Under the gaze of the silver moon, as the two sides mentally prepared themselves for another round of blows, nearly a third of the Minister's manor finally caved from the punishment it had recently been forced to endure. Subjected to another collision of mana, its walls shattered and its roof collapsed. Two figures immediately shot out of the dust and rubble, each looking at the other with a complex mix of emotions.
Julius Barnes quietly floated in the sky, his long gray beard fluttering in the air. With his ragged breathing and tattered robes, he bore no resemblance to the usually light-hearted and whimsical vice-principal of the Academy.
Standing a few feet away from his ruined mansion was Albert Cross. Unlike the Grand Master from the academy, he was in perfect shape, wearing no signs of the recent battle. Sword in hand, his gaze intersected with his opponent's.
The collapsed part of the villa revealed a group of unconscious men and women under the protection of what could only be described as a large bubble of air. It slowly expanded outwards, clearing the debris from the small patch of land with the passed out soldiers.
***
Moments before Julius and Albert truly faced off, Liliana and Amy barely managed to trespass into a room full of trophies. The noticeable flurry of guards outside left them puzzled and worried. Stranded, they hid in a corner until the sparks of the grand battle took everyone by surprise.
The sudden rise of explosions, the constant shaking and rumbling... the battle attracted every guard on scene.
"What's going on?" Liliana panicked. Her hand on her wand, she was ready to fire a spell at a moment's notice. She glanced at Amy who responded with a shake of her head, instead using the lack of patrols to lead Liliana out.
Forced to make a pit stop in the Minister's office, they avoided detection and heaved a sigh of relief. There was no one in sight, but the dislodged entrance to a secret passageway was enough to leave them nervous and on high alert. Every step taken further into the dark and gloomy corridor was like a hammer striking against their palpitating hearts. But it was all for naught. The agitation, the excitement, the anxiety, all of it seemed to vanish at the sight of an empty room and bed. "You've got to be kidding!" Liliana cursed, stomping her feet, ready to burn the room to the ground. "So much secrecy for a bedroom?!"
Worried about Max, the duo retreated back into the Minister's study only to find the manor in shambles. Several of the Minister's guards lay sprawled on the floor accompanied by a few others in a different garb.
Hiding behind the only intact wall, the duo subtly peeked from the side to bear witness to a standoff between their own vice-principal and the dreaded owner of the now destroyed mansion.
"Professor Barnes?!" Confounded, Liliana turned to Amy for answers. "Isn't the academy supposed to stay out of the Empire's affairs?"
"It is." Amy grimly affirmed, looking just as confused. "Maybe, there is more to this than we thought."
Liliana trembled, not registering a word Amy had said. The entirety of her attention on Max, she instinctively drew her wand and almost charged out.
"Are you crazy?!" Amy panicked and held her back. "What do you think you're doing?"
"But Max – he – look at him!"
Liliana's words drew attention to Max's pitiable state. Amy bit her lips, clenching her fists as she suppressed the urge to rush out herself. "I don't know why, but August is with him as well." She said, "He should be able to manage."
Breaking free of Amy's grip, Liliana resolutely responded, "I'm not taking that chance."
"Neither will I, but we need to catch that man off guard. Blindly marching into battle will get us all killed!"
YOU ARE READING
The Envoy of Darkness
Fantasy"Everyone loves a good fantasy, but my life was turned upside down by one." What would you do if you had the ability to control the air? How about if you were suddenly brought to a world where, despite your powers, you're at the bottom of the food c...
