A voice echoed in the dark chamber, calm and detached.
"Cold, isn't it?"
A man was tied up in ropes, his mouth gagged, his body trembling. Cold sweat dripped down his temple. His eyes were covered—he could see nothing. Only the sound of dripping water from the ceiling and the soft echo of footsteps filled the room.
"Mmphh—mmmppphhhh—!" The man struggled,
The voice came again. "Look… all I'm asking is that you show me you can heal yourself."
"MMPHHHHHH—!"
A sigh followed. "Diana… remove his mouth cover."
A woman's heels clicked softly against the stone floor. The secretary, Diana, stepped forward. She pulled the cloth away from the man's mouth. The moment she did, he gasped and broke into panicked speech.
"Please—please! I don't know how to heal! I'm just a small-time mage! PLEASE! I don't know why you even tried to find me!"
Diana studied him for a moment before turning slightly. "Duke… I think he's telling the truth."
"He is?" The voice grew quieter, heavier. A chair scraped against the ground as the Duke rose. "He's telling the truth, huh?"
The man blinked as the blindfold was yanked off. His vision blurred at first—then cleared. Standing before him, illuminated by the dim glow of candles, was Duke Castorik.
The Duke's expression was calm, though, He looked wounded. He seemed wounded, yet unnervingly composed.
"Please, Duke," the man begged. "I don't know how you know about me, but please—"
The Duke crouched slightly, his tone soft but venomous. "Jonah… your name is Jonah. And you were recommended to me by your very friend, Dilek."
The man's face twisted in panic. "I don't even know Dilek!" His voice cracked with fear.
Castorik sighed. "Look at you… still so kind. Saving your friend even after you've been practically tortured."
The torchlight revealed the marks on Jonah's back—deep, raw lashes, completely red and fresh.
"Yesterday," Castorik continued, "when you came in saying Iris sent you, I asked you—are you Jonah? You said yes. Then I asked if you could heal."
He leaned closer, his eyes dark. "You said yes, quite casually. I showed you luxuries, spoke of the prophecy. The prophecy of you starting a religion for Yaguya."
Jonah's tears mixed with dirt and blood. "Please, I was overcome by greed! I heard rumors—someone preaching Yaguya in Portrident! I just… I just wanted to be rich!"
He bowed his head, sobbing. "Please… I'm not that man. Please, let me go…"
Castorik's face twisted in fury. He grabbed Jonah by the hair and hissed, "Are you fucking with me, Jonah?! Do you think I have all day to waste? Just because you want to be rich?"
He slammed his boot into Jonah's stomach. The man screamed in agony, the sound echoing through the chamber.
"I LOST MY VERY CANDIDATE BECAUSE OF YOUR FRIEND DILEK!" Castorik shouted, his voice breaking into madness. "HE TOOK THE VERY MAN I WAS SENDING TO THE RISING STAR! NOW WHO DO I SEND, HUH?"
He stopped, panting. The only response was Jonah's faint whimpering and the dripping water.
Castorik wiped the sweat from his brow and muttered, "This isn't like me…"
He looked at Jonah, slumped on the floor, barely breathing. "I would like to get revenge on Dilek… but I can't. There's someone powerful protecting him. They almost killed me…"
He laughed bitterly under his breath. "No, Castorik… you can't get too angry." He straightened, adjusting his coat, talking to himself. "I'll find a way."
His eyes glinted. "Oh? I have an idea. I'm sure the Emperor would help me, right?"
He looked back at the unconscious man. "Jonah… real or fake, I don't care. You're coming with me to the capital tomorrow."
Jonah didn't respond. He was already unconscious, slumped against the cold stone.
Castorik sighed and turned away, pushing open the heavy iron door. The faint scent of blood was replaced by the polished fragrance of the grand hallways beyond. The torches outside glowed warmly, flickering against the marble floors.
Diana followed close behind. "Duke, what did you mean? You're taking him? Like I said—Duke, I don't think he's the real—"
"I know, Diana," Castorik interrupted, his tone tired. "You heard Dilek, didn't you? Yes, he annoyed me by taking away Anton, but… do you really think that idiot was capable of lying?"
The two walked through the long hallway. The windows reflected the sunlight as Diana replied quietly, "I heard him. In the Bath when he was with you, when he spoke. His heart rate was normal. Completely calm. I used my skill like you ordered."
Castorik stopped. "Don't use that skill too much," he said sharply. "You told me—you can't control it if it's fully unleashed."
Diana bowed her head. "Yes, sir. I won't. I only used it lightly—to enhance my hearing."
He started walking again, his voice lower. "So he wasn't lying… I thought the same. Then I suppose Iris hid the real Jonah."
Diana hesitated. "Sir… what about the Rising Star candidate?"
Castorik smirked faintly. "It's fine. I found someone else. Someone who might become the strongest in the future."
He pushed open a double door, light flooded the hall. Standing near the window was a man—a tall figure with dark, luscious hair, his expression unreadable.
Diana's breath caught. The air around him felt different—heavy. Powerful.
Castorik smiled faintly. "Diana, meet Morgan."
He looked at the man with clear satisfaction. "He's the one who killed the Ruda. The fastest one."
Diana's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Meet my new Rising Star," Castorik said, smiling. "Lucky me."
Diana looked at Castorik's smile. The Duke's grin was faint and unsettling.
Castorik turned toward the large window, the light reflecting off his eyes. "Who cares if I don't have the real Jonah?" he said softly, almost amused. "All I have to do is make him pretend that he is the real Jonah—the real messenger of the goddess Yaguya…"
He smirked, the corners of his mouth curling upward in quiet satisfaction. "Oh, goodness… Trithron has blessed me." His gaze hardened, voice dripping with disdain. "Of course, I could care less whether Yaguya exists or not. To me, the only god is Trithron."
He chuckled lowly under his breath, almost whispering to himself. "Tomorrow will be a good day for me."
Castorik's smirk lingered. Morgan, who stood nearby with his arms crossed, looked at him—annoyed. The flickering candlelight painted Castorik's grin across the marble floor.
—
Dilek's eyes fluttered open.
He was lying in a bed, inside what seemed to be a dimly lit room. The air was cold and heavy with the scent of disinfectant. The white curtains surrounding the bed moved slightly in a breeze.
The world felt unstable, the ground was swaying beneath him. His vision wavered—walls bending, corners twisting out of place. He blinked hard, trying to focus, but the distortion only grew worse.
Dilek pushed himself up weakly, eyes darting around, he saw the blurred outline of a man sitting a few steps away from him, the man sat on a chair nearby a curtained bed. He couldn't make out his face. The man was speaking to someone behind the curtains but Dilek couldn't see who it was.
The man spoke, his voice calm and gentle.
"You are really brave, you know?"
There was no response from the bed. Whoever lay behind those curtains didn't speak.
The man leaned forward slightly, his tone softer now. "Can you tell me what happened that day?"
Still no reply.
"It's okay," the man said again, "You're not in trouble. I just want to understand what made you scared."
The silence stretched.
Then, from behind Dilek, the door creaked open. The sound of boots against the tiled floor echoed faintly. Another man entered, this one wearing a dark blue uniform. His face, too, was blurred and indistinct.
He approached the first man, speaking in a low, uneasy tone. "The autopsy came… it's pretty bad."
The seated man turned his head sharply. "Not here," he said, voice clipped. "Wait outside. I'll be with you in a minute."
The uniformed man nodded once and left, closing the door quietly behind him.
The first man exhaled softly and looked toward the curtain again. "It's okay," he said gently. "Let's reschedule it some other day. Rest for now."
He stood up, pushing the chair back slightly. The boots scraped faintly against the floor.
Dilek stared at him, his mind foggy. The man's features were still blurred. He couldn't see who was lying on the bed either. Only that faint, unsettling feeling lied behind the curtain.
The man turned, about to leave.
And then—
Dilek heard it.
A voice.
It came from behind the curtain—Distorted and indecipherable.
◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️?
The man froze mid-step.
The sound twisted, distorted, like words being pulled apart. Dilek's heart pounded. He couldn't hear what was said.
"What... what the hell was that?! What did it say? What... I couldn't hear anything..."
Something uneasy started creeping up on him as he thought, What was that...?
He took a hesitant step forward, wanting to see who it was.
And then—
A voice whispered from behind him.
'Don't see it, Dilek. Don't move forward.'
He froze, gasping heavily as he clutched his chest.
'Stay back… always stay back.'
—
Dilek woke up with a sharp gasp, his eyes snapping open. His chest heaved violently as if he'd just been pulled out of drowning. He clutched at his chest, breath shallow and ragged, his body drenched in sweat. When he looked down, he froze — his shirt was soaked with blood, still faintly warm, the stains spreading across the fabric.
"Dilek?"
The voice came from his left — trembling, uncertain. He turned toward it to see Nandita, eyes wide with shock. Around her, the rest of the group was crowded tightly in the moving carriage — Diego, Marcus, Ami, Kelid, Hela, and Duja, all staring at him with stunned faces.
The carriage was moving fast, its wheels rattling violently against the uneven dirt road. Through the small window, streaks of trees and light flashed by, they were rushing somewhere.
Marcus suddenly lunged forward and threw his arms around Dilek, nearly knocking him back.
"DILEK!! OH MY GOD, YOU'RE FINE — YOU WOKE UP!" Marcus's voice cracked as tears streamed down his face.
Diego joined him, he started crying loudly.
"SAINTT, WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO YOU?! WHY WERE YOU BLEEDING SO BAD?!"
Hela moved in quickly, gently pushing Marcus aside to make space. "Let me see," she said, her voice trembling. Her hands pressed against Dilek's wrist, checking his pulse, then she touched his forehead, her movements quick and frantic. She even checked his mouth for blood before glancing at him — panic still visible in her eyes.
Duja leaned in from behind her, placing a heavy hand on Dilek's shoulder. "Glad you're alright, boy," he said, his gruff voice betraying relief. "You scared us."
Dilek blinked, slowly steadying his breathing. His body ached faintly, but the worst of it seemed gone. He tried to rise, his hand gripping the edge of the seat as the carriage rocked beneath him.
"Quickly!" Duja shouted to the driver. "Get to Porustu — for the hospital!"
Dilek's eyes widened. "Wait, Duja… stop."
"I've healed fully," Dilek said, forcing a small, tired smile.
"Huh?" Ami stared at him. "No way — you were bleeding—" She stopped mid-sentence, as she felt her throat dry up.
Nandita hadn't spoken yet. She just sat there, staring at him — her expression dark, trembling slightly. Her lips parted, but the words didn't come right away.
Dilek glanced at her uncertainly. "Uh… you alright?"
Her tears began to fall — quiet, trembling drops running down her cheeks.
"Each time…" she whispered, voice breaking. "Each time you do this. Each time you vanish somewhere, and when you return, you're wounded… why?"
Dilek froze. He looked down, guilt washing over his face. "Sorry," he said softly. "But I'm alright. My class actually… automatically heals me. So I'm totally fine."
He lied again.
Nandita shook her head, her voice trembling but louder now. "So what if it does? Why… what are you doing, Dilek? I feel like you just don't trust us."
"What? No, I really do trust you."
"Then ask us to be with you!" she shouted, her voice cracking with pain. "Why are you always going alone? You went to the Ruda without us and came back nearly dead! You went to the guild without us and got kidnapped! And now this — you went somewhere and came back like this!"
Her voice echoed inside the carriage, shaking slightly. Dilek could only whisper back, "I'm sorry…"
He knew a simple sorry wouldn't fix it. But still, he moved closer and gently wrapped his arms around her. She didn't resist. Her shoulders shook against him as she cried quietly, her tears kept falling as she sobbed.
—
"She's fallen asleep…" Ami murmured a while later. Nandita was resting now, her head in Ami's lap, tear stains still on her cheeks.
The carriage had slowed down. Outside, the road hummed beneath the wheels.
Dilek sat near the window. "It seems like my heals have reached a limit," he said softly.
Kelid, who had been silent the whole time, looked up. Her gaze was curious.
"I can't heal forever," Dilek continued. "It seems I wasn't able to notice it before. I only felt it after I went above my limit."
Marcus leaned forward, concern etched on his face. "Is it like mana exhaustion?"
Dilek nodded, still looking out the window. "Yes… I suppose you can put it in those terms. I lost mana — and since I kept going without realizing I'd hit zero, that put a toll on my body."
He lied again. Another excuse to hide his real class, his real cost.
"I'll take a while to recover," he sighed, leaning back.
Outside, the evening sun spilled. As the carriage rolled on to Porustu.