《Lilith: Blackened Blood》


 Chapter 1: Preparation

    The sound of her chair scraping against the floor filled the room after Lilith jolted up from her sleep. Her vision blurred and drool escaped her lips. Her eyes darted around, searching for the origin of the unexpected sound. Followed by a soft sigh and a long yawn, she rubbed her wet eyes awake and narrowed her vision to the book that had fallen from the pile on her desk.


    "Ah," she muttered while moving her chair closer to slide down and extend her foot close enough to retrieve the fallen book. Inching it closer to an arm''s reach, Lilith grabbed it, muttering curse words of annoyance, and placed it back on the mountain she piled up on her desk.


    Taking a few minutes to fully wake up, she adjusted her posture and stretched her limbs. Lilith had a busy day ahead after two long weeks being glued to this desk and an even longer two months of study and preparation. She stood up and looked around. It was far too dark to see anything and the only light was the bits that seeped in from the cracks of the window.


    After opening the window, Lilith ducked underneath the windowsill, covering her eyes with her hands. The mixture of light and the pollution of sound from the busy streets overwhelmed her senses. It took for a minute, but adjusting to the sound was easy. The brightness, though, was the hard part. It was far brighter than she could¡¯ve guessed after hiding away to read. Every time she peaked through the gaps in between her fingers, she would quickly close them.


    Lilith let out a sigh. "I have to go visit Alex." she said. After giving herself a minute to hide, she stood up, her back against the window, allowing the sunlight to seep into the room around her. Every corner was a mess, clothes strewn across the floor, books piled up on the desk, and papers scattered haphazardly everywhere. As a mail carrier, going above and beyond is necessary for successful deliveries, and this time was no different. The necessity to plot a path to her destination and the knowledge of what she would run into was a matter of life and death. Half way through her travels, she would enter the unknown and she had to be ready.


    A black visible trail traveled from Lilith''s core to the tip of her index finger, causing it to become completely black. With the now mana infused finger, she lazily sliced through the air like swinging down a sword, causing a wound like cut to form and an abyss not even Lilith could see through. Counting each book, Lilith slowly tossed each one into the wound, and after making sure she collected them all, she closed up the cut and let her mana return to normal.


    ¡°Bath and food,¡± Lilith said, ignoring the mess around the room. It was going to be an exhausting day, and the cleaning wasn¡¯t something she planned to add to that.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    In comfortable clothing, Lilith stood in the shaded street in front of the building that engulfed its surroundings. The Mailroom, five stories and larger than any other building around it, sat at the heart of the city. It was the core infrastructure for packages both large and small and letters that needed to go to their rightful owner, be it to citizens of the city Tarrin, or anywhere else around the world.


    Split into two sections, the lobby welcomed both people who wanted to make a delivery or collect their mail on the left and the carriers who took on missions on the right. People hustled back and forth, and Lilith shuffled her way through the mob. The sound of chatter was deafening to Lilith, and she had no intention of hanging around to listen. Waving to the people she knew, her quickened steps took her past the counters and to the stairway in the back. The chattering became a distant memory as it faded away and disappearing completely when entering the stairway.


    Lilith stood in front of a door marked with a painted five. People in suits shuffled around, filing paperwork or going through stacks of papers at desks. They moved swiftly, each step deliberate, as Lilith maneuvered through the crowd, careful not to disrupt their rhythm. She finally reached the door in the back. The intricate designs adorned a large, dark wooden door twice her size. However, the two long bodied serpents that met at the rounded top of the door always caused her to stop and stare. Alex called them water dragons, yet no one had ever seen such things before, nor were there any records of them from the past.


    A golden plaque rested in the upper center of the door and etched into it was the name Alexander Anderson, but everyone called him Alex for short.


    Lilith knocked as loudly as she could, and when hearing a loud, gruff voice telling her to come in, she pushed with all her might and, after opening it just enough, she lid herself through, letting the door slam behind her.


    ¡°It took you longer than I expected,¡± the same gruff voice from earlier said.


    ¡°Well, you made me cover all my bases. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯d think it would¡¯ve taken me any shorter.¡±


    The man, who had been hidden behind his papers, stood up with a loud, jolly but deep laugh, towering over the desk. With a bulky frame, he sported gray hair and a gray beard, complemented by a pair of reading glasses. Wearing a suit one size too small, he motioned Lilith to sit down on one of the two couches in the middle of the room with a coffee table in between.


    Grabbing two cups and tea which had been brewing, he placed one in front of Lilith, then sat down across from her with the other. The cup was comically small compared to his frame, yet no one would dare to laugh. ¡°So, you¡¯ve finished your preparation?¡± Alex asked, after taking a sip from his cup.


    ¡°Yes, but before that,¡± Just like before, Lilith opened up a hole and took out the remaining books she had left. ¡°These are the ones you allowed me to borrow. I already returned the ones I got from the library.¡±


    ¡°Not to go off topic, but why do you always do that?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± Lilith asked in a puzzled voice..


    ¡°That thing. You know, the finger slide. I¡¯ve known my fair share of people with your curse over the years. They never had to be all fancy with their pocket dimensions. They just reached in.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s cool,¡± Lilith responded in a monotone voice. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It just seems.. Annoying? A waste of time? What happens if you need something quickly?¡±


    "I''ll just grab something the normal way," Lilith stated confidently, as if it were self-evident. ¡°That should be all the books, right?¡±


    Alex quickly skimmed through the spines of each book. ¡°So you''ve read all of them?¡± He asked after confirming none were missing.


    Lilith nodded her head. ¡°Each and every one. Some even multiple times.¡±


    ¡°Even with everything you¡¯ve read, do you still think you can pull this off?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Why are you lying?¡± Alex asked quickly after Lilith¡¯s statement, giving her no time to think.


    Lilith tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯m not?¡±


    Alex took off his glasses and rubbed his temple. ¡°What makes you truly believe you can?¡±


    ¡°Because people are waiting for their letters and we have an obligation to do so.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a reason, Lilith.¡±


    ¡°It is for me.¡±


    Alex sat there, staring directing into Lilith¡¯s eyes with a dumbfounded face. He had known of her obsession with her job, but he didn¡¯t think she would take it this far.


    Using the silence as a cue, Lilith continued talking. ¡°I have always believed this. Regardless if it¡¯s the unknown hellscape up north or the forests to the west, there is someone awaiting their letter.¡± Lilith¡¯s voice was serious.


    ¡°But is it worth risking your life? If you die ¨C which is a high chance of happening, mind you ¨C then you¡¯ll never be able to help anyone ever again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just the risk I am willing to take. Even if this package wasn¡¯t all that important, I would still do it.¡±


    Alex let out a deep sigh. ¡°I will drop this conversation here. You¡¯re the rank required for it, so you can accept the job if you want to. I¡¯ll just have to be thankful you did some do diligence in preparing.¡±


    "On that note," Lilith''s hand delved into the abyss, producing a map that rustled and crackled as it was unfolded onto the table. ¡°I want to show you the route I plan to take.¡±


    ¡°I think I can guess your plan, but please share.¡± Putting on his glass, Alex leaned over to get a better look.


    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s simple. There are two alternatives, but one of them is not a realistic possibility, and that is by boat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that will not happen,¡± Alex said, dismissing the idea immediately. ¡°Yes, we have boats, and yes, we can cross the ocean with them, but they only take very specific routes, and those routes aren¡¯t free from danger. I rather not risk innocent lives knowing you will all die.¡±


    ¡°Fair. I didn¡¯t plan to take this route, but it didn¡¯t hurt to bring it up since it would¡¯ve taken far shorter.¡±


    ¡°And you would¡¯ve died before even getting close.¡±


    Lilith shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t say I believe what I read about the ocean, but I¡¯ll have to take your word and the book''s word for it.¡±


    ¡°Good. The ocean is off limits,¡± Alex''s voice turned sharp.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I understand, I do,¡± Lilith exclaimed. ¡°I just wanted to bring it up. A shot in the dark.¡±


    Alex¡¯s gaze lightened up and after turning his attention back to the map, he pointed to several mountains in the far east. ¡°I¡¯m assuming this is the other way you wanted to mention?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the dwarven mountains. They have a bridge to cross over to the other side. A lot safer than to rely on the bridges that form naturally. They¡¯re far too random, no safety net, and the adventure''s guild destroys them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not worth it. You will either waste far more time than needed, or die while crossing over, since it¡¯s so out in the open.¡±


    ¡°The one who wants this delivered mentioned his path, right? They said it was through the dwarves?¡±


    Alex nodded his head. ¡°They did.¡±


    ¡°Then that means they expect others to follow them and if they have half a brain, then they left a trail.¡±


    ¡°And since we know the one up north is waiting for a package, this is, without a doubt, a possibility.¡±


    ¡°Then there have to be areas that are safe, right?¡±


    Alex skimmed once again through the books that Lilith brought with her, and after finding the one he was looking for, he took it from the pile and placed it next to the map. ¡°You¡¯ve read this book, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, confirming she did. ¡°It was one of the few I read more than once.¡±


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t need to explain what it was like in the north before the Scar happened and how the north became a wasteland? We don¡¯t know all the details, but we know the elves used to live on this continent and that means-¡±


    ¡°There are ruins up there as well.¡± Lilith interjected.


    Alex smiled. ¡°Correct. Is that your goal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I don''t know where to start or if ruins even exist up there anymore. I feel like the only thing I can hope for is to hear something from the dwarves.¡±


    Alex placed the book back onto the pile, then took a sip of his tea. ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say that he left some kind of trail.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to find out,¡± Lilith sighed. It was the one thing that stumped her. The first half was a joke. For the past hundred or so years, the south had become far safer than it has ever been and with the increase of adventurers or people just going back and forth from city to city, it wasn¡¯t difficult to go as a group so getting to the dwarves would be simple. It¡¯s just the north that was a mystery, and no matter what she read, there was nothing to really go off of. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand, though.¡±


    Alex¡¯s eyebrow lifted. ¡°What don¡¯t you understand?¡±


    ¡°How is there no recent information? I¡¯ve read about the demons I could see, but none of them are unique to the north. Why is there so much unknown?¡±


    The room fell silent as Alex debated on what to say next. It was strange, but even in his position, he wasn¡¯t privy to this kind of information, so it was hard to answer. After a moment, Alex leaned back, adjusted his glasses, and crossed his arms. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have the answer to that question. As you said, it is strange and I¡¯m sure annoying politics are involved, but I just don¡¯t know the answer. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    With an elbow on the table and her chin resting in her palm, Lilith used her other hand, tapping the table with a finger. ¡°It¡¯s weird.¡± With one last tap, she sat up. ¡°I wonder if the dwarves would have anything since they leave far closer than us, and I wonder if that¡¯s why this person didn¡¯t leave any clues other than him going to the dwarves.¡±


    ¡°That is a likely possibility. Unless he was privy to any information, which I doubt he was, he probably didn¡¯t think it was worth taking any guesses until he could get anything from the dwarves.¡± Alex said.


    ¡°But would they share this information?¡± Lilith asked. ¡°Although their borders are open, they are still extremely cautious and keep a lot to themselves.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t afraid of sharing. You¡¯ll just need to convince them. You should be fine, though, since you can hold your liquor well.¡±


    Lilith snorted. ¡°Is that all it will take?¡±


    Alex shrugged. ¡°Possibly.¡±


    ¡°Anyway~¡± Lilith brought Alex¡¯s attention back to the map. ¡°Safe travel from one city to another, although The Holy Empire won¡¯t be pleasant.¡± Lilith pointed to the far eastern city. The city always had a strong religious influence since its founding, alongside a deep-seated hatred for the cursed ones.


    Alex looked at the map, ¡°Is that the only way you can go?¡± he pointed towards a different road, guiding his finger along a different route. ¡°You can head up here, then go to this In then¡­¡± Alex continued, and Lilith watched.


    ¡°But It¡¯s not the safest.¡±


    ¡°Nor is the city you wish to stop at.¡±


    ¡°But It¡¯s the only safest way I can think of. However, there is one thing that could help me regardless of which way I go¡­¡± Lilith peaked at Alex, gauging his reaction. ¡°There are those experimental versions of the portable barriers.¡±


    ¡°Experimental,¡± Alex harped on the word, making sure Lilith understood what that truly meant.


    ¡°I know, but what better time to test it than now?¡± Lilith asked, but her face pleaded for Alex to say yes.


    ¡°As long as you understand that such a tool is in an experimental stage. We haven¡¯t fully replicated the barriers that we see around the cities and Inns. Even the ones that were made for towns aren¡¯t close to how strong they are.¡± Alex looked up at the silent Lilith, who sat there, pleading with her eyes. ¡°Fine. just promise that you won¡¯t let your guard down even while using it.¡±


    ¡°I promise. Anything that will help me get to my destination, I will welcome.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you it tomorrow. It shouldn¡¯t be hard to do. Is there anything else while we¡¯re on this topic?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, a spare uniform wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea. I only have the one at home, and I rather not risk the travel with only one. The magic woven into it will be far too helpful.¡±


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be an issue either, but it will take a bit longer. Magic weaving isn¡¯t that simple.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Now then.¡± Alex brought Lilith¡¯s attention back to the map. ¡°Let¡¯s go over your plan one more time with no interruptions. You leave here, then travel to Mystral, head to the Hoyl Empire, then northeast to the Dwarves. It¡¯s simple and obvious.¡±


    ¡°Best to keep it simple.¡±


    "Once you''ve crossed the bridge and exited the dwarves'' territory, you''ll come across these trails that guide you to safe camping zones," Alex explained, leaning back and readjusting his glasses while crossing his arms. ¡°I expected some elaborate plan, but it¡¯s so simple that I would¡¯ve thought you came up with it last minute. And to make matters worse, it relies on luck far too much.¡±


    ¡°It could¡¯ve been elaborate, but we know so little past the Scar that it becomes an in the moment situation.¡±


    ¡°Alright, and you read all the books?¡±


    ¡°Some more than once.¡±


    Alex stared at Lilith. ¡°Come,¡± he said as he stood up and headed to the door. ¡°Off to the mail room.¡±


    Lilith quickly tossed her map back in the void, and gulped down the now lukewarm tea before following Alex with quick paced steps down to the mail room, a floor that had its own type of chaos. People were running back and forth, organizing packages and letters. Preparing them to go to the district post offices or to determine the difficulty of the delivery and which rank could take the job. It¡¯s the core of the building and what makes everything churn.


    ¡°It¡¯s a large package, which is another reason such a trip would be hard for most people.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s perfect for me, who can freely put things in a pocket that is nearly infinite.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, the bottomless bags aren¡¯t truly bottomless yet, so yes. You are one of the very few.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that large?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alex opened up the door, and after leading Lilith inside, presented the neatly wrapped box held together by ropes. It was larger than Alex, and far heavier than anyone could guess.


    ¡°That¡¯s.. No joke of a package.¡±


    ¡°And it must be important. Can you store it?¡±


    Blackened mana soared from her core up to her shoulder, down to her arm, then to her hand. It was as if an amalgamation of ants crawled to her hand as it seeped into every nook and cranny,  changing her once pale skin and clear nails into a midnight black.


    Black liquid formed underneath the large package bubbling while expanding and stopping when it covered the ground. Then, when Lilith closed her hand, the puddle shot up like spikes looking for a target. One at a time in quick succession until they wrapped around the meeting at the top, covering the package.


    Loosening her grip and facing her palm towards the ground, she lowered her hand slowly and the black blob followed until it disappeared and all that remained was a blackened puddle that quickly disappeared right after.


    ¡°Limitless,¡± Lilith said, as her hand returned to normal


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if that¡¯s a curse or a blessing.¡±


    "When it confines me to only very specific magic, despite having been blessed with a far superior mana pool, then yes. I would call it a curse. I could¡¯ve been one hell of a mage if I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but everyone who has the same curse was in a similar situation as you. Blessed with an abundance of mana.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Coincidences,¡± Lilith shoo¡¯d the logic to the side. ¡°How long do you think the spare outfit will take?¡±


    ¡°Give or take a week. If you haven¡¯t gotten taller or shorter, then I can get them to work on one right away.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. So the outfit and the barrier tool. Besides that, I have to replenish supplies and tidy up my place before I depart. Should I come get the spare?¡±


    ¡°I can get it delivered to you immediately when it¡¯s done.¡± Alex paused, eyes filled with sincerity. I want to emphasize once again. There is no time limit and there is no expectation for you to succeed. If you need to, then return.¡± Alex lightly sighed. ¡°Do your best. Please. And make sure you don¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°I will make sure it gets to its owner, Branch Manager.¡±


    Alex smiled. A weak smile. ¡°Good¡­ Good.¡± Alex paused. ¡°I-I sincerely hope to see you again when it¡¯s over.¡± He reached over, gently patting Lilith¡¯s head. ¡°I wish you the best.¡± He said, messing up her hair as much as he could before pulling away.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°I wish myself the best, too,¡± Lilith said while readjusting her outfit in the mirror. Far more presentable than before, she sported her uniform, which was a dark blue suit, black buttons and accessory flairs, a white buttoned shirt and a black tie. Some may think it was strange to wear a suit, but because of the woven magic, it worked well and allowed carriers to be presentable. Her name and rank were woven into the upper left corner of her suit jacket, right at her shoulder.


    Lilith Anderson


    Rank: Platinum


    Her now straight black hair rested just beyond her shoulders. Looking herself over one last time, she grabbed the flat cap resting on the counter which matched the color of her suit, and instead of a pair of dress shoes or heels, she slipped on a pair of slim boots which hid underneath her suit pants.


    It was a unique outfit for what she does, to say the least, but after buttoning her jacket and activating the magic weaved into the fabric, a weird sensation enveloped her body, which disappeared shortly after. It took some getting used to as the weight of the outfit and the feel of it disappeared. She was clearly wearing the suit and she could see it in the mirror, but it felt as if she was naked. But this allowed the carriers to move around freely and to not be boggled down by any inconvenience. With that said, some carriers opted into more combat like outfits wearing armour to give them protection, then switching to the suit when getting to town. Lilith could do that too, but it didn¡¯t matter all too much for her, since she wasn¡¯t a fighter, so all it would do was add on extra weight.


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said, checking herself one last time, and after making sure everything was in order, she blew out the candles in her room and headed out through the streets, then the gates.

 Chapter 2: Inn

    "So bright," Lilith groaned, adjusting her hat to shield her eyes from the sun as she gazed upward.


    Despite the immense heat from the sun, the magic woven into Lilith¡¯s uniform kept her body temperature at a manageable degree. It was a bit hot, but compared to the other travelers alongside her, it showed that she had no room to complain. If anything, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the exhausted horses hauling cargo or the adventures that were geared up, ready to fight.


    The ones traveling with Lilith were a mixture of merchant groups, travelers, and adventures headed to the same place. It was a common practice for anyone traveling to group up, which in turn, allowed proper rest in between Inns. It also scared off any weaker demons or bandits looking for easy money. Even though it was safer than it has ever been, it didn¡¯t mean that it was completely secure.


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± A man shouted out from the front of the convoy, causing Lilith to look up ahead to watch people disappear one after another.


    ¡°It seems we¡¯ve reached the next Inn,¡± an older lady commented from the carriage.


    ¡°We got here pretty quickly,¡± Lilith responded. ¡°We should be halfway to Mystral.¡±


    The old lady peaked over and gave Lilith a toothy smile. ¡°How much longer do you think it will take, young lady?¡±


    ¡°Give or take 12 days if we move as a group. We don¡¯t have the luxury of traveling too late in the night and the days where we can¡¯t make it to an Inn mean we stay at the next one even longer. A lot of variables,¡± Lilith answered the old lady''s question with sincerity, going over every outcome she could think of and why it would take as long as it could.


    ¡°It seems we have some traveling left, Troy,¡± the old lady pointed her attention towards the older gentleman next to her who, after hearing his name, woke up from his nap, looked around, and agreed without knowing what was said. The old lady simply looked at the old man with a smile. Not repeating what she had said, just reassuring that she agreed as well.


    As they talked, their group approached the invisible barrier and vanished, just like those before them. There was no feeling or sign that you¡¯ve crossed the barrier border. The only thing that changed was the materialisation of the Inn and the buildings surrounding it. Something that wasn¡¯t there before came into view. The wonders of ancient magic.


    ¡°It¡¯s a large building,¡± the older lady mentioned.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the largest Inns I know of,¡± Lilith answered. ¡°And one of the oldest.¡± These Inns with their impenetrable barriers serve as safe zones, allowing travel from one mega city to another or other less traveled paths. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading in first to beat the crowd,¡± Lilith said, as their carriage took a sharp turn to the stables, guided by the employees.


    Lilith¡¯s eyes widened as she entered the main lobby. It was busy. She was aware she traveled with a handful of people, but there seemed to be far more than the rough number she expected. ¡°This is bad timing,¡± she whispered under her breath before maneuvering her way past everyone to the front counter.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± the receptionist said, her focus shifting towards Lilith¡¯s name and rank etched into her jacket. ¡°Ms. Lilith. Please hand over your pass so we may confirm your identity.¡± Reaching into the abyss, Lilith took out a golden pass and handed it over. No name, rank, or any other identification, only several magical circles etched into the gold. ¡°Thank you. One moment, please.¡±


    As the receptionist disappeared into the back, Lilith took the opportunity to observe her surroundings and the people nearby. There was a mixture of familiar faces she saw while traveling and new ones she had never seen before. Weird, Lilith thought. It wasn¡¯t hard to discern the difference between a merchant and a regular civilian, and although there were some who would travel, the ratio felt off.


    ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed your identity,¡± the voice abruptly interrupted Lilith''s thoughts, snapping her attention back to the counter. ¡°Here is your pass, and can you please sign this document?¡± Handing back the pass, the receptionist placed three papers in front of her. They were the typical documents that anyone visiting an Inn must sign. Things about revoking the right to stay at an Inn if the customer doesn¡¯t pay or does something wrong, and other fine details to make sure things run smoothly. Focusing her mana on her index finger, she signed her name in black. ¡°Thank you. With this, the contract is signed. Would you like to pay upfront or each day?¡±


    Putting the golden pass away, Lilith reached in, handing over 10 silver coins. ¡°I¡¯ll pay in advance and collect whatever is remaining before I leave.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. Here is the key to your room. Although I am sure you¡¯re aware, I still have to remind you. You are only paying for your room upfront. You must pay for any other services that you require separately. The dining hall is down that way. The meals change daily and as for the magical shop, it is down the hall to the right. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to come ask us at the front desk.¡± The receptionist smiled. A businesslike smile, which Lilith was sure she had done more times today than any other.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll do just that if I do.¡± Lilith smiled back and headed to the right. She wasn¡¯t tired, and seeing how many people were there already, and how many people were going to trickle in within the next hour or two, she knew she had no time to waste. Her steps turned into strides as she headed down the hallway and came to an abrupt halt at the front of the magic shop. Lilith slowly opened the door, and after confirming it wasn¡¯t busy, snuck in and rang the bell at the counter.


    ¡°Welcome to my shop!¡± A young man bursted through the curtains behind the counter as a green trail of fog followed.


    ¡°Were you experimenting as usual, Lyonel?¡±


    ¡°Lilith! It¡¯s been a while!¡±


    ¡°A few months, and it seems like some of the staff has changed as well?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to keep them all when you¡¯re in the middle of nowhere. It¡¯s fine by me since I can make my potions, but I¡¯m sure it can drive people crazy. And this place is probably a stepping stone, anyway.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, I couldn¡¯t see myself living here for a long period of time. At least the pay is good¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°Fantastic pay. Without a doubt.¡± Lyonel swatted the question away with a hand. ¡°Now then, what can I help you with today, ma¡¯am? Refills?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Lilith pulled out several empty vials. ¡°When do you think you can get these done?¡±


    ¡°Awakening, is it? It shouldn¡¯t take too long since I¡¯m already creating batches for a previous group that came in the other day.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Lilith said, walking away slowly to glance at the shelves of potions Lyonel had on display. ¡°They didn¡¯t seem like merchants. Do you know who they are? And why are so many of them hanging out around the lobby?¡±


    ¡°Refugees. I¡¯m not sure of the details, but they¡¯re on their way to Tarrin after losing their homes and since some don¡¯t have enough money, we¡¯ve let them stay in the lobby, so they just naturally hovered over there. They plan to leave tomorrow or the day after, if I recall.¡±


    ¡°Refugees, huh?¡± Lilith paused in front of several shelves labeled ¡®experimental.¡¯ A plethora of potions sat on the shelves, with some marked exactly what they were, while others only had the ingredients used and an occasional potion or two with no writing at all. ¡°Do you know where they came from?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t know the details. I stay in my little shop most of the time. You¡¯re better off asking them directly,¡± Lyonel said, ending the conversation on the matter.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Lilith¡¯s voice trailed off as she took a deeper look into the shelves of potions while Lyonel counted the bottles and wrote the refill order. The potions were an entire spectrum of colors. Some blue, some black, and even some green and orange, but there was one that caught her eye immediately that hid in the far back of a shelf. A clear liquid with the label ¡°stealth¡± on it. ¡°Hey, Lyonel!¡± Lilith called out, raising her voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lyonel responded.


    Gently moving the potions aside, she took the translucent potion and hung it in view for Lyonel to see. ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°Stealth,¡± Lyonel said flatly.


    ¡°I would¡¯ve never guessed,¡± Lilith responded? in the same tone.


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s pretty straightforward, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but the details, Lyonel. D-e-tails!¡± Lilith took broad steps towards the counter, her voice raising with each letter of the word before forcing the potion right in front of his face. ¡°Do you understand how important a potion like this could be for our line of duty?¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Lyonel took a step back, using his hands to keep the distance between the two. ¡°You get way too passionate about your job.¡±


    ¡°So, what does it do?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t make you invisible, but in theory, it should allow you to go unnoticed.¡±


    ¡°Unnoticed?¡± Lilith looked at the potion. ¡°So, if I were to drink this, you technically wouldn¡¯t see me?¡±


    Lyonel shifted to the side, getting farther away from Lilith. ¡°The way it should work ¨Cnow, I say sure because I have had no one test it for long¨C is if you were to drink it right in front of me, I would still know you were there. See you. Like I said, you aren¡¯t invisible. However, if you were to walk away, say...¡± Lyonel nodded his head toward a shelf. ¡°Behind there, waited a second or two, then came out. I wouldn¡¯t notice and you would, theoretically, be invisible.¡±


    ¡°Is there any way for someone to notice me?¡±


    ¡°Most likely. It¡¯s not perfect since it is experimental. I wouldn¡¯t attempt to use it around higher tier mages, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°How about demons?¡±


    Lyonel paused, thinking about the question. ¡°That¡¯s a whole other story and we could be here all day talking about the what ifs.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do that.¡± Lilith leaned over the counter, getting close to Lyonel.


    ¡°Sure, if I wasn¡¯t so busy. If you want to wait about a week or two after I refill my stock and things calm down, I would be more than willing to talk about potions.¡±


    Lilith looked at the potion, reading the name stealth over and over in her head. It would be risky since she wasn¡¯t familiar with every demon out there, but if she at least knew everything she could about the potion¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t wait that long, but I have a question or two.¡±


    ¡°Make it quick. I have a long list of potions to make.¡±


    ¡°Would you be able to hear my footsteps? What if you bump into me? Or can a demon go off smell?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more than two questions,¡± Lyonel commented before answering them, regardless. ¡°Normally? No. But there¡¯s always a chance a demon with good hearing could. I wouldn¡¯t rule it out. This is the same with smell. I can promise that you¡¯ll never be seen, but I can¡¯t guarantee any other heightened senses wouldn¡¯t notice you, and this can mean humans, too. Now, as for bumping into you¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± Lyonel shrugged. ¡°It should work similarly ?to what I mentioned earlier, but it could also depend if the person even cared to take notice to begin with. As for demons, who knows? I never got to experiment with a demon, nor do I plan to.¡±


    Lilith let up from her barrage of questions and leaned back, giving Lyonel the much needed space. ¡°I guess it¡¯s experimental for a reason, huh?¡±


    ¡°If I had someone willing to try them¡­¡± Lyonel looked over at Lilith. ¡°Then I could improve on the potion or simply sell them normally if they were good enough.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you could make four more?¡± Lilith asked, after thinking about it.


    ¡°I could, as long as you come back to tell me what you¡¯ve discovered.¡±


    ¡°If it means you could start mass producing them or improve on them, I definitely will.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make 4 more on the house. They should be ready by the time your other order is done.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. How much do I owe you now?¡±


    ¡°I counted 8 bottles, so 13 silver.¡±


    Putting the stealth potion away, Lilith handed over the 13 silver for the order. ¡°Thanks again. And Oh, Lyonel.¡± Lilith stopped, holding the door half open. ¡°One last thing.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lyonel asked, his focus on the vials that were left for him.


    ¡°What you just described was far from simple. You should change the name to something else and have an instruction manual alongside it.¡± Before letting Lyonel rebuttal, she waved goodbye and left an unlucky Lyonel to deal with another wave of people who entered.


    Lilith''s eyes scanned the numbers on the doors, counting each one until she reached 117, where she paused. Double checking the number on the key and the door, she opened the door to a simply room with a bed against the wall, nightstand next to it alongside a small table, 2 chairs, and a closet. Simple, but cheap and what is expected in nearly every Inn unless she was willing to pay more.


    Taking her hat off and placing it on the counter, she sat down on her bed and took out the potion she got from Lyonel. ¡°Demon dogs are out of the question. It¡¯s not worth the risk, but what else would it not work on?¡± Taking off her shoes, Lilith laid down, dangling the potion above her, letting the liquid inside swash around. There were a few demons she could think of, but would she even run into them to begin with? Plus, she had the barrier.


    ¡°Is this worth it?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± she answered herself after remembering the drawback of the barrier. The barriers mana drain was no joke. It was something she tested early on, and although she could handle it without an issue, most people couldn¡¯t. So, a potion like this would work wonders, especially if Lyonel improved on it.

 Chapter 3: Dinner

    After running through every situation she could use the potion for, Lilith tossed it back into the abyss and sat up from her bed. She had a plan, or at least an idea of how to use them. ¡°Refugees,¡± Lilith repeated what Lyonel had told her earlier. Although she planned to get the details from someone who came from the town, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what could¡¯ve happened. Was it done by humans? Demons? If it was demons, how? Which ones and where was this town to begin with? Several questions ran through her mind, something she did far more often than it was worth.


    Swinging her legs from the side of her bed, she jumped off and opened up the window. It was dark out with a handful of people outside going through their containers, making sure everything was there, or simply talking or checking up on their horses. Street lights powered by magic lit up the streets within the barrier just enough to allow the ones outside to see, but not so overpowering that it would seep into the rooms. The place was akin to a city, or at least a small section of it.


    ¡°Food,¡± Lilith grumbled as her stomach begged for something to eat. Slipping on her shoes, she headed towards the dining room, taking note of the people who walked by. Shirts with holes, or hair that seemed dirty. The closer she looked, the more she noticed the dishevelment of the group of refugees. Most of them did not seem prepared to suddenly leave their homes, and some of them were dragging their feet, tired from travel. Lilith kept her head low, observing, and before sitting down at a dining table, spotted two people who seemed to fit the bill. ¡°Hey there,¡± Lilith said, causing the two to look up at her.


    ¡°Hello?¡± the female companion asked, her face questioning what she wanted.


    ¡°Would it be alright if I ask you a few questions during dinner? You can order whatever you want. I¡¯ll pay.¡± The two looked at each other, and after exchanging some whispered words, offered Lilith a seat across from them. ¡°Thank you.¡± Lilith called over a server and ordered food for the three of them. ¡°Are you two with the refugee group?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the female responded. ¡°My name is Lily, and his name is-¡±


    ¡°Jack,¡± he interrupted. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked in an annoyed tone, clearly suspicious.


    ¡°Well, first. Where is your group headed to?¡± Lilith asked.


    The two looked at each other. ¡°The merchant city of Tarrin,¡± Jack responded.


    Although Lilith had guessed correctly, the response still surprised her. ¡°Why Tarrin? People say it¡¯s the city of dreams. That you have a lot of chances to make money, but that¡¯s not entirely true. I¡¯ve seen far too many people fail after saying that.¡±


    ¡°Are you from there?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°Born and raised and currently work there as a mail carrier,¡± Lilith pointed to her name on her jacket. ¡°My name¡¯s Lilith. Sorry for the late introduction.¡±


    ¡°The city, for some of us, is temporary,¡± Jack answered. ¡°Many of us have connections there, and some of them owe us, so we''re relying on these connections to hopefully give us a jump start on something. Anything.¡±


    ¡°I see I see. I guess your town dealt with something important? Something that was popular?¡±


    ¡°Trade secret,¡± Jack said.


    ¡°Jack!¡± Lily hit his shoulder. ¡°It doesn¡¯t even matter at this point.¡±


    ¡°You never know,¡± Jack said, not letting up from his initial response.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lilith reassured her. ¡°What your town dealt with isn¡¯t important to me. What I want to know is how your town ended in ruin.¡± Lilith paused, and after realizing the wording she used, she corrected herself. ¡°Sorry, I care. Of course. But, I mean, I don¡¯t need to know what dealings your town did. Who they worked for. What happened definitely matters-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, we understand,¡± Lily put up a hand to stop the flustered Lilith.


    With cheeks slightly red, Lilith coughed into her hand, and after giving herself a moment, asked, ¡°Do you mind sharing why?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Lily took a deep breath. ¡°Our town was situated up north. It was pretty close to the Scar, so we were well aware of the dangers. That said, we didn¡¯t run into any problems for a long time.¡±


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    ¡°We were born and raised there for the past 23 years,¡± Jack added.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ impressive. I¡¯m assuming the barrier around the town was a newer developed one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was,¡± Lily responded. ¡°New for its time.¡±


    ¡°But that means it couldn¡¯t keep the town hidden from every demon.¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t. A single demon did it. Black, long horns that curved backwards.¡± Lily said.


    ¡°Charred, black skin.¡± Jack mumbled, his voice shaking.


    ¡°It was tall. Towering way beyond anyone in the town.¡± Lily closed her eyes, her lips trembling.


    ¡°With long finger and toenails.¡± Jack continued.


    ¡°And those crimson eyes.¡± Both Lily and Jack stopped. ¡°It had a tail too, but it felt otherworldly.¡±


    ¡°You saw it close up?¡± Lilith asked, leaning over.


    Lily looked at Lilith in the eyes, a crimson red similar to what Lily had seen. She looked away. ¡°We did,¡± she finally said as Jack shook his head in agreement.


    ¡°It seemed far more sophisticated than any other demon we¡¯ve ever seen, and we¡¯ve had to deal with our fair share,¡± Jack said. ¡°It knew what it was doing, and it felt like it let us go on purpose.¡±


    ¡°That many of you?¡± Lilith asked. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be insensitive, but why would it let that many of you survive?¡±


    Jack shrugged. ¡°I wish I knew that answer for myself.¡±


    ¡°Who ordered the chicken breast?¡± Interrupted by the server, she placed the meals in front of the three of them, causing both Jack and Lily to divert their attention from Lilith to the food, chowing down on the meals they ordered. Lilith watched them for a brief moment with a smile before eating her dinner as well. Outside of the chewing and drinking, it was a quiet dinner, and Lilith had no intention of disturbing the silence. They ate and ate with Jack occasionally eating too fast and having to down some water while banging his chest while Lily demanded him to eat slowly, yet not listening to her own words of caution. By the time Lilith finished her meal, the two had been long done with theirs, licking their lips and making sure every bit of food was gone.


    ¡°You can order more if you want, just not too much, since my pockets aren¡¯t that deep.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You already gave us enough,¡± Lily stopped Jack, his face questioning her decision.


    ¡°Please, order more if you¡¯re hungry. Just think of it as payment for the information you¡¯re giving me.¡±


    Jack quickly raised his hand, ignoring Lily and calling over a server to order both of them more food. Lily sighed and shook her head in her hand. ¡°Thank you for your generosity.¡±


    ¡°Before the next round arrives, do you mind continuing?¡±


    ¡°Where were we?¡± Jack rubbed his chin, tracing back to what was said. ¡°Right, the demon.¡±


    ¡°It definitely came from beyond the Scar.¡± Lily said with conviction. It was the only thing that made sense, and Lilith couldn¡¯t help but agree. That said, it was weird. The demon that the two described wasn¡¯t any demon Lilith had read about in her books, and even though there¡¯s always the scare of what could cross, nothing too serious ever did. Only the typical weaklings (compared to other possibilities) currently roamed around.


    ¡°Probably deep within, too,¡± Lilith added. ¡°But why? Weirdly enough, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever seen something powerful cross the Scar and come down south. It¡¯s a mystery that no one has figured out, but why now?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s from deep within?¡± Jack asked with a face full of concern.


    Lilith looked over at Jack, and as soon as she was about to question what he meant, it kicked in. ¡°Do you mean it came from inside the Scar itself?¡±


    Jack nodded his head. ¡°I mean¡­¡± He looked over at Lily, then back at Lilith. ¡°We¡¯ve seen some things crawl out from it before, but nothing on that level.¡±


    "We can''t rule that out," Lilith said, leaning back in her chair and chewing on the idea before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m no expert. I don¡¯t know everything, nor do I think I ever will, but it makes sense the more I think about it, but it¡¯s still weird. Why would it let you all just go freely? What did it do after? Where did it go?¡±


    Both Lily and Jack thought about the question, trying to dig up some memories of what happened, but they both couldn¡¯t give a straight answer. They ran away, and the only times when they looked back, it stood there with no intention of leaving.


    ¡°So it either stayed there, or went back,¡± Lilith said after a moment of deliberation. ¡°Was it only your town? No news of anywhere else?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Jack said. ¡°There¡¯s very few who would live that close to the Scar, and I think, if the demon in question was sentient enough, they probably wouldn¡¯t go that far down south.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Lilith mumbled. ¡°Hopefully this won¡¯t become an issue for me,¡± she said in a half joking manner.


    ¡°You''re setting yourself up for exactly that,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°What happens, happens.¡± Lilith took out enough silver to pay for the meals they had eaten, for the two more meals that were on their way, extra silver for their help, and a temporary pass with Lilith¡¯s name on it. ¡°Here¡¯s the money for the meals and some spare silver, and as for this pass,¡± Lilith handed it to Lily directly. ¡°Although temporary, it will help you get into Tarrin a lot easier, and if you show it to a receptionist at the Mailroom-¡±


    Lily had a face filled with confusion and wonder, ¡°Thank you, but why?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve mentioned it to the adventurer¡¯s guild already, but please, when you get there, ask for an audience with the branch manager, Alex. He might look scary, but he¡¯s far from it. ¡±


    ¡°But why the Mailroom?¡± Jack asked. ¡°What could they possibly do?¡±


    ¡°Alex has connections, and he has his own past that I won¡¯t get into. Just trust me, he¡¯s the right person to tell this to.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lily said, gripping the pass tightly with a determined face. ¡°If you say it will, I¡¯ll believe you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Also, if you he asks, just tell him I¡¯m doing fine. Now then,¡± Lilith sat up and brushed her pants. ¡°Please enjoy the other meal. I¡¯m going to head back to my room and sleep. If I don¡¯t see you tomorrow, I wish you two a pleasant journey and hope everything works out for you.¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± they both said.

 Chapter 4: Charlotte

    Sitting up from her bed, Lilith rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms and legs. Two days had passed since her talk with Lily and Jack. They left yesterday, and after saying goodbye, there wasn¡¯t much for her to do outside of mulling over the demon they mentioned, and even then, thinking about it anymore wouldn¡¯t do her any good. ¡°Now then,¡± Lilith sat up from the bed and, after doing some last stretches, changed into a more casual set of clothing and made her way to the baths. Tomorrow was the day the self-appointed leaders set for the convoy to leave, which meant Lilith had to be ready if she wished to travel with the group.


    The baths were quite peaceful, allowing Lilith to go in, clean up, and leave with no hassle, and after feeling clean and ready for the rest of the day, she went through her mental list of things she had to do. The list was short, with only one truly important thing, so after getting back to her room, dressing herself in her uniform, she took off to the magic store where Lyonel was far too busy to give much heed of her entry.


    Lilith waited in the line, which moved fast since the people there weren¡¯t looking to put in orders, but were there to collect them. Lyonel shuffled back and forth from the counter to the backroom, organizing vials and handing them over to their owners, and when it became Lilith¡¯s turn, it was the same. With a quick thank you, she left Lyonel to his own devices and left the shop.


    It must be tiring, Lilith thought to herself as she left. Lyonel didn¡¯t seem to have slept since the last time she was there. ¡°He¡¯s still young, but an apprentice would help him a lot,¡± Lilith concluded while thinking about it.


    Looking around in the lobby, she had to decide what to do until the next day. These lulls between traveling while technically good were sometimes too much. It gave her far more time than she needed to relax, but when you have an extra day to do so, you just sit around and wait. There was never anything much to do at these Inns since they weren¡¯t created for vacations. Regardless, even with these lulls, this group moved faster than others.


    For the rest of the day, Lilith went at her own pace, eating when she needed to, and tried to relax as much as she could. She kept to herself, as she didn¡¯t find a need to start any conversations. Although she wasn¡¯t a fan, Alex always reminded her to take advantage of these breaks because there was no telling when the next one would be. In a way, even though reluctantly, it became ingrained in her to take it easy, so she did until the morning when she woke up early, changed, and got ready to leave.


    It was loud, with everyone moving about, readying their horses and making sure their cargo was there and secure. Everyone was busy, which was especially the case for the merchants hulling around their wares. They would wake up far earlier than everyone else, then nap after a few hours after leaving while someone else would take over. Missing the leaving time was not an option for any of them, as they would either have to travel alone hoping to catch up, or wait for another group and waste not only time but money staying at an Inn.


    ¡°Young lady,¡± a familiar voice called out, causing Lilith¡¯s attention to focus away from the carts. It was the older lady she had a brief conversation with and the older man next to her who seemed far more awake than the day? she met him. Lilith didn¡¯t notice it before, but she wore a gray robe alongside a large hat while carrying a staff that had several magical stones embedded into it.


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to see you again, Mrs.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Charlotte,¡± she smiled, finishing Lilith¡¯s sentence.


    ¡°And Sir. Troy.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡± Troy bowed slightly, a sword dangling from his hip.


    ¡°You seem to be in splendid health,¡± Lilith commented. ¡°Both of you.¡±


    ¡°Why thank you,¡± Charlotte said.


    It surprised Lilith. Charlotte stood up straight, and although she had long, gray hair, she looked far younger than she let on, and Troy was the same. Slick white hair and a build unbelievable for an older man his age. The perks of a warrior, Lilith assumed, as her gaze went to his weapon. He didn¡¯t seem to be the type to fight. He even seemed senile when they first met, but now his eyes were clear and his poster was slack but ready.


    ¡°Not to be rude, but it seemed strange for you two to be traveling, but now that I see both of you, I can tell I was quite wrong,¡± Lilith said.


    Charlotte let out a small laugh while covering her mouth. ¡°You took the words right out of my mouth. It¡¯s rare to see a cursed one traveling alone.¡±


    Lilith¡¯s smile cracked slightly at her comment. Was that called for? She thought. Is this the power of aging? Not caring what others think and just saying what¡¯s on your mind? ¡°Why thank you, I get by just fine.¡±


    Charlotte held her smile, and Troy kept a straight face, keeping out of the conversation. His arm rested on the hilt of his sword as he looked around.


    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, would you like to join us in our carriage? It¡¯s not fancy, but it will be better than walking.¡± Charlotte asked.


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    ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that offer,¡± Lilith responded, and immediately after, as if she expected the response, Charlotte walked past and Troy followed, heading towards the carriage. The more she realized it, the stranger these two became. A carriage? To travel in? They didn¡¯t seem like merchants and Charlotte was clearly a mage, maybe even an archmage, considering her age.


    ¡°Are you two headed to Mystral?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°Yes, for a gathering.¡± Charlotte answered.


    ¡°A gathering?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°A gathering of mages. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, is it that time of year?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it is. We have much to talk about this year as well.¡±


    ¡°And what would that be?¡±


    Charlotte put a finger to her lips and in a hushed manner said, ¡°unfortunately, I can¡¯t say the details.¡± With a smile, she went into the carriage, followed by Troy and then Lilith, who sat across from the both of them.


    ¡°Are you by chance an archemage?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± she responded quickly, as if there was no reason to hide the fact. ¡°I¡¯ve been one for quite some time.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you knew I was cursed?¡± Lilith asked earnestly.


    ¡°Your hair, sweety. It¡¯s as dark as the night sky.¡±


    ¡°But that can¡¯t be the only thing.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Charlotte tilted her hat up, letting Lilith to see directly into her eyes. Her eyes glowed white, indicating mana infusing her irises. ¡°You mana is far from normal. Instead of a normal white color, it¡¯s as black as your hair.¡±


    ¡°Even when I¡¯m not using it?¡± Lilith asked, puzzled by her findings.


    ¡°Oh my, yes, and it is far darker than any other I¡¯ve seen before.¡±


    ¡°Can others see what you see?¡± Lilith asked in a concerned voice. This was the first time in her 23 years of living that anyone had pointed out her mana. She knew people could see when she used it, but never once did she suspect anyone having the ability to notice even when she wasn¡¯t actively using it.


    ¡°No, not everyone, only archmages,¡± Charlotte reassured her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it too much. For anyone in the know, they can simply assume from your hair color. Although black hair isn¡¯t unnatural, it¡¯s the black hair and red eye combo that does it. Either way, even though we call it a cruse-¡±


    ¡°No one treats it as one,¡± Lilith injected.


    ¡°Correct. Outside of the Holy Empire, there shouldn¡¯t be many issues. Most people either don¡¯t know or don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°You know a lot,¡± Lilith stated.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always had a keen interest in your kind. Plus, It¡¯s a hot topic in the meetings.¡± Charlotte paused. ¡°On that note¡­¡± She looked up at Lilith. ¡°Maybe you should be careful.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Lilith blinked, wondering why the sudden reverse of opinion.


    ¡°Since your mana is far darker than other cursed that I¡¯ve seen, other archmages, if they were to come across you, might get too curious, and some of them are far too unhinged.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Lilith felt a shiver go down her spine.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t stress over it. Although there will be a lot of archmages in Mystral, I doubt anyone will leave and wander about outside of myself.¡±


    Lilith looked out the window, watching as the convoy took off. One by one, the wagons left alongside the only carriage within the convoy, sitting in the middle of the line. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re moving.¡±


    ¡°We have a long ride. I hope you¡¯ll keep me company with conversation while we travel.¡±


    ¡°Of course, and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have a lot of questions to ask. ¡°


    ¡°Ask away,¡± Charlotte smiled.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    The ride to Mystral was as uneventful although more enjoyable than the first half of the journey. Being part of such a large convoy made even the more insane bandits think twice before attacking, so the only issues they ran into were the occasional demons starved for meat. Charlotte and Lilith talked a lot. Things about magic, how she became an archmage and who to look out for. Sometimes Lilith told her about her own travels and places she had visited while delivering mail. From these conversations, Lilith learned quickly that Charlotte was much older than she looked. A known standard even for non-mages was that the amount of mana you possessed helped slow your aging if you actively took advantage, which was something out of reach for Lilith, even with her near endless amounts of it. The conversations were fruitful, and after each stop and Inn, she would join them in their carriage, sometimes talking or just resting until they finally reached the next mega city.


    One of the biggest questions Lilith asked was what she knew about the curse. No one ever provided her with the information she wanted to know, aside from the standard information that could be found in any library around the world, but she always assumed there was more to it. If it was as basic as it was, then why would it be called a curse? It never made complete sense to her. Charlotte didn¡¯t go into any details, but from what Lilith understood, she knew a lot more than what she let on and ended the conversation with Charlotte telling her to visit them in Deepmere to know more. Lilith couldn¡¯t understand why she had to wait to go visit her, but there wasn¡¯t much else she could do but wait. No matter how much convincing she tried, Charlotte didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Mystral, the city of mages.¡± Lilith looked around. It wasn¡¯t the first time she traveled to Mystral, nor would it be the last. It was one of the major cities she went to, and unlike the other mega cities within reach, it became one of the most advanced cities ruled by humans. Even with no intervention of dwarven technology, or elven mysticism, the city became the home of magicians ever since the usurping of a previous king. There was a lot to look at and a lot to visit, be it the looming towers which made people question the physics behind them or the major magic schools and shops. Mystral had everything and anything magical-related.


    After saying goodbye to Charlotte and Troy, Lilith found an inn, and by the time she settled down into a room, the sun had already dipped behind the buildings as the moon crept into frame. The streetlights slowly flickered on one after another, lighting up the streets as if it was daytime. Sitting down at the opened window, she watched as people walked down the road. Her eyes hovered towards the enormous castle in the distance, which sat in between the long towers.


    ¡°I wonder what topics they¡¯ll talk about,¡± Lilith thought while crossing her arms on the windowsill and letting her chin rest in the crevice of her elbow. She looked at the building for a while longer, and after a yawn, she stood up. ¡°Well, then,¡± she closed the window before changing out of her uniform, ¡°food, then sleep.¡±

 Chapter 5: Fake Packages

    After checking off the list of things she had to do, there was one last place she had to visit before heading back to the inn for the night. ¡°The Mailroom,¡± Lilith read the sign above the large glass doors. The building was nearly as big as the one in Tarrin, but not as busy.


    ¡°Hey, Isabella,¡± Lilith said with a smile after approaching the receptionist.


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to see you again, Lilith. Did you have a delivery to our branch?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m currently on a delivery. It¡¯s just a very far one, but since my next stop is the Holy Empire, I was wondering if you had any deliveries that needed to be done? I can drop them off before continuing.¡±


    ¡°Ever so diligent, aren¡¯t we? Unfortunately, things aren¡¯t doing too well over there...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°There are packages that need to be delivered there but¡­¡± Isabella looked around. ¡°It¡¯s been difficult to get in safely. They¡¯ve been targeting people who aren¡¯t part of their religion and other people that either don¡¯t align with their views or are helping the ones who don¡¯t.¡±


    Lilith bit down on her thumb. ¡°That¡¯s problematic.¡±


    ¡°If you want to know the details, I would suggest going to an informant. We¡¯ve only been privy to what others come back with.¡±


    ¡°Do you think some of the packages¡­¡± Lilith looked around, and leaned in, bringing her voice to a whisper, ¡°are for the ones that are fighting back or trying to hide?¡±


    ¡°Most likely,¡± Isabella whispered back. ¡°It¡¯s why there¡¯s far too many that have yet to be delivered. Carriers can enter, but the guards will check the deliveries before entering. It¡¯s just not worth the risk.¡±


    ¡°I can do it,¡± Lilith responded quickly. ¡°I have the ability to do it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but if you had nothing to deliver, then it will be far harder to enter and you might run into issues.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s simple, then!¡± Lilith grinned as she quickly came up with a plan. ¡°Fake packages!¡± She kept her voice hushed.


    ¡°Fake¡­ packages?¡± Isabella asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hidden meaning to it. I¡¯ll just need a regular carrier bag, and with the help of you and the branch manager, some packages that look real. If we cover all our bases, they''ll see that the letters and packages are harmless. The only issue is after entering.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ can work, but why go so far? There¡¯s a far larger risk for you than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s my job. The people there are in the most need of help and if it means these deliveries will help them even a little, then I feel obligated to do so.¡±


    After seeing the determination in Lilith¡¯s eyes, Isabella took a step back, looked through some papers, then said, ¡°Please give me a moment. I¡¯ll need to run this by the higher ups first,¡± before grabbing the stack of papers she looked at.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just wait at the bench over there.¡±


    While Lilith sat down, Isabella disappeared imto the back and up the stairs. Although she had to get permission for this sudden project, Lilith was confident they would accept the idea and not because they felt they had a moral obligation, but because the longer they held onto the deliveries, the more it congested the mailroom. It only took Isabella roughly 30 minutes until she returned, and based on her facial expression, the outcome was as she expected.


    ¡°I take it they said yes?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°Come with me, please,¡± Isabella responded, leading Lilith quickly to the stairs, then to the mailroom floor. It was near identical to the one in Tarrin, with the only difference being the size. Isabella took Lilith to a room in the back where the workers were busy carrying packages of all sizes into. The train of people didn¡¯t end. When one person dropped off a box, another followed. ¡°As you can see, there is a lot.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re still piling them up.¡±


    ¡°Can you do this many?¡± Isabella asked.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem, but I might need a few more fake packages and letters than I originally expected.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be an issue,¡± Lilith answered.


    ¡°Thank you. It will be more believable if they see me going around a lot.¡±


    While Lilith was busy estimating the amount of packages, Isabella looked over at her with eyes of worry. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? Don¡¯t you still have a delivery?¡± Isabella''s worried expression poked at Lilith¡¯s conscious.


    ¡°Who else could do it?¡± Lilith smiled, attempting to reassure Isabella. ¡°I¡¯m not a fighter, so I avoid fights, and the only way to avoid them is to have the tools to do so.¡± Lilith pointed to her rank underneath her name on her jacket. ¡°How else do you think I climbed this high?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that,¡± Isabella smiled weakly.


    ¡°Is this all of it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and these letters here,¡± Isabella handed over a bag, which Lilith estimated to be 30 letters.


    ¡°How¡­ long has this been going on for to lead to so many undelivered packages and letters?¡± Lilith stared unblinkingly at the piled up packages. It far exceeded the number she originally expected.


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    ¡°It''s been two months.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Lilith looked over the packages one more time. ¡°This still looks like far too many for two months.¡±


    ¡°As you said, people are trying to help their friends and family.¡±


    Lilith let out an exhausted sigh. Not because it was a lot of work, but because it was unfortunate that people want to help their family this much, but couldn¡¯t do anything but hope someone would make their deliveries. ¡°So, am I good to take these?¡± Lilith asked while raising her hand.


    ¡°If you truly wish to take on these deliveries, then yes.¡±


    Without saying another word, Lilith let the mana flow into her hand, and like the package she received from Alex, a blackness creeped up from the ground until it encompassed the pile before disappearing. ¡°How long do you think the fake delivery will take?¡± She asked, while taking the letters and doing the same.


    ¡°My personal estimate is a week. We need to make to make it as official as possible.¡±


    Lilith nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m honestly surprised they¡¯re willing to go this far to begin with. The upper management, that is.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Isabella asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°I understand wanting to get rid of the packages, but to go to the extent of faking deliveries?¡± Lilith opened the door for Isabella, letting her lead the way back to the lobby.


    ¡°They do care. I¡¯m sure part of it is the amount of deliveries stockpiling, but they do care about the people. Maybe not as much as you,¡± Isabella glanced in Lilith¡¯s direction. ¡° But they do.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. Should I come back in a week?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°Please do. If you wish, you can come check earlier, but the latest should be a week.¡± Isabella responded


    ¡°Alright, sounds good. I¡¯ll be staying longer than I expected, but it shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    ¡°Where are you headed for your current delivery, anyway?¡± Isabella asked.


    ¡°North,¡± Lilith simply said.


    ¡°Past the Scar?¡± Isabella¡¯s eyes opened in surprised.


    ¡°Yes, and there¡¯s no time limit. So even if this delivery takes an extra 2-3 weeks, or even months. It¡¯s not too big of a deal. I just can¡¯t afford to be caught before even making an honest attempt up north.¡±


    ¡°I wish you the best on that endeavor. That sounds far too risky for anyone sane to accept.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe I¡¯m not sane,¡± Lilith remarked in a joking manner. ¡°I¡¯ll come by daily so I can leave as soon as I can. I¡¯ll see you later, Isabella.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Isabella smiled.


    Keeping to her promise, Lilith visited every day to check, but just as Isabella predicted, it took an entire week for the branch to prepare the fake deliveries and forge documents for them all. Honestly, it was impressive. Some may think a week was too long, but for something on such short notice, it was quick, and Lilith was thankful for it. It was also impressive how legitimate the letters and packages looked to be. It was perfect with every base covered.


    Knowing the political climate of her next destination, the only thing she could while waiting do was prepare. One of the most important potions that could ever exist, or at least for Lilith, was a hair color dye. Although it wasn¡¯t perfect since it wouldn¡¯t drastically change her hair color, it was enough to make it brown instead of her pure black. This meant that it was much harder for anyone to take notice.


    Outside of preparing for the trip and any restocking she had to do, she took the time to wander around and see the shops she would normally not visit. It was always work for her, and whenever she would arrive in Mystral, she would only stay for a short period before heading back. There were hundreds of shops, or at least that¡¯s what it felt like to Lilith. There were just far too many places to look and far too little time to do so.


    During Lilith¡¯s wandering, she came across Charlotte, who kept Lilith busy in the evenings. Although the archmages who came to the city for the meeting kept to the towers and the castle, Charlotte was an exception. She stayed at an inn and looked around the shops often. She said it was nice to treat it as a vacation and to see what was new. It was also a pleasant change of pace compared to the stuffy meeting room.


    The conversations Lilith had with Charlotte about the meeting were a nice filler to have the day go by quicker. There was nothing to write home back since she couldn¡¯t divulge into the more serious topics, but she talked about their thoughts and what to do about the Holy Empire. She said the elders did not enjoy what they were doing but who would.


    ¡°Politics,¡± Charlotte would say with a hint of disgust. Layers of annoyances. Although everyone agreed what they were doing was inhumane, and other cities would agree in a heartbeat, it was never as simple as that. Circles up circles, Charlotte told Lilith. They would say one thing, then bring up another, then go back to where they started. She eventually gave up trying to maneuver the discussion in any meaningful way. There was some venting from Charlotte, but that was fine. If anything, Lilith found their stance interesting, but also unfortunate.


    There was one other thing that Charlotte mentioned to Lilith during their evening chats. To her surprise, there was a mage currently living within the Holy Empire. Scarlet was her name and she operated from a shop called Spellbound. Apparently she was Charlotte¡¯s mentor and knew her quite well as she gave a warning to not take anything she says too seriously.


    ¡°She can be a bit playful,¡± Charlotte told her with a face that held back a grin and eyes which shifted away from Lilith¡¯s.


    ¡°And you¡¯re supposed to be the older one,¡± Lilith commented to Charlotte''s child-like behavior.


    ¡°You will see,¡± Charlotte said before changing the subject.


    It was pleasant chatter, and just like the travel here, Lilith absorbed as much wisdom as she could from Charlotte. Even some from Troy when he felt like talking who would tell stories of his travels and his fights with demons, which Charlotte often backed up his claims of glory.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°Do you have everything in order?¡± Isabella asked.


    ¡°As ready as I can be. I looked through the packages and letters to see where they needed to be delivered and organized them. I¡¯m not too familiar with the topography of the city, so I¡¯ll have to look into it when I get there, but I have everything ready, and as for this-¡± Lilith patted the bag before putting it away. ¡°Do I bring it to the mailroom there?¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Isabella brought out a letter with the seal of the branch manager. ¡°Show this to a receptionist there and ask them to bring you to their branch manager. He¡¯s on good terms with ours and will definitely help.¡±


    ¡°A bit of a gamble.¡±


    ¡°Not by much,¡± Isabella reassured her. ¡°Do you have your potions?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Food?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Money?¡±


    ¡°Are you my mom?¡± Lilith narrowed her eyes.


    Isabella shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m just worried.¡±


    ¡°Traveling might be the worst part,¡± Lilith said.

 Chapter 6: Holy Empire (1)

    Flicking the cork off the top, Lilith drank one of her potions, wiped her lips with her sleeves, and threw the empty vial into the void. Her eyes were heavy, and the night was dark. Only a bit longer, Lilith constantly reminded herself, as she trekked her way through the last stretch. Being alone meant that she couldn¡¯t take any breaks or risks, and because of the emptiness of the roads, there were way more lower tiered demons hanging around, waiting to strike. The barrier from Alex helped, allowing her to continue moving, but in return, it meant that she needed to stay constantly awake and aware, since sleeping out in the open wasn''t an option.


    If traveling alone with no one in sight, the normal thing to do would be to hire a mercenary group, but Lilith didn¡¯t have that luxury. She had money, but not enough to hire an entire group for that long. Plus, there wasn¡¯t a single soul willing to go to the Holy Empire. She was also lucky to meet anyone while traveling, only coming across people at the Inns early on, but the farther she traveled, the fewer people she came across. It was a weird phenomenon since in recent years smaller towns and villages appeared and the east was no exception. Yet, no one was even traveling to or from them..


    With a heavy sigh, Lilith yawned and chugged down another vial. They were quickly becoming more useless the longer she traveled, and it was becoming scary as soon enough, they will no longer have any effect, causing her to fall over and become dinner for the demons.


    ¡°This is worse than that one village down south,¡± she grinned and laughed, slightly disillusioned while reminiscing about the past. It was good practice for the north at the very least.


    The bright yellow eyes that hid in the shadows of the bushes on the off-road slowly disappeared and the road underneath her feet became more developed. There was no sign, but it was a good indicator that the barrier for the city was within reach. Smacking her cheeks to keep herself awake, Lilith took out one of her hair dyes and poured it over her head, causing her hair to turn brown. She then grabbed the decoy bag and slung it over her shoulder. ¡°Alright,¡± Lilith said with a deep breath, and kept moving.


    Before entering the barrier, she removed her own portable one and tossed it away and peaked her head into the barrier to look around. Everything seemed fine. Unlike the other mega cities, the Holy Empire''s city was much smaller, but there were farms and cottages scattered around outside. These farms scattered around had both animals and crops and while some houses had all their lights out, others had a reddish glow from the inside, with an occasional shadow walking by and a chimney spewing smoke even though it wasn¡¯t cold out. It seemed peaceful, contrary to what Lilith had been told.


    ¡°Who are you!?¡± A guard yelled, squinting his eyes and holding up the lantern towards Lilith, who made her way closer to the gate.


    Lilith put her hands up, signaling she was no threat, and as soon as she got into range, allowing the guards to fully assess who she was, they sheathed their weapons and greeted her normally.


    ¡°My apologies. We normally don¡¯t expect any travelers this late at night.¡±


    Lilith smiled. A weak smile and hazy eyes that were hard to discern if they were looking at the guards or not. Lilith lifted her bag, making sure they could see it. ¡°I have several deliveries that need to be made and since I was alone, I had to travel nonstop.¡±


    ¡°please hand over your pass and the bag so we may go through the contents of it. We must check each package-¡±


    Taking the pass out of the bag, Lilith handed both of them over, shoving them in the guard''s face. The potion was wearing off, meaning she needed to hurry. Drowsiness wouldn¡¯t kick in immediately, but she had been abusing the potions far too much in such a small time frame, so she knew it wouldn¡¯t be pretty.


    The guard took a quick look at Lilith. His face went from annoyance to understanding when he realised the state she was in. ¡°We will be as quick as possible.¡± The guard handed the bag over to a different guard, and they both disappeared past the gate and around the corner.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± A younger guard asked with worry.


    Lilith stood there, giving a thumbs up and a smile. ¡°Do you, by chance, know any inns with rooms still available?¡±


    ¡°You should be fine with any inn,¡± the other remaining guard said. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of them are currently busy.¡±


    ¡°Which one is the closest, then?¡±


    ¡°That would be Cat¡¯s Paw. If you follow the main road, you¡¯ll see it on your right.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the food there?¡± Lilith asked, keeping up the small talk to keep herself busy.


    ¡°It¡¯s good!¡± The younger guard nodded his head while his eyes sparkled.


    ¡°We go there often after work and it¡¯s quite popular with the locals.¡±


    ¡°Is it the beer?¡±


    ¡°That and the food. It¡¯s cheap and good.¡±


    The three of them continued their conversation, talking about the food on the menu, what kind of beer to get, and what else there was to eat. It was nice the guards were going along with her conversation, which allowed her to stay awake and alert enough to not topple over and fall asleep. The conversations continued until the two guards who left to check her bag came back. There were no issues, which was a breath of fresh air, and after receiving her pass and bag back, she thanked them for their information and entered the city.


    There were very few people walking about the city during the middle of the night. Some people still seemed to enjoy their nightly outage, going for drinks and living the night life or at least what the city offered, which was pale compared to Tarrin and its nightlife.


    ¡°Cat¡¯s Paw,¡± Lilith said, reading the sign. Greeted by loud chatter and light that made her squirm, she covered her eyes and made her way to the back, slamming down several silver onto the counter. ¡°Room for one!¡± Lilith shouted, so her voice could carry over the cheering and talking in the background.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, this is far too much for a room,¡± the older lady replied.


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    ¡°I won¡¯t be down for a few days, so I would like to pay in advance.¡±


    The lady looked her over, narrowing her eyes at Lilith. ¡°Normally, people don¡¯t come in here saying they¡¯ll hole up in their room.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Lilith pleaded, feeling the drowsiness taking over.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the lady said with a suspicious undertone, but after noticing her uniform, she handed the key to the room. ¡°Up the stairs to the left. The room number is on the key.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lilith took the key, and squinted her eyes in an attempt to read the number.


    ¡°Room 128,¡± the lady said.


    With a nod, Lilith went upstairs and to her room. Locking the door behind her, she tossed the bag into the abyss, and left a trail of clothes as she changed into something more comfortable before laying down on the bed.


    The moment her head hit her pillow, her eyes closed, causing her to fall into a deep sleep.


    The backlash felt stronger than she originally thought, and no amount of noise woke her up. She was so deep into her sleep that to an outside eye, it may seem like she was dead or cursed and unable to wake up.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Slowly, Lilith woke up groggy, hungry, thirsty, and weak. Her body shut down for several days, and now that the cogs were moving, every other issue surfaced at once. After a while, she slowly used her arms to sit up, leaning her back against the wall. Her lips were dry, her stomach was growing, and her eyesight was as bad as it was before. She sat there for even longer, and after attempting to rebalance herself mentally, she tossed a pair of slippers onto the floor, sat at the edge of the bed and slid her feet inside them.


    ¡°1¡­ 2¡­ 3¡­¡± Lilith counted down before slowly standing up. Only after making sure she could balance herself properly did she slowly slide her feet towards the door, opening it and peeking out into the hallway. ¡°No one,¡± Lilith said in a hoarse voice. Using the walls as support, she shuffled her feet down the hallway.


    Taking it one slide at a time, she glued herself to the wall while shuffling her way down the hallway. It wasn¡¯t difficult. A flat surface with no obstacles, something even a baby could do. However, what scared her the most and made her stop were the stairs. The best way to describe it was as if she was looking at a mountain, even though she was looking down and not up. Lilith strained her eyes to get them to focus as much as she could, and after hyping herself up and making sure she was ready, she took her first step down and stopped immediately while grasping onto the railing.


    The steps felt far larger than they actually were, and her mind played tricks on her as she took her first step. It looked like Lilith was weirdly hovering her foot outwards, making exaggerated motions to the people watching from downstairs, but for her, she was doing everything in her power to reach the next step. She continued this with each step and as she made her way down; the watchers grew worried as they slowly realized the person in front of them wasn¡¯t making an attempt at a joke and as one or two of them got out of their seats to go help, Lilith fumbled over her own foot, falling down the last two steps of stairs but miraculously catching herself with the help of the railing.


    The patrons who got up to help froze in place by the sudden tumble. It was as if the world froze for a split second as the voices died down and people looked over in Lilith''s direction. The fall wasn¡¯t too loud, but it was loud enough to pull the attention away from their conversations to see what happened.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Lilith reassured the onlookers with a smile, as one of the waitresses who seemed to be Lilith¡¯s age rushed over to help. Grabbing ahold of her arm, she slung it over her shoulder and brought her over to an empty table.


    ¡°Please sit here,¡± the waitress said as she helped lower Lilith onto the chair. ¡°Water!¡± She yelled out. Snapping the other onlookers into action.


    ¡°Some soup, too,¡± Lilith added.


    ¡°Soup, too!¡±


    Wetting her lips with the glass of water that was placed in front of Lilith, she took several small sips while the waitress, who helped her to the table, pulled up a chair and sat right next to her. Besides the eyes staring daggers at her, making sure she was alright, the attention she received faded as the patrons who were watching went back to their meals and conversations. Lilith slowly sipped away at her water, and after the soup arrives with visible steam radiating off the bowl, she gingerly blew on each spoonful.


    The pair of unblinking eyes never looked away. It felt like she was burning a hole in her as Lilith tried to eat. However, it wasn¡¯t the only pair of eyes looking at her. The older lady who gave her the keys a few days ago stood behind the counter in the back and, just like the server sitting down, she was staring daggers into the back of her head. Only when Lilith finished her bowl of soup did she walk over with arms crossed.


    ¡°Thank you for the food,¡± Lilith finally said, her voice still slightly hoarse as she reached into her pocket. She used it as a fake and to obstruct vision while reaching into the void to grab coins to pay for the meal.


    ¡°Do you mind explaining yourself now?¡± The older lady who was behind the counter now stood next to Lilith, and after shooing the younger one watching her, sat down in the chair. ¡°I understand who you are after checking in with the mailroom, but how are you even alive?¡±


    ¡°Magic does wonders,¡± Lilith said.


    Although the lady might not be a mage, mana flowed inside everyone and there were some facts that everyone knew regardless if they were a mage or not. Although a person needed to be gifted with an abundance of mana and the ability to wield mana in some shape or form to be considered a mage, there was a natural order to mana. The more a person has, the longer they live alongside being capable of sustaining themselves without a need of the basics to live. This helps mages not only stay awake longer than possible but also survive without food and water. This doesn¡¯t make a mage immortal, but it helps stall the inevitable. That stalling, however, can be the difference between life and death.


    ¡°So you¡¯re a mage?¡± she asked in an uncertain tone.


    ¡°To an extent. I¡¯m not a proper mage or anything, but it¡¯s just enough for situations like this,¡± Lilith lied. She had to keep who she really was a secret, so the best way to go about this situation was to tell a small white lie. ¡°Since no one was on the roads, I had to travel alone, which meant I had to chug potions to keep myself awake during the travel.


    The lady sighed, ¡°my name is Amanda. The owner of this dingy bar and inn called the Cat¡¯s Paw. A place where we hope no one dies on us.¡±


    ¡°My apologies.¡±


    ¡°Next time, give a warning if you can to get someone to check up on you.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    Amanda stood up and placed the chair back in its original spot. ¡°You should eat some more and relax. You don¡¯t seem to be in the best condition.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your words to heart. How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°Five days.¡±


    ¡°Longer than I thought,¡± Lilith mumbled to herself. ¡°Is it the middle of the day?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°I see. I see. Is there anything solid I can eat?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll go get something ready.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough thank you¡¯s for the day.¡± Amanda swatted it away like a bug before heading back to the kitchen.

 Chapter 7: Holy Empire (2)

    It only took two days for Lilith to return to almost normal. Enough to walk around town to where no one would look over, wondering if she was alright, and now that the immediate dangers were out of the way, the questions she was curious about once again floated by in her head. It felt like she was constantly asking herself questions since heading out on this job and after thinking about it; it seemed like by the end of it all, these questions would far outpace the answers she could gather.


    The first question she couldn¡¯t help but wonder about after thinking back was why no one traveled from one village to another on the east side of the continent. In recent years, villages have continued to appear far more than before, and Lilith was familiar with a handful of them in the east. Although she avoided the city, it never bothered her to visit the villages for jobs. They often had mail that needed to be delivered to them or sent out from their location, yet it felt like everywhere was closed off. Not a single soul on the roads, even though small groups weren¡¯t that uncommon. Sure, it was risky, but villages were great locations for adventure groups to travel to.


    The second question she only recently came to realize was, why did the city seem so normal? Although it might feel like there¡¯s fewer people that expected for a mega city such as the Holy Empire, but there were still people walking around without a worry. It was strange, to say the least, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do about it.


    ¡°Hello, how may we help you?¡± The receptionist asked at the mailroom, which Lilith visited. It was her first stop after recovering.


    ¡°Hi, I have this letter,¡± Lilith reached into the bag, but instead of activating the bag, reached into her void, pulling out the letter. It was a trick she would have to do often. ¡°It¡¯s from the branch manager of Mystral.¡± The receptionist took the letter, comparing the stamp to the ones on record. She handed it back after confirming its legitimacy and brought her through familiar hallways to a similar room where the branch manager was in.


    ¡°Welcome!¡± the younger man said. He had long white hair just past his shoulders and an outfit identical to the priests she was all too familiar with. ¡°Come, sit.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lilith said, her face contorting with a smile. A Priest? She asked herself, taking a half step backward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the man said with a smile. ¡°I have no plans to do anything to you. Even if you¡¯re a cursed one. My name is Gabriel.¡± His deep blue eyes were staring. Observing Lilith as if she was being tested. His frame, unlike Alex, was small, yet something felt¡­ off. ¡°I¡¯m trustworthy. Don¡¯t worry,¡± he repeated as if he read her mind and wanted to reassure her.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Lilith asked, her voice sharp. Pushing a chair as far back as she could, she sat down. It was a small table. A place to drink tea and eat snacks.


    Gabriel sat down across from her, and after scooting his chair closer, he poured Lilith and himself a cup of tea. ¡°Well¡­¡± Lifting the cup with one hand while holding the small plate with the other. He hovered the cup over the plate while taking a whiff of the tea. ¡°I¡¯ve known about you. I keep track of every cursed I can. It also helps that you work where I work.¡± He took a sip of the tea after talking, then gently placed it back on the table.


    No words followed Gabriel''s statement as Lilith anxiously sat there, on guard and watching his every move. They could¡¯ve warned me, she thought to herself. Gabriel knowing her secret was one thing, but being a priest as well? It was a combo that worried her.


    He seemed to have a different demeanor from his initial presentation, and his patience matched what was known of a priest. It was a type of patience that Lilith couldn¡¯t dream of having as he sat there, waiting for Lilith to talk. Yet she didn¡¯t. At least for a while, until her patience had worn thin.


    Lilith handed over the letter with a gentle toss onto the table to allow her to keep her distance, and while Gabriel read the letter, Lilith reached into the void, taking out a stealth potion as a safety measure. There was no saying what could happen, and it was worth being prepared.


    ¡°I would be careful using that magic, Lilith,¡± Gabriel said only moments after she grabbed the potion. ¡°The general populace won¡¯t notice, but the ones who¡¯ve trained under the church can easily tell,¡± Gabriel peaked out from the side of the letter and gave her a smile, causing a chill to run down Lilith¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Thank you for the warning,¡± Lilith said, holding the potion close.


    ¡°I understand not knowing this, but you¡¯re lucky you haven¡¯t run into anyone who would notice. Their stance on the cursed isn¡¯t pleasant in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°Their?¡± Lilith asked, harping on the word choice. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®their?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Answering my question with a question?¡± Gabriel took a sip of his tea. ¡°It¡¯s more than just the priests and priestess that can tell.¡±


    ¡°But what about you? Can I trust you?¡± Lilith asked.


    "If I intended to capture you, I would have apprehended you when you entered the city a few nights ago."


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡± Lilith paused as the wording kicked in. ¡°How did you know that?¡± she asked. ¡°Know that I came in at night?¡±


    Gabriel didn¡¯t respond, or at least didn¡¯t respond right away. He continued to drink his tea while finishing the letter, and only after he refolded and put it back in the envelope did he bring his attention back to Lilith. ¡°Even though I¡¯m not the pope, I have eyes everywhere. I know which guards you met when entering the city. I know you stayed at the Cat¡¯s Paw and didn¡¯t eave your room for days. I know why you didn¡¯t leave, and I now know why you¡¯re here.¡± Gabriel pointed to the envelope.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Lilith readjusted her hand, making sure she could open the vial as soon as she could. ¡°But you¡¯re a priest. I normally wouldn¡¯t mind, but after hearing what has been happening here¡­¡±


    ¡°As I said before. I have no intention of harming you or turning you in. In fact, I am against what the church believes in and think that anyone should have the freedom to pray to any God or Goddess they choose. Same with the cursed.As far as I know, there¡¯s no valid reason to hunt you all.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s no issue in your eyes, then why are you aware of who I am before I even introduced myself? Why do you keep track of us?¡± Lilith''s eyes expressed distrust and worry, but remained sharp and attentive.


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    ¡°I only wish to help the ones in need. So if it¡¯s within my power, I will help, and after reading your letter, I know I can. There are many people in the church who feel the same. Now, maybe not the same about the cursed, but,¡± Gabriel tapped the envelope. ¡°These people deserve their letters and packages. There¡¯s no reason to prosecute them.¡±


    ¡°You fancy yourself a martyr?¡± Lilith said.


    ¡°Heavens no. I simply follow my faith in God, and the ones higher up have simply forgotten their roots.¡±


    ¡°Roots?¡± Lilith asked. ¡°Nevermind, I don¡¯t need to know. Why are you a branch manager, then?¡± Her voice soften up slightly as she questioned his motives.


    ¡°It gives me access to things that allow me to pursue my goals,¡± Gabriel said with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Lilith asked after waiting for any extended explanation.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I will share for now. Now, to get to why you¡¯re here. We¡¯re more than willing to help you. After all, you¡¯re doing something noble, but.¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°It will take a bit of time to get ready as in I will prepare a list of everyone on those packages, where they live, and their affiliations. This will allow you-¡±


    ¡°To plan better. To know who would sell me out or not and to figure out a route of delivery?¡±


    ¡°Correct. However, in the meantime, can you do me a quick favor?¡±


    ¡°A favor?¡± Lilith responded with a question as she tried to figure out what he wanted.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a delivery,¡± Gabriel said as he kept his smile. A smile that was quickly annoying Lilith..


    ¡°It can¡¯t be just a delivery.¡±


    ¡°It is, it¡¯s just the location¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡°This guy is insane.¡± Lilith stood in front of the mailroom, head tossed back, watching the clouds slowly fly by. ¡°How does he expect me to sneak in a package if they can tell when I use my magic?¡±


    Lilith dropped her head down and looked in the church¡¯s direction. Although it wasn¡¯t a clear view of the building, it was tall enough that you could see it from anywhere in the city, even if only a part of it. ¡°I guess I have a potential way of doing this,¡± Lilith said, wracking her brain about the options.


    Sitting down and watching people walk back, Lilith reached into her bag, taking out the pass given to her from Charlotte. ¡°Spellbound,¡± she read. It was the name of the store Charlotte mentioned to her, and Scarlet was the name of the owner. She didn¡¯t delve into too much details about who she was, but mentioned that she needed to have the pass out to even find the store.


    ¡°Check the alleyways, she said.¡± Lilith shrugged. She couldn¡¯t quite understand how it worked, nor did Charlotte actually try to explain it, either. However, if what Charlotte said about Scarlet to be true, then it was indeed worth visiting.


    Or so she thought. ¡°Nothing is happening¡­¡± Lilith said, her voice carrying a hint of annoyance and disappointment. Leaning against a building, she looked at the pass. How does this even work? She thought while scratching her head. With a sigh, she wiped her brow and kept going down the alleyway she rested at. Starting at the ones she had never gone through earlier, she was now running out of ideas, and in a last ditch of effort, revisited the few she went through to get to the mailroom to begin with.


    Her pace, which was fast to cover as much ground as she could, quickly slowed down. Something felt off. It had a similar feeling when entering protected Elven ruins. It felt like something changed. A space that seemed to be ignored. Her walking now came to a stop as she stood in front of a sign with the words ¡°Spellbound¡± and stairs which lead down to a four panel glass door.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t here before.¡± Lilith read the sign once again, confirming she was at the right location. Lilith¡¯s thoughts were mixed. She didn¡¯t recall such a store being here, nor did she even see any store entrances in any alleyways in the city, so it was strange and eerie. However, there was a type of mystery that excited her. Plus, it was someone Charlotte was more than willing to recommend and knew very well. Now this is how a magic store should be, she thought, while being welcomed by the chiming of the bell as the door opened.


    ¡°Welcome!¡± voices ringed out.


    Voices? Lilith questioned herself if she had heard correctly. Plural. More than one?


    A figure draped in a black robe and black gloves covered them from head to toe came downstairs from the spiraling stairs in the back corner of the store and although their lower face was the only thing visible, something interfered as if there was a blur.


    ¡°You¡¯re a unique customer,¡± the voices rang through Lilith¡¯s ears, causing the hairs on her neck to stand up and her body to stiffen. It didn¡¯t register for the first time, but the voices were a mixture of both male and female of all ages. She counted 6, maybe 8.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re Scarlet, correct?¡± Lilith¡¯s voice was shaky. ¡°Charlotte told me about you.¡± She placed the pass on the counter for Scarlet, who walked over and took it, giving it a look over.


    ¡°This is indeed the pass I gave her. What has she told you?¡±


    ¡°That you¡¯re female.¡± Lilith pointed out. ¡°And you¡¯re her mentor.¡± The two other things she only mentioned.


    ¡°Is this what you wanted?¡± Scarlet said, her voices now replaced with a single female voice.


    Lilith nodded her head repeatedly.


    Scarlet let out a small laugh while covering her mouth. ¡°I like to keep myself as unknown as possible now and I normally don¡¯t go by the name Scarlet when operating under this shop. Charlotte knew that too, so why did she mention my name?¡±


    An unknown pressure pushed down on Lilith, causing her legs to feel heavy. With great effort, she fought to stay upright while holding her breath, only for the pressure to vanish without a trace, allowing her to catch her breath. ¡°Why?¡± She asked in between each gasp.


    ¡°I specifically told Charlotte to never give away this pass.¡± Scarlet ran a finger against the length of the pass. ¡°Yet here you are.¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve never taken it from her by force,¡± Lilith said, trying to reassure her.


    ¡°And I agree after getting a closer look at you. You don¡¯t have the ability to do so even with all that mana, and based on your outfit, I doubt you would if you could.¡±


    ¡°Then was that necessary?¡± Lilith asked, her voice with a hint of anger. Her legs were no longer weak and her voice no longer struggling.


    ¡°If someone came into your home without your permission, wouldn¡¯t you defend it?¡±


    Lilith couldn¡¯t help but let her anger subside. She wasn¡¯t wrong, even if she didn¡¯t agree to what she did.


    ¡°So, what do you need?¡±

 Chapter 8: Holy Empire (3)

    ¡°Charlotte mentioned that you¡¯re skilled in a lot of things, so I wanted your help.¡± Lilith took out one of the stealth potions and handed it to Scarlet. ¡°This is a stealth potion made by Lyonel. It¡¯s not stealth exactly, but it will let me go unnoticed.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Lyonel!¡±


    ¡°You know him?¡± Lilith asked in a surprised tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Scarlet responded in an excited tone.


    ¡°Wha -why would you- what?¡± The simple response left Lilith dumbfounded.


    ¡°Hmm? You made it sound like I should know him.¡± Scarlet lifted the potion and shook it lightly. ¡°So I thought I would play along.¡±


    ¡°Charlotte wasn¡¯t wrong,¡± Lilith mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can reproduce these? I got four from him, but after getting here, I feel like I¡¯ll need a lot more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no expert at potion making. I¡¯m a combat mage with an acute interest in magical tools, but it shouldn¡¯t be hard to make these.¡±


    ¡°Were you the one that made the barrier for this place?¡± Lilith¡¯s interests perked.


    ¡°I did.¡± Scarlet uncorked the vial and took a whiff.


    ¡°It¡¯s remarkably similar to the ones in ruins,¡± Lilith pointed out.


    ¡°They are the base I used to build this barrier, so you¡¯re not wrong. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say, though. Can¡¯t be telling all my secrets.¡± Scarlet poured the liquid into a larger container. ¡°Feel free to look around. They¡¯re all tools I¡¯ve made.¡±


    ¡°Oh~¡± Lilith veered away from the counter, her hands behind her back. Lilith took slow steps, looking at every single tool and stopping every so often to get a closer look. A lot of them were tools used in most households, while others she had never seen before having never left these shelves.


    ¡°I thought it was weird,¡± Lilith said as she stopped in front of a tea kettle and lifted it from the plate it sat on. ¡°I like tools a lot. They help me with my job a lot easier, which means I naturally become familiar with the leading figures in this department. An archmage, who often received credit for many of these tools, but was not well known to the populace.¡± Lilith looked over at Scarlet, who looked back. It was nearly impossible to see her face, yet a grin formed on her lips that was as clear as day.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting way to put it.¡±


    "Well, I only know because I had access to documents that normal people wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate if you didn¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    There was an eeriness that came from the words she spoke. It was a similar feeling to the voices she heard when Lilith first entered. It was magic, or more so, embedding magic into her words. Something she had never seen before. It felt like the pit of her stomach dropped and a coldness washed through the room, giving her goosebumps on her arms. ¡°What¡¯s upstairs?¡± She asked, changing the subject quickly.


    ¡°Books. All kinds of books, but they¡¯ll only benefit mages. I suggest coming back when you can take advantage of them.¡±


    ¡°So never?¡± Lilith mocked her response.


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe or maybe not.¡±


    She knows something, Lilith thought.


    ¡°You look confused,¡± Scarlet said as she went back to testing the potion.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, how about a hint?¡± Scarlet asked.


    ¡°A hint?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a hint.¡± Scarlet poked a finger into the bowl and licked the bit of liquid before writing her findings on the notepad. ¡°Why do you think the church is so afraid of the cursed? Why are they so willing to prosecute people for something the world deems as useless?¡±


    ¡°Because-¡± Lilith froze. Because, why? She thought.


    ¡°Think about that and you might figure it out. I also wouldn¡¯t bother asking me these questions, to begin with. Anything I know, I learned from that child, Charlotte. She has had a fascination with you cursed ones for as long as I''ve known her.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t call Charlotte a child.¡±


    ¡°She is to me and always will be.¡± Scarlet pivoted her attention back to Lilith. ¡°So, is there anything else you need other than these potions?¡±


    ¡°Ah! Right.¡± Lilith pointed to her head. ¡°Can you make a potion that can temporarily dye my hair a totally different color? I know it¡¯s not a thing¡­ I think? At least I¡¯ve never heard of it, but it¡¯s hard to believe you couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I can make one.¡± Scarlet said flatly.


    ¡°You can!?¡± Lilith¡¯s voice shot up.


    ¡°If you give me an hour, I¡¯ll have it ready, but if you want your stealth potions right now, then you¡¯ll have to give me longer.¡±


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    Lilith nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s fine. That¡¯s fine. Do you mind if I wait and look around?¡±


    ¡°Sure, just don¡¯t break my tools.¡± With a smile, Scarlet took the bowl she dumped the potion in and disappeared into the back room behind the curtains.


    There was a familiarity with the tools there and it was interesting to see how some of them differed from the current products in circulation. It let her see what they were like before and how people either improved on these inventions or made them worse. What interested her the most, though, were the shelves with tools she had never seen before. While some tools had obvious purposes, even if they weren''t released, others were so unfamiliar that she couldn''t even make a guess.


    Sitting down on the floor, she took a took off the shelf. One which, although very familiar, was sitting on one of the unknown shelves. ¡°Why is this here?¡± She asked herself. It was a stone near identical to the experimental one. ¡°Why-¡± Lilith quickly took out her own barrier stone and lined them up side by side. At a glance, they were similar, but after giving it a better look, they had differences. Scarlet¡¯s version not only had one extra magic circle used, but the stone itself was different, even though it looked the same.


    Lilith scratched her head, trying to understand. She understood magical stones and the variety in their density to hold magic, but Scarlet¡¯s stone felt a bit off. And the extra circle. What even is it?


    Two hours went by without Lilith even realizing it as she observed the stones. She didn¡¯t notice it originally, but unlike the experimental one, when she put her hand onto the original (or so Lilith assumed) it immediately sucked in her mana as if it was a baby hungry for food. It was relentless, but nothing she couldn¡¯t handle. She compared both of them as she put mana into them, trying to understand the differences. At first, she worried about injecting her own mana into an unknown crystal, but things seemed fine. Sure, it tainted the color to black while she used it, but that wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary. Well, Lilith¡¯s ordinary, that is. They were different visually, but after activation, they did the same. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the difference lies in the barrier''s strength itself. That¡¯s something the human eye can¡¯t see,¡± Scarlet said from her chair behind the counter.


    Lilith jumped at the sound of her voice. ¡°How long were you there for?¡± She asked after turning her attention to Scarlet, who sat comfortably observing Lilith.


    ¡°Long enough.¡± Scarlet motioned Lilith to come close with both the barriers, so she did just that. Standing up and walking over, she placed them both on the counter.


    Scarlet pointed to the one Lilith had brought with her. "I made this one with the intention of mass production," Scarlet explained. ¡°Although it should be in the experimental phase, it requires far less mana to use, and crystals that are far easier to acquire.¡± Scarlet pointed to the one she left on the shelf. ¡°This one is the very first prototype. This was the direct outcome from my findings with the barrier that was given to me how many so years ago.¡±


    ¡°So this offshoot caused the ones used in towns, then later the portable one I¡¯m currently testing.¡±


    ¡°This is a middle ground. It wasn¡¯t big enough nor strong or large enough for a town, alongside needing constant upkeep with mana, while on the other spectrum, it costed too much mana to travel with. It served no real purpose other than being the prototype of what we have now. But for you, it can be different.¡±


    ¡°I have the mana for this,¡± Lilith explained what Scarlet wasn¡¯t saying.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re testing the new prototype, but take the old one with you as well and take these.¡± Scarlet handed over the potion for her hair dye and two dozen more stealth potions. ¡°I made 24. That should be enough. They¡¯re basically the same as the original, but last far longer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re -uh, giving me these and the stone?¡± Lilith asked in a confused voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t sell things at my shop. The only people that come here are the ones in need of something that I can provide. So, if you find your way to the entrance of my shop, then you will leave with an item. I have no need for money. That does nothing for me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I honestly didn¡¯t expect any of this to happen.¡± Lilith tossed both of the barriers and stealth potions into the void and held up the hair dye. Taking off the cap and her hat, she poured it directly into her hair. Every spot the liquid touched caused the color to change from her fake brown hair to color matching her bright red eyes. ¡°How long does this last?¡±


    ¡°You should be fine for a month. Although red eyes are a sign as well, no one will bat an eye if your hair is red. It¡¯s the combination of the two that is abnormal.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, again.¡±


    ¡°This is what I do. Just do me a favor and tell Charlotte when you see her next time to come see her teacher for once and get her pass back.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­..


    Sitting down on a bench in front of the church, Lilith hatched her plan. It was pretty simple, and after giving herself a bit more time to unweave it more after the initial idea, it came together. Since Gabriel had no wish to turn her in, there would be no way he would lead her to a trap. If he wanted to, she would¡¯ve already been dead. So that means the person would look the other way if they found out she was cursed. That meant that she didn¡¯t need to worry about showing this specific person who she was, but the worry was everything leading up to that moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal,¡± she said as she leaned back on the bench. ¡°They¡¯ll check the bag themselves.¡± Lilith thought back to when she first entered the city. She didn¡¯t have to do anything but hand over the bag, and when she did, the guard walked away with it. It¡¯s not like Lilith was the one that had to open it.


    Voice hushed, she continued to plan out her plan. ¡°Empty the bag and make sure everything I have is in. It needs to be believable that I use it, too.¡± Lilith counted how many potions she needed, how much food, and whatever camping items she needed. Normally, she kept these items in the void, but for people who weren¡¯t like her, they would keep them in these bags. Although not nearly as big as her own storage, they held quite a lot and were exclusive to carriers.


    ¡°Will they question the barrier, though?¡± The barrier was the main issue. If things looked normal, she had doubts they would look too deeply into everything, but the barrier was different. It was something they¡¯d never seen before, but it was something that was vital to her plan and she couldn¡¯t risk taking it out on her own.


    Standing up, she left the bench and headed to an alleyway where no one could see. She quickly unloaded the bag and put in everything she needed. The fake package given to her by Gabriel to trick the guard and all the items she originally listed, including the barrier, but instead of the one given to her by Alex, decided that Scarlet¡¯s crystal would be a better option. Yes, it was hungry for mana, but if the priest could handle it, then it would be safer. After double-checking the bag, she strapped it around her shoulder, took a deep breath, and headed to the church.


    ¡°Hello, I have a delivery for the priest, Owen,¡± Lilith smiled, the most businesslike smile she could muster. The two guards- paladins, to be exact, glanced over at the small figure standing in front of them. It made her nervous and felt like she was about to break into a cold sweat, but she held her smile until one guard finally took the bag.


    With nothing to hold on to and one paladin remaining after the other walked away with her bag left, she twiddled her thumbs, cleared her throat, and bounced between her legs while looking past the gate. It was uncomfortable standing next to someone who could slay her on the spot, and it worried her if they questioned what the crystal was in the bag, but there was nothing she could do but wait.


    Lilith let out a loud gulp and froze in place as the guard came back and handed over the bag. There was nothing else said, nor any hint that there was something wrong as they both moved to their sides, letting her through. It felt a bit anticlimactic considering she expected something to go wrong, but it was hard to complain and honestly, the only thing she could do was chalk it up to some magic trick Gabriel did. So, with worry, she walked past and headed to the room Owen was in.

 Chapter 9: Holy Empire (4)

    An eerie quietness enveloped the hallways of the church as Lilith made her way through, with the only sound audible being the shuffling of feet. Not a single person extended a helping hand, despite it being clear she was lost. Maybe it was because she refused to reach out first, but it was weird.


    She continued to go past rooms, whispering the numbers as she went until she finally stopped at the number written on the paper and, after double checking, knocked on the door. ¡°Delivery for Priest Owen,¡± Lilith said with a raised voice.


    ¡°Coming!¡± a voice replied, followed by the knocking of what she could guess as scrolls and books onto the floor and the rushed feet coming to a halt at the door. It took him a moment as she heard the rustling of clothes as he fixed himself before opening the door.


    Adjusting the strap of the bag around her shoulder, Lilith stood up straight, presenting her name and rank. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m with the Mailroom. My name is Lilith, and I have a package for a man named Owen. Is that you?¡± Lilith asked in a serious tone.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m Owen,¡± he bowed lightly, hair messy and eyes sleepy. ¡°Please, come in.¡± Brushing books and scrolls aside, he made as much space as he could on his couch.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve been busy,¡± Lilith said, while taking glances around the room.


    Owen scratched the back of his head and sheepishly laughed, ¡°Gabriel can be a slave driver sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Gabriel, I¡¯m assuming you know who this package is from?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°I was told to be expecting you,¡± Owen answered.


    ¡°On that note,¡± she took off her bag and placed it on the table. ¡°Do you mind opening this?¡±


    ¡°Sure?¡± Owen responded in a confused manner.


    ¡°You only need to take out the crystal that¡¯s in there. You can ignore everything else.¡±


    Opening the bag, Owen reached in, searching aimlessly until grabbing the crystal and placing it on top of some books on the table. ¡°Is this what Gabriel wanted to give me?¡± He asked, trying to figure out what was going on.


    ¡°No, no. It will help me give you the package he wanted me to give you. It¡¯s just impossible¡­ well, not impossible. Extremely reckless if I were to do any of this.¡± Lilith took the bag from Owen, tossing it on the couch, and stood next to him. ¡°Now, take hold of that crystal for me. It will take as much mana as it can, so we will be quick before it drains you.¡±


    With worry, Owen followed Lilith¡¯s directions and took the crystal. Quickly, it absorbed Owen¡¯s mana, causing him to wince.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pull away,¡± Lilith remarked as she watch, then got closer. ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Just activate it like any other magic tool.¡±


    Owen did just that, focusing his mana actively into the crystal. The inscriptions lit up, and after the mana reached every inch, a barrier formed around the room. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can keep this up for long,¡± Owen said with worry.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It will only take a second.¡± The moment the barrier expanded past Lilith and Owen, Lilith opened up the void, reached in, and placed the package on the floor between them.


    As soon as Lilith¡¯s void gate closed, Owen let go of the crystal and fell backwards onto the couch. He had nearly depleted his mana, and he only kept it up for a minute at most.


    ¡°What is that thing?¡± Owen asked, his breathing heavy. ¡°It¡¯s like it has a mind of its own.¡±


    Lilith shrugged. ¡°Do you mind putting it back in the bag? As you can tell from our little stunt, I can¡¯t freely use my mana. Oh, and take the fake package just in case.¡±


    ¡°A cursed,¡± Owen said underneath his breath, but loud enough to allow Lilith to hear it, causing her to take a step back.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with that?¡± She asked, ready to take action if needed, but Owen simply stood up after catching his breath, put the crystal back into the bag, took out the fake package, and handed it back over.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I have the best opinion of you cursed ones, but¡­¡± Owen looked over at the package. ¡°If Gabriel trusts you enough, then that¡¯s fine. Plus, I don¡¯t think we could¡¯ve ever got that in here without you.¡±


    ¡°He gave me one stupid mission, you know that?¡±


    ¡°But you made it work,¡± Owen said with confidence, yet the confidence didn¡¯t come from him knowing Lilith could do it, but from Gabriel, who gave the mission to Lilith.


    On the verge of rolling her eyes, but stopping herself, Lilith readjusted the bag back over her shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t mind helping this time, but I don¡¯t wish to get dragged into this anymore than needed. If there¡¯s nothing else needed from me, then I need to head back so I can move on to my original delivery.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you for the package.¡±


    Immediately after leaving the church, she wasted no time. Heading back to the mailroom, Lilith sat down at the table. ¡°Owen received the package, but why couldn¡¯t you do it yourself?¡±


    ¡°Because they are wary of me.¡± Gabriel walked over to his desk, grabbing a few papers and a rolled-up map. ¡°I can¡¯t hide things like you can, and if they witnessed me directly giving Owen something, then it could backfire quickly.¡±


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    ¡°Sure, but you knew I couldn¡¯t open it freely,¡± Lilith said, annoyingly.


    ¡°I simply had faith in what you could do.¡± Gabriel placed the small stack of papers and map in front of Lilith and sat down across from her.


    So this is where you rely on a God?¡­ Lilith groaned to herself. It was a copout, but she didn¡¯t think she would get an actual answer.


    ¡°Now, then.¡± Gabriel unfurled the map, exposing an overview of the entire city alongside red dots and numbers next to them scattered around. ¡°Each dot is a location for a delivery and the numbers¡­¡± Gabriel pointed to the papers, directing Lilith¡¯s attention away from the map. ¡°They match with the numbers here. Names, exact address, and any other details we had.¡±


    Lilith¡¯s eyebrows raised, ¡°this is pretty impressive on such a short notice.¡±


    ¡°Although we may not be an informant guild, I find it important having as much information I can.¡± Gabriel flipped through the papers until the last page. ¡°The names here don¡¯t have a number because we don¡¯t know where they live or who they are.¡±


    Gabriel handed the papers to Lilith, who then glanced at the list on the last page. Some contained scarce details, while others lacked any information. However, none of them had an address. ¡°These seem impossible to deliver,¡± Lilith remarked while resting her head on her hand. ¡°Do you think, if given time, you could find these people?¡±


    ¡°We can try,¡± Gabriel said.


    There was a moment of silence as Lilith considered her options. As much as she wanted to, she didn¡¯t have the leisure to wait or attempt to find out where these people were. ¡°If I were to give you the packages for these people, could you get them delivered if you ever find them?¡± Lilith asked.


    Gabriel leaned back, lost in thought, as he deliberated the risks he would have to take to find these people. There was a chance the people trying to find these people would paint a bigger target on his back, and unlike Lilith, who was more than willing to deliver whatever she could, he did not have that mindset. Everything he did was for his own benefit. He was willing to do a brief search, but anything more than that seemed highly questionable.


    Lilith''s eyes darted across the pages, her gaze flickering towards Gabriel with every turn. She attempted to discern his thoughts on the manner, and each time she shot glances in his direction, the more obvious his answer was going to be. ¡°Is that a no?¡± Lilith asked with a concerned voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not willing to go as far as you would to find these people, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to put in a bit of effort to do so,¡± Gabriel finally spat out, which, to both of them, was unexpected. Lilith barely knew the man, but from the small conversations she had with him, she knew what his top priority would be and this- well, it went against that thought process. Lilith smiled, an unexpected smile. It was better than she expected, and she didn¡¯t have to feel obligated to stay.


    ¡°Thank y-¡±


    Gabriel held up his hand, stopping Lilith in her tracks. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. They probably won''t deliver. I¡¯m sure you understand why?¡± Lilith nodded her head and Gabriel continued. ¡°Some of them might be in hiding, but there is a good chance the others are dead. The reason there is no address for any of them is because we couldn¡¯t find them at their last recorded location.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Even if you don¡¯t put in as much effort as I would like, no matter what you do, it would be better than what I could do. I don¡¯t make deliveries here for a reason, so I¡¯m extremely unfamiliar with the landscape and even though I am disguised,¡± Lilith pointed to her now red hair, ¡°there is too much of a risk. Not to mention the priest and priestess¡¯ here freak me out. Plus, I understand that sometimes, it¡¯s just not possible to finish a delivery.¡±


    ¡°As long as you understand. The ones we could find there shouldn¡¯t be an issue, but just be careful. Some of them could be problematic.¡±


    ¡°Like this one?¡± Lilith asked, pointing to a name. ¡°Very religious. Goes to church every other day. There¡¯s more, but it¡¯s basically telling me to not go there.¡±


    ¡°If the location isn¡¯t near anyone who can detect your mana, you should be fine. However, there are a few that I wanted to discuss with you.¡± Taking the documents from Lilith, Gabriel flipped through the pages and took out a page and handed it to Lilith. ¡°If you look at the numbers and their locations,¡± Gabriel pointed to the map. ¡°Their locations are far too sketchy, even if you were to keep the packages in your bag. It¡¯s not worth the risk of using your mana, so I suggest letting us take care of these. The chance of these specific packages leading to anything that could backfire on us is near impossible, so it would be ideal if you just let us handle it.¡±


    Lilith couldn¡¯t help but agree. There were some that she thought she could deal with, but there were too many variables to take the chance. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I rather not get caught. I have a question, though.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the question?¡±


    ¡°Will they search my bag if they see me out doing the deliveries?¡±


    ¡°No, you should be fine because being inside the city means they¡¯ve checked the mail when you entered or it was something from within the city which they ignore.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Positive, and if they ever bother you, then tell them to talk to me directly. It has forever been a rule to not bother the carriers who are in the city. Sure, there is the checkpoint into the church, but that¡¯s only the church.¡±


    Lilith sat on that response, and after confirming with herself that it was good enough, and that she could use Gabriel¡¯s name if something ended up happening, she felt far more confident. Now she just needed to deliver the mail to their owners. ¡°Here,¡± Lilith stood up and, after extending a hand towards the opened area of the room, let out every package from the list of impossible deliveries. Then she sat down, took out the bag filled with letters, and skimmed through them, pulling out one every so often and placing them aside on the table until she finished and put the bag back. ¡°That should be all of them,¡± Lilith said while double checking the labels on each letter and package sprawled on the floor.


    ¡°I would¡¯ve appreciated it if you did this on the mailroom floor,¡± Gabriel gave Lilith a fake smile.


    Lilith shrugged in response. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that big of a problem.¡±


    Gabriel held his smile, holding back any comments, and moved on. ¡°If you need anything else, don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it''s been far easier than I expected. Even getting into the church was easy.¡±


    ¡°It helps when the paladins you had to go through were ones I¡¯m familiar with.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that was the case. Did you leave a letter?¡±


    Gabriel smiled in response. Something Lilith realized he did far more often that he probably should. ¡°I would still be careful. It might seem fine for now, but the Pope has done some cruel things, so whatever you do, don¡¯t get caught. Be prepared.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that a lot. Or at least its felt like it.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s one thing to be delivering letters you shouldn¡¯t, but it¡¯s another to be cursed. Both bad in the eyes of the Pope, but the latter is something I would never wish even on my enemies. The things they do¡­¡± Gabriel paused, shivering from disgusting. Something Lilith never expected to see. ¡°Just don¡¯t get caught.¡± His eyes pleaded, and Lilith agreed.

 Chapter 10: Holy Empire (5)

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Lilith said with a smile. But, there was no response. An interaction which Lilith had to deal with for the past two days trying to deliver her mail. People refused to converse with strangers, and when she got close, they fell silent. There was a lot of effort she had to put in to get the attention of the people in need of their mail, and more times than not, it took several times to do so.


    She knocked again. And again. And again.


    Taking a deep breath, she announced herself far louder than earlier, saying, ¡°I have a delivery for-¡±


    The door swung open, cutting off the rest of Lilith¡¯s sentence. A man holding in his curses looked around, and after seeing it was clear -something that happened almost every time- did he finally grab the letter from her, then slam the door shut.


    Although it wasn¡¯t too much of a surprise after the first day of deliveries, it truly made Lilith wonder why they acted in such a manner. She understood why people were in hiding, or trying to have a low profile, but wouldn¡¯t this just cause the most suspicion? It was hard to make sense of it.


    Reaching into her bag, she took out the map, and after marking off one more red dot, Lilith looked over the list, checking which place was next. She had a game plan to minimize the risk of delivery. She broke up the map into sections, and each section would be the deliveries she did for the day. Before she left, she would unload all the letters and packages for the day into her bag. Then, before even knocking on the door, she would take out the deliveries. She made sure no one saw what type of magic she was using, even if it meant going into alleyways or waiting as long as she needed. This, alongside the hassle of getting someone to even answer a door, made the workday a long one.


    However, there was one worry that fostered as soon as she started. These people seemed far from trustworthy. She didn¡¯t plan to stop these deliveries, but she couldn¡¯t help but think that one of them would sell her out in order to survive, which could lead to far more trouble than she would like. It also didn¡¯t help that Lilith was a bit underhanded with these deliveries. They only answered their doors when she spoke loudly about a delivery, so she wouldn''t be surprised if they held some resentment against her.


    With a heavy sigh, she looked around. It was the slums. A place that wasn¡¯t all too pleasant to walk around in, but during the current climate of the city, it was more peaceful than she expected. There were definitely some who would stare at her from windows or from alleyways, they never tried to do anything and maybe that was why. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. No one here was trustworthy, and just as quickly as someone would sell herself out, they might just do it to each other.


    After finishing the last few deliveries she had for the day, she headed back to the mailroom and met with Gabriel. There wasn¡¯t much to talk about, but she had some questions and thoughts she wanted to mention, hoping he could answer them.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about?¡± Gabriel asked, putting down the paper he was reading. ¡°I can¡¯t say you¡¯re wrong to worry about it, but as long as you¡¯re just handing out the mail, it will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°Hopefully.¡± Lilith¡¯s eyebrows lowered, squinting together as she narrowed her eyes at Gabriel. At first, he tried to ignore the stare he was receiving, but the longer he went saying nothing, the more he felt it. ¡°Let me ask you this. Why do you think things seem normal?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering that since I came here,¡± Lilith responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s because they don¡¯t randomly arrest people whenever they feel like it.¡±


    Her stare lightened. ¡°So they¡­ Grab people in groups?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Close. They definitely do, but they do it after a certain amount of time. They make a list of everyone they suspect and when it¡¯s time, they go arrest them all.¡±


    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t I be on their radar then? And wouldn¡¯t this backfire on everyone here?¡±


    ¡°Since you''re someone from outside of the city, it will be very easy to feign innocence. That said, they won¡¯t believe it, but they can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll use me as a scapegoat,¡± Lilith said. Her voice getting softer with each word.


    ¡°Yes, but this is your own mission. You signed up for it.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right.¡± Lilith agreed. Although she wished he mentioned this earlier, it was on her and no one else. She was thankful for the help with the map and list, but she was the dumb one to take this one to begin with and it wouldn¡¯t be hard to pinpoint who Lilith was and when they do, everything would come together and make sense. However, there was one thing that tied her to Gabriel. Well, maybe two. ¡°How about the delivery I did for you?¡±


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be an issue because of the letter. There should be no recordings of you entering the church, only people who saw you, but I doubt any of them bothered to notice.¡±


    ¡°Then how about me coming in here?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°That should be no issue as well. They have no right to question my employees. Plus, only one other person knows you entered my office. Either way, worst case, I just tell them I had no part in what you did. If anything, they would have issues with Mystal¡¯s branch and not ours.¡±


    ¡°Would they do anything about that?¡± Lilith asked, worry showing in her eyes. She didn¡¯t wish to bring trouble to others, so if that ended up being the case, then she had to think of a different way to go about it or cancel the rest of the deliveries.


    ¡°They will either become extremely strict at the gates. Far stricter than before, or not allow any Carriers in. However, they won¡¯t become aggressive with another city. That would not only backfire with the populace and even most of the church, but the moment they attack, or show hostility, then it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming everyone would side with Mystal?¡± Lilith asked.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°In a heartbeat, so do what you came here for, but if things get bad, then leave as soon as possible.¡±


    Lilith agreed with that statement and kept to herself for the next two days. She continued her deliveries, but made slight adjustments to her sections, deciding to do as much as she could to cover as much ground as quickly as possible. She had a new goal now, to finish these deliveries and leave the city as soon as possible.


    ¡°Is this it?¡± Lilith mumbled to herself while comparing the address on the paper to the one in front of her, and after checking, she tossed the paper in the bag and took out the letter that matched. ¡°Hello, this is Lilith. I have a letter and a package for a Ms. Jade.¡± Silence met Lilith¡¯s words just like the other ones before.


    Knocking a few more times, she took a few steps back and looked at the window. Red eyes stared directly at Lilith with black hair that was almost identical to her own. While in a surprised daze, the eyes got ripped from view by a pair of hands followed by the closing of what seemed heavy curtains to not allowing even a speck of light into the house.


    Lilith looked around, and after making sure no one was in sight, she put the letter and package away into the void and knocked on the door again and again until someone finally opened it, although only slightly. A woman a head taller than Lilith looked through the crack of the opened door. Light brown hair and brown eyes. Different from the young boy she saw through the window.


    ¡°Hello, I have a letter for a Ms. Jade right- oh!¡± Lilith checked her pockets and bag, putting on a fake display. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± She said as the lady behind the door watched with a confused face, which turned into surprise as Lilith reached into the void and grabbed the letter she put away. ¡°I take it you¡¯re Ms. Jade?¡± This was a risk she was well aware of after her conversation with Gabriel, but at this point, it didn¡¯t matter all too much. They were no longer in the slums which meant the eyes watching her every move were nearly gone and although nearly may not mean every single one, from what Lilith could tell, there was no one at that moment who had an interest in what she was doing.


    With wide eyes, Jade poked her head out far more than before and looked around, making sure no one saw what Lilith had done. She was in a state of bewilderment, which quickly turned into relief, knowing she didn¡¯t have to worry about the lady in front of her telling anyone about her son.


    ¡°Do you mind if I come in for a bit? I won¡¯t take long.¡± Lilith smiled, and Jade, although reluctantly and silently, let her in.


    The inside fit the outside. Rundown but still in good enough shape to live in, unlike the people who she came across the previous days. There was a proper roof over their heads and appliances which the more unfortunate could only dream of having alongside beds, although at a glance looked more like straw beds.


    Lilith handed over the letter to Jade and turned her attention to the boy who was hiding behind the door while peeking his head out.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Jade told the boy who, after hearing that, came out from hiding with slow and steady steps.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Lilith said softly. ¡°How are you?¡±


    The boy looked at his mother, who nodded, and then looked back at Lilith. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± the boy said while his eyes looked up at Liliths then down at the floor.


    Crouching down to meet the boy at eye level, Lilith smiled gently, then said, ¡°I have a package for you and your mother. Would you be so kind to accept it?¡± The boy looked up, and as he did, Lilith reached into the abyss, pulling out a small package that accompanied the letter she gave to Jade. This action caused the boy¡¯s eyes to widen with surprise. ¡°You can do this too, right?¡±


    The boy aggressively nodded, and a light sparked in his eyes after seeing something he was familiar with. There were weird limits to the magic a cursed can do and even to Lilith, who had done her own research, couldn¡¯t pinpoint any similarities. It just simply made no sense, and as for the weird storage magic, it was something everyone on record could do. It was as simple as breathing for them, but it was also recorded that it was more than just a storage.


    Lilith smiled, then turned her attention to Jade. ¡°Do you mind if I ask him a question?¡±


    ¡°Sure?¡± Jade said as a question.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Lilith turned her attention back to the boy.


    ¡°Theo,¡± the boy responded.


    ¡°Is that short for Theodore?¡±


    The boy nodded. ¡°But I like Theo.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, Theo.¡± Lilith patted the boy''s head. ¡°How familiar are you with your spacial magic?¡±


    ¡°Spacial?¡± The boy asked, his head tilted slightly.


    ¡°Sorry, even I don¡¯t use that phrasing all too often. The magic you used to store things. It¡¯s mostly called void magic, storage magic, or abyss magic. They all mean the same thing.¡±


    The boy stood there, listening intently.


    Lilith smiled. ¡°Anyway, how familiar are you with it?¡±


    The boy put a finger up to his lips, thinking, before responding. ¡°I know how to put stuff inside, but I also recently learned I could go in there myself! But mommy told me never to do that.¡±


    Lilith looked up at Jade, then back at Theo. ¡°Your mom isn¡¯t wrong. It could lead to something terrible. However, I want you to remember that option. If something so bad happens that you need to run away, then do it without a second thought.¡± Lilith looked back up at Jade. ¡°I think your mom would agree with me on this.¡±


    Jade''s eyes were wide open as she looked at Theo and Lilith.


    ¡°When I say this, Theo, I really mean this as a last resort. Do you understand what I mean by that?¡± Lilith¡¯s voice was gentle but stern. She took up Alex¡¯s way of speaking when talking to someone younger.


    Theo nodded his head in agreement, although both Jade and Lilith could tell he didn¡¯t fully grasp the situation.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Lilith said, patting his head once again. ¡°Your mother will explain more about it later. Now then. Do you mind if I talk to her alone for a bit?¡± She asked Theo as gently as possible, who nodded his head and went to his tiny room.


    ¡°What do you mean by that, ma¡¯am?¡± Jade immediately asked in a hushed voice as soon as he disappeared behind the curtain blocked doorway to his room.


    Lilith stood up, and after letting her sight linger to the doorway, she brought her attention to Jade. ¡°First, I have a question I want to ask you.¡±


    ¡°O-only when we go out,¡± Jade responded with a hint of hesitation. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to have it dyed all the time.¡±


    ¡°Then do you plan to stay in the city?¡± Lilith followed up.


    ¡°We have to. There¡¯s no way we can leave.¡±


    Lilith crossed her arms, thinking of a solution, but couldn¡¯t. Even if she were to leave, it was already too late. If her travel to the city wasn¡¯t already a sign, there was no way she could make it to the next city, let alone an Inn without dying. ¡°Hmm. There is one way you might make it there, but it is extremely risk.¡±


    Jade shook her head in response. ¡°I don¡¯t think anything we do will be safe.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much she could do with a response filled with that much denial as that. The only way Lilith could think of is giving them the experimental barrier so they could travel, but there would be far too many variables and risky to bring such a young child along. ¡°I understand. To be frank, the idea I had was pretty out there.¡±


    ¡°So, about what you said earlier,¡± Jade brought the conversation back to her initial question. ¡°Why did you say that to Theo?¡±

 Chapter 11: Holy Empire (6)

    ¡°What¡¯s the question?¡± Jade asked.


    ¡°Do you dye his hair?¡±


    Jade scratched his cheek, looking away. ¡°Only when we go out,¡± she responded with a hint of hesitation. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to have it dyed all the time.¡±


    ¡°Then do you plan to stay in the city?¡± Lilith followed up.


    ¡°We have to. There¡¯s no way we can leave.¡±


    Lilith crossed her arms, thinking of a solution, but couldn¡¯t. Even if she were to leave, it was already too late. If her travel to the city wasn¡¯t already a sign, there was no way she could make it to the next city, let alone an Inn without dying. ¡°Hmm. There is one way you might make it there, but it is extremely risk.¡±


    Jade shook her head in response. ¡°I don¡¯t think anything we do will be safe.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much she could do with a response filled with that much denial as that. The only way Lilith could think of is giving them the experimental barrier so they could travel, but there would be far too many variables and risky to bring such a young child along. ¡°I understand. To be frank, the idea I had was pretty out there.¡±


    ¡°So, about what you said earlier,¡± Jade brought the conversation back to her initial question. ¡°Why did you say that to Theo?¡±


    Lilith walked over , pulled out a chair, and sat down at the table and Jade followed, sitting down as well. ¡°Well¡­¡± She took a peek over at the door, and after making sure no one was snooping into the conversation, she continued. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know better than I do, but the church does not like us cursed ones.¡±


    Jade nodded her head.


    ¡°If you plan to stay here, then I highly advise that when you get caught, you allow him to go in the void.¡±


    ¡°When?¡± Jade said, her voice louder than normal, but bringing it back down to a hush. ¡°Why when?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s no way they won¡¯t find you. I don¡¯t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but we need to be realistic here. Do you want Theo to die?¡±


    ¡°No. No, of course not.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what it means to enter the void?¡±


    ¡°No- I-I mean, he''s put his hand before, but I told him never to do that again.¡±


    Looking at the doorway once again, Lilith leaned forward, motioning Jade to do the same. ¡°When you enter, you enter a black unknown. You can get lost and have no clue where you¡¯re at. However, when you leave, you can end up in a totally different place. It just depends where- if he finds an exit.¡±


    Jade bit her lip, listening to Lilith''s description. What she said didn¡¯t sound amazing, but if she were to be rational about it, anything would be better than death.


    ¡°Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Lilith asked, after giving Jade a moment to process the information.


    ¡°I do,¡± she finally let out.


    ¡°¡°Since Theo isn¡¯t my child, I can¡¯t make these decisions, but I sincerely hope you tell him about it. It might hurt for both of you, but it¡¯s better living than dying.¡±


    Jade''s head hung low, causing Lilith to second guess what she said. It wasn¡¯t false, but it made her realize she should¡¯ve said it differently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not trying to be mean.¡± Lilith placed a hand on Jade¡¯s shoulder as they drooped down.


    Jade took a deep breath. ¡°I understand,¡± she said as she exhaled. ¡°I know.¡±


    An awkward silence fell between the two, leaving Lilith unsure of what to do next. She was blunt, but maybe too blunt, and now it put her in a weird position. ¡°Listen, there¡¯s one thing I can do and I urge you to do it if the person agrees.¡± Lilith grasped Jade¡¯s hands in between hers, causing her to look up into Lilith¡¯s eyes. Her eyes were clouded. Scared of the future. There was one person Lilith could think of that could do anything, but that person themself wouldn¡¯t care about Jade or Theo. However, Charlotte would.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jade asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think this would originally work, but there is a way I can get this person to agree. I can¡¯t go into details, nor do I think the person in question would want me to, but it¡¯s worth a try.¡±


    For a moment, Jade¡¯s clouded eyes cleared, but after the long-winded explanation without any solid plan, she once again let her head drop.


    ¡°Jade!¡± she shouted, causing Theo to peek out from the curtain and Jade to look up again, surprised. ¡°It can work. Just give me a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said while nodding her head.


    Giving a smile to Theo, who was now watching in the back, Lilith looked at Jade. ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t tell him about the void and hiding in there. If something happens, and that¡¯s the only way¡­¡± She let her words trail off, then stood up, letting go of her hands. ¡°Just promise me you¡¯ll tell him.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Jade nodded her head, and Lilith left the house. Based on what Gabriel said, it seemed like they had more than enough time, but something seemed off. Maybe it was a gut feeling, but she hoped it was wrong.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Why was this harder than last time?¡± Lilith annoyingly asked as she stood in front of Spellbound in the same alley as before. Without hesitation, she entered and was greeted by a familiar chime and a familiar voice.


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± Scarlet said while sitting behind the counter.


    ¡°Two days,¡± Lilith said, in the lightest of mumbles.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Scarlet asked.


    ¡°Two days!¡± Lilith¡¯s voice shot up, walking over with brisk steps to the counter. ¡°Why did it take two days!?¡± She slammed her hands down onto the counter and forced her face into hers.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t wish hard enough,¡± Scarlet said, pushing Lilith¡¯s face away.


    ¡°Wish¡­ hard¡­ enough?¡± Lilith repeated. ¡°What the fuck does that mean?¡± Her matter was timely, and every second mattered, yet it took far too long. ¡°How- what?¡± She fumbled with words while trying to comprehend what she meant.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hidden meaning to my words,¡± Scarlet said with a smile. ¡°If you don¡¯t have a pass, then there needs to be a reason and that reason must be something you desire whole heartedly.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying my cause for finding this place wasn¡¯t strong enough?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lilith held her tongue. ¡°Will you accept my request?¡±


    ¡°I rarely say no, but it can depend on what that request it.¡±


    Lilith explained the situation, telling her about the mother and child and how the child was a cursed, and asked if it was possible to take the child in. That maybe Charlotte would watch over him. Scarlet listened intently, and after everything was said, she thought about it, and after thinking about it, gave Lilith her approval. Charlotte wouldn¡¯t have an issue with it, but worse case, if she had no intention of taking the boy in, then Scarlet would do it herself. The response gave Lilith some relief, as her worries were unfounded.


    After the conversation, Lilith thanked her and quickly left the shop. She had to be fast as a part of her believed she couldn¡¯t let this situation sit any longer. It had only been two days, but with each passing hour, her worries grew. It was getting late, but she rushed over to their house, but no one answered. She brushed it off, thinking that they were asleep or out doing something. Deep down, she didn¡¯t believe her own words, but that was all she could do for now.


    She went back to her inn, contemplating if she should do something else, but she didn¡¯t want to risk the attention to not only herself, but the two of them and others as well, so she attempted to get some sleep and figure it out the next day. Lilith didn¡¯t feel comfortable doing this, but there wasn¡¯t much else to do. Even if she had the strength to force herself into the house, it wouldn¡¯t have been the smartest move.


    After a near sleepless night, Lilith got dressed and rushed over to Jade¡¯s house, and after no response, just like the night before, she went trait to the mailroom and stormed through, barging into Gabriel¡¯s office.


    ¡°I need your help,¡± Lilith said, panting in between each word. ¡°Like, right now.¡±


    His sudden visiter surprised Gabriel, who was sitting behind his desk, working away like any other day. ¡°What kind of help?¡± he asked, visibly taken aback. It was an expression Lilith never thought he would make, even though she barely knew him, but it wasn¡¯t the time to rub it in. But honestly, his reaction never crossed her mind until much later.


    ¡°Jade and Theo,¡± Lilith said in a rush.


    ¡°I need more than just names,¡± Gabriel responded as he put his work aside, sat Lilith down at the small table, and gave her tea.


    The heat didn¡¯t register immediately, as Lilith took a large sip and recoiled back. She blew on it, then, after it cooled down just enough, she took several large gulps. ¡°A mother and son.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± Gabriel said after no elaboration.


    ¡°There was a mother and son who I had to deliver a package to. The son was cursed and I was going to help him hide away, but something happened.¡±


    ¡°Something happened?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°I have everything ready, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve been home since yesterday or maybe even before that I don¡¯t know, but¡­ I don¡¯t know where they are.¡±


    Gabriel stood up, walked over to his desk, and ringed a bell. No sound came out of the bell, but Lilith knew what kind it was. It was a magical bell that allowed whoever was connected to it to hear the sound, no matter where they were. It was typically used for stewards, butlers, maids. Anyone in the field that needed to know if they were needed.


    A lady quickly knocked, then came inside, and after Gabriel whispered a few words, she shook her head and quietly left the room. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°Do you know where they could be? I don¡¯t know this city well, so I¡¯m not sure where to even start.¡±


    Taking a sip of tea, Gabriel stalled, and when the lady from earlier returned, he skimmed through the papers she handed over. It was a list of people within the country that were potential targets of the church.


    ¡°This might not be good,¡± he said, after marking two of the pages.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lilith asked after being quiet as she waited.


    Gabriel called his secretary over once more and, as she left the room, a man bursted past as haggard as Lilith was when she first entered.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad!¡± He yelled out, causing some workers outside of the door to peek in to see what was happening.


    ¡°Close the door and come in,¡± Gabriel said, and the man did just that.


    ¡°Much earlier than expected. Much, much earlier,¡± the man said, after catching his breath.


    Gabriel mumbled something to himself out of ears'' reach. ¡°Too early, in fact.¡±


    ¡°What was!?¡± Lilith asked, raising from her chair, unable to sit back and watch. Something was happening, and she was positive it involved Theo and Jade.


    ¡°We should talk as we walk,¡± Gabriel told Lilith, and when the lady came back, she handed a brown robe to Lilith. Gabriel instructed her to cover herself with it from head to toe and to follow silently.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Lilith whispered. As they went downstairs and walked through the streets, her heart thumped. She had put some pieces together and came to a conclusion, but she refused to believe it. Lilith needed a confirmation from the person in front of her. The one with the answers to her questions, but isn¡¯t saying anything.

 Chapter 12: Holy Empire (7)

    ¡°It¡¯s getting crowded,¡± Lilith commented as they weaved their way through the growing crowd. After a few days of deliveries, she learned a few of the streets, so she knew where they were going, but at least the times she visited, there weren¡¯t this many people. Gabriel came to an abrupt stop, causing Lilith to bump into him. ¡°What was that for-¡± her voice trailed off as she followed Gabriel¡¯s sight.


    Gabriel frowned. ¡°It¡¯s way too early,¡± he mumbled as Lilith stared, unable to focus on anything else. ¡°You need to go hide, too,¡± Gabriel said, turning his attention to Lilith, who couldn¡¯t hear a single word.


    Her gaze was fixated on each individual lined up. Their arms and legs were bound by rope and their faces were a mixture of fear and a loss of hope. Some of them Lilith recognized as they were the ones she had deliveries to, while others she had never seen before. Her eyes scanned through the line, her heart sinking with each person she recognized until she came across Jade. Her worries became founded and she could feel as if her heart had left her body.


    Lilith staggered back while following the direction in which the majority were looking at. Some faces were faces of joy, happy to see who the church had caught, while others were scared and worried that they would be next. It was a surprisingly mixed amount alongside some of them attempting to keep their cool.


    With his head hung low, blood dripped down from the palm of his hands. Nailed into a plank of wood supported by two stakes, Theo was put on display for the entire world to see. On a pedestal. Ghastly white face and whip marks all over his body, he seemed to be on the verge of  death and unable to see as blood dripped from a black blindfold covering his eyes. The image of the young boy burned into a part of Lilith¡¯s mind, taking up permanent residence.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice grew louder as he shook her to attention. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡±


    Her vision snapped to Gabriel and, although she couldn¡¯t tell the face she was making, she could tell from Gabriel¡¯s own reaction that it wasn¡¯t pretty. ¡°Ok,¡± she mumbled.


    Grabbing her hood, she lowered it as much as possible, and using her feet and the floor beneath her, she guided her way through the crowd, pushing and maneuvering her way through. She couldn¡¯t think of much, her mind was blank, and whenever she bumped into someone, she would simply say ¡°sorry,¡± and continued to move on. According to what Gabriel told her, some people gave her some looks and there was a high chance she was reported, but since her face was covered, it wouldn''t have mattered.


    When they reached the mailroom and made it back to Gabriel¡¯s office, he sat her down, poured her a cup of tea. Gabriel paced around the room, calling in one person after another. Although he wasn¡¯t there in person, he had eyes everywhere, and after sending the people he needed to out, he turned his attention back to Lilith, who was sitting at the table silently.


    ¡°Hand over the rest of your packages,¡± Gabriel demanded in a gentle voice.


    Hunched over at the table, Lilith stared at the now lukewarm tea. Her mind was elsewhere, and only when Gabriel shook her did she come to. ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°Your packages. Hand them over,¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Why?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll finish the deliveries when things cool down, but you need to leave right away,¡± Gabriel responded.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong, and although it tickled her pride, she couldn¡¯t help but agree. However, it was a bit too difficult to leave so suddenly. From what she gathered from her conversation with Gabriel, leaving now could cause issues. When the church gathers, everywhere becomes high alert. They use this time to scout out more people to target and catch anyone trying to weasel their way out of the city. This meant that Lilith had to lie low. He was positive they didn¡¯t know of Lilith yet, but someone would let it slip eventually. First, it will be because of the illegal mail, then when they find out that Lilith is cursed. She shuttered to think of what would happen after seeing Theo.


    ¡°Theo¡­¡± she mumbled while lifting the cold cup of tea to her mouth.


    While lost in thought, Gabriel pushed the topic for a bit later. To him, it looked as if she needed more time to herself, so he waited a bit longer, and as he waited, he shuffled through papers, marking the ones that he remembered seeing and documenting what had happened. Then, after a few minutes had passed, the worker from earlier came through the door explaining the situation.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, I think. We¡¯ll have to double check with Lilith.¡± Gabriel said with a nod, while turning his attention to the one in question.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Lilith said, raising her head after hearing her name. ¡°Check about what?¡±


    ¡°Something happened.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lilith asked with furrowed eyebrows.


    ¡°The boy. He vanished. A similar void that you¡¯ve shown encompassed the boy''s body, then suddenly, he was nowhere to be seen.¡±


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    Lilith¡¯s eyes widen, and a sudden relief washed through her body. Although she was still worried about the others and she knew what would happen to them, there was a kind of attachment she had with Theo, even though she barely knew the kid.


    ¡°He should be fine,¡± Lilith confirmed. ¡°But only time will tell.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s better than dying,¡± Gabriel said.


    ¡°If anything, he now has a chance¡­ unlike before,¡± Lilith said.


    Gabriel nodded his head. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s your turn. You can¡¯t stay in the city anymore, but you can¡¯t leave right away. You can stay here for a bit longer, but they will definitely come and check sooner rather than later, so that said, it would be better to go somewhere else as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I know a place where they¡¯ll never find,¡± Lilith responded quickly with determination. ¡°I can leave right away too, but you want my packages, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll have to hide them for now, but when we get the chance, we¡¯ll deliver them ourselves. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    Lilith stood up, and within moments, the remaining packages appeared on the floor with the bag of letters, which had thinned quite a lot. ¡°This should be everything,¡± Lilith said, double checking what was in front of her.


    Gabriel double checked as well, and in between looking at the packages, he snuck quick peeks at Lilith, who stood there. Silently. She seemed good enough was the best way he could describe it. Maybe she was holding it in, or maybe she was trying to hide it since she looked haggard, but it also looked as if she had her head on straight. As if Lilith knew what she had to do and crying, or being upset, could -had to wait until later. It was upsetting, after all. Gabriel understood that as well as anyone else, but when you''re potentially the next target, you can''t allow yourself to feel down, or at least until things were cleared.


    ¡°Everything seems to be here,¡± Gabriel confirmed. ¡°Now then,¡± he said as he stood, staring directly into Lilith¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you alright? Do you need any help?¡±


    Lilith shook her head. ¡°No, I should be fine. They don¡¯t plan to do anything just yet, right?¡±


    ¡°No, not after the display they did,¡± Gabriel confirmed.


    ¡°Then I should have no issues if I keep low,¡± Lilith said, bitting the side of her nail as she thought of a plan. It would be fine, she knew it to be so, but it still worried her.


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t need any help?¡± Gabriel asked again.


    ¡°No, no¡­ I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Lilith waved the help away.


    Gabriel stared at her, but let up after a few seconds. He couldn¡¯t force her to do anything, nor did he plan to. ¡°Just one thing¡­ well, two. Avoid the church and avoid the plaza.¡±


    Lilith opened her mouth, but held back after everything clicked. She was about to ask why, but after realizing what he meant, she lowered her head. ¡°Thank you,¡± she softly said.


    ¡°Be quick. I would suggest waiting at least three or four days, and at most a week, to leave. I wouldn¡¯t wait any longer than that.With the disappearance of Theo, it might be a little crazy for the next few days as they search for him, but it will calm down,¡± Gabriel said.


    ¡°And after it calms down, they¡¯ll pivot their attention to me,¡± Lilith continued.


    ¡°There¡¯s a high chance of it, yes. So don¡¯t linger longer than needed.¡±


    ¡°Do you mind leaving the room for a quick moment?¡± Lilith asked, after thinking about her next plan. ¡°I don¡¯t think I should wear a uniform. I was thinking of wearing the robe, but it might be more suspicious.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re definitely right.¡± Gabriel agreed, and as he did, he walked over, opened the door, and after telling Lilith to come out when she was ready, closed it behind him.


    It didn¡¯t take too long for Lilith to change. Tossing on a rugged shirt and pants, she threw her uniform into the void and took out one of the hair dye vials she had prepared beforehand. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what happens,¡± she said, and with a pop from the vial, she poured the liquid onto her hair and within moments, her dye¡¯d red hair turned brown.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Lilith nodded her head while looking into the mirror. She ruffled her hair, making sure it wasn¡¯t as neat as it usually was. Her goal wasn¡¯t to stand out, and the red hair would¡¯ve done just that. So, instead, she decided that a lower-class look would be far better.


    Grabbing the robe, Lilith slowly opened the door. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± she said after spotting Gabriel, who had borrowed a desk in view of the door. He was a busybody for sure, Lilith had thought. Even now, he was going through papers.


    Gabriel raised his head, and after looking her over, he nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Not too rich nor too poor. It¡¯s good you dye¡¯d your hair too. If you keep your head low, you won¡¯t have any issues. Although normally your eye color wouldn¡¯t have any heads turning, I can¡¯t say with confidence that is the case right now.¡±


    Lilith combed her hair with her fingers, covering as much of her eyes as she could. ¡°This is as far as I can go,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Gabriel remarked with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re not as bad as I thought,¡± Lilith remarked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only been honest with you since the start,¡± Gabriel smiled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t wear that robe, though.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Lilith looked down at the robe wrapped around her arm. ¡°I didn¡¯t plan to wear it, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have if I ever needed it.¡±


    Putting the robe into the void, Lilith told Gabriel about her plans. Although she had no intention of going into the fine details, and where she was going at the behest of Gabriel himself, since it was better to know less, she said goodbye and left. It was getting late, and a lot fewer people compared to earlier in the day, but it seemed to be a lot safer. There were guards, but after a glance in Lilith¡¯s direction, they simply kept on walking.


    Taking up Scarlet¡¯s advice from the day before, while she headed towards the shop''s location, she reminded herself of the importance of meeting her. The need to find the shop. She ran it through her mind over and over, only thinking about Spellbound and its owner. Lilith wasn¡¯t sure if this surface level of begging worked, as she assumed it was a deeper level of longing or need, but in the end, she stood in front of the steps leading down to the same glass door as before.

 Chapter 13: Holy Empire (8)

    An unfamiliar ceiling and an unfamiliar room. After arriving at Spellbound the night before and explaining her situation, Scarlet gave Lilith a room to stay in for the time being. She seemed to have no issue with it, and as Lilith expected, there was no way they would ever find the store.


    With the start of a new day as the countdown began, Lilith couldn¡¯t move from her bed. She laid on her back, staring blankly at the ceiling. After a good night of sleep and things had calmed down, her mind couldn¡¯t help but wander back to the day before.


    As soon as she closed her eyes, flashbacks of the day before flashed one after another. First it was the running. Unsure of what was ahead. Then it was the line of people cuffed together. Lilith squirmed in her bed, her eyes squinting hard. What followed was Theo. Every detail ran through her head. Her memories were reminding her of things she didn¡¯t even see the first time.


    She felt paralyzed. Unable to move or even open her eyes. It was as if her eyes were sewn shut, forcing her to relive the memories and imprinting themselves into Lilith¡¯s subconscious mind. Breaking away from the paralyzes, Lilith shifted to her side, curled up, and covered her ears. She hummed a tune in a failed attempt to drown out what she was hearing and seeing.


    The rest of the day was no different. Outside of Scarlet coming in to check on her, or giving her food, which she ignored, Lilith kept to her bed. She tested the waters by closing her eyes. Yet the vision of Theo crept into view each time.


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead,¡± she told herself, and although it was true, it didn¡¯t help ease her thoughts.


    Standing at the entrance of the room, Scarlet crossed her arms. Without even seeing it, Lilith could discern the expression on Scarlet''s face. It was a face of pity but also expectations. Expectations for Lilith to move on, or at least be capable of doing something. Anything.


    ¡°You¡¯ll run out of time before you know it,¡± Scarlet finally said with her arms still crossed. ¡°I¡¯m sure I could get you out of here even after a week, but don¡¯t you have things you need to do?¡±


    Lilith nodded her head as she sat up from the bed, resting against the wall. ¡°I-¡± her voice was raspy, and as soon as she spoke, she stopped and searched for water.


    ¡°Here.¡± Scarlet produced a glass and handed it to Lilith, who chugged it down.


    She tested her voice, and after it mostly went back to normal, she continued, ¡°I have that delivery.¡±


    ¡°Then you need to get proper rest, eat, and head out when you can. It''s only been a day, but it¡¯s not good to let these things fester.¡± Scarlet¡¯s voice was¡­ direct. It was the best way Lilith could describe it, as her playful attitude was nowhere to be seen.


    Lilith stared at Scarlet, who now sat in a chair at the side of the bed. ¡°You sound like a mother,¡± she blurted out after being taken aback by her sudden personality change.


    Scarlet smiled and laughed, albeit only lightly. ¡°More like a fussy great-great-great-grandmother.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of greats,¡± Lilith replied.


    ¡°I could add more if I wanted to.¡± Scarlet stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired, but I would suggest that you go take a bath and meet me in the living room.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, Scarlet walked off and closed the door behind her. A meaningless conversation, but a welcomed one at that. After giving herself a bit of time, she went to take a bath and changed her clothes.


    Scarlet¡¯s store and home were interesting, to say the least. Three stories with a basement is what she told Lilith. However, after she thought about it, it made no sense. There was no way for three floors as big as they were to fit where her current shop is at.


    The first floor was the typical store front. It had shelves upon shelves with magical tools with a shop counter and behind the curtains separated a large room with a cauldron, a wall of shelves filled with materials for potions, a table, and stairs that led to the basement. A place off limits to Lilith.


    The second floor was a library filled with books, scrolls, and grimoires, all related to magic in one way or another. It seemed cozy alongside its dim lighting and comfy chairs. It was unfortunate it served no purpose for Lilith. The surprising thing was what Scarlet had told her when she gave her a tour. The books on display were only a fraction of what she collected over the years. That was something Lilith couldn¡¯t quite comprehend. The magic library ¨Cor so how Scarlet calls it ¨C although big, wasn¡¯t as large as any other library out there, but those libraries had far more non-magic related books than magic related while Scarlet''s own library only had a vast number of them.


    The third and last floor was what Scarlet considered her home. It was weirdly larger than the other two floors and housed three bedrooms, two baths, a living room, dining room, and a kitchen. The place was littered with her own tools and everything seemed to work off magic, be it the stove or the broom sweeping up the dirt. Some of these tools Lilith had never seen before.


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    ¡°Do you plan to show any of these tools to the world?¡± Lilith asked while sheepishly entering the living room.


    Waiting on the couch, Scarlet was reading a book and when Lilith asked her question, she looked up. Lilith¡¯s eyes, although tired, looked to have more spark in them than the day before. ¡°I don¡¯t have any plans to. No.¡± she said, patting the spot next to her. ¡°Come and sit.¡± While Lilith walked over, Scarlet continued. ¡°So, have you thought about what to do?¡±


    ¡°I only thought of using a stealth potion, but I don¡¯t think that would work,¡± Lilith said.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Scarlet thought. ¡°I think it should be fine. If you were to go now, then it wouldn¡¯t be possible, but if you give it a few days, then the guards should lighten up.¡±


    ¡°So I just need to be on the lookout,¡± Lilith followed up with.


    ¡°Correct. They can¡¯t- well, if they wanted to, they could. But I doubt they will keep it as tight as they do right now.¡±


    Lilith mumbled to herself. ¡°I was told to wait a few days at the very least, but not to leave later than a week.¡±


    ¡°That sounds more than reasonable.¡± Scarlet agreed. ¡°After leaving, where do you plan to go next?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. I don¡¯t think I mentioned it the last time I was here. I have a delivery to make. It requires me to go up north, past the Scar.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Scarlet responded.


    Lilith raised an eyebrow. Although it was only one word, the way Scarlet said it made Lilith wonder. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Lilith said.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the way I said it?¡± Scarlet responded with a question.


    ¡°You know, the oh~¡± Lilith imitated the way Scarlet had said the word. ¡°It¡¯s like you know something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I do. Maybe.¡± Scarlet responded honestly.


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Lilith asked. The word stuck out to her. ¡°What do you mean by maybe?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Scarlet scratched her cheek. ¡°The one who came to visit me was a young girl. She said she needed help with something.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with past the Scar?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°It was about 18 years ago. I guess she learned I could help make portals, so she asked if I could help her.¡±


    ¡°Portals?¡± Lilith asked slowly. ¡°Like what the cursed can do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but no. You can¡¯t get lost in the one I made. It¡¯s from point A to point B. It took me about 17 years to make them, so the timeline lines up.¡±


    ¡°So.. you¡¯ve made portals? Something that will change history.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my specialty, after all. Well, a mixture of it. How do you think I have such a large building in such a small area?¡±


    ¡°So it is true. It felt weird when we went upstairs the other day. Something felt off.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s similar to how you store items.¡±


    Although processing the information wasn¡¯t difficult, it was still a lot to take in. ¡°Are you¡­ a cursed one?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not. I just found ways to use something similar to what you do.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t tell me much,¡± Lilith said.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I don¡¯t plan on telling you anymore than that.¡±


    Lilith shrugged it off. ¡°So you¡¯re saying my delivery is most likely those portals? It seemed too large to be one, though?¡±


    ¡°Well, one of them. They¡¯re connected to each other and only work together, so I¡¯m sure the young lass will keep her gate and send the other to the one that went north.¡±


    ¡°Do you know his name? The one that I¡¯m probably traveling to. I can¡¯t say for sure, but it makes sense.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. She only told me she needed a way to quickly go from one place to another. I only found out it was to the north after pressing her for more information, but she was firm in not telling me anymore details than that. I honestly only accepted it because it seemed interesting.¡±


    Lilith was quite dumbfounded. The person who sat next to her could create things that would alter the future. Yet, it was only ever on a whim that Scarlet pursued these inventions. If she found it interesting, she would attempt to create it. Even if it took years, it seemed as if she would keep exhausting any and every option she could.


    ¡°Are all Archemages this¡­ eccentric?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°Not everyone,¡± Scarlet responded. ¡°But when you live as long as I have, it becomes harder to care about things, so you get lost in your own research and interests, since those will never leave you.¡±


    Scarlet¡¯s voice had a hint of sadness and seriousness to it. It was clear what she had said was a reality nearly every mage and potential elves face when they live long enough. Things change, yet they, themselves, stay the same.


    Lilith changed the discussion. ¡°Although it doesn¡¯t affect my purpose of traveling, it¡¯s not bad to know why I¡¯m going there. Or at least, it¡¯s not bad to know I¡¯m going there for a reason that¡¯s probably worth it.¡±


    Scarlet nodded her head. ¡°Now then. It¡¯s time to eat.¡± Scarlet stood up, and with a flick of a finger, noise erupted from the kitchen.


    ¡­..


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± Lilith shouted as she closed the door behind her.


    Two more days had passed since the conversation with Scarlet. It helped her pre-occupy her mind. As she told her, she had something to do, and after thinking about it a bit longer, the delivery was most likely a lot more important than she initially thought. There was only one reason she could think of where she needed to deliver a portal all the way north. Something was going to happen, and it was highly likely that whatever it was, it would be good. This nervousness and knowledge that it hinged on her making it there helped her get up every day and keep her mind off what happened, although she did her best to not let her thoughts wander.


    ¡°How was it today?¡± Scarlet asked as she came down the stairs.


    ¡°Better. A lot better. I don¡¯t think it would be worth risking it today, but tomorrow or the day after would be ideal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a short time, but it was fun.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like we¡¯ll never see each other again. Plus, I¡¯m still here for another day or two!¡±


    ¡°You never know.¡± Scarlet sniffled. ¡°Soon you¡¯ll leave and forget everything that happened here. You¡¯ll go on your adventure seeing new things. Talk to new people.¡±


    Lilith looked at Scarlet with eyes of suspicion. After the talk she had the other day, she was well aware of how she sounded when she was being sincere. This was far different. ¡°Stop lying.¡±


    Scarlet smiled underneath her crocodile tears. ¡°So, do you plan to leave tomorrow?¡± She asked, her voice back to normal.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll use a stealth potion before leaving and squeeze my way through before hitting the road to the dwarves. It¡¯s not a complicated escape, but I don¡¯t think it needs to be.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re aware of such a potion, so you should be fine.¡± Scarlet looked over at Lilith, and although she couldn¡¯t tell from underneath her hood, she was upset, although only slightly. Scarlet walked over, patting Lilith¡¯s head. ¡°I hope everything goes well and make sure to keep your mind busy, at least for now.¡±

 Chapter 14: Dwarves

    From miles away, the dwarven mountains blotted out the sky, encompassing everything below it. The mountains, which Lilith couldn¡¯t quite comprehend why they were so large, felt even more enormous as she approached the gates of the city. They towered over, giving a nice bit of respite from the beaming sun. Her travel to the dwarves was unexpectedly peaceful since she met up with a trade group heading there. They had taken a different route after hearing what was happening in the Holy Empire, which was slower, but safer without having to deal with inspections.


    ¡°Next!¡± a gruff and heavy voice yelled out as the line got one person shorter. The only way to enter the city was through a gate unreasonably large. With the free time, one question that occupied her mind was ¡°why such a large gate?¡± It made no sense and only left questions, but it was overwhelming at the same time. It was so large that it was impressive, especially since they were not only capable of making such a gate, but putting it up as well.


    Unlike human cities, dwarves, mostly, didn¡¯t rely only on passes or identification, but checked every person one by one. This meant that when the line was long to enter the mountains, it could take hours of waiting. Stubborn, some would call them, but if they deemed you a risk, they wouldn¡¯t allow you in.


    Being the first time she had ever been to a dwarven city, Lilith was excited. Foot tapping against the ground while a light hum escaped her lips. She had seen dwarves before and even elves, but she could never hold a long conversation with them. Even though they might hate each other, they had one thing in common and that is; they kept to themselves. Although the ones that traveled were the outliers and were fine with other races, they still carried their stoicism to an extent.


    ¡°Next!¡± the dwarf called out and once again, the line got shorter. The line itself was quiet as everyone waited patiently. Anyone going to the dwarves had some kind of business and the weren¡¯t willing to risk getting kicked out before even trying. And finally, after what felt like hours, it was Lilith''s turn.


    Handing the golden pass over she prepared beforehand, Lilith¡¯s slight excitement continued to show as the dwarf looked at the pass and looked her over. ¡°A cursed one, huh?¡± the dwarf mentioned while tossing the pass to a different guard who went inside the gate to verify its authenticity. ¡°What¡¯s your purpose for coming here?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I need to go across the Scar.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± The dwarf asked, his eyebrow raised and his hand tightening on the hit of his battleaxe that dug into the ground.


    ¡°I have a delivery to do that requires me to go through the north,¡± Lilith said plainly.


    This dwarf held Lilith¡¯s gaze for a moment, trying to discern if what she said was a lie, yet Liliths eyes were unwavering. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± he finally yelled out. ¡°Only someone who doesn¡¯t understand what¡¯s beyond these mountains could say such a ridiculous thing.¡±


    The dwarfs sudden change in tone took Lilith by surprise. ¡°Do people not come here often to cross?¡± Lilith asked, but knew the answer. Far more times than not, if you were to ask someone what they thought of the north, they would shoo you away, not wanting to think about it or describe it in the most negative way possible. These thoughts were instilled in them early on, leading to an adverse feeling of ever going past the Scar. So yes, it would¡¯ve been strange if they came across people willing to go so far.


    The dwarf rubbed his beard as he looked Lilith in the eyes. ¡°Ye think you humans would willingly go there?¡±


    ¡°No, I doubt it,¡± Lilith responded.


    The dwarf grumbled. ¡°I guess there was a time when your kind came in droves, but after none of ya came back from the north, you stopped.¡±


    ¡°When was this?¡± Lilith asked. She never recalled a wave of people exploring the north.


    ¡°Ah, right. You¡¯re far too young. This was when I was still a kid.¡±


    ¡°Even so. I don¡¯t recall this ever happening, even if it was that long ago.¡±


    ¡°Go ask your people,¡± the dwarf waved the conversation away.


    ¡°Just one question.¡± Lilith said, realizing finding out who she was delivering to would be far easier than expected. ¡°Do you know the people who came here to go north in recent years?¡±


    ¡°Humans?¡± he asked, after thinking about the question.


    ¡°Humans,¡± Lilith responded.


    ¡°A mage stood out the most,¡± the dwarf grumbled. ¡°It was 20 years ago, if I recall correctly.¡± The dwarf¡¯s voice trailed into mumbles and grunts and only becoming coherent when he finished thinking. ¡°I didn¡¯t know him since I was posted somewhere else, but I heard of him.¡±


    ¡°Do you know anything that could help? Even a sprinkle or information?¡± Lillith''s voice raised. ¡°Did he leave anything? The delivery I have to make is most likely to this mage and the timeline matches.¡± Lilith was eager after hearing what the dwarf had told her. It matched perfecting, and now that she had a clue, she figured she should press the question. Find out who the mage is.


    ¡°Ay, I told you I didn¡¯t know him.¡± The dwarf pulled back a bit from Lilith¡¯s eagerness. ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Bram.¡±


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    ¡°Bram?¡± Lilith asked. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The guard on duty who helped that human out the most.¡±


    ¡°Where do I find this Bram?¡± She asked quickly.


    ¡°He¡¯s quite old now, well he was already old enough 20 years ago. He¡¯s retired now, so you might find him at a pub.¡±


    ¡°Where does he live?¡± Lilith asked, quickly jumping to something more tangible that she could use.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that,¡± the dwarf said sternly.


    ¡°The pass is real!¡± the other dwarf came back, shouting at the guard Lilith was talking to. ¡°We confirmed her rank as well,¡± he added while handing the pass over to the dwarf, who then gave it back to Lilith.


    The dwarf gave Lilith a long look while she put away the pass. ¡°Outside of your rank, you seem fine. It¡¯s not like we stop people from crossing over as long as you¡¯re not someone who would bring harm to us. Your rank checks out too, so best of luck.¡±


    "How do I meet this Bram!?" Lilith shouted out while another guard pushed her past and towards the gate.


    ¡°Like I said, check the pubs!¡± The dwarf yelled back.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Lilith yelled out.


    ¡°Next!¡± the dwarf demanded.


    As Lilith entered the long-winded entrance into the mountain, the gigantic statues lined up on each side of the walls took Lilith by surprise. Each statue was a dwarf, and each dwarf held a weapon, and each weapon was different. Each had a plaque, but unfortunately for Lilith, she couldn¡¯t read ancient dwarven. There was a fundamental difference between modern and ancient languages, and each race held their ancient language close. However, she could only assume they were dwarves who achieved the unthinkable.


    There are three things which dwarves are known for: their prowess on the battlefield, their use of magic to enhance their bodies and strength, and then their skill in blacksmithing, which combines magic and metallurgy. Each statue visually displayed these things, allowing Lilith to make educated guesses on what they were best known for out of these three things, but it was impossible to know anything beyond her surface level of knowledge. Some even had crowns that also showed their lineage alongside their accomplishments.


    ¡°For being so short, they sure make their statues and doors huge,¡± Lilith commented as she reached another large metal door. Lilith wondered how she would enter, as it felt impossible for such a door to open, and if it did, how long would it take to even open all the way? However, as if in response to her question, Lilith''s head snapped to the sound of metal hinges moving.


    A smaller door¡­ in a door, Lilith thought as she watched the door open. ¡°Sneaky,¡± she said, only noticing the door after the dwarf opened it. It made her wonder, though. Why make the doors that big if they would use a smaller one to begin with? Well, she understood to an extent, but was curious how they opened and closed them to begin with.


    The mountain wasn¡¯t only a city, but a large man made open area or at least the zone where the main city resided. The view was amazing in its own right. A smooth road that Lilith had never seen before stretched all the way to the city itself, which was visible from the entrance. Fields upon fields filled with wheat and other types of food alongside animals. It looked peaceful as Lilith took her time watching the dwarves checking their crops. It was a mystery how they could produce anything in a cave, of all places, but she didn¡¯t bother to question it.


    What made her more intrigued was how bright it was.


    Lilith looked up into the sky. The ceiling stretched far higher than she expected and star like dots scattered around, lighting up the world around it.


    Street lights were lined up evenly on both sides of the one main road leading into the city. They seemed nearly identical to the ones in the human cities, with their own twist to them, but they did their job perfectly as they helped light up the pathway as the dots grew darker, signaling the time of day.


    People quickly shuffled by with their carts filled with merchandise into the city as Lilith stepped to the side, taking her time. She soaked in the views with clusters of homes, although not enough to form a village. The layout was different, but reasonable. There were no immediate dangers, and with the city so close, there was no need to form any minor or major hubs outside of the city.


    The scattered homes were bustling with dwarves who went about their days, and as it got darker, they either made their way to the city, quickly passing by Lilith, or to their homes where smoke came out of their fireplaces. Lilith picked up the pace, as she needed to get to the city and find a place to sleep for the night.


    The city was deceptively large. When she first entered the mountain, it seemed small from a distance. But as she got close, it felt larger and larger. Tall, unique buildings made of a type of metal that Lilith had never seen before, with a few brick buildings scattered in between.


    The checkpoint to enter the city itself was far more lenient, simply checking Lilith¡¯s belongings and making sure everything was fine. It only took a few moments before she could enter walked around the city. There were a few humans within the crowd of dwarves and, although Lilith was short by human standards, she was still much taller than a dwarf, causing her to stick out like the others. Yet none of the dwarves cared to look. They seemed to have no issue with her or any other human.


    Although dwarves'' lifespans weren¡¯t as long as elves, they were far longer than a human and even archmages. Which meant that they saw their fair share of the world and most of them, or at least Lilith assumed, lived in their old ways. However, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case entirely. Maybe for some, but at least they were more tolerant than expected. This discovery went against the stories of old, but it lined up with the dwarves she had met while traveling. Although stubborn and talked little, they were extremely tolerable.


    ¡°Where am I now?¡± Lilith asked herself, while looking around. After Lilith questioned some people, mainly humans rather than dwarves, she learned the city was divided into three sections, like a pie. Warriors and schools of training filled the first district. The second district contained blacksmiths with specialized shops lining the streets, while the third district was housing, which, from what Lilith had learned, was for dwarves only alongside an enormous castle in the back. That said, a lot of dwarves lived where they worked. All three districts met in the middle, which was where Lilith was at now and no laughing matter. It was as large as any of the other three districts and filled with pubs and stores of all kinds.


    ¡°Ah, right. I need to find Bram,¡± Lilith mumbled with a yawn. Considering dwarves lived far longer than any regular human could, it was hard to tell just how old Bram currently was and the more she walked around, the more their age visibly blurred as their faces hid behind facial hair.


    ¡°I hope the name Bram isn¡¯t common,¡± Lilith mumbled to herself once more while heading to an inn. Even though it was late enough to head to a pub, she was far too tired after the traveling, so she pushed the worry to tomorrow and sprawled onto the bed.

 Chapter 15: Bram

    Pub after pub after pub. Every night, it was an endless cycle that chipped away at Lilith. At the start, it surprised her by how many pubs there were especially so close to each other, but after consistently seeing how filled each one she visited was, it made sense. She thought it was a joke when people told her that dwarves loved their alcohol, or at least, thought little of it, but now she was a believer. If you want to sit down with a dwarf and talk, then give them alcohol. Drink with them, then they¡¯ll talk¡­ and talk they did.


    She didn¡¯t plan to stay here for as long as she had, but it was worth it trying to find this Bram. The only problem was that the name wasn''t popular nor uncommon, and the Bram Lilith was searching for wasn''t well known enough for any random dwarf to recognize him. She would sometimes come across someone who did, but either didn¡¯t know where he would be, or didn¡¯t tell. This kept Lilith searching, hopping from one pub to the next every night for the past two nights. Thankfully, or unfortunately, she had an extremely high tolerance for alcohol to where it seemed near impossible to get shit-faced drunk. But¡­


    ¡°Next one,¡± Lilith said with a hiccup and a face slightly flushed. It was already 4 am or at least the last time she bothered to check and she had been drinking since 7. Things were no longer pretty as the alcohol was finally kicking in. She just wanted to find where Bram was, but every time she entered a pub, they forced her to drink. Honestly, it was getting to where Lilith thought it was all planned. That these pubs knew who she was now and planned to get her drunk.


    Lilith rubbed her temple while sitting down on a bench to take a break before entering the last pub of the night. ¡°Has it turned into a competition to see who could get me drunk?¡± She asked as she leaned back, arms spread out on the top of the bench. ¡°You can¡¯t enter a dwarven ran pub without drinking until you¡¯re drunk,¡± something a dwarf told her on her first visit. ¡°Yeah, ok.¡±


    She kept to the bench for a while longer, watching dwarves walk by as some took interest in Lilith, but only for a moment before going about their business. ¡°Alright,¡± she stood up. After the quick rest, she felt much better. ¡°One more for the night.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s here!¡± One dwarf yelled out while clanking his mug with someone next to him.


    ¡°Ay she is!¡± Another one shouted back.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Lilith said under her breath.


    ¡°Word travels fast,¡± a female dwarf who seemed to work at the pub came over, handing Lilith a glass of water. ¡°You lookin for Bram, right?¡±


    Lilith grabbed the cup and let the ripples of water calm down before chugging the glass. ¡°I am,¡± she finally said before handing back the now empty cup. ¡°Is he here?¡±


    ¡°Ey. Bram!¡± the barkeeper shouted. ¡°The lass made it!¡±


    ¡°I heard, I heard!¡± a voice shouted back. A hint of a slur from the alcohol and a deeper voice than Lilith expected.


    Lilith rubbed her eyes and prepared herself mentally for the rest of the night. She knew how it would play out, but after the glass of water, and the break from earlier, she was ready. ¡°Ah, old indeed,¡± Lilith commented unintentionally, as she stood in front of Bram and his group.


    ¡°Ay we are. Is that a problem?¡± Bram answered with a question. One thing she had learned while hopping from pub to pub in search of him was that dwarves were short-tempered and even though they opened up a lot more to the ones who could drink and became much more talkative, it was also more so after drinking.


    ¡°No, no. I was told you were old and retired, but it''s been hard to tell ages apart.¡±


    ¡°It seems like it¡¯s true. That you don¡¯t get drunk,¡± said one of the older dwarves that sat at the same table as Bram. He cut in, bringing the conversation to a different talking point.


    ¡°I do, but it¡¯s pretty difficult to reach that point. Plus, I recover quickly.¡±


    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± The same dwarf asked before downing another pint.


    ¡°My constitution, which is what I would like to say, but considering my build and all of that, it most likely has to do with me being cursed.¡± She pointed to her hair, then her eyes to show what she meant. ¡°But maybe that would fall under that category, anyway?¡± She said with a smile in an attempt to present herself in the best way possible. There were four other dwarves at the table Bram sat at, including him. Three of them were male and two were female, who all seemed past their prime. Yet, their scarred arms and faces told Lilith all she needed to know.


    ¡°So you can go for another round, ay!?¡± another dwarf asked.


    ¡°If I must, then yes, I can,¡± Lilith responded as the barkeeper came back with another glass of water. Lilith grabbed a seat in between Bram and one of the other dwarves. The stares and interest from the others died down as they went back to their mugs and friends. She sipped the water, and after finishing the glass, she slammed the cup down onto the table to grab their undivided attention. ¡°I have a few questions for you.¡±


    ¡°So what are these questions you have, missy?¡± With each word, his words slurred more and more until they became a jumbled mess.


    ¡°I heard you helped a mage  20 or so years ago.¡±


    Bram rubbed his beard, something Lilith noticed to be quite common amongst the dwarves when they thought about something. It also became a positive tell for Lilith when someone sincerely pondered about the question she asked instead of shrugging it off. ¡°Ah, that lad,¡± Bram finally said.


    ¡°So you remember? Do you remember his name? Anything he said? Where he was going?¡± Lilith kept spitting out questions, and after the second one, Bram stopped listening and took a chug from his mug while Lilith continued, and after a few more questions, Bram interrupted.


    ¡°Enough! Too many questions and too late in the night to answer.¡± A server quickly came over with more mugs than she could hold and replaced the now empty ones, including a new one for Lilith. ¡°Now then, we drink the night away and then tomorrow we talk.¡±


    Bram lifted his mug, and with a cheer from everyone at the table, they smashed their mugs together, leaving Lilith sitting there, staring at her drink. She knew the only way to get the answers she wanted was to drink, but she was tired of the constant alcohol. ¡°One last night,¡± she finally mumbled out before quickly taking hold of the mug, clashing it with Bram¡¯s, then chugging as much as she could.


    The night went on for several more hours. Drinking and talking. Lilith telling stories of jobs she had done, and Bram and the others telling theirs while also occasionally talking about any nonsensual thing one of them could think of. It was hard to fully follow the mumblings of the drunken dwarves, but she simply nodded her head, laughed, and continued to drink and when she felt she was drinking too much, she slowed down, letting herself to cool down.


    However, something that was said piqued her interest. Out of the seamlessly endless stories, one of them was how the dwarves handled demons. Besides the single smaller barrier outside the entrance to the mountain, they didn¡¯t use any other type of tools or magic in the way humans and elves did. Instead, they relied on their own strength and chokepoints to hold them off, even building their own machines to protect their borders, something which Lilith hadn¡¯t seen just yet as the dwarves seemed to hide them. The mountains themselves became its own natural barrier.


    The story got Lilith curious about the battlefields which the dwarves fought at and curious of the other parts of the underground. The dwarven tunnels always interested her, but to be fair, it interested most people as they were a mystery to anyone that wasn¡¯t a dwarf.


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    With blurry eyes, Lilith let out a yawn, sitting up in her bed to stretch her arms and legs outward. She was quiet as she looked around the room with half-opened eyes, taking in the messy sight on the floor as she tried to remember what happened later on in the night. This was a first for her as she normally didn¡¯t get or attempt to get drunk, so that meant she had far more than she could¡¯ve guessed, even after trying to pace herself. Her hair was a mess and so were her clothes, but other than that, she felt fine.


    ¡°Glad I don¡¯t have to deal with the aftermath,¡± Lilith said, followed by a laugh. While getting up from her bed, her attention moved over to a piece of paper sitting on the nightstand. It was what she had written last night, albeit sloppy. ¡°Ah, right. The pub.¡± She said, reading the note.


    Wearing nothing but her underwear, she went around her room, picking up one piece of clothing at a time and putting the uniform back on. Despite being wrinkled and having a stain here and there, she easily fixed it after activating the magic woven within. Just like any magical tool, when pouring her mana into the fibers of her suit, it lightened up softly and quickly removed the stains and wrinkles. It was a handy magic that only magical weavers could make, and clothing with such threads cost a hefty amount.


    ¡°The wonders of magic,¡± Lilith nodded her head while looking at herself in the mirror. ¡°That said,¡± she leaned in closer, getting a better view of her eyes. ¡°I look awful.¡± Sure, her constitution may have let her avoid the after day sickness, but it didn¡¯t solve the lack of sleep.


    She carefully fixed her hair, adjusted her cap to cover what mess was left, and readjusted her uniform. Then, after doing a double take in the mirror, she headed back to the pub where they met. It was a surprise that there were a few dwarves still drinking, but it was far less crazy than the night before. She scanned the tables and spotted Bram, who was sitting at the same table as last night. He had a mug in hand, but instead of beer, it was water.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look too good,¡± Lilith mentioned while sitting down across from him.


    ¡°And you look fine, for the most part.¡± Bram shot back.


    ¡°I told you last night I would be fine.¡± Lilith said.


    Chugging down the mug of water, he slammed it down on the table. ¡°Now, then. What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Getting right into it?¡± Lilith responded, but quickly took out a notebook, ready to write what he knew.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± Bram asked.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± Lilith answered. ¡°I have a package that needs to be delivered to a person who apparently is living in the north.¡±


    ¡°And you think it was the mage from 20 years ago?¡± Bram asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered simply. ¡°I¡¯m nearly certain of it.¡±


    Bram was quiet. Taking a sip from his now refilled mug, he rubbed his beard. ¡°He was the last person from my memory who went north,¡± Bram finally said. ¡°I can¡¯t say I was ever interested in mages, but¡­¡±


    Lilith leaned forward. ¡°But?¡± she asked, after waiting long enough for him to finish his sentence, but didn¡¯t.


    ¡°But he was unique. Stayed for a while and got along with everyone else. Joined us for drinks. He was a good lad, even if he was weak.¡±


    Lilith jotted down quick notes of what Bram had said. Although the information wasn¡¯t anything all too interesting to her, it matched what Scarlet told her, or at least, a similar personality, alongside a perfect time frame. ¡°Did he tell you what his plans were?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Bram mumbled out. ¡°I was drunk most of the time I talked to him. That said, there was one time when I was still sober. He told me something interesting. It was a grand plan or something along those lines.¡±


    ¡°Grand plan?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°If I remember correctly,¡± Bram rubbed his beard and leaned back. ¡°He said there was something far north, and if what he thought was true, he planned to start something.¡±


    Lilith looked at Bram with a puzzled face. ¡°That is¡­ broad.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t go into detail,¡± Bram responded. ¡°Something was there, and he wanted to know.¡±


    ¡°Did he mention any kind of path? Safe spots? Anything he would do to even make it there?¡±


    ¡°One question at a time,¡± Bram snarled, putting a hand up to stop another onslaught of questions.


    Lilith sat back, reorganizing her questions. ¡°Did he mention any path he was going to take to get there?¡± She asked again.


    ¡°Did he?¡± Bram mumbled his question quietly to himself as he thought back to any conversations he had. ¡°I doubt he had anything planned or at least he never mentioned- well, no. That¡¯s wrong.¡± Bram grumbled, going through his memory the best he could. ¡°Rula!¡± Bram yelled out. ¡°Do you have a map!?¡±


    ¡°A map!?¡± A voice yelled back, a familiar one from the night before.


    ¡°Do ya have one!?¡±


    There was no response, but after a moment of silence, Rula appeared. ¡°You mean one of these?¡± She tossed Bram a map, who then unfurled it onto the table.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Bram responded.


    Lilith watched the back and forth, and when Bram showed her the map, her eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°I have never seen a map like this,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s only for dwarven eyes and now yours, so you better keep quiet.¡±


    It was hard to tell how serious Bram was. It came off as a threat, but the tone of his voice did not differ from usual. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to,¡± Lilith said.


    ¡°When I was a young chap, the previous king had a fascination in understanding what was beyond our mountain. So, during his reign, he sent out groups often to scout the north. Sometimes going through the tunnels and sometimes from the front door, they mapped out a decent amount around our mountains and one spot I mentioned to him was this one.¡± Bram pointed to a green dot on the map.


    ¡°What¡¯s there?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°Elven ruins.¡±


    ¡°Elven ruins?¡± Lilith repeated his words. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°What, did you think the north was always like that?¡± Bram asked with a hint of disbelief. ¡°The current elves are only a shadow of what they used to be. All they do now is hide away in their little forest and never come out.¡± Bram spat the words out as if he had an unpleasant taste left from a meal. ¡°If you want to know more, you¡¯ll have to go ask them yourself or visit their ruins. Although we dwarves don¡¯t care for their books, I do know there are a ton of them in those ruins.¡±


    ¡°If that is true, then there¡¯s a natural barrier, but would it be strong enough for what the north is currently?¡± Lilith asked. She struggled to fully understand the limits of these barriers even when humans used the ones around their Inns and cities which were from elves of the past as well.


    ¡°They should be fine. Plus, the north isn¡¯t as scary as it used to be. Trust me, I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lilith asked, without realizing it. What Bram said contraindicated what she had been told up to now. Something that kept happening ever since arriving here.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are still dangerous things out there, but there are far less of them than before.¡±


    "That is... amazing information," Lilith said, jotting down the information, then refocusing her attention back on the map. If what Bram said was true, then the location was probably safe. It helped that it was so close to the mountains as well, so she doubted the dwarves would let anything too worrisome to hover around.


    ¡°I would suggest going there first. He said he would leave a trail expecting someone like you, so if it ended up not being safe, then I¡¯m sure he would lead you to somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°A trail! Perfect.¡± Lilith looked at the map in front of her. Although it may not cover the whole of the north, it was way more detailed than any other map she had seen. It was strange to her that the dwarves never tried to sell something like this or release it into the world. There was never a mention of it before. It may not show everything, but it was far more than what she knew of and could assume most people knew of. An amazing start, if anything else.


    ¡°Do you think I can get one of these maps?¡± Lilith asked.


    Bram looked at Lilith, studied her, then rolled up the map and handed it over. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t show anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, honestly surprised he gave it to her so willingly and so quickly. It was a shot in the dark and she didn¡¯t think he would say yes, but having the map will help tremendously going forward.


    ¡°When do you plan to leave?¡± Bram asked.


    ¡°In a week at most. I¡¯ve had everything prepared that I need, but I should probably double check and get anything I am missing.¡± Finishing up her notes, she looked them over, and after confirming everything was in line with what Bram told her, she closed it and tossed it back into the void.


    Bram stood up, grabbed his hammer that rested behind him and left, saying, ¡°Best of luck to ye then.¡±


    ¡°Oh, one last question!¡± Lilith yelled out to Bram.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Bram yelled back, stopping at the door.


    ¡°Did you find out his name?¡±


    ¡°Name?¡± Bram asked. ¡°Ah, yes. I forgot to mention it. His name was Arthur.¡±

 Chapter 16: Barren Wasteland

    An endless pit sprawled out from underneath the reinforced bridge. Made of a similar unknown metal as the doors that welcomed Lilith to the city, it was a nerve-wracking experience as she slowly crossed over the Scar. Her mushed legs slowly creeped while using the railing for support. Lilith was never good with heights. Although it was normally tolerable, this experience was a bit too much for her. However, even with this mindset, her curiosity still wormed its way to the forefront. She couldn¡¯t help but peek over and take a gander at the frightening pit. A darkness that seemed endless.


    ¡°Ye alright?¡± The guide asked, looking behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright...¡± Lilith whimpered. ¡°Do you mind if I ask a question?¡± she asked, raising her voice to make sure the dwarf heard.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The guide asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a good look, but¡­¡± Lilith let go of the railing, and with all her might, pointed to a spot. ¡°Are those holes the dwarven tunnels?¡±


    ¡°They were. Before the Scar formed.¡± The guide responded.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve had ''em for that long, huh?¡± Lilith muttered. ¡°How does this even happen?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the guide asked, not fully understanding the question she was asking.


    ¡°Like, you know. How did it not cut through all the way? How is it not separated more or less? It just seems¡­ strange.¡± The sight was definitely weird and the more she looked, the more she understood why it was called a scar. Small bridges reached out, but broke off as if it was trying to reach the other side. ¡°Is it alive?¡± She followed with another question.


    ¡°Why would I know that!¡± the guide yelled out.


    Lilith recoiled back as she gripped the railing tighter and came to a stop. ¡°Things just don¡¯t seem right here.¡±


    ¡°Then ye best figure it out yourself. No one has bothered to do so yet.¡±


    Lilith leaned over slightly and looked directly down the gap. Although not a scholar, she could tell things were different. For all the fascination of the north, no one ever talked about the Scar. Yet, it was probably the most unique thing on the continent. It was mysterious, with questions piling up one after another, and what bothered her the most was that there was a high chance it wasn¡¯t endless. That something was down there.


    Lilith gulped as goosebumps formed on her arms as she recalled the conversation she had with Lily and Jack.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± the guide said, standing in front of a metal door.


    With several knocks, the door creaked open, and Lilith followed.


    A small fort city. Outside of a few pubs and artisans to repair gear and weapons, the place comprised only housing and training areas. It was a shadow of the size of the major city on the other side of the Scar, but it didn¡¯t need to be any larger. Rugged warriors walked the streets with a silence that was deafening.


    ¡°Do I need to cross a battlefield?¡± Lilith asked the guide, who continued to lead her through the city.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s a different way out. Bram told us to let you use it.¡±


    ¡°Bram?¡± Lilith asked, but with more surprise than questioning. Although he had helped her immensely, she did not expect to hear that name again. Especially with it holding any kind of weight. ¡°Bram did?¡± She asked, clarifying herself.


    ¡°Ey. Others can use the tunnel, but there still needs to be some kind of clearance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m not a fighter, so there¡¯s no way I could cross out in the open.¡±


    With a grunt, the guide led Lilith to her next destination. Another metal door. They were everywhere, and they were heavy and sturdy, capable of keeping everything it needed to out. ¡°This is as far as I take you,¡± the guide said as two guards opened the door leading to a long-winded tunnel. ¡°One of these two guards will go with you until the end. Best of luck to ya.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lilith responded as the guide left.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± The guard asked Lilith.


    Lilith gave him a nod, and as they entered the tunnel, the metal door closed behind them, followed by the locking of the numerous locks.


    The guards'' clanking of metal tuned out her own footsteps as they quietly traveled. It was a simple tunnel. No complexity. All it did was bring a person from point A to point B, yet it felt far longer than it really was. Until this point, she never considered where she was headed to. To be exact, she knew she was going to the north, but the reality didn¡¯t sink in until this very moment.


    She was confused. Over the past few months, her thoughts on things had changed quite a bit, so it became harder to believe everything about the north. She assumed there was some truth to it all. There had to be, but it now felt as if the north was more shrouded in mystery than before.


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    With each step, Lilith¡¯s heart beat faster. Wiping her brow, she readjusted her hat and came to a stop, standing in front of another metal door.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± The guard asked,.


    Lilith gulped and fixed the cuffs of her jacket. Behind the door held an unknown that she had to travel. ¡°Y-yes,¡± she whimpered out, her voice cracking and unsure.


    The guard gave Lilith a stern look, then unhatched a small opening to look out, making sure everything was clear and, as he did, Lilith prepared herself. Taking out the barrier prepared for her by Alex, she gripped it tightly and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± The guard asked once again.


    Lilith nodded her head, exhaling. With a few more long and deep breaths, she calmed her heart and readied her mind. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Metal clanked, and chains fell with each lock undone. She watched each one, and when the guard moved to the next one, so did she, and with each opened lock, her anxiety and worry grew.


    Lilith clutched onto the barrier stone harder and harder as time slowed, and when all the locks were undone, the guard looked over and, with a nod from Lilith, opened the door.


    Pouring her mana into the stone, she took her first step past the door cautiously and looked around. An endless sea of dry, cracked earth welcomed her to the north. To the left, the Scar ominously cut through the ground and to the right, an unknown landscape.


    The door closed behind her, and while clutching the stone with one hand, she took out the map and looked it over before replacing it with a compass. The first stop was northwest, and it wasn¡¯t all too far from where she was now.


    On guard and as cautious as she could be, she started off slowly, checking her surroundings as often as she could, but it was oddly peaceful. Things were far calmer than expected and the only occasional demons Lilith came across were the normal demon dogs and the like.


    Lilith thought it to be weird, though. Although she expected it to differ from what she was told, there were far fewer demons than she expected. Although ?Lilith chalked it up to the location and that the dwarves kept it as clean as possible, it still felt wrong.


    ¡°Where are the stronger ones?¡± She asked herself. ¡°Are they somewhere else? I doubt they would struggle to pass the Scar.¡± Now that Lilith thought about it, there were more questions than answers. If the stronger and more intelligent demons needed to hunt, then couldn¡¯t they just cross the Scar and look for humans? There was nothing stopping them years and years and years ago, or did they go somewhere else?


    She continued to travel, but because she left a bit too late, and with her taking her time at the start, the sun quickly started to set. It was getting late, and she now needed to find a place to rest.


    ¡°Is this it?¡± Lilith said with her map in hand, while checking out the buildings in front of her. As the map showed, it was a small farm village with spaces that hinted to be open fields and houses, some broken down and others in surprisingly good condition. Lilith walked through, noticing no demons in sight, and found a place that she considered being in the best condition compared to the others.


    Putting as much mana as she could into the barrier, she placed it on the counter. It extended just far enough to cover the small house. She kept the barrier going since it would be far too risky to let it drop. There was no telling if any of the ones she saw up to this point would come visit her humble abode or if they would be capable of sensing her.


    ¡°Do I just use a regular barrier?¡± Lilith questioned while looking through the house. They would take notice of her while using one, since it doesn¡¯t hide her presence, but it would let her save up her mana as much as possible. ¡°I have those potions,¡± she reminded herself, but concluded that it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to use them so early in her travels. Yes, she had gotten far more from Scarlet, but at least for now, there was nothing too life threatening.


    She could keep going, but there was also no reason to push herself beyond what was necessary. If she pushed herself during the 2nd day, there was a chance, but that was also far too risky, especially since there was no guarantee it would still be there. As of now, though, being able to find a place that wasn¡¯t so out in the open was the perfect location to stop for the day instead of the risk of being out in the open.


    Putting more mana into the barrier, Lilith looked around the house. It was dusty, but outside of that and a few broken items, it wasn¡¯t all that bad. In fact, it was impressive that such a building was still standing after all this time.


    ¡°It¡¯s dry,¡± Lilith said, while looking around the room. There wasn¡¯t a hint of water anywhere nor any sign it had rained anytime recently, if ever. It was something she had noticed while traveling. There were no animals, no raid, and no bugs. It was lifeless outside of the demons.


    Peeking out of the broken front door, she looked around, confirming her new temporary house was the best option. With a roof mostly attached, it served its purpose perfectly. Pushing the furniture to the walls, Lilith made room on the floor for a camping area, which included a fire pit, a sleeping bag, and some food to eat.


    ¡°This thing sure is impressive,¡± Lilith muttered while sitting on top of the sleeping bag and staring at the crystal. It wasn¡¯t as powerful as the ones used for the mega cities or even the ones used for the newer villages, but it was portable as advertised, and stronger than expected. She just couldn''t grasp how one could utilize it for a long time.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to tell Alex this,¡± Lilith said, while thinking about the barrier. ¡°I wonder how fast Scarlet¡¯s barrier would sap mana?¡± She questioned, reminding herself that the experimental one was supposed to be the less intense one.


    Since there was quite some time until she wanted to sleep, she kept the barrier up, feeding mana into it when she noticed it would get too low. The barrier lasted quite long, but not long enough on its own without a constant supply, although the size wasn¡¯t helping its case. The larger the barrier, the more it costs.


    Reaching in the abyss, she grabbed a small notebook. The one she used to write down what Bram had told her. It was an idea she thought of, and a great one at that. There was going to be a lot that would happen during her journey, and since no one came back alive to tell their tales, she thought it would be a good idea to jog down everything that would happen so if she returned, it could be recorded.


    There was one thing, however, that she couldn¡¯t afford to do. In case she died, she wanted to make sure if someone else in the future came across her skeletal remains, then they would find her notebook in a pocket instead.


    Taking out a pencil, Lilith let her mana flow into the stick and, after the tip glowed, she jogged everything she had seen so far in the day. She wrote down every single detail she could remember and even her own thoughts on the current situation and what she believed to be true.


    Then, after finishing, Lilith looked at the pages of writing. There wasn¡¯t much, but it was only the start. Closing the notebook, and tossing the magical pencil into the void, she tucked the notebook into her pocket, turned off the lights, then grabbed Scarlet¡¯s barrier. The travel through the north would be a true testament of how bottomless her mana truly was. Clutching onto the barrier, it sapped as much mana as it could while she curled up into a ball, hugging the crystal.

 Chapter 17: Elven Ruins

    The density of monsters grew as Lilith made her way farther into the north, and with the disappearance of the Scar behind her, and the mountain in the far distance, she noticed the groups of demons clustering together. They were pacts of demons with leaders. Every now and then, a fight broke out, one group against another. They were vicious, biting and ripping apart each other''s limbs.


    ¡°Is this it?¡± Lilith asked herself, while checking her surroundings. It was a small temple which stood by itself. There was no hint of any other buildings in sight outside of it. Wiping her brow, she cautiously double checked the building before entering.


    A familiar feeling washed over her entire body. Although a comforting feeling, It was as if she walked into a different domain, separated from everything else. It was hard to explain, and to this day, no one has figured out how it works or why the elves of old created these natural barriers. But they have held true for as long as they have and people consider them the safest places around the world.


    The barrier ensured the temple stayed in near pristine condition. Being separated from the world, they were the only locations, or at least from what Lilith gathered from entering, that had any type of greenery in the north. The only damage the temple sustained were roots that randomly appeared from the ground and spiraled up as if it was holding up the building. Marble benches lined up to the left and right of the entrance. Some broken, but only slightly. The only two differences between the temples that Lilith knew of, and the one she was in now. Instead of a podium at the end of the walkway, there was a pair of stairs leading down.


    The second difference she had never known of was a statue.


    ¡°Were the Elves always religious?¡± Lilith asked herself. An enormous statue rested in the back of the room. It was the first time she had ever seen such a figure, be it in books or in person. Lilith was aware of the Elves'' worship of nature, but she did not know of their connection to a Goddess. Even as a statue, she seemed otherworldly. Long hair with vines that interweaved with the strands of her hair. Ears identical to an elf alongside¡­ flower earrings on each ear while more vines maneuvered around her body, sprouting flowers. What surprised her even more was the condition it was in. Practically new and seemingly untouched.


    ¡°An elf Goddess? Based on nature?¡± She questioned herself. Even though it was the only thing that made sense. Since there was nothing more she could do but stare, she took out her notebook and wrote what she saw in as detailed as possible. Even drawing a quick sketch, even though it wasn¡¯t the best thing she''s ever drawn or ever will.


    After finishing her notes, she went downstairs, and as if it was welcoming someone home, the lights lit up with each step she took. Then, when reaching the bottom of the staircase, the lights scattered in all directions, lighting up all the hallways.


    This wasn¡¯t her first time entering Elven ruins, as some people cleaned up the ones south of the Scar and used it as either bases or unique types of inns. It helped to travel to places that weren¡¯t commonly traveled. This one differed from the ones she was used to. Instead of a more open floor plan, it instead had hallway after hallway with doors lined up on each side and resting on the very first door was a note addressed to who Lilith could only assume as herself.


    ¡­..


    Dear whoever may see this,


    Hello, my name is Arthur. I¡¯m an unknown mage headed to the far north. If you¡¯re currently in search of me, then you¡¯ve come to the right place! These ruins are the first place I plan to visit on my journey north and after doing some research, I¡¯ve decided on my next destination. It¡¯s a bit farther to get to compared to these ruins, but it¡¯s by far the safest. Go down the hallway and enter the 4th door on your left. I have left another letter, a map, and a book there to help.


    P.S.


    If you have the time, I suggest you go around and see what¡¯s in these doors. There¡¯s a lot to learn and explore.


    Arthur


    ¡­¡­


    When Lilith opened the 4th door mentioned in the letter, she found herself in a library far larger than she expected, filled with books that were in near mint condition. ¡°Did the dwarves not care?¡± Lilith questioned, but the answer was obvious, considering the only ones who went out were warriors, not scholars.


    The several torches and candles resting on the tables lit up the moment she entered, and in the middle of the library sat a table far larger than any? other in there. It was empty besides the letter, book, and map Arthur left for her.


    ¡­..


    Dear whoever reads this,


    Hello,


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    It¡¯s Arthur again.


    When I came across the library, the books on display amazed me. Although a lot of them I couldn¡¯t read, since they were in elvish, the ones I could far surpassed anything I could imagine and some of the elvish written books seem to hint at things in the future. The issue is, I can¡¯t read it! So, I took a few of them with me. If I survive and can make it back after all of this, I will find a way to decipher these books, even if I need to beg the elves to help me.


    Besides that! Since you don¡¯t need to worry about all of that, the map next to this letter is an updated map of the ones the dwarves had crafted themselves. I¡¯m amazed they never came across this information, but I also doubt they ventured into the library to begin with. The green dot with an arrow is the place I plan to head to next. It¡¯s straight north and, as I mentioned, it will most likely be the safest place available. The other places that are marked are other options, so if you make it to the first one, and there isn¡¯t a letter, then I would suggest trying one of these other spots. That said, I doubt it will come to that since Elven ruins are extremely reliable.


    A fair warning. I plan to map out a path with the safest route possible and if, for some reason, one of the places I pick doesn¡¯t work, there will hopefully be a letter directing you to the next location. Other than that, the pathway to my end goal might be quite obscure and lead you into weird directions, but it should be fine.


    Now, as for the book. It¡¯s the only one in common tongue that goes into detail about Elven ruins, or as they mention it in the book, the lost civilization. I would suggest bringing it along on your trip to understand the ruins better, which could help you in the future. I began to read it myself, but I figured it would be wise of me to leave it in the hands of the next person since I¡¯m more than strong enough to stay alive.


    P.S.


    There is a kitchen I have found in the left hallway from when you enter. It¡¯s the 6th door down. Not everything is edible there, but there are a few things that are worth it.


    I shall see you in the next letter!


    Arthur


    ¡­¡­.


    ¡°This man¡¯s pretty confident in his skills and his personality is oozing from the paper.¡± Lilith was now sitting down at the table with her head resting against the palm of her hand, with the paper lifted slightly with the other. She gave it a small toss to the side and brought her attention to the book in question. A green and brown cover adorned with leaf decorations. One in each corner and the words Elven History written in a gold plaque that rested in the upper middle of the book.


    The library was as quiet as it possibly could be, so when opening the book, every bit of noise echoed throughout the room. The pages had a thicker texture than the ones she was used to, and the ink was as black as the night sky, without a single smudge visible. Everything about the quality of the book screamed upper class, and maybe beyond, yet it was a book that anyone had access to. A book that was sitting in a regular library and a book that anyone else during those times would probably read. In the current world, it was special. It held a lot of information that no one -or at least, most people did not know of. Yet, it seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary for back then.


    Lilith skimmed through the book. She planned to read it, but she had a bit too much on her mind currently to do so. ¡°First things first,¡± she said, closing the book and putting it away alongside the letter and map. ¡°The kitchen.¡±


    The rest of the day was peaceful. Going to the kitchen to grab all the edible food she could and checking out the extra rooms, which led to laboratories, storage rooms, study rooms and more. They were rooms she would love to explore and see more of, but there just wasn¡¯t enough time. Maybe in the future, she told herself when this delivery was over. As long as she prepared herself, then there wouldn¡¯t be an issue. The library, though, intrigued her the most. As Arthur mentioned, there were a lot of books in a language she didn¡¯t understand, and the more she looked, the more she noticed the missing spots where books used to be, meaning they must¡¯ve been the ones he took.


    While skimming the spines of the books, one of them stood out the most to her. Although she couldn¡¯t read it, she could tell it was religious. Or at least, it had similar motifs anyone would expect involving religion. She could only guess that it had a connection to the statue of the Goddess upstairs. ¡°Let¡¯s take this,¡± she said as she tossed the book into the abyss.


    Laying on the rug, she spread her arms and legs in all directions, staring at the ceiling. ¡°Ah, right,¡± reaching into her jacket pocket, she took out the notebook. ¡°Tada!¡± Unbuckling the strap, she sat up, crisscrossed, and took out the pencil she had.


    ¡­..


    Day 2:


    Not much different happened since the first day besides making it to my destination. The Elven ruins turned out to be a religious place! There is even a statue of a goddess sitting there as well. A Goddess I¡¯ve never seen before with elf ears. They seem to have worshiped this Goddess, and I plan to bring back a book which I think is related to her. As for what¡¯s inside, there are a ton of books in the library and it would definitely be a good idea to come back.


    I think I might know why there are fewer demons than expected. They aren¡¯t as united as we expected, and since there isn¡¯t an abundance of food, or, well, humans to eat, they¡¯ve turned against each other. Maybe that has always been in their nature? I¡¯m not sure, but they constantly fight with each other.


    They also seem to act on instinct more so than anything else and only listen to someone who can bring them together. This could explain why the demons followed the one Lily and Jack told me about.


    Anyway, although I didn''t do this on day 1, I thought it would be interesting to mention my train of thoughts and feelings outside of what had happened.


    I think that we, as a human race, are wasting time not looking into the north. I can see why it can be worrisome if the demons caught onto humans and actually grouped up to attack, but there¡¯s a lot of lost knowledge hiding away here.


    Maybe when I come back, I can somehow push people to explore the north a bit. If they can also improve this barrier, then I¡¯m pretty confident the risks would be very minimal, if any. The only worry would be a freak accident.

 Chapter 18: Spiders

    Having found a bedroom to rest in, Lilith tossed her sleeping bag on top and slept the night away. It was far more peaceful than the night before, as there was no stress of anything going wrong. There was no need to keep a barrier up and no worry about any demons lurking around.


    Things were working out far too well, and although that wasn¡¯t a bad thing, it caused a weird sense of anxiety. It contradicted what she believed the north was, which caused her to worry something would happen. Yet, nothing did, and even though she had been blindly following a mage she had never met before, there was still a sense of trust she had in him. It was hard to believe he would ever lead her astray.


    ¡°Do I stay one more day¡­ or do I leave now?¡± Lilith asked herself, as she leaned back in her chair. However, the answer was simple. There was no need to rush. It would be better to stay a day longer, fully rest up, and do some research.


    The rest of the day was calm. Lilith had proper meals, relaxed a bit, looked through the library, and read the book Arthur left for her until night came and it was time to sleep.


    It was early in the morning, and Lilith stood in front of the statue once again, but this time, she wrote the description of the statue, going into every minor detail she could, followed by a crude drawing to the best of her ability. It wasn¡¯t pretty, but she hoped the description was enough.


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said while closing the notebook and grabbing her barrier and activating it before heading out into the scorching heat. It was hot. Far hotter than the day before. But she couldn¡¯t wait around any longer, so she headed out to the next location Arthur pointed out.


    ¡­¡­


    Slumped over, Lilith lifted her hat, wiped her brow and head, then tossed her hat into the void. ¡°How long has it been?¡± she said, her voice a bit horse from the extreme heat. Only a few hours had passed since she left the temple, but the temperature took a turn for the worse. An unbearable amount of heat that far exceeded the deserts of the south she would painfully traverse when needed to. The only upside the north had over the desert was the lack of sand.


    Checking her compass to confirm she was still headed north, she looked around. Although there were no demons in sight, there were also no structures of any kind. Only large holes every so often, which set off far too many alarms to not worry about.


    A sudden rumble from beneath her feet caused Lilith to stumble and balance herself to not fall over while clenching as hard as she could to her crystal. These same rumbles had been happening every so often, but she slowly got used to it. However, the farther she traveled into this deserted area, the more frequent they happened and the stronger they became.


    Something traveling beneath her feet, and the crystal in her hand was the only protection she had. Stopping at a hole as she passed by, she leaned over, hoping to get any hint she could. Yet that hope quickly shattered after realizing how dark it was. ¡°Do I throw a torch down?¡± She asked herself, but quickly dismissed the idea after talking herself down from it. There was no telling what else was down there, and she didn¡¯t wish to mess with the nest. ¡°Or do I?¡± she attempted to cross her arms, but after struggling to, she sighed, letting them rest to the side. ¡°They really need to improve this crystal. Make it a necklace or something.¡± Bringing the crystal back to her chest, she clenched it tightly while thinking about what to do. The smart thing would be to ignore the hole and continue to move on. But it also wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to find out what¡¯s in there. If anything.


    She stood there, struggling with an angel and demon on each shoulder. Do I throw one down? Do I move on? These two questions went back and forth as she fought with herself, giving reasons for both sides. ¡°Fuck it!¡± she finally exclaimed before immediately taking out a torch and lighting it. ¡°I have the crystal. I should be fine¡­ Right?¡± Yeah, totally, she answered herself in her head before tossing the torch down the hole.


    Unfortunately, it showed little, but it gave Lilith more than enough information than she needed. From the quick few seconds of light, she noticed several holes going in several directions and webbing similar to a spider, yet far larger than any spider she was familiar with. After the light had disappeared, what had pursued was the echoing sound of feet¡­ no taping? She couldn¡¯t make it out, but she knew what was behind that sound and, more quickly than ever before, Lilith made a mad dash away from the hole, waiting at a distance. Two spiders far larger than herself crawled out of the hole shortly after. Eight furry legs and black beating eyes with brown skin. Subconsciously, Lilith held her breath and stood still like a stick. It was clear they didn¡¯t notice her, yet that didn¡¯t stop her from freezing.


    On high alert, the spiders creeped around the hole, moving cautiously. They stayed together and from Lilith¡¯s perspective; it looked like they were protecting each other. Covering any blindsides they could. It was only after they deemed it safe did they split up and search farther away. There wasn¡¯t a single soul within miles of where they were and not a single place to hide, yet they still double checked their surroundings.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    While one went the opposite direction, the other continued to creep closer and closer to her barrier. There was something she had been avoiding to test up to this moment. It only hit her much later on, but Lilith wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if a demon walked into her barrier¡¯s range. Did it hit into an invisible wall? Did it enter? These were questions she wasn¡¯t willing to have answered anytime soon.


    After shaking herself out of her fear, every time the spider took a step closer, Lilith took a step backwards. This continued for a bit longer, until, like clockwork, the rumble once again happened, causing the two spiders to look at each other and scramble back from where they came from.


    Giving it a long moment, she took a few more steps backwards, keeping her eyes on the hole, before turning around and picking up the pace. From what Lilith could guess, there was probably an entire colony down there of spiders.


    ¡°What are they, spiders?¡± She asked.


    They seem like it, Lilith thought.


    For a moment, she figured it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to explore. To uncover the mysteries of the north, but that no longer seemed tempting. She got ahead of herself. She was no scholar capable of knowing what to write about and record, nor was she a fighter which would allow her to fight her way into deeper parts of these caverns to see what was at the end. Lilith was a simple carrier. Nothing more, nothing less.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not do that again,¡± Lilith said.


    Although the rumbling kept up, it was the most quiet she had experienced outside of the ruins. Sure, there was a monster -demon- traveling underneath her which might kill her without Lilith even knowing, but it didn¡¯t seem to notice her because of the barrier. Also, was there only one of these things down there? And are there only spiders? She continued to question herself, but it was hard not to when you didn¡¯t have anyone to talk to, nor anyone to actually talk you out of a stupid idea.


    She kept up the pace, taking brief breaks as she could, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough and the sun quickly set. It got darker and darker, and now with a torch out, Lilith kept moving. Although it may seem safe, Lilith didn¡¯t wish to take the risk. It didn¡¯t feel right or smart to fall asleep in such an obvious place, even with the protection she had. It would be smarter to push forward and head to the next location marked on the map. After a taste of safety from the last place, it was hard to deny.


    As time continued to pass, Lilith kept herself on alert and when it became hard to keep her eyes open, she drank one of her potions. She had a large stockpile courtesy of Alex, but she needed to keep the usage of them to a minimum for as long as possible while making sure, when she crashed, it would be in a ruin where it was safe and capable of recovering. However, based on the map that was left for her, it was hard to know how much longer she had to go. The map Arthur left had the topography of what the north used to look like, while the one given by Bram was different as well. Neither of them helped her perfectly since there was no point of interest in sight to go off of.


    Sitting down, she placed the crystal in her lap, stabbed and dug the torch into the ground, and took out both maps. ¡°I started here¡­¡± Lilith looked them over, trying to guestimate where she was. ¡°I should be around here,¡± she concluded after taking into consideration how much she walked. It wasn¡¯t a perfect indication, but it was enough. She didn¡¯t need to take too many breaks since she was extremely used to walking and alongside the shoes with their enhancements, it was quite easy to cover a ton of ground without her legs giving up on her.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird¡­¡± Lilith said, while looking at Arthur¡¯s map. ¡°Did I guess a bit too much? The next ruin should be close by¡­¡± She looked around and sighed. ¡°What do I do now¡­¡± Lilith quickly came to two options. One, she would wait it out, drinking a potion whenever she needed. Or two, look around aimlessly, hoping to find the ruins while draining away her stamina.


    ¡°Why not both?¡± She said, after mulling it over a bit. ¡°If I can find the ruins quick enough, then I save on potions, but if I don¡¯t, then I use a bit more than I would like.¡± It was a gamble, but not one that would make things harder for her in the long run, as long as she didn¡¯t take these gambles every single time.


    But what if I get too far away from the area? She thought.


    ¡°I should be fine if I don¡¯t go that far¡­¡± Lilith said as she put away the map, grabbed the crystal and torch then stood up. ¡°If I don¡¯t go too far, then there should be no issue and either way, I need to stay awake, so I¡¯ll be using these potions. It¡¯s just too dark to see much.¡± With a sip of the next potion, she looked around and walked off slowly, keeping an eye out for anything abnormal.


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°Finally¡­¡± she said as the sun rose higher into the sky. She lost the gamble and after finding the ruins, she realized it was a gamble she wasn¡¯t going to win. There was no building like the temple or a large statue to pinpoint the location. Just four simple stone pillars placed in four corners of a stone floor and stairs which lead down. "I mean... if it''s the only thing remaining, it should be fine." Lilith¡¯s face was a mixture of confusion and wonder, as the only thing within miles was a simple staircase heading down. She hesitated for a moment, hovering her foot over the stone, but as soon as she took her first step, a familiar feeling rushed through her.


    It was safe, and it was doubtful anything would seriously happen, but it still scared her, so she continued clutching onto her crystal while taking slow and cautious steps down. Similar to how the previous ruins were, torches lit up her path.

 Chapter 19: Earth Eaters

    Besides the consistent roaring of the earth, the ruins seemed more than fine. It was small and reminded her of a house. There was a living room alongside four other rooms, two of them being bedrooms, one being a study, another a storage, and a larger bathroom, but it had no kitchen, and although Lilith couldn¡¯t quite understand how the bathroom worked, everything was there for a small family to live in.


    Heading back to the living room and sitting down at the dining table, Lilith grabbed the letter Arthur had left for her.


    Hey,


    It¡¯s Arthur again.


    I¡¯m glad you found this location since I don¡¯t think anyone could¡¯ve guessed the entire area would end up so empty. I don¡¯t think I need to warn you if you¡¯ve made it to this point so far, but be careful. You¡¯re fine inside of these ruins, but there are huge worm-like creatures traveling underneath this desolated zone. If you were wondering what those sounds were, it¡¯s those things moving. From what I gathered, they go off sound, so try your best to be as silent as possible. That said, you might¡¯ve figured that out by now! Or got really lucky. Either way, be careful.


    Now, as for where I¡¯m headed to next, I plan to travel west from here. Things seemed to have changed far more than I expected, and from this point on, there is almost nothing else of importance that the dwarves have discovered, so I¡¯ve been using a book I¡¯ve found to help guide me. I can¡¯t say it will work out well, but I plan to leave a note at every stop I tell you to go to regardless if the place ends up being safe or not. You¡¯re free to find your own way as well, but this is the least I can do. As I said¡­ Well, indirectly, you can ignore the dwarf map from now on and just use the old Elven one. Just don¡¯t take the topography to heart.


    ¡­¡­..


    Lilith leaned back in her chair, letting the front two feet lift from the ground. ¡°West, huh?¡± Lilith said.


    More of nothing, she thought.


    She kept leaning back, testing the limits the chair could go to while staring at the ceiling. ¡°I don¡¯t want to deal with this worm, but I guess it¡¯s safer than anywhere else if I have my crystal.¡± Tilting a bit too far, her arms and legs flailed, while the chair tilted farther back beyond her control, and in that split second of realization, she reached forward, grabbing the table and with all her weight, leaned forward. The back feet screeched, and the front made a loud slam which echoed through the room. Lilith went silent. Head low, while looking around. Arthur said it was safe, and from all the walking and talking she had done so far, she believed it, but she couldn¡¯t help but brace for an impact that would never come. It took her a few minutes, but after confirming nothing was going to happen, she collapsed like water onto the table.


    A yawn escaped Lilith¡¯s lip shortly after, followed by another, then another. The side effect was kicking in fast. Checking the date, she headed to the room she set her stuff in, and after changing and crawling into her sleeping bag she placed on top of the bed, she closed her eyes.


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    Shooting up from her sleeping bag, she whipped her head from side to side, looking around. With a hand in the abyss, and her eyes wide open, she realized what the sound that woke her was. ¡°Damn worm,¡± Lilith mumbled while removing her hand and falling back onto the bed. She laid there, letting herself adjust to the lights and her surroundings.


    After giving herself a few minutes to wake up, she sat up and took several sips of water. ¡°How long has it been?¡± Putting the canteen away, she got up and looked at the tool she left at the dining table. It was small and easy to handle, but it did wonders for her. A small circle with a glass cover and wooden bottom. There were two lines. The smaller one moved every minute, while the bigger one moved every hour. After a full day, from the moment you activate the tool, a wooden stick pops out from the top. In Lilith¡¯s case, there was only one plank coming out. ¡°One day and-¡± Lilith counted. ¡°8? 10 hours? So it should still be bright out.¡± It was a weird device, but it helped a lot in situations like this to not lose track of time. With her stomach grumbling for something to eat, she stood up, prepared a meal at the dining table, and ate until she was full.


    The rest of the day was pretty relaxing, minus the sudden rumblings of the worms. She continued to read the book Arthur recommended to her and searched the place for anything else she could use, which, unfortunately, was nothing. The rooms were as plain as an inn, and the boxes in the storage room had unusable food and items that Lilith couldn¡¯t understand.


    It was a mystery why a small house would be given a blessing -in the words of the book- to something so unimportant. The temple made sense, but why here?The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°From what I can tell, there¡¯s nothing hidden.¡± Lilith said.


    Maybe it¡¯s the owner, she thought.


    ¡°A priest?¡± she asked.


    Possibly, she thought.


    ¡­¡­..


    ¡°That should do it,¡± Lilith said, tapping her pencil against her cheek. She jotted down her experiences over the past two days, documenting the worm and drawing a crude drawing of the spiders while writing the details of their body and what she saw while looking down the hole. Things have changed far too much, and even though Lilith might not be a scholar, she felt it was important to document everything she had come across. There were demons she had never seen or read about before, so it was important. She also added in her own worries and how it worried her and how she could see why people avoided the place.


    ¡°Knowledge is key,¡± she said, while jotting down her last few lines. Although it was scary, as long as humans knew what they were getting into, it would stamp out a lot of the worry and danger the north had in store.


    Closing the notebook and putting away the pencil, and stretched. Another long day, but before going to bed, Lilith quickly climbed the stairs and looked outside. The sun was setting and darkness quickly crept in. After confirming nothing was out of the ordinary, and it was becoming night, she headed back down and went to sleep.


    ¡­¡­¡­


    Cracking her neck and back, Lilith looked at her compass and, after confirming she was heading the correct way, continued her journey across the endless wasteland while occasionally stopping to take a quick peek in a hole and to be greeted by a large moving object or the sounds of skittering movement.


    ¡°The underground would be a perfect place if I was an adventurer,¡± Lilith said as she continued onward.


    But I¡¯m not, she thought.


    She immensely enjoyed seeing the receiver''s reaction to the letter Lilith had delivered, be it a letter to a young maiden that was in love, business deals that expanded to other cities, or gifts for loved ones. Being a carrier was a job she loved and never would tire of, and even though her dream, when she was younger, was to become a carrier- someone who could connect people around the world- there was a different type of romance when exploring the unknown or fighting demons. Maybe it was the stories Alex used to tell her when she was younger. The demons he used to fight and the party members he made while doing so, or the caverns and ruins he used to explore, discovering things long forgotten. It made her just as interested in the adventurer lifestyle. More so, the latter over the former considering all the ruins left undiscovered or unfound.


    A part of her liked the unknown and wanted to see what others hadn¡¯t, but sadly, that wasn¡¯t a reality she could live in. Maybe one day, something she would tell herself every so often. Maybe she would discover a way to fully use her boundless mana. It came in handy, such as using the crystal she has been using and rarely ever needing to worry about mana issues, but she could never actually use it.


    A bittersweet smile formed on her lips as she reminisced about the past. When she was a child, trying to shoot fireballs from her hand, but failed every time. She looked down at a hand, spreading her fingers out as far away from each other as possible and letting her mana travel to each one similar to when she opened a pocket, she aimed her palm outwards. ¡°If only,¡± Lilith said with a hint of disappointment, as she hoped for a fireball to be shot from her palm.


    The worms'' sudden rumbling abruptly interrupted her peaceful reminiscing. It was different this time. Far louder than ever before and far more powerful, causing Lilith to fall down and curl up into a fetal position while keeping the crystal as close as she could. Tucking her head into her knees, there wasn¡¯t much else she could do but wait and wait and wait. The rumbling continued, with no sign of it stopping. Hesitantly, she raised her head, glancing around.


    Lilith froze, eyes wide and mouth open. It took her a moment to process what was happening. ¡°What the-¡± was the only unfinished sentence she could mutter before darting her head in different directions. It seemed like Arthur underplayed the amount of worms there were as Lilith watched dozens with half their large, grotesque bodies and their thousands of razor-sharp teeth sprouting out from the ground like weeds, each out of their own hole. Soon after, in the distance, one more shot out and broke apart the ground, followed by a whooshing sound which filled the air as an identical worm, just like the others, racing through the sky. Its speed was fast, and the moment it reached the same height as the others, it stopped. No adjustments needed.


    Lilith stood up, her legs wobbling as she clutched the crystal to her chest and carefully maneuvered past. Two days ago, she might have approached to see what it was doing, but not now; she had no intention of staying there. It was only by luck that she was fine, or so was the conclusion Lilith came to, and she didn¡¯t want to see what would happen next. Well, technically, she wouldn¡¯t mind, but it would have to be from a distance where there was no worry of dying.


    Her footsteps started at a tiptoe pace, delicately moving around each worm. There was a mixture of an earthly scent mixed in with the earth eaters, or so Lilith thought to call them, and a putrid odor wafting from their bodies and mouths. The smell was so strong and disgusting that even when she attempted to plug her nose, it still seeped in. She gagged, almost throwing up, but held it down in fear of leaving anything behind and kept moving.


    Her tiptoes soon became a walking speed, followed by a run, until she finally made it out of the area, and as soon as she did, Lilith took to a dash, running as far away as she could and only looking back when she was far enough away.

 Chapter 20: Ruined Kingdom (1)

    Hours after the initial emergence of the earth eaters, everything became silent, and shortly after, as if like clockwork, another familiar sound gradually grew louder from below. Millions of legs shuffling around, as if everything that was hiding knew it was time to move around. The creatures, or demons, below seemed to have adapted and learned how the earth eaters operated, and knew when this phenomenon happened, it was safe to wander. However, none of them came out of the spare holes and onto the surface.


    Questions surfaced as Lilith made her way. Did they know nothing lived up here? That there was no purpose in doing so? But even then, why not look? Or maybe even to leave and find a better place to live? It was hard for her to comprehend why they would stay. She understood it would be far too difficult to escape when earth eaters were on the move, but knowing that there is a time where they could leave, then why wouldn¡¯t they?


    All these questions kept Lilith quite occupied, even if she wasn¡¯t answering them herself. But it kept her mentally busy enough to pass the time as she continued to travel. It was only when night hit, and everything darkened, did the noise calm down. It didn¡¯t come to a full stop, as some things living underneath were nocturnal, but it was enough to tune it out.


    ¡°Do I just sleep here?¡± Lilith asked herself, while weighing her options. She had estimated another day or two of travel until she left the area, and that was far too long of a timeframe to power through with potions. With a nod, Lilith prepared herself for the night ahead. It didn¡¯t seem all that bad since the earth eaters were doing earth eater things, and if they did suddenly start moving around, it would wake her up from her sleep like it did before. It also helped to know that whatever else lived beneath her never dared to surface, which meant there was no genuine worry.


    With that in mind, Lilith unfurled her sleeping bag in a spot she deemed worthy enough and swapped out her crystal for Scarlets. After eating a quick meal, there was no time for anything else. No writing in her journal, or reading her book. There was no telling when they would be on the move again, so she needed to get as much asleep as possible, so she curled up in the bag, and snuggled the crystal close.


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    Covering her mouth with a hand, Lilith let out a long, drawn out yawn.


    The night wasn¡¯t as peaceful as she would¡¯ve hoped, and to make matters worse, the alarm clock was far too noisy. It happened so suddenly when all the skittering below came to a stop, followed by an earthquake of a lifetime which lasted far longer and was far louder than any of the others before, causing Lilith to snap awake with her arms outward in a pose to protect herself. They were awake and most likely trying to catch as much food as they could.


    With another yawn, and stretching her arms and legs, she dragged her legs west.


    ¡°I wonder what they were even doing yesterday?¡± Lilith asked.


    Maybe reproducing? She thought.


    ¡°That makes no sense, though.¡± Lilith said.


    Then some ritual? She thought.


    ¡°Ritual for what?¡± Lilith said.


    The rest of her travel through the barren wasteland was quiet. The rumbling, after the initial wake up call, became far less frequent and outside of her own thoughts, there wasn¡¯t much else going on. She quickly realized as she continued her travels that being alone sucked. The void of having a partner hit Lilith like a truck. She never willingly talked to other people while out on deliveries, but it still happened, be it a casual conversation out on the road or at the Inn to the mage or staff. She was missing human interaction on any kind of level, and she began to notice the importance of such interactions.


    ¡°Is that a tree!?¡± Lilith yelled out, as if she spotted a gem.


    A dead one, she thought.


    ¡°But it¡¯s still something! Something different,¡± Lilith said.


    Something different doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s always a good thing, she thought.


    ¡°These trees..¡± Lilith put a hand on the first one she saw, then looked around. It must¡¯ve been a forest in the past, as there were far more tree trunks than she could ever count, but it was weird. Normally, they shouldn¡¯t still be standing after this long of a time. Yet, here they were, leaving a puzzle that Lilith couldn¡¯t figure out.


    Magic? She thought, while inspecting a trunk.


    It was weak, but it was hard not to feel it. Magic coursed through the roots of the tree, although stopping only halfway up. The magic, having a similar feeling to her own, and only interacted with the trees.


    ¡°This was definitely a forest,¡± Lilith said, as she made her way deeper into its depths.


    But why are the trees alive and why is the magic pulsating? she thought.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°And why are there no demons?¡± Lilith asked.


    If the previous area was the earthworms'' territory, then this was¡­ she thought.


    ¡°Someone else''s,¡± Lilith said. "Does that mean other demons fear getting close?" A question Lilith didn¡¯t want to answer. If that was the case, then whatever was waiting for her wasn¡¯t something she wished to mess with. ¡°But that means I can sleep without a worry.¡± Lilith said, thinking on the bright side.


    Although, even with that optimism, she was worried. As she traveled closer to her next destination, which was an elven city hidden away in these woods, she noticed the magic, which felt weak when she first entered, gradually became stronger while getting closer to the center. In tandem to the magic becoming stronger were the trees becoming more alive. Healthier. Albeit still dead, they looked fuller than before.


    Placing a hand on the ground, Lilith closed her eyes, feeling the magic coursing through the ground and, with each pulse; it breathed magic into every single tree.


    Normally, this would be impossible for her to be ever capable of doing, but since the magic being used was nearly identical to her own, she felt a connection to it. It was as if she was a child once again when she first used her void storage. It came naturally to her as if it was something she could always do.


    ¡°This feels¡­ pleasant?¡± Lilith questioned. It definitely did. There was no doubt about it. But it was weird, or at least, Lilith didn¡¯t think it should¡¯ve felt that way. ¡°And kind of addicting?¡± She added while laying down on her back.


    Taking off one of her boots and sock, she hovered her barefoot over the ground before letting it down, her toes digging into the dirt. It was as she guessed. This feeling. She could feel the pulsating of magic only when her skin made direct contact with the ground. Lilith did the same as earlier, taking off her other shoe, then leaned back, using her hands to hold her up. Feeling the pulsating magic with both her hands and feet. It was an experiment; she told herself, but that wasn¡¯t the full truth.


    She closed her eyes, and within that moment, flashes of memories shot through her mind.


    Elves equipped with bows searched around the bountiful forest, with trees far taller than any other Lilith had ever seen. The tree canopy covered the sky, blotting out nearly all the sunlight. Yet, it wasn¡¯t dark in the forest. It was bright. The elves who traveled quickly with light feet through the forest had stern and serious faces. A contradiction to the pleasant greenery. Something was happening, but there was no sign of what that something was.


    And with a blink, Lilith¡¯s vision changed to the city, which rested in the middle of the forest. Blissfully unaware, the common folk walked around with smiles on their faces. Shopping at stores, going to work. Not even the guards seemed to know something was brewing. They all seemed to enjoy their time slowly and leisurely. Jealousy would be the word Lilith would think of later on when thinking back to the Elven lifestyle. It was carefree and at their own pace.


    With another blink, Lilith¡¯s surroundings faded to black, as if she was in the depths of the void. Then, followed by a second one, her scenery changed. She was back in the city, but something was different. Felt different even if she couldn¡¯t hear anything. Visuals were enough and showed everything. Heavy clouds darkened the sky and the streets, once filled, were now nearly empty, with only a handful of elves walking around. Most of them hid away in their houses, looking out of their windows. Horror filled their faces as they were frightened of what the future had in store.


    And with another blink alongside a darkness that lasted just as long as before, another memory creeped into view. She was now in the castle. The largest building within the city and a large throne room. Large pillars evenly spaced on the sides with flags representing what Lilith could only assume as clans. Guards stood underneath each one and at the end of the throne room sat the throne, carefully woven with branches sprouting flowers and leaves at the top. It was


    interesting, as the room itself was far from nature, yet only the chair represented what Lilith knew of the elves.


    A figure sat upon the throne wearing a golden crown engraved with an assortment of gems. Other elves surrounded the Ellen King as he rubbed his temple. The king seemed to be lost on what to do. Struggling to find a solution for a problem which Lilith couldn¡¯t understand. The elves talked and talked, some more emotional than others shown by their gestures. This continued for quite a while longer until the king¡¯s crown dropped and he clutched his heart as if he was in immense pain.


    One elf quickly called out, and a guard left while the ones closer to the king checked to see if he was alright. But the king wouldn¡¯t allow it. He pushed them away, forcing them to take a step back. Although it was clear something was wrong, none of them would dare to go against the king''s wishes, so the only thing they could do was wait there with worried faces.


    A new elf came into the picture, bursting through the large doors which lead into the throne room. She carried a medical bag and wore clothing fit for a doctor and in that moment, as the doctor made her way to the throne; the king looked up as if staring directly into Lilith¡¯s eyes. A metaphorical chill ran down Lilith¡¯s spine as the king stared between his fingers. His eyes no longer held the golden aura they had earlier, but they instead resembled the same red glow as her own with pupils which resembled a cat and sclera as black as the night.


    And with that, everything turned black. A longer pause happened, and when her sight came too, and the blurriness faded, another memory appeared. She was walking through ruined streets, unable to control the body she possessed. It looked left, then right. It was a massacre. Bodies littered the streets of the elves Lilith had seen earlier and, although she couldn¡¯t hear the person¡¯s inner thoughts, it was clear his mental state was far from normal.


    The being in control came to a stop, then looked in a direction. Although Lilith couldn¡¯t hear what was happening, she could tell in the distance someone was asking for help. The man walked over but came to a stop and recoiled back from the response of the younger elf. There was fear in the elves'' eyes as he attempted to escape.


    The one in control of the body seemed confused by the elves'' reaction. Then, looking down at his shaking hands, he frantically flipped them back and forth. They were black, with long black fingernails. Hands not belonging to an elf.


    The demon took several steps back, looking up at the fearful elf, then down at his hands. He repeated this process a few more times before running away into an alley and as soon as he did; he scratched his arms until he bled black blood.


    Just as the demon screamed out, Lilith awoke from her sleep. Now laying down on her back, she shot up into a sitting position. She took deep and heavy breaths as a cold sweat dripped down her forehead. After calming her breathing, she curled up, rubbing her arms with her hands as her feet frantically tapped the ground.