We were hours away from Tasarrow when Jax finally spoke.
"When we get there... we find out how to get rid of it. The dark magic. All of it."
I didn't respond right away.
"...Maybe I can learn to control it," I said. "Then we wouldn't have to worry about losing in dungeons anymore."
Dixon's voice cut in sharply. "No. Absolutely not."
"But—"
"Ridgway said you're a danger to the world, Zero. The world. This magic has to go. Now."
Cast nodded. "He's right. What happens in a dungeon if you get too angry? You black out again. You kill everyone around you—including us."
I felt the heat rise in my chest.
"WELL, I DON'T WANT TO!"
My eyes flared.
Fire—hot and bright.
My friends scrambled back, pressing themselves against the walls of the carriage. Fear in their eyes.
I forced my voice steady.
"I don't want to be controlled by this. But I also don't want to give it up. This power... it could help us. Don't you see that?"
No one answered.
The silence that followed was worse than the argument.
The map showed we were close.
The ride stayed quiet.
I couldn't take it anymore.
"Hey... do you guys like the new Fury Blades?"
Cast snapped.
"WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE THIS ISN'T A PROBLEM?"
She yanked the reins. The horses stopped. She jumped off and walked to a nearby tree, head down, arms crossed.
Dixon sighed. "I'll talk to her."
He climbed out and followed.
Jax stayed.
She looked at me—really looked—and said, "You don't need this, Zero. It's changing you. You might not see it... But we do."
I leaned forward.
"But I feel alive. Like I can do anything. Like I'm invincible." My voice dropped. "If I lose this... I'll go back to being nothing. Quiet. Hopeless."
"But—"
"WHAT?!"
The word exploded out of me before I could stop it.
Jax flinched.
I caught myself. Breathed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. It's just... I hate being told what to do when I don't want to do it."
She didn't respond.
Dixon came back with Cast.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Nothing."
"Don't lie."
"I said nothing."
"Zero—"
"You don't know me!" I shouted. "I'm different now. Better. I can do things I never could before."
"That's not better—that's the magic talking! You yelled at Jax. You never yell at people. That's not who you are."
"STOP."
Cast's voice cut through.
"We'll deal with this later. There's no point arguing if none of us can agree. So stop."
Silence.
We climbed back in and rode the rest of the way without speaking.
Tasarrow came into view.
And something in me shifted.
I exhaled slowly.
"...I know I've been acting strange."
My friends looked at me.
"I get it now. What you've been trying to say. I want this gone, too. Let's find a way."
Cast softened. "Finally. But how?"
"Maybe someone in town knows," Jax said.
Dixon nodded. "Hopefully."
The town was barely alive.
No guards at the entrance. No crowds. Just two or three people wandering the streets, heads down. The buildings were worn, the roads were filthy, and the air reeked of stale alcohol.
I spotted a small hut with a crooked sign: LORD TASA.
We approached and knocked.
A soft voice answered from within. "Who is it?"
"We're looking for answers," I said. "We're friends of Ridgway."
A pause.
"Ridgway, you say... Go to the black-and-white house. The one who lives there—she knows him well."
We found it quickly. The town only had about ten homes, all different shapes, sizes, and levels of decay.
I raised my hand to knock—
"Who is it? What do you want?"
A woman's voice. Sharp. Cautious.
"We're friends of Ridgway. He said someone here could help us. Please—it's urgent."
The door opened.
She stepped forward.
And I forgot how to speak.
She was stunning. Long, flowing hair that caught the light like silk. A dress that looked like it belonged in a palace, not a dying town. A face so delicate it seemed impossible.
"If you want answers," she said coolly, "it'll cost you."
"I—" I cleared my throat. "I have money. How much?"
"What kind?"
"Gold."
Her lips curved slightly. "That'll work."
She led us inside.
The interior didn't match the outside. A table made of pure silver. Handcrafted wooden chairs. Valuables lined the walls—colorful fabrics, rare stones, gleaming metals.
And on the left side of the table: a staff.
It was slender, wrapped in silver thread, with an emerald mounted at the top. As I looked at it, the gem flickered—glowed green—then dimmed.
The woman grabbed it quickly and tucked it into her robe.
"Payment first."
I handed her twenty gold nuggets. She counted them, nodded, and sat.
"What's your question?"
Dixon spoke first. "We need to know how to remove dark magic. Do you know how?"
She laughed—sharp and disbelieving.
"Dark magic? That doesn't exist anymore. What are you on about?"
"My potential was tampered with," I said. "It made me black out. Go on a rampage. Kill people. I was told it might be connected to an evil wizard."
Her expression changed.
"Evil wizard...? You don't mean Ma—"
She stopped herself.
"If we're talking about the same one... I can't help you. Not fully. I'd need an entrance."
"Entrance?" Jax asked.
"A way into the source. A physical mark. A gateway."
I thought about the star on my arm.
"...There's a symbol," I said slowly. "A star. It appeared two days ago, when we crossed the Kingdom of Mere."
Her eyes widened.
"A star. Then there is a way." She exhaled. "But I can only see what's inside you. I can't pull it out. You'll need someone far more skilled than me."
"What can you tell us about the magic?"
She gestured for us to sit.
"A long time ago," she began, "there was a wizard named Mazza."
The name hung in the air.
"He was known across the land for his power. In his early years, he was peaceful. Respected. Loved, even. One day, he met a woman who shared his abilities. They fell deeply in love."
She paused.
"Then came a threat. Men demanded he stop practicing sorcery. He refused. Days later... they killed her."
The room felt colder.
"Mazza changed. Hate consumed him first. He hunted down the men responsible and slaughtered them. But it didn't stop there. Rage followed hate—and then came the blackout."
She met my eyes.
"He killed over ten thousand people. Entire villages. Armies. Anyone in his path."
No one spoke.
"Eventually, the sword-chasers banded together. They hunted him down. Ended him. And after that, more chaser types emerged across the land. The spell-chasers... were exterminated."
Silence filled the room.
She wasn't just telling a story.
She was warning us.
"Do you know anyone who can remove the magic?" I asked.
She hesitated.
"There is one. But it's a long shot." She looked away. "The King of Mere. He has access to someone who can do it. But he's also the one hunting what's inside you."
My stomach sank.
"I see."
We stood.
"Thank you. We'll figure something out."
"Good luck," she said quietly. "You'll need it."
Outside, Dixon shook his head.
"That's a dead end. We need to leave—find another way."
"The king is the way," I said.
"Are you insane? He tried to kill us!"
"What if we made a deal?"
"A deal?!" Jax stared at me. "What are you talking about?"
"If I offer him the magic willingly, he gets what he wants. In exchange, he lets us live."
Cast rubbed her temples. "That's the dumbest plan I've ever heard."
"But it's the only one we've got."
Silence.
No one agreed.
But no one argued, either.
Two days later, we stood in the throne room of Kingdom Mere.
One hundred soldiers surrounded us outside. Fifty more filled the room.
King Hajj rose from his throne, smirking.
"How stupid of you to co—"
"I want to make a deal."
He froze mid-sentence.
His smirk vanished. Slowly, he straightened.
"There is nothing you can offer me, chaser."
"There is." I stepped forward. "You want what's inside me. I'll give it to you—willingly. In exchange, you don't kill us."
He laughed.
"Why would I bargain? I could take it by force and kill you where you stand. You have nowhere to run."
I met his gaze.
"Because if I get angry—bad things happen."
The room shifted.
"This magic makes me black out. Last time it happened, I killed two hundred and six people. I didn't care who they were. I didn't even remember doing it."
I let that sink in.
"So tell me, Your Majesty—can your soldiers stop a fire-chaser with the power of Mazza?"
I drew the Blade of Fury.
The king stepped back.
"...Can you?"
Silence.
The king's jaw tightened.
Then he exhaled.
"Fine. Have it your way." He raised a hand. "Soldiers—leave. But stay close."
The guards filed out.
He led us deeper into the castle, to his most secure chamber, and explained.
"There is a spell-chaser who still lives. She resides here, under my protection. She knows how to extract dark magic."
I waited.
"She will arrive within the hour. When she does, she'll take you to the House of Worship. She'll draw your blood. Perform the spell." He paused. "It will take a long time. It will be painful. And you could die."
He looked at me.
"Could."
I didn't flinch.
"Very well. Let's do this."