Chapter 1
SOUTHWEST OF THE STATION CITY SILVERSIDE, a seemingly endless mountain range loomed on the horizon over a vast, grassy expanse.
Though she had no idea how she’d been located, Mira had just received a letter from someone claiming to also be a Wise Man’s pupil…even though it had been delivered by their butler. The gist of the letter was that this person wanted to meet Mira, who also professed herself pupil of a Wise Man.
With great anticipation, Mira made her way to the abandoned garden where the meeting would occur. She didn’t know who this pupil could be, but if all went well, she might learn the whereabouts of one or more of the other Nine Wise Men.
She flew for nearly ten minutes, checking her map along the way. In the middle of a field, dotted with trees like day-old stubble on a man’s face, she spied a mansion that looked to be in a state of disrepair. Once the home of some feudal lord, it now contained only hints of its past glory. The abandoned garden lay behind the mansion.
Mira ordered Pegasus into a slow descent until she alighted in the clearing behind the mansion. After giving the anxious beast a reassuring pat, Mira took in her surroundings.
This enormous garden might’ve once been among the continent’s most gorgeous. Now, it was but a shadow of its former self. Weeds owned the place, even stretching their roots across the paved paths. In every sense, this was an abandoned space.
“Now, where are you?” Mira muttered as she took out the letter and read it again. But it offered no more specifics than “the abandoned garden.” Unfortunately, the years had done nothing to diminish the garden’s size, and it might take her twenty minutes to cross to the other side on foot.
The weeds and trees blocked her from seeing too far. But a stone amphitheater rose like a hill in the center of the garden, visible between the gaps in the trees.
“Pegasus, let us make for that hill.” Mira mounted once more as Pegasus neighed happily and covered the distance in a single bound.
Though the stone was decaying in a few places, nature had yet to reclaim the amphitheater, which was constructed of sturdier material than most other things in the garden. Long ago, this might’ve been the perfect place to savor a luxurious view. Now it felt very out of place among the wilds.
If I wait here, I’m sure they’ll find me. They summoned me here, so they can put in the legwork.
Mira dismissed Pegasus and plopped down atop the base of a fallen stone pillar. She was surrounded by the ruins of a fallen arch, but none of the rubble seemed to offer a more comfortable place to sit and wait.
Under the deep-blue sky, she sipped a sweet berry au lait, musing to herself that this was the first time in ages that she’d truly sat and done nothing. She watched the little birds flying and the occasional ripples on the water. She grew drowsy from the sheer tranquility of her surroundings.
Suddenly, light enveloped the world around her in a dazzling aurora.
“What the hell? Some sort of barrier?” Mira stood up abruptly and observed the phenomenon. It encircled the amphitheater like a membrane. As she glared about suspiciously, the heavy sound of metal clanking against the ground approached from behind.
Mira turned to see a full suit of armor wielding a sword and shield. A quick Biometric Scan confirmed that it wasn’t an armor spirit. But if not that, then…what?
The menacing suit of armor gleamed with a dull, metallic luster. The identity of the figure before her was unknown—the full helm concealed the eyes and face. Whoever they were seemed ready for battle, despite the peaceful surroundings. The serene feeling that had enveloped her a moment before was now replaced with an eerie sense of foreboding.
Mira could think of only one person who would come to such a remote place. She faced the suit of armor and produced the letter.
“I presume you penned this?”
The suit of armor stopped. From the helmet came a man’s muffled voice.
“I did.”
The deadpan answer seemed quite contrary to the tone of the letter. She’d expected someone glad to meet a fellow “pupil.” Something was fishy.
Mira stared down the armored man and said, “You claim to be a pupil of a Wise Man, but you’re not dressed like a mage.”
If all he wanted was to disguise himself, there would be many more comfortable options. He seemed more like someone dressed for a fight…
“Just an excuse to draw you here.” The man confirmed as he pointed his sword at Mira. Though she could not see his face, she could tell from his voice that he was wearing a triumphant grin.
She looked around and sighed in irritation. Despite the weapon pointed her way, Mira was unmoved. “This seems like a pretty intricate scheme just to pick a fight.”
“I’ll do anything if it means getting you back for the disgrace you put me through!” Her scolding tone seemed to have touched a nerve, and his fury was evident even from behind the wall of armor.
Hrmm? Disgrace? Where have I met this guy before?
Mira hadn’t been in this world for long. She didn’t remember causing any personal grudges that would call for this sort of response.
“Who are you?” she demanded. “And what do you think I’ve done to you? I don’t recall doing anything worth this sort of treatment.”
Had he misunderstood a kind deed and misdirected his anger toward her? Mira cast an annoyed glance at his sword before turning her eyes to his helmet.
“Oh, right. You can’t see my face. One second.” Opening his faceguard with his shield hand, he screamed in rage, “Remember what you did to me and rue the day!”
Behind the helmet, his sunken blue eyes were full of ire and lacking reason. His lips split into a dope fiend’s crescent grin. It seemed he really hated Mira.
She put a finger to her chin and furrowed her brow in thought. There had to be some mistake. Mira stared at his madness-tinged visage and searched her memories again. “Hrmm… Are you sure you have the right person? I still don’t recognize you.”
The man shuddered from top to bottom and roared, “Don’t toy with me! Do you mean to claim you’ve forgotten how you dishonored me at the academy symposium?!” With unbridled fury, he slammed his sword into the ground.
“The symposium…?” A memory began to surface through the fog. The symposium—an event held at Alcait Academy. Like a student arts festival, but for magic. The pieces began to fall into place. “Aha, I remember! You’re that young sorcerer kid, aren’t you?”
Specifically, Caerus of the Department of Sorcery. Mira had met him, even though she couldn’t remember his face. She never bothered to remember people she didn’t care for. And she certainly didn’t care for Caerus. All she remembered was that he’d challenged her, or some nonsense.
That had been nearly two weeks ago. Caerus was so used to sorcerers always coming out on top while summoners finished last. Mira’s sudden appearance had crushed his achievements and his pride.
And now, armed with the most thorough of plans, he had come to get his revenge.
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