The moon hung high over Mirewood, casting silver light on the cobbled streets. Most of the town slept—except for Julius.
He stood outside the guildhall, staring at the stars. Something felt… wrong.
Then he saw him.
A cloaked figure walked slowly down the main path, dragging a long black staff behind him. His cloak bore a strange emblem: a black star split down the middle. His footsteps were silent, yet heavy with presence.
Rael stepped out beside Julius. "Another visitor?"
Julius narrowed his eyes. "No. Something else."
The figure stopped before the guild door.
"I'm looking for shelter," he said. His voice was low, weathered by age—or something worse.
"What's your name?" Julius asked.
"…Solas."
Inside the guildhall, the team watched him carefully.
Solas removed his hood, revealing a pale, narrow face with dark rings under his eyes. Strange glyphs marked his neck, and his eyes shimmered faintly with violet light.
"You're a mage?" Rin asked.
"I was. Once," Solas replied. "Now I carry pieces."
Julius raised an eyebrow. "Pieces?"
Solas pulled a shard of obsidian from his cloak. It pulsed with black and golden veins.
Lyra recoiled. "That… that's Neamoton crystal. A shard of the seal."
"I didn't know what it was," Solas said. "It found me during a ruin collapse. Since then, nightmares, whispers, and monsters have followed."
Julius stared at the shard. "You were chosen—or cursed. That fragment's leaking ancient energy."
Rael crossed his arms. "So why come here?"
"Because I had a vision," Solas whispered. "A boy with time magic… who would either save the world or end it."
The room fell silent.
"I believe," Solas continued, "that boy is you."
Over the next hours, Solas told them of a ruin deep beneath the mountains—a vault of demon-forged artifacts called the Hollow Reliquary. And worse, he said the Drach were already searching for it.
"The shard is a key," Solas explained. "And they need all nine."
Julius looked at his team. "Then we find the Reliquary first."
Rael grinned. "Sounds like our first real mission."
Lyra nodded. "We'll need maps, supplies, and a plan."
Rin whispered, "And courage. A lot of it."
Julius stood.
"Then let's become more than just a guild. Let's become protectors of this world's time."
Twilight Zone Guild – Members: 5
Julius (D-Rank Mage, Iron Guild Master)
Lyra (E-Rank Mage, Ice-Make Magic)
Rael (D-Rank Mage, Lightning Magic)
Rin Ayana (C-Rank Mage, Whispering Blade Style – Memory Awakening)
Solas (C-Rank Mage?, Unknown Magic – Seal Fragment Holder)
F Rank Quests Completed: 65/1000E Rank Quests Completed: 9/10000D Rank Quests Completed: 6/1000C Rank Quests Completed: 4/1000
Guild Status: Iron Rank – Pending Bronze Promotion
Next Chapter Preview: Vault of Forgotten Sins
Julius leads the Twilight Zone to the location of the Hollow Reliquary—but inside, they find not only ancient traps and cursed weapons, but the first of the Nine Demon Keys… and a trial that forces each member to confront their greatest regret.