CHAPTER 12: WARNING OF THE ANCIENT DARKNESS
The cold wind moved slowly through the Northern Forest.
Tall trees stood like silent giants, their twisted branches stretching high into the night sky. The moonlight struggled to reach the forest floor, and what little light managed to pass through the leaves created strange shifting shadows across the ground.
The air smelled of damp soil, moss, and old wood.
Somewhere far away, a night bird cried.
Other than that, the forest remained almost completely silent.
Jay stood several steps away from the glowing teleportation circle.
His eyes were fixed on the girl who had just appeared from it.
The girl was staring at him as well.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
It was the kind of silence where two strangers tried to understand each other without words.
The girl's silver hair moved softly in the cold breeze. Her cloak was deep blue, decorated with glowing magical runes that faintly pulsed with power. In her hand she held a long staff made of dark wood, with a crystal embedded at the top.
Even without sensing her magic directly, it was obvious—
She was a mage.
And not an ordinary one.
Jay's instincts immediately told him that the magic inside her was powerful.
Very powerful.
Finally, the girl spoke.
"What are you doing here?"
Her voice was calm but cautious.
Jay simply shrugged.
"Traveling."
The girl raised an eyebrow.
"In the Northern Forest?"
Jay replied calmly.
"Is that forbidden?"
The girl didn't answer immediately.
Her eyes slowly moved across the clearing.
Then she noticed the bodies.
Six men.
All lying motionless on the ground.
Some of their weapons were still clutched tightly in their hands.
The girl looked back at Jay.
"You did this?"
Jay answered without emotion.
"They attacked first."
The girl watched him carefully for a moment.
Then she let out a small breath.
"Do you even know who they were?"
Jay nodded slightly.
"Iron Fang."
The girl's eyes widened slightly.
"So you already knew?"
"Yes."
She let out a quiet laugh.
"And you're still wandering around their territory alone?"
Jay answered calmly.
"There were only six."
The girl fell silent for a moment.
Then she shook her head slightly.
"You're strange."
Jay didn't respond.
The forest returned to silence again.
The wind rustled the leaves overhead.
After a few moments, the girl asked another question.
"What's your name?"
"Jay."
"Jay…" she repeated softly.
"My name is Elara."
Jay gave a small nod.
But his mind was already thinking about something else.
Elara.
Who exactly was she?
And more importantly—
Why had she appeared here using teleportation magic?
Jay decided to ask directly.
"Why are you here?"
Elara didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she slowly turned her head toward the distant mountains.
Through a gap in the trees, dark silhouettes could be seen far away.
The Ashen Mountains.
Her voice became quieter.
"Are you heading there?"
Jay followed her gaze.
"Yes."
Elara inhaled slowly.
"Then you should probably know the truth."
Jay remained silent.
Listening.
Elara spoke slowly.
"For the past few weeks, strange things have been happening around the Ashen Mountains."
"Animals in the forests are becoming aggressive."
"Small villages near the mountain range have suddenly been abandoned."
"And…"
She stopped speaking for a moment.
Jay asked quietly,
"And?"
Elara looked directly into his eyes.
"Something very old… has awakened."
The cold wind seemed to grow even colder.
Jay remained calm.
"How do you know?"
Elara gave a faint smile.
"Because that's exactly why I came here."
Jay narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Elara rested her staff against the ground.
Then she said something important.
"I came from the Arcane Tower."
For the first time, Jay felt a small reaction inside his mind.
The Arcane Tower.
He knew that name.
It was one of the most powerful magical organizations in the world.
Their duty was to investigate dangerous magical phenomena across the continent.
If Elara truly belonged to the Arcane Tower—
Then whatever was happening in the Ashen Mountains was serious.
Elara continued.
"Our mages detected unusual magical signals coming from the mountains."
"Extremely old magic."
"Possibly thousands of years old."
A thought flashed briefly across Jay's mind.
Thousands of years old.
His eyes faintly sharpened.
But he kept his expression neutral.
Elara noticed his silence.
Then she asked him,
"Why are you going there?"
Jay didn't answer immediately.
After a few seconds, he simply said,
"To see."
Elara studied him carefully.
It was obvious she knew he wasn't telling the whole truth.
But she didn't push the question further.
After a moment, she said,
"If you're really going to the Ashen Mountains…"
"Going alone would be foolish."
Jay asked calmly,
"And your plan?"
Elara smiled slightly.
"I'm going there too."
They both stood quietly for a few seconds.
Then Elara spoke again.
"So why don't we travel together?"
Jay didn't answer right away.
He thought about it.
Traveling together could be useful.
But it could also create complications.
However—
If Elara truly came from the Arcane Tower, she might possess valuable information.
After a short moment, Jay nodded.
"Fine."
Elara looked relieved.
"Good."
Then she glanced again at the dead bandits.
"But we should leave this place soon."
Jay asked,
"Why?"
Elara pointed at the bodies.
"If they were from the Iron Fang Gang…"
"Then there are probably more of them nearby."
The wind rustled through the forest again.
Jay turned toward the deeper path between the trees.
"Then let's move."
The two of them began walking deeper into the dark forest.
But neither of them noticed—
High above them.
Hidden among the thick branches of an ancient tree.
Someone was watching them.
Two cold eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
And those eyes were not human.
The real story…
was only just beginning.