The return of the Forsaken.
The night was quiet and the sky was full of stars. A full moon hung above the village, pouring silver light over the half-raised walls and rough wooden frames. People moved like shadows among the structures, rebuilding what had been lost. The foundations for most houses were already laid.
In a small, reinforced shelter at the edge of the clearing, the enemy who had attacked them earlier was locked away. He stood sealed inside a thick block of ice, his expression frozen in terror.
Ray walked toward the shelter, his black sword in hand. His steps were steady, his face unreadable. He stopped in front of the ice and studied the man for a moment.
He didn't hesitate.
Ray thrust the dark blade straight into the frozen block. Instead of cracking, the ice turned into a soft, white fog. It hissed faintly as it melted into nothing. The sword greedily absorbed it all. There wasn't even a drop of water left behind. The ice simply ceased to exist.
Ray narrowed his eyes. He had known the sword could purify mana, but this was different. The ice had been a physical construct made of mana, and yet the sword had devoured it as if it were nothing.
It absorbed something that actually took shape, Ray thought. This isn't just purifying mana. It's taking the very essence of what's created from it.
The enemy soldier dropped to the ground, free from the ice at last. His whole body shook violently from the cold. His sword slipped from his numb fingers and clattered uselessly against the floor. He didn't even have the strength to hold it.
Ray pointed his black blade at the man's face. His voice was calm when he spoke, but it carried a weight that made the air feel heavy. It was the kind of voice that didn't need to shout to be terrifying.
"How did you find our location?" Ray asked.
The man's eyes widened. Every part of him trembled. He knew instinctively that he couldn't resist the person standing before him.
"I-it w-was just a c-coincidence!" he stammered, the words tumbling out in panic.
Ray said nothing. He simply stared.
Those eyes—deep, dark, and steady—felt like they were piercing straight through the man's flesh and bone, reaching into his soul. Under that silent gaze, the enemy's breathing became ragged.
He shivered and suddenly bowed down, pressing his forehead against the cold floor.
"Please! Spare me!" he pleaded, voice cracking. "I—I can give you information! I know where their headquarters is… and I know about their army!"
Ray's expression didn't change, but his grip on the sword loosened slightly as he considered. "Really?" he asked. "Should I trust you?"
The man nodded desperately, still bowing. His shoulders shook.
"How high is your rank in the army?" Ray continued.
"I am equal to a general," the man replied quickly. "But I don't like leading an army. I don't command troops."
Ray frowned. "Then why did you join the government?"
The question struck deeper than any blade.
The man froze. His mouth opened, but no words came out at first. Something flashed behind his eyes—an old memory, dragged up from where he had tried to bury it. His face twisted, and anger slowly replaced fear.
Ray moved his sword slightly.
"Raise your head," he commanded.
The man lifted his face. His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging around them. Rage had carved itself onto his features, burning hotter than the cold that had nearly killed him.
"What's your name?" Ray asked.
"I-it's Arthur," he replied, still kneeling.
"Now," Ray said, his voice steady and firm, "give me the answer. Why do you fight for the government?"
Arthur tried to meet Ray's gaze, but the pressure was overwhelming. It felt like looking into the eyes of a god—or something beyond that. His own eyes began to sting. Tears welled up and slipped down his cheeks.
"They have my sister," he finally forced out. His voice shook, but the words were clear. "I don't even know if she's alive."
The room fell silent.
Ray studied him for a long moment. The trembling man before him was no longer just an enemy officer. He was a brother, chained by the same kind of cruelty Ray had sworn to destroy.
Slowly, Ray lowered his sword.
Then, he did something that Arthur did not expect at all.
He extended his free hand.
"How about you join me?" Ray asked quietly.
Arthur's head snapped up. His eyes went wide, as if someone had suddenly lit a torch in the darkness he'd been trapped in for years. Hope—something he thought he had lost long ago—returned to his gaze, trembling and fragile but real.
"I'll serve you forever, if you help me find my sister," Arthur vowed. His voice was hoarse, but his resolve was firm.
"It is going to be hard," Ray warned. "You tried to kill us. You were our enemy just now."
"I'll make up for what I did," Arthur said immediately, without hesitation. He bent forward until his forehead touched the ground. "Please, help me find my sister."
A small, satisfied smile appeared on Ray's face, though his eyes remained serious.
"Betrayal will not be tolerated," he stated. The warning was clear. Then his expression softened, just a little. "I know the value of family. Now, rise."
Arthur pushed himself to his feet, but his legs shook. His body was still weak from being frozen for so long.
Ray stepped closer and gently patted his shoulder. A warm stream of aura flowed from Ray's hand into Arthur's body. The cold that had settled in his bones melted away. His muscles relaxed. His shivering stopped.
Arthur took a breath. For the first time since he could remember, his body didn't hurt.
"Let me introduce you to the people," Ray said.
He turned and walked out of the shelter. Arthur followed, slightly behind him.
The cool night breeze greeted them as they stepped outside. Lanterns flickered around the clearing where the villagers had gathered. Their faces were a mix of exhaustion and determination.
Ray led Arthur to the spot where Eldric was being treated.
People stared at Arthur with confusion, whispers rising among them, but they left without a single question when Ray motioned with his hand for silence and space.
The bleeding had stopped. Eldric lay on a wooden bed, pale and sweating, but conscious. He couldn't move his limbs properly yet.
When Ray approached, Eldric's eyes filled with tears.
"My lord," Eldric whispered, voice thin but reverent.
Then he noticed Arthur standing behind Ray. Confusion flashed across his face. This was the man who had tried to kill them. Why was he standing there, alive, and not chained?
Ray began to speak.
"Eldric, this man is going to be our new member," Ray said clearly so that everyone nearby could hear. "I wanted to ask you before telling anyone else."
Eldric's eyes widened. His king… was asking for his opinion.
A rush of emotion swelled in his chest—loyalty, pride, and something like gratitude. Even in a moment like this, Ray acknowledged him.
Eldric swallowed and nodded.
"Your wish is my command," he said. There was no hesitation in his voice.
Ray walked over to him and knelt by the bed. He placed his hands gently on Eldric's chest.
A dark blue mana flowed from Ray's palms and seeped into Eldric's body.
Eldric gasped as a strange warmth spread through him. Inside, the dark blue mana began to change. It shifted slowly, turning into a bright crimson color that pulsed like a heartbeat. It travelled through his veins, filling every torn muscle and broken bone.
Then, amidst that vivid red, a wisp of darker, denser crimson appeared. It gathered in one place, spinning faster and faster. At the same time, something else flowed out from Ray—a deep, shadowy energy that did not belong to normal mana.
The two forces merged.
The crimson light and the dark energy swirled together, becoming a storm of violet and red glints. It looked like a miniature galaxy, spinning just beneath Eldric's skin.
The energy burst outward for a moment, swirling around Eldric's body like a living fog, then sank back into him, disappearing entirely.
The air grew still.
"Can you stand up now?" Ray asked.
Eldric opened his mouth to say no. His body had been in agony only moments ago. He expected nothing to have changed.
But the moment he tried to move, he felt it.
Strength.
His eyes widened.
He pushed himself up—and there was no pain. He swung his legs off the bed and stood. His footing was steady. He stared at his own hands in disbelief. The scars that had once covered his body, mementos of old battles and cruel wounds, were gone.
"M-My lord… You know magic?" Eldric asked. His voice shook, not from weakness, but from awe.
Ray smiled, a small but genuine smile.
"I learned it recently," he replied.
He then glanced toward Arthur, who stood a short distance away, watching everything.
"I'll tell you why I accepted him later," Ray added.
Arthur didn't move. He couldn't.
From the moment Ray had placed his hands on Eldric, Arthur had been unable to tear his eyes away. He had watched mana change color, watched wounds vanish, watched a broken man stand as if he had never been injured.
He had never seen mana like that—the deep, shifting colors, the way it moved like something alive. Not in his training, not in government facilities, not on any battlefield.
He felt like he had just witnessed a miracle.
In that instant, any lingering doubt he had disappeared.
He knew, with a certainty that settled deep in his bones, that he had chosen the right side.
The side of the man who could change destinies.
End of chapter 13