Mr. Felix glanced over at her, his eyes sharp. "Samantha? What's wrong?"
She hesitated but shook her head. "It's nothing… maybe just my imagination."
Though unconvinced, Mr. Felix nodded, and they continued. Hours passed before they finally stumbled upon something that stopped them in their tracks.
Nestled in the clearing was a small house, its simple, weathered exterior contrasting sharply with the ominous woods around it.
"That's... unexpected," Lyra said cautiously.
Mr. Felix raised a hand. "Check the surroundings first. We don't know what's waiting for us."
The group scoured the area, but aside from the house's eerie silence, there was nothing suspicious. Reluctantly, they entered.
The inside was sparse, the air thick with dust. A single bed, a wooden table, and a lone chair stood in the dim light. A large carpet covered the centre of the floor.
"It's like no one's been here for years," Dorian muttered, brushing cobwebs from the chair.
As they searched, Lyra's sharp eyes caught something. "Wait... look here," she said, crouching by the carpet. "There's a spot with no dust."
The group gathered around as Lyra lifted the carpet. Beneath it lay only a plain wooden floor.
Samantha frowned. "Maybe there's a trap here." She activated her Oracle's Sight, but an intense pain shot through her head, forcing her to cry out and cover her eyes.
"Samantha!" Roderick rushed to her side, his voice filled with concern.
"I-I'm fine," she stammered, blinking through tears. "There's some interference... something's messing with magic."
Mr. Felix's expression darkened. "No one uses magic here until we figure out what's causing this. It's too risky."
After hours of fruitless searching, Roderick suggested they check outside. He and Dorian circled the house, their steps careful. That's when they noticed the strange crystals scattered around the perimeter, forming a perfect hexagon.
"Sir!" Roderick called out, his voice carrying urgency. "You need to see this!"
The group gathered as he explained the crystals' arrangement.
"They're creating some sort of barrier," Mr. Felix said, examining the formations. "It's blocking our skills and masking things inside."
With careful precision, they removed the crystals one by one. As the last was pulled free, a subtle shimmer rippled through the air.
Back inside, they discovered a hidden door embedded in the floor.
"It was cloaked by an illusion," Mr. Felix said, his voice steady. "Let's see where it leads."
Though the group felt a sense of foreboding, their resolve hardened. Whatever secrets lay ahead, they were determined to uncover them together.
Mr. Felix, Roderick, Dorian, Lyra, and Samantha descended the spiralling staircase beneath the hidden door embedded in the floor.
The air grew colder and heavier with every step as if the shadows themselves whispered secrets. At the bottom, they emerged into a dimly lit laboratory. The walls, lined with shelves, displayed shattered glassware and faded notes barely clinging to their existence. A strange, metallic scent lingered in the air, mingled with the stale odour of decay.
Felix's sharp eyes scanned the room, his expression grim. "This laboratory hasn't been used for some time. Some of the equipment is missing, and the place feels… wrong. It's like someone tried to erase its purpose." His voice carried an edge of unease. "Let's search every corner."
The group fanned out, their movements cautious yet thorough. Lyra ran her fingers over a dusty table, her brows furrowed. "Nothing here gives any hint about what this lab was for. Not even a single intact document. It looks recently abandoned, with only a few days' worth of dust."
Dorian, while inspecting a wall, pressed against a seemingly solid panel. To his surprise, it gave way with a faint click, revealing a hidden door. "Over here," he called, his voice tinged with both excitement and apprehension.
The others gathered quickly. After a brief exchange of wary glances, Mr. Felix opened the door. The room beyond was darker, illuminated only by faint, flickering lights embedded in the ceiling. It was filled with rows of glass tubes, some shattered, others eerily intact. Strange, viscous residue dripped from the cracks, pooling on the floor. The silence was suffocating, broken only by their cautious footsteps.
"What were these used for?" Lyra whispered, her voice barely audible.
Mr. Felix knelt to examine one of the broken tubes. "There's no trace of mana residue. It's as if someone deliberately erased any signs of what happened here." He frowned deeply.
At the far end of the room, they discovered several cells. Inside, figures lay motionless on cold, damp floors. Their gaunt faces and pallid skin painted a grim picture of their suffering. Samantha's heart sank at the sight, and she rushed forward, her fingers already glowing with healing magic.
"Stop!" Roderick's commanding voice froze her in place. "There are traps set on the locks."
Mr. Felix stepped closer, his sharp gaze examining the mechanisms. "He's right. Forcing these open could trigger… something unpleasant. Let me handle this."
While Mr. Felix worked to disarm the traps, Samantha's hands trembled with impatience. "They're dying," she said, her voice cracking. "We have to save them."
"And we will," Roderick reassured her. His calm, steady presence was a stark contrast to her panic.
Minutes later, the traps were neutralised, and the locks gave way with a groan. Samantha immediately rushed to the nearest victim. Her healing magic poured into them, but she recoiled in horror when it had no effect.
"Their mana has been drained, and the magic core is almost broken; they cannot be healed with normal magic," Mr. Felix muttered grimly as he examined another body. "They need medical attention… now."
Mr. Felix pulled a talisman, his fingers moving in practised precision as he activated it. A faint shimmer surrounded the paper before it vanished, carrying a message to the nearest Guild outpost. "Reinforcements are on the way," he said.
The group carefully carried the unconscious victims out of the lab and into the forest beyond. Samantha laid one of the bodies gently on the ground, but as she straightened, a chill ran down her spine. Her breath hitched, and her body began to tremble.
"What… is this?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. The oppressive weight of a Killing Intent pressed down on her, suffocating and cold.
Her hand instinctively went to her sword. The once-reassuring hilt now felt foreign in her grasp. She scanned the dense forest, her eyes wide with fear. "Something… or someone is here."
Mr. Felix stepped closer, his own senses straining. Before he could say anything, a voice drifted from the shadows, smooth and laced with malice. "Felix Drayton, your perception is pitiful compared to hers."
The air grew heavier, and the shadows seemed to deepen as the voice continued.
Samantha's grip on her sword tightened, her knuckles white. "Show yourself!" she demanded, though her voice quivered. The others took defensive stances, their expressions a mix of fear and determination.
A faint chuckle echoed from the darkness, and the presence receded as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the group on edge. Mr. Felix clenched his fists, his mind racing. "We need to get these people to safety, but we can't ignore this threat."
Samantha's breathing slowed, but the unease lingered. In her mind, one question burned brighter than the rest: Who or what had they just encountered?