The Mage Paradox [BOOK THREE]

Chapter 15: The green blade

Not a single word from Dyrroth who just bolted out of the darkroom and slammed the door loudly behind him. The only thing in his mind now was how much danger was Harith in.

Yet none of them bothered to follow him and find Harley.

Not even Lesley.

But he only realized how dangerous this place was when Hester died. The crackpot who decided to go off alone and they let him. Including Dyrroth himself. The enormity of this situation is on a couple of kids' hands and a sniper who is the only adult. From the looks of it, nothing was going well since they almost died.

Luck got them out of that one and now here they were. One ally dead. All of them were injured including the demon himself. Dyrroth decided to save the last of his magic for combat and not waste them on small wounds that would be replaced by new ones.

The question that was still throbbing in Dyrroth's head was, who killed him?

Suddenly, he felt something graze his face. Dyrroth spun around-

"And I thought one death would bring you to your senses."

Dyrroth flinched. He has forgotten that he was alone.

⌛

Harith felt as if he was floating off the ground. But he is floating off the ground. Everything felt so peaceful that he could just hover there forever... Knowing that he was safe-

And felt warm sheets on his back.

Harith awoke with a start. He looked around and realized he was in his room. But it wasn't the room he slept in Lumina City, it was the Azrya Woodlands. His former home.

The leonin jumped out of his bed and raced down the staircase, past the living room, and launched for the front door. He yanked it open and sunlight shined in, blinding Harith for a moment-

He heard the hubbub before he saw it.

Harith took in the scene of adult leonins doing daily chores, and little leonins playing with each other in a small park nearby, the shopkeepers in various places and he even spotted young leonins climbing the towering trees.

Paradise. Harith once called it.

But not a single leonin spared a glance at Harith, who didn't notice and immediately ran for a path leading to a school. He ran and not even stopping when he knocked into villagers, or little leonins, there was only one goal in his mind.

Harith tore his way into the school, past younger leonins moving by, heading to their lessons. He barreled towards the stairs and bumped into a leonin holding a stack of books which fell to the floor in a clump.

He noticed a door to his left and quickly ran for it, only to stop when his hand was inches from the door's knob. He took a deep breath and opened the door slowly, feeling his heart flutter-

And he dropped to his knees.

There, in the teacher's room -where it was all empty- except an elderly leonin who sat on a stool, both hands holding a wooden cane. The old leonin noticed Harith who stared agape.

"Harith my boy, what are you doing here?" the old leonin asked benignly.

Harith couldn't speak as his heart caved in. He slowly got up and managed only a few steps before he fell back down, looking at the floor.

"Is everything alright?" 

Harith looked up at the old leonin. "Grandpa." he looked back at the floor.