Maybe Maddie would pick it up?

Faustina scowled. Maybe that would be... odd?

Faustina reached the alleyways later than she expected. The message arrived shortly and she's late. There are already several alleyways in the capital, and they were usually dead-end; almost—or on the verge of losing hope—Faustina found a narrow lane, or a path, similar to a pa.s.sageway. It was not a dead end.

The music was now faint. People do not hang around the dark of the streets. Faustina was certain Maddie cannot track her down right now, given the fact where she was right now. She looked around, there was no one there. The alley was the contrast of the lively city. It was dark, and the stone walls towering over her were like enclosed prison walls of grey. In the dark of the night, they looked sinister.

Shambling across the narrow path, Faustina walked forward.

She was now carrying the shoe in her hand. There were dimly-lit lamps on the walls, like firefly lights beyond the moonlight. Faustina looked back—and the light was similar to the end of a tunnel: slowly vanis.h.i.+ng as she goes further, and further away.

Faustina continued to walk forward in the endless path. The trail was unending. It seemed like it was getting darker as she goes; the stairs on the path were all leading down, getting deeper and deeper...

Her hand gripped the necklace in the pocket of her dress. It was still there: cold to the touch, and gone by seconds after she meets Owen. As she shambled to the alley, she stopped by two different paths. Two ways leading to different ends. Faustina frowned.

One had light and was, perhaps, leading back to civilization. The other one, meanwhile—was another spiraling stair down. Faustina realized there was almost no light down the other path.

She picked the lamp from the wall and proceeded towards the darker side.

**

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Lucas Feuerlon was tasked to meet the current schoolmistress, Anna Unsterblich. Of course, she was still on Magierstadt—he met her as a hologram, a visual image he can interact with—not in a physical mean but things such as eye contact, talking on live, walking together, and such. She was a light magic-user. A rare breed of a magician.

Feuerlons have long been in control of political prowess and position, given that they are the Dukedom. The right hand of the royal family. But Lucas was not here as a family-name carrier, he was there in his own accord; as Lucas, a graduate of Magierstadt—the claimer of various dungeons. The military magic-power researcher. He was Orwell's schoolmate, and they were cla.s.smates that were both in Ianua I.

Unlike Orwell, Lucas was a researcher AND desires exposure. He ventured and took on wild quests, therefore ignoring Lothlorien—which was his mistake. Orwell had received the spotlight due to him claiming the seemingly 'barren' land with his novel, complex and extremely useful formula. Orwell wanted solitude with his research and so he relocated his laboratory at Lothlorien, his new property. He received the t.i.tle Lotheringwood, a t.i.tle of high magicians—and more specifically, to the only claimer of Lothlorien—a t.i.tle that is only received by one. Because of this, Orwell was praised by the professors and the public.

Lucas was upset, but more or less he felt challenged. His friend—his rival—achieved such things just because he underestimated the value of some things. Lucas learned from this, and of course, was proud of his friend for achieving such things. Because of this, he strived and did extra efforts. He didn't want to have his rival get all the glory.

"You want to take the quest of the continental cliff?" Anna Unsterblich exclaims in surprise. "Lucas, my dear. That is too dangerous."

"I believe I have the means," Lucas says. "Not to be arrogant."

"Of course, you are a product of the Ianua I. You have all the means to embark on spectacular quests. But the mere fact that it is the continental cliff... no one has escaped from there alive, not even the Head Mage, Julian Ortfalcon. Bless his poor soul."

"The quest to the continental cliff is to find the said cure to 'nightmare'." Says Lucas. "I will bring an army. A good ten thousand soldiers to accompany me to the cliff."

Anna's eyes were closed, but Lucas could tell she was apprehensive.

"Ten thousand soldiers?" Anna asks. "Magician soldiers?"

"The other half."

"Hm," Anna smiles. "A suicide mission."

"Schoolmistress."

"It is a very ambitious quest. Believe me, Lucas; I am fascinated as well as amazed. You are indeed a young man filled with the spirit of the Firehawk. But allow me to intercede. Are you aware of what Nightmare is? The disease plagues the family of the royals. Possibly, running on your veins as well—but not infected by it; a carrier. It is sheerly genetic. Hidden to the public. Unknown even to you, to us, with the exception of selected few—the Court and Council, the Clairvoyants, and High Mages."

"But I shall find the cure."

"Do you know the disease? Sure, you know its symptoms as well as I. We both know it kills the one it infects. It is dangerous. It is a disease we are not well-versed in."

Lucas paused.

Anna sighed. "I know you want to catch up to Orwell. The two of you, always at each other's tail. But maybe, Lucas, my dear—it's time to end your childish misfits. I cannot let you embark on a journey that will lead to your doom. There is only a few of you, the first Ianua—we cannot risk such brilliant minds to suicide missions."

"Thank you, schoolmistress. I appreciate your counsel."

"Anything for you, my dear," Anna says. "Now can you call on Ezekiel? Afterward, we three shall talk in regards to the newfound research of the professors."

"Mister Lucas!" Says a magician-soldier. "The young master had run off again!"

Lucas facepalmed, and then Anna sighed.

"Dispatch the troops. We'll search for the brat."