The Mad Ҡìղց

Too late

The air hung heavy, filled with a tension that everyone could feel but could not quite name. It had been days since they had set up the magic barriers, and still, nothing had crossed through. But it wasn't just the absence of activity that had everyone on edge. It was the strange, electric silence in the kingdom, the kind of silence that felt like it was holding its breath, waiting for something terrible to happen.

Zhan had been cryptic when he'd insisted the barriers go up. "It's important," he had said, his tone making it clear that no further explanations were forthcoming. The barriers would stay up for a few days, and they would wait. So, they did. And as the days dragged on, no one dared to leave the city.

Wang, Meng, Duan Dan, Yanli, and Sydney—had all done their best to keep busy. Wang, especially, was restless. He tried new spells to keep his mind off the thick tension that hung in the air. He was on the verge of perfecting a complex shield spell when his phone buzzed. Without a second thought, he answered, and the urgent voice of Nie Huai Sang came through.

"Wang, I've been trying to reach His Majesty, but he's not picking up," Nie said, the tension in his voice palpable. "Two other symbols have appeared."

Wang's heart skipped a beat. "We'll be there," he replied firmly, springing to his feet. He wasted no time rushing to the living room, where the rest of the group was gathered.

"Nie Huai Sang just called," Wang said, his voice tight with urgency. "Two other symbols showed up this morning."

"What?" Meng asked, her brow furrowing. The others looked equally confused.

"It's true," Wang confirmed. "Something's happening, and we need to check it out."

Duan Dan was the first to break the silence. "We'll need to drive," she said, already calculating how quickly they could get there. "We can't teleport with the barriers up."

Zhan nodded in agreement, and the group moved quickly. Zhan took the wheel of one car, with Wang and Chang riding with him. Meng took another car, with Duan Dan and Feng Mian. The drive was tense, with everyone keenly aware of the situation's gravity. The streets were unnaturally quiet as they sped toward their destination, the thickening sense of magic in the air pressing down on them like a weight.

When they arrived, the first thing they noticed was the magic. It clung to the air like mist, thick and foggy, swirling in unnatural patterns. It was unlike anything they had seen before. Zhan, always cautious, slowed the car as they approached the location.

Nie Huai Sang was waiting for them outside, his face pale and drawn. He glanced nervously around as if expecting something to jump out from the fog at any moment. "We'll need to go through the house," he said quietly. "The back is... well, it's too foggy."

They exchanged worried glances but followed Nie Huai Sang without question. He led them inside. As they entered, the fog seemed to reduce but, the magic practically hummed in the air. Inside, the atmosphere was even worse—oppressive and stifling, the kind of magic that made your skin crawl and your instincts scream that something was very wrong.

The group gathered in the dimly lit room that Nie Huai Sang led them to. The room felt charged, like the epicenter of whatever strange magic was filling the air. Zhan moved to the front of the group, his eyes scanning, his senses fully alert. "Where's the symbol?" he asked quietly.

Nie Huai Sang pointed to the far glass door, his hand shaking slightly. "It's there. It appeared this morning, just like the last one."

The group moved closer to the glass that demarcated the house and the backyard,  the symbols were etched into the ground, glowing faintly with a pale, eerie light. They were identical to the one they had found days earlier—a strange, twisted design that none of them recognized. Yet, there was something about it, something that felt ancient and powerful. Something that made them uneasy.