Weeks passed without a sound.
Exactly two weeks since Rael and Lyo officially became adventurers. Two weeks wandering the guild hall, reading and rereading the mission board, hoping to see a quest within their reach.
But nothing.
Either the missions were beyond their rank, or they disappeared within minutes, snatched up by faster, more experienced, hungrier adventurers. The guild overflowed with people. Veterans returned covered in blood and glory, while others left at dawn, ready to dive into the next adventure.
Rael and Lyo… they were stuck in place.
— We're adventurers, but without an adventure, Rael muttered, leaning against a pillar.
— Patience, Lyo replied, though he didn't fully believe it himself.
That morning, while they were lingering in the hall, Rael noticed a familiar figure.
A boy darted along the upper floor, accompanied by an adult. Both wore dark blue outfits, almost like uniforms, with subtle patterns stitched onto the shoulder. Not the usual adventurer gear.
— Izen…? Rael frowned.
He looked up and shouted:
— IZEN!
The figure froze. The boy leaned over the railing, his eyes lighting up immediately.
— Rael!
Moments later, they were face-to-face, exchanging greetings filled with surprise and delight. Only two weeks had passed, but the test already felt like a distant memory.
— It's been a while, Izen said with a wide grin.
— You run around the guild like you own the place now, Rael joked.
The man with Izen studied them carefully. Tall, slightly tanned skin, brown hair streaked with gray tied back. His gaze was calm, analytical, the eyes of someone who had seen it all.
— Who are they? he asked evenly.
— These are Rael and Lyo, Izen replied. Especially Rael… he's the one who helped me during the test.
The man turned to Rael and inclined his head slightly.
— I'm Maëron Valcrest, he said. Thank you for what you did for him that day.
Rael, a little caught off guard, simply said:
— It was nothing.
Lyo, meanwhile, kept staring at the blue outfits.
— Those uniforms… they're not standard adventurer gear, right?
Izen smiled, almost proudly.
— No. We're part of a special group in the guild. We research monsters, ancient artifacts, ruins, and the legends of our world.
Rael blinked.
— Seriously?
— Seriously. Come on, I'll show you.
Maëron nodded.
— I'll leave you with him. Don't linger too long.
They moved into a quieter part of the guild, away from the noise of the main hall. Izen pushed open a massive door carved with ancient symbols. Behind it, an enormous room unfolded.
Rael froze.
Towering shelves reached the ceiling, filled with old books, scrolls, and grimoires. Ladders and staircases gave access to higher levels. Below, desks were covered with notes, maps, and vials.
Here and there, glass cubes contained strange objects: crystal fragments, monster teeth, relics radiating a sinister aura. One entire wall was covered by a massive board, cluttered with writings, diagrams, names, and arrows connecting obscure concepts.
— This place… Lyo murmured.
— Incredible, Rael breathed.
— Our group is renowned across the kingdom, Izen explained. Even the king knows of our work. The guild provides everything we need for our research.
Rael felt something click in his mind. No wonder Izen had so many potions. No wonder he knew monsters' weaknesses. It all made sense.
Izen, visibly excited, turned toward them.
— And since you're here… I have something to show you.
He lowered his voice.
— This is supposed to stay secret. Something I discovered recently.
He led them to the back of the room, behind partially hidden shelves. Rael's heart raced. Something was about to change. And this was only the beginning.
Izen approached a narrow cabinet, almost invisible, tucked between ancient grimoires. He ran his hand over the wood, pressed a hidden spot, and a soft click echoed. The door opened.
Inside rested a reinforced glass cube, sealed with delicate runes. Izen carefully lifted it onto a table.
Inside was a stone.
A black stone. Not ordinary black. Not just dark. Absolute black, as if light refused to touch it. Staring too long made the skin crawl slightly, like it was watching back.
Rael stepped closer, eyes shining.
— It's… beautiful, he whispered, almost awestruck like a child before a treasure.
Lyo shivered. He crossed his arms.
— I don't like it.
Izen nodded slowly.
— You're right to feel that way.
He took a deep breath before explaining.
— About six months ago, our group encountered a monster called a Sylvian Lume.
Rael frowned.
— I know that name…
— That makes sense, Izen said. Sylvian Lumes are among the gentlest monsters.
He explained. The Sylvian Lume was a large, quadrupedal creature, halfway between a deer and a forest spirit. Its body was covered in living moss, its translucent antlers glowed a soft green, and its eyes expressed no aggression. It fed on natural mana and sometimes helped the forest heal.
— A monster that always avoids conflict, Izen continued. Never aggressive. Never.
He paused.
— Until that day.
His voice deepened.
— The moment it saw us… it attacked.
Rael straightened.
— Attacked?
— Without warning. And it mutated before our eyes. Its body deformed, grew about seventy centimeters taller. Its light darkened, antlers cracked, and its mana… became unstable. Violent.
Lyo stared at the stone.
— You defeated it…
— Yes. And that's when we found this.
Izen pointed to the cube.
— This stone was embedded in its chest. Like it was part of it.
A heavy silence fell. Lyo suddenly lifted his head, realization dawning.
— Wait… you said six months. You're not new to the guild, then.
Izen hesitated, then shook his head.
— No. Well… yes and no. I'm a new adventurer officially, but I've been part of this group for a long time.
— How's that possible?
Izen smiled faintly.
— I've been here since I was ten. Maëron… the man you saw earlier… took me in when I was younger. He raised me. But I wasn't allowed to participate in missions. Even when I accompanied them, I stayed in the background. Observing. Learning.
— And the test? Lyo asked.
— It was necessary to be officially recognized as an adventurer.
Rael studied him for a long moment. Then, without thinking, he said:
— To me… you're already amazing.
Izen froze for a second, then his face broke into a sincere, slightly embarrassed smile.
— Thank you.
They spent the rest of the day together. Izen showed them other artifacts, explained his research, spoke of rare monsters and forgotten legends. Rael listened in awe. Lyo, cautious, absorbed every alarming detail.
By evening, the tour ended. Rael and Lyo left the research room with an uneasy feeling. They had entered out of curiosity. They walked out with certainty.
Something was wrong with this world. And that black stone was surely only the beginning.