Magicians Of Terra Majica: The Emblem Keeper

Chapter 6: A Deadly Mistake

"We're almost there!"

"Good cause I don't think I have any arrows left!" Elaine replied as the two of them continued to Hadrian's home. They took the dense forest route the moment they crossed the river because the villages that the road went through was infested with the dark entities.

There were still dark entities appearing here and there, but most of them were easy pickings. Due to their high mana reserves and surprising levels of stamina, they crossed the distance between the forest and the academy in two hours as it was already 9 in the evening.

"Elaine-" he noticed that his friend was getting tired and being the gentleman he is, quickly approached her side when she was about to fall.

"Thanks bro. Man I am not fit for long-distance sprints. Your something," she complimented. Hadrian smiled at her and checked for any injuries or sprains. A few cuts and bruises here and there but they could be patched up in no time.

"My house is just a few walks away from here- wait is that?" Hadrian had to blink his eyes to be sure, but the moment he saw the familiar honey hair and hazel eyes, it was no mistaking it. It was-

"CEDRIC!" the figure that was running saw his brother, not minding the girl he had for company, smiled and pushed himself one more time before stopping. Hadrian looked at Elaine to tell her but she raised her hand and told him to go get his brother.

"HADRIAN! HOW?!" Cedric exclaimed before having the feeling of his brother hugged him tightly. Cedric gave in to the warm embrace before crying, something the two older kids didn't expect.

"Hadrian-those things," he wheezed, "those m-monsters! They k-k-kil-led everyone!" Cedric broke down and kneeled, Elaine immediately went to check for his vitals as he continued to narrate the carnage the dark entities caused.

"It was a disaster, as if a deity of death unleashed his worst monsters. They-they were ruthless! They even killed babies Hadrian! Newborn infants! I could've-I could've done something but I ran! I RAN-" he was engulfed in another hug by Elaine this time. Though she was a stranger, her hug allowed him to calm himself and reduce his crying to sniffles as Hadrian went closer to them and hugged his brother as well.

"Cedric," the young boy looked at Elaine with the cutest doe eyes she has ever seen, only these eyes were filled with tears. In tears or not though, this boy was by far one of the most cutest one she has ever seen.

'No wonder big bro is so over-protective,' she thought in a teasing manner and smirked at Hadrian, who looked confused but she simply shrugged it off. There were bigger things to take care of.

"Hadrian I-" Elaine stopped him.

"Their death was certain the moment those things descended. Even if you have done something you'd die trying. I'm not underestimating your skills, but could you really take down hoards of bloodthirsty creatures all on your own?" Cedric looked at her with his wide, teary eyed and looked at Hadrian who was loyally kept at his side while giving him a sad smile.

"Hadrian, all of them-I could've-" Elaine cut him off as she held his hand, her beautiful green hair waving with the wind.

"Shhh... Ced, there was nothing you could've done. These are brainless monsters who kill, without reason. Even if you tried, do you think your magic is enough to take down hundreds of these things?" his crying stopped, but his tears didn't. He was really fucked up on what happened. Bodies with some no longer having limbs or heads. Blood splattered everywhere. Nothing and no one was spared from the genocide the dark entities brought.

"Elaine's right. Many can say that you were a coward, but once destiny ticks, we can only hope to run away in time," Cedric pondered from his senior and his brother's words before he leaned his head back at his brother's chest, his honey hair messed.