toward the battlefield.
"Transformed creatures?" Aryel muttered to herself, when she suddenly noticed one of them coming at her. She was nearly injured. Quickly, she created spears of ice and hurled them at the creature. When it staggered, Aryel widened the distance and continued attacking from afar. After a few strikes, she found the creature's core and managed to destroy it.
Her father was further ahead, fighting a terrifying man. Though he still looked human, spikes were protruding from his back and his eyes glowed blood red. His body was hunched, yet he was incredibly strong. But for Darius, he was an opponent of no great difficulty.
Darius had worn the man down; he could barely move anymore. They bound him with magical ropes to interrogate him. Aryel stepped closer to her father.
Darius: "What is your purpose? Why did you attack?"
A horrific smile spread across the man's face. His teeth were pitch black, even his tongue… He looked transformed, but he wasn't.
Darius struck him. The man spat blood from the blow—his blood was black. But the terrible grin never left his face.
"I will eliminate everyone who interfered with my plans in Kelm village," the man said.
Darius struck him again. The man collapsed to the ground. He turned his eyes to Aryel.
"You're next. I will destroy all of you. My name is Drax, a member of Blackthorn. Don't forget this name."
His voice was deep and terrifying.
Drax: "I will come for you soon." His face twisted into a dreadful expression.
Darius was about to strike him again when suddenly the man turned into black smoke and vanished.
Everyone was stunned. How had they let the man escape? What was that magic he used to flee?
Darius turned to Aryel. "I will never allow you to be harmed. I will find that man wherever he is and destroy him, daughter. Please, don't worry."
Aryel placed her hands on her father's. "Don't worry, Father, I'm not afraid." She forced a smile onto her face.
Aryel: "I need to go check on Kael." She quickly left. Her father and the knights stayed behind to investigate the area.
When she reached the carriage, Kael was still unconscious. His clothes were soaked in blood, both his own and the creatures', mixed together. He had open wounds, but those alone couldn't be the reason he remained unconscious. Among the holy knights were healers, and they had given first aid. But it wasn't enough to bring back his consciousness.
Aryel: "Let's go home. My mother can heal him."
Vega held Kael's hand tightly. They laid him on the carriage bench with his head resting on Vega's lap.
It was Maia who broke the silence. "What do you think is wrong with Kael? Why won't he wake up?"
Aryel: "I think he was exposed to dark energy. It seems like his own magical energy has become mixed with it."
Vega: "He will wake up, right?" His eyes filled with tears, and he struggled to keep from crying.
Aryel: "There isn't a better healer in this country than my mother. I'm sure she'll heal him."
Aryel quickly jumped out of the carriage and ran inside, and a minute later she came back with several people carrying a stretcher. Behind them were Aryel and Elyndra.
After they took Kael out of the carriage and Elyndra quickly checked him, her expression darkened.
"Place him in the third guest room on the first floor. I'll be right there."
Then she turned to Vega and Maia. "Don't worry. This is nothing I can't handle. You can relax."
Aryel, Vega, and Maia all let out a deep breath. Exhausted from such a difficult day, they each went to their rooms. Even though Vega wanted to stay, Elyndra hadn't allowed it.
Elyndra went to Kael. His energy lines were in complete disarray. Not only had the Phoenix's energy not yet fully fused with his own magical energy, but now he had also been exposed to dark energy. But how had this happened? Someone must have done it intentionally.
When she removed Kael's jacket to treat him, she noticed a needle had been stuck into him.
What was this? A pitch-black, jelly-like liquid. Elyndra immediately called someone and ordered them to take it to the laboratory for analysis.
"Be careful during the examination. This is a highly dangerous energy."
"Yes, ma'am," the person replied and left.
Elyndra spent the entire night trying to stabilize the mixed energy inside Kael. Even as the best healer in the country, she struggled.
Though Kael's energy had become more balanced, his consciousness still had not returned.
By morning, Vega ran to Kael's side. He had tossed and turned all night, unable to stop thinking about him.
Just as he reached for the door handle, the door opened. Elyndra stepped out.
"Good morning, Vega," she said, her voice tired.
Vega: "Good morning, ma'am. How is Kael?"
Elyndra: "His energy has stabilized. But he has not woken yet. He will regain consciousness soon. You can check for yourself."
Vega let out a deep sigh. "Thank you, ma'am." His reaction made Elyndra smile.
He went inside and sat in the chair beside Kael's bed. His eyes were fixed on Kael.
He began murmuring to himself.
"When I was injured, is this how you felt too? It's such a shitty feeling." After a pause, he placed his hand gently over Kael's.
"Yesterday, we went to the Orven guild. Everyone's doing well. They even have a huge training hall. We can train together as much as we want."
"You know what? For the first time, I saw Aryel not getting along with someone. We have a guy named Lucien in our team. From the moment they met, they've been bickering constantly. Maia was so happy to see Nathan too. I think things are going pretty well for her."
Vega lost himself in his words, telling Kael all about what had happened in his absence.
"Come on, how much longer are you going to sleep?"
"Is it your turn to be the princess now? Do you need a kiss to wake up?" He chuckled to himself, but then was shocked when Kael suddenly squeezed his hand.
With a faint, tired voice, Kael said: "Were you going to be the one to give that kiss, then?"
He had woken so suddenly that Vega instantly turned bright red from embarrassment. But he tried not to show it.
"Don't I look like a prince? You don't have any other options right now." He chuckled.
Kael: "I'm glad I woke up without needing a kiss. I'm not really suited to be a princess." He chuckled as well.
Kael slowly tried to sit up, and Vega leaned forward to help him. Vega's heart was pounding so hard he was afraid Kael might hear it. After helping him, Vega was about to turn away quickly, but Kael grabbed his arm.
"Would you still have talked to me if I hadn't gotten hurt? Or would you have run away again like you did when we returned?" He locked his eyes on Vega's and continued:
"I didn't tell you when I'd arrive because I was afraid you'd run away. I'm sorry for that day. I didn't want to hurt you. But please, tell me why you were upset. I don't understand." He rolled his eyes.
Vega was startled by Kael's words. After pulling himself together, he said:
"I wasn't going to run. I'm sorry too, I acted rashly. I'm too emotional for a man, and I was ashamed of that. In our society, men are always supposed to act rationally and stay strong. I didn't want to show you my weaknesses."
Kael replied, "To hell with society. No one else gets to decide what people should feel or how they should be. If you think I'd judge you for being yourself, then I guess we haven't been very good friends."
Vega quickly interrupted: "No, that's not what I meant! It's not that I thought you'd judge me. I was ashamed… maybe of just being myself."
"There's nothing wrong with you," Kael said firmly. "Being emotional, crying—it has nothing to do with being a man or a woman. Sometimes I wish I could express my feelings as well as you do."
Kael was still holding Vega's arm, their faces very close. Just then, the door suddenly opened, and Vega, startled, lost his balance and fell right on top of Kael.
"What are you two doing? Did we interrupt something?" Maia shouted excitedly.
Vega jumped up immediately. "I was just helping Kael sit up."
"I thought you were waking him with a kiss," Maia giggled.
Vega turned crimson red, utterly flustered, while Kael's heart began to race in a way he didn't quite understand.
Aryel stepped closer to Kael. "I'm so glad you're okay. What exactly happened?"
Kael's expression turned serious.
"Everything happened so fast. We thought nothing would happen since we were close to the city, so honestly, we let our guard down. Then suddenly, transformed creatures surrounded the carriage. Some of them still had their minds intact, which made them very difficult to fight. Then one of them stabbed me with a needle, and after that, I lost consciousness."
Aryel said quietly, "Looks like I'm next. Yesterday, when my father bound that man, he said he would take revenge on everyone who stood in his way in Kelm village. Then he turned into black mist."
Maia's eyes widened. "What are you saying? Are we all in danger? Why didn't you tell us earlier?"
"When I spoke with my father, we thought it was personal," Aryel explained. "We didn't think the organization could know. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for him to come so close to the city."
"But he's alive, isn't he?" Vega asked anxiously. "That means we *are* in danger."
"What are we going to do?" Maia pressed.
"As long as we're careful about those needles, we can defend ourselves," Kael answered. "They weren't that different from the ones we've fought before."
"As long as we stick together, we'll be fine," Aryel added. "Besides, the Orven guild and the Holy Knights are with us."
"True," Maia said with relief. "Nathan will protect me."
"*Nathan?*" Kael raised a brow. "So we can't protect you? I think I'm stronger than him. Besides, I managed to inherit the Phoenix's powers."
"Really? Wow, congratulations, Kael!" Vega exclaimed.
Aryel smiled. "We should celebrate that once you've fully recovered."
"Congratulations, Kael," Maia added. "And remember, Nathan is in my team. You'd better treat him nicely."
"Fine, fine, I'll think about it." Just then, Kael's stomach growled loudly. "Guess I'm starving."
They all burst into laughter.
"Let's tell them you're awake so they can bring food," Aryel suggested.
"I feel good enough to eat with you. Besides, I need to thank your mother," Kael said.
As he tried to stand, he staggered. Vega immediately moved to support him. Kael wanted to refuse at first but then decided to walk that way.
---
After stuffing themselves with food, they moved to the sitting room, sipping tea when Elyndra entered.
"How are you feeling, Kael?"
"Thank you, ma'am. I feel great, thanks to you. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."
"I'm glad you're better," Elyndra replied. "But your magical power isn't fully balanced yet. Some meditation practice would help."
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you again."
"We've also informed your family," she continued. "They were very worried. Your sister and mother wanted to come, but in case of another attack, we decided it was safer for them not to. Also, if you like, you can go to the guild today. Physically, you're fine now. Just don't rush to use your powers—you need a bit more balance."
With that, she left the room.
"Hooray, we're all going together!" Vega cheered.
They were all happy to finally be together again. Vega especially felt relieved that things between him and Kael had returned to normal.
Before heading to the guild, Griffine also joined them. Once they arrived, they ran into Alex in the lobby.
"Kael, are you okay? You should've rested a bit longer before coming," Alex said.
"I feel much better, sir. Lady Elyndra said I could come, so I wanted to. Thank you for your concern."
"I'm so relieved. At least no one died. We got lucky this time," Alex sighed before continuing. "Lucien and Nathan went back to the scene to investigate. You can join them if you want—it'd be good for you to know what's going on. They won't stop coming after you. Be careful."
"In that case, with your permission, captain, we'd like to join them as well," Aryel said.
"Wait, Aryel," Alex called out just as they were about to leave.
"Yes, sir?" Aryel turned back.
"Lucien isn't a bad person. Yes, he has dark energy, but he doesn't use it. His past is complicated, which is why I want you to try to get along with him."
Aryel's face fell, but she quickly composed herself. "I'll do my best, if he's willing too, of course."
"I'll talk to him as well," Alex said. "If there's friction between you two, you won't be able to watch each other's backs. You won't be a good team. So both of you, do your best."
"Understood, captain," Aryel replied.
But inside, she felt uneasy. *Ugh, I've never had trouble getting along with anyone before. What am I going to do now?*
Her thoughts were broken by Maia's voice.
"Aryel, what are you going to do now?"
Aryel snapped out of her thoughts and returned to reality.
"Huh? What do you mean, Maia?"
"What are you going to do about Lucien?"
Kael frowned. "Who's this Lucien? What happened between you two?"
Vega explained, "He's on our team with Nathan. Alex said we had to work together. But because he has dark energy, he and Aryel didn't get along."
Aryel quickly corrected him. "That's not it. I only asked about his dark energy, and he gave me a smug answer, so we argued. But don't worry, I won't let it affect the team."
Kael smirked. "Wow, I've never seen Aryel not get along with someone before."
Maia giggled. "Same here. But honestly, I think they'll get along really well in the future."
Aryel sighed. "Enough wasting time, let's go. I told you I'd handle it, so drop it."
Maia raised her hands. "Alright, alright."
At that moment, Griffine rushed over. "Kids, before you head out, grab some equipment from inside. I've prepared what you might need. Let's go prepared for anything."
---
When they arrived at the site of the attack, several people were already investigating along with Nathan and Lucien.
Griffine asked, "Did you find anything?"
Nathan shook his head. "Not yet." He then turned his eyes toward Maia, scanning her from head to toe. "Your gear looks heavy. Can you move comfortably in it?"
Maia blinked in surprise, feeling her cheeks heat up. "Do I… look bad in this?"
Nathan smiled awkwardly. "No, no, not bad. I just thought the armor might be a little heavy for you."
Kael couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Maia turned and shot him a glare.
Vega chimed in, teasing, "We put it on her just in case of another attack. But yeah, you're right, she almost looks like a golem."
Maia's face turned even redder. "Why didn't you two tell me earlier if I looked this bad?!" she scolded Kael and Vega.
Nathan stared at her in disbelief, then suddenly chuckled. "Don't worry—you actually look pretty cute."
From under a tree nearby, Lucien's voice rang out dryly. "If you're done flirting, you should come look at this. There's a pouch here."
Nathan and Maia exchanged glances, both frozen in embarrassment.
Kael and Vega struggled not to laugh out loud.
Meanwhile, Aryel silently repeated to herself: *I have to get along with Lucien, I have to get along with Lucien…*
Griffine walked over to a female guard who was also searching the area. But when Lucien called, everyone gathered around.
Aryel leaned forward. "What's inside?"
Griffine reached out. "Let me open it."
Lucien hesitated for a moment, then handed it over.
When Griffine opened the pouch, inside were small black-and-purple pills and tiny bottles filled with liquid of the same color.
Nathan's face darkened. "Looks like they're using these to transform people."
Kael's expression tightened. "They tried injecting me with that liquid through a syringe. But they didn't manage to inject all of it. If they had… I don't know what would have happened. And they're trying the same thing on all of us."
Griffine examined the pills a moment longer, then nodded. "Alright, let's keep searching. There may be more."
Kael suggested, "Wouldn't splitting up help us cover ground faster?"
Aryel frowned. "Maybe, but it's dangerous."
Griffine shook his head. "As long as we don't stray too far apart, it should be fine. Keep your emergency flares ready."
"Got it, brother," Vega replied with a grin, tugging at Kael's arm. "C'mon, let's head east."
Kael let himself be dragged away toward the east. Maia and Nathan naturally paired off and went west. Griffine walked off with the female guard, leaving Aryel and Lucien together.
Aryel sighed. "Guess we'll go north, then."
Without a word, Lucien started walking north. Aryel followed.
But suddenly, Lucien stopped. Aryel, not paying attention, bumped straight into his back.
"Ow—what are you doing?"
Lucien turned sharply. "What are *you* doing? Watch where you're going."
Aryel muttered under her breath, "Why does this keep happening every day…" Then, forcing herself to calm down, she said aloud, "You're right. Sorry, I should've been more careful."
Lucien smirked. "So, Princess Aryel *can* apologize."
Aryel's brows furrowed. "Princess? What do you mean by that?"
"Aren't you rich? Don't you have people who'd do anything for you? That makes you a princess, doesn't it?"
"What? That's ridiculous! Why are you always trying to start a fight?"
Lucien crossed his arms. "Me? At least I don't judge people at first sight like you do."
Aryel inhaled deeply, trying to hold her temper. "I apologize for that too. You're right—it was my mistake. I shouldn't have acted that way." She locked eyes with him. "Look, I don't want bad blood between us. I don't have a problem with you. We're going to be working together, can't we at least cooperate?"
Lucien stared at her for a long moment, then finally muttered, "Whatever you say, Princess."
Aryel's frown deepened. "Can't you just call me by my name? I don't like being called that."
Lucien tilted his head. "So, you don't accept who you really are?"
Aryel groaned. "I don't understand you. Just—let's focus on the mission."
Lucien smirked again. "As you command, Princess."
Aryel lost patience and gave him a hard shove on the back.
"Ow! Don't hit me, that hurt."
"You asked for it," she said, smirking in victory.
After searching the area and finding nothing, they made their way back to the meeting point. Everyone was already there except Kael and Vega.
Aryel reported, "We didn't find anything. What about you guys?"
Griffine shook his head. "Nothing either. Once the last group gets back, we'll head out. Looks like we're done here."
Just then, a distant voice rang out. "We found it! We found something!" It was Vega.
Everyone's excitement spiked, and they hurried toward his voice.
Maia called out, "What did you find?"
Kael and Vega appeared, panting heavily, covered in dust and mud from head to toe.
Aryel's eyes widened. "What happened to you two?"
Vega said, "Ah, nothing happened, we just rolled around a bit and found this bag where we fell. I think it belongs to one of the attackers from yesterday."
Kael added, "There are things inside that might belong to them. We thought it would be better to take it to the guild for a proper examination."
Griffine smiled. "Perfect. We're returning with our hands full."
They all left the area, satisfied, and started heading back to the guild.
The moment they stepped through the guild doors, Nora spotted Vega and ran straight toward him, throwing her arms around him.
Nora beamed. "Vega, I've been waiting for you." Her sweet smile lingered as she gazed into his face, her arms still wrapped around him.
Surprisingly, it wasn't Vega but Kael who reacted most strongly. He shoved Nora back. "What are you doing? Touching someone without permission counts as harassment."
Nora glared. "And who are you? Vega and I are very close, so I don't think this concerns you."
Kael turned to Vega. "Who is this girl? Why are you letting her hug you?"
Aryel and Maia stood back, carefully watching without the slightest intention of interfering. On the contrary, they seemed to be enjoying the scene.
Aryel whispered, "If only we had popcorn."
Maia nodded. "Lesson learned—always come prepared."
Vega tried to push Nora off, but she clung tightly.
"Nora, can you please let go of me?"
Nora pouted. "Are you rejecting me because of that annoying-looking guy next to you?"
Kael snapped. "If there's an annoying person here, it's you."
Finally, Vega managed to pry her off. "Hey, calm down. You two haven't even introduced yourselves yet."
Nora huffed, but forced a smile. "Fine, since Vega wants it, I won't push this further. I'm Nora, Vega's one and only student."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Since when does Vega have a student?" His voice carried an edge he couldn't quite explain.
Nora shrugged. "I already told you, it's none of your business. But if you're polite, you could at least share your name—not that I care."
Kael's expression fell; his thoughts were written plainly across his face.
Vega sighed. "Come on, guys, don't be ridiculous. We're in the same guild—we should get along."
Kael scoffed. "So what, should we all hug each other now? Why would I hug someone I just met, or let them hug me?"
Nora sneered. "Please. I doubt anyone would *want* to hug someone as rude as you."
Kael clenched his fists, anger rising. Vega noticed and quickly grabbed his arm.
"We met during training. She has wind powers like me. Afterward, I said I'd support her."
Kael barked a laugh, his voice louder than before. "Wow, what a saint you are. How wonderful."
Nora giggled. "Why wouldn't he help someone as adorable as me? Who knows, maybe our student-teacher relationship will evolve into something more."
The thought of Vega with someone else left Kael with a strange, gnawing unease he couldn't shake. It made him feel miserable.
"Do whatever you want," he muttered before storming off.
Behind them, Lucien and Nathan had been quietly observing alongside Aryel and Maia.
Nathan finally blurted out, "What's going on? Why is this so tense?"
Maia and Aryel exchanged looks, unsure what to say, when Lucien cut in.
"Doesn't this look like a love triangle to you?"
Everyone turned to him in shock.
Nathan frowned. "What? Who's in love with who? Are they both into Nora?"
Lucien smirked. "You're looking at it too narrowly, my friend. Things seem more complicated than that."
Aryel suddenly burst into giggles.
"Didn't think I'd agree with you, but you're right—this is messier than it looks."
Maia added with mock seriousness, though her eyes were shining with amusement, "Nathan, love has no gender."
Lucien raised a brow. "Was that jab aimed at me again?"
Aryel rolled her eyes. "I didn't say anything bad. Why are you trying to pick a fight?"
Maia glanced at the two of them. "Honestly, I think this is just how you two flirt. Everyone's style is different, after all."
Aryel and Lucien snapped in unison: "Flirt?!" "What are you talking about?!"
Both their faces went bright red.
"Stop being ridiculous, Maia. Let's focus on the mission," Aryel grumbled.
Lucien chuckled. "I don't think I'm worthy of a princess anyway."
Aryel flushed crimson and smacked him on the back again.
"Ow! Save your strength for our enemies, would you?"
Maia and Nathan exchanged glances and stifled their laughter.
Meanwhile, Vega was still talking with Nora, while Kael had already left.
"Vega, come on, we've got work to do," Maia reminded him. "This isn't playtime."
Later, Nora leaned close to Maia, whispering something in her ear. Maia then patted Nora's head with a small smile.
"Well done, Nora."
Vega turned sharply to Maia. "Wait—did you plan this?"
Aryel, Lucien, and Nathan stared at Maia in disbelief.
Maia shrugged. "What? Why are you looking at me like that? Sometimes these things are necessary."
Vega sighed. "Remind me never to make you my enemy, Maia."
Lucien nodded. "Respect. And Nora's acting was very convincing—I commend you both."
Aryel shot Lucien a look. "Do you have to comment on *everything*?"
Lucien smirked. "Do you have to argue with *everything* I say?"
Nathan stepped closer to Maia. "I know you mean well, but for them this might just make things harder. Sometimes it's better to let things take their course."
Maia frowned. "But they won't realize it otherwise."
Nathan shook his head. "Trust me, they will. Accepting some things just takes time."
Maia tilted her head. "Do you need time too?"
Just then, Alex and Griffine called from across the hall. "Come here! What are you all doing over there?"
They all rushed toward them. Maia felt a pang of disappointment—her question had gone unanswered. She'd need to create another chance to ask later.
Alex nodded as they gathered. "I'm glad to see you getting along. But let's examine the bag together—follow me." He paused, glancing around. "Where's Kael?"
Vega quickly replied, "Inside, I'll get him, Captain."
As the others followed Alex to his office, Vega headed in the opposite direction to find Kael.
He found him sitting alone on a couch, head in his hands, staring down at the floor.
Vega: "Kael, what are you doing? The captain is calling us, should we go?"
Kael: "What am I doing? I'm sitting, can't you see? I just got injured, remember? But I guess you're too busy flirting with girls to notice the condition of your close friend."
Vega: "I wasn't flirting. How was I supposed to know the girl would suddenly hug me? I tried to push her away without hurting her. And what's wrong with that? Didn't Serin do the same to you?"
Kael: "What does Serin have to do with this? You stayed with a girl you met in a single day and sent your injured friend off alone."
Vega: "You're exaggerating the whole thing. If you weren't okay, you wouldn't have even come to the Guild. I doubt anyone was more worried about you than I was when I heard you were injured."
"And besides, there's nothing to argue about—the captain is waiting for us."
Kael silently stood up and followed him. He had plenty to say, but he knew he first had to sort it out within himself.
---
After knocking on Alex's door, they went inside. Everyone had gathered at the table. Alex motioned them to come closer.
They pulled a notebook, a map, black pills, and some vials from the bag. The notebook contained incomprehensible writings, while some places were marked on the map.
Alex: "These could be the places they're planning to attack. Look, Kelm is marked differently. Their next target might be one of these three marked locations."
After pausing to think for a moment, he continued.
"I'll form three separate teams, and one of them will be yours. Your team only lacks a healer, so I'll assign a suitable guardian to your group."
Lucien: "So, Captain, where are we going?"
Alex: "You can choose whichever you like—you were the ones who found it."
Nathan: "Then who will be the captain of the team?"
Alex: "The one with the most battle experience among you, Griffine. He should lead, if he accepts."
Griffine: "No problem for me."
Alex: "Then prepare yourselves within two days. If you don't have suitable armor or battle outfits, you can obtain them from the guild."
"Any questions?"
Griffine: "Will the healer be a woman or a man?"
Everyone immediately turned their eyes toward Griffine.
"What? Why are you all looking at me like that? I just asked."
Alex chuckled: "If Erin is available to join, I'll send her."
Aryel: "Brother, I didn't know you were this much of a flirt."
Maia: "Aren't we a great team? I'm really excited that we'll be going on a mission together."
Kael: "Or maybe you're excited because you'll be going on a mission with Nathan."
Maia quickly kicked Kael's leg.
Kael: "Ahh… You're not even denying it."
Lucien: "I hope we manage to complete this mission safely—everyone's head seems to be in the clouds."
Aryel: "When it comes to a fight, we know how to stand united. Don't worry."
Alex, with the pride of a father: "The fact that you're already getting along this well tells me you'll make an excellent team."
Vega glanced around at everyone and wondered to himself, *Will we really be able to pull this off?*
As Lucien placed his hand on the table, he accidentally knocked the notebook down. The pages fell open.
When he bent to pick it up and glanced at the writing, he froze. The notebook contained information written in a complex language that no one else could read.
Lucien turned pale, murmuring to himself: "How can I read this?"