Moments after releasing the girl, they heard a loud cry. A child's scream. From the same direction the girl had gone.
"It's the girl."
Valerick and Ravnar ran. Low to the ground. Moving fast.
They approached the source of the sound and crouched behind a moss-covered boulder.
Ahead, robed figures stood, Belenorians. One of them held the same girl's corpse in his arms, blood soaking her pale dress.
"They killed her…" Valerick said quietly.
"Why would they kill their own kind?" Ravnar whispered, horror-struck.
"To provoke us. Or maybe to use her in their bloody rituals," Valerick said. "Satanic bastards."
One of the Belenorians looked up. "There!"
"Damn it. They saw us," Valerick hissed.
"Run," he snapped to Ravnar. "Warn the others. Maybe set up an ambush if you can, I'll give them something to chase." Ravnar hesitated, but he nodded, reassuring him. "Go fast! I'll handle the rest."
Ravnar bolted.
He reached the group at the ridge they had previously marked. Others were waiting; they knew what had happened to the girl. They were just waiting for the confirmation.
"They killed the girl. It's confirmed. Valerick's leading them here."
"I told you all we shouldn't let her go. If you had listened to me, the poor soul would still be living." Ethan said, stunned.
"We didn't know this would happen. There's no time for this. We have to set up an ambush and fast", Ravar was clearly stressed.
"What else would you expect from devil worshippers?", Ethan was still angry and shocked
Mason simply nodded. "We'll welcome them here."
They looked at the students and cadets, and then at each other.
The young cream of the clans stood visibly shaken, most of them struggling to process what had just happened. Faces turned pale, eyes wide with disbelief, as silence fell over the group like a heavy fog.
"I swear, they shouldn't have let these students come with us," Ethan said, his anger increasing . "The higher up sometimes behave like they have never stepped on the battlefield"
"Go on. Hide them somewhere," Mason told Kael.
After that, the three instructors prepared for the ambush. They climbed into the trees, taking up positions on the branches to gain height. Then, they waited for Valerick.
"Is this the right location?" Ethan asked Ravnar.
"I didn't have the time for all the strategy making but he'll definitely come from where he left", he replied in somewhat frustration.
They waited in silence. The forest around them was still, the trees tall and close together, their trunks slick with moss. Mist hung low over the ground, and the air smelled of wet bark and earth.
Then, Valerick's voice echoed through the forest. They couldn't see him. His voice came from a distance, but the trees scattered the sound, making it impossible to tell where it came from.
"First Form: Stone Build," announced Ethan.
"First Form: The First Wind," said Ravnar.
"First Form: Keraunos," Mason called out, his tone sharp.
***
From a distance, cadets and students crouched, hidden from the unfolding scene, watching.
"There really is something suspicious here," Larsen muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"What do you mean?" Selene asked, glancing around. Kael stood nearby, confused like the others.
"Come with me. And hope Valerick has some time."
"We weren't ordered to go," Selene reminded him.
"It's necessary. Look at the trees."
He pointed. "See those marks? The branches are broken. Someone climbed, hopped, and jumped through here."
"If we don't find anything, we'll return."
Then, raising his voice just enough, he called to the cadets:
"Cadets, come with me. No one's coming. They're not here for us. I'm sure of it."
Selene, Fiona, Kael, and Bran crept silently toward the suspected ambush site, their movements slow and deliberate as they stayed low to the ground, blending in with the thick bushes that lined the path.
"Look up," Larsen whispered. "Can you see them?"
Up in the trees, three Belenorians were barely visible among the branches, their bodies still and poised. Their stance was tense, ready to strike the instructors from above, but they were waiting.
Kael's breath caught. "They're ready to attack…"
"They're in almost perfect camouflage," Bran said, stunned.
"Judging by their formation, they're chain-type mages. Sanamahi worshippers.", Larsen stated.
It is said that the people of Ezkabel worship ten gods, each revered as a divine architect of the so-called New Magic, also known as Formation Magic, a system that stands in direct contrast to the ancient ways of Elemental Magic, or Old Magic. According to their doctrine, each devout follower receives an ability linked to the nature of the god they revere, with the strength and refinement of that gift determined by the depth of their devotion.
"How could you tell?" Fiona asked.
"There's no time for that. Valerick's close," Larsen said urgently. "If they get spooked, they'll strike the instructors."
Kael turned quickly. "Bran, can you draw the Second Form of Earth?"
Each element within the Old Magic possesses progressive forms, advanced stages that awaken new abilities in the user as they master its essence. With each progression, the elemental bond deepens, granting greater control, unique traits, and entirely new applications of the element itself. These forms are not merely upgrades in power, but evolutions of understanding, requiring both discipline and intuition to unlock.
"Yeah, but it'll take time. And I can't target more than one yet."
The forms are tapped into in order, starting from Form One, then Form Two, then Form Three. Even in battle, progression is mandatory.
"You have a bow?" Larsen asked. Something was going on in his mind.
Kael nodded.
"Good. Charge your arrow with as much mana as you can."
Kael understood. "And the third one?" He asked.
"Leave that to me," Larsen replied.
"You? You're just a first-year senior," Bran scoffed.
"You can't even perform the First Form yet," Kael added.
"Yeah... but I have a way," Larsen said, a grin tugging at his lip.
Kael looked at Selene. "Can we trust him?"
Fiona spoke before Selene could answer. "You might say he's irresponsible, but he's the one who figured this out."
Selene nodded. "Okay. We'll watch you. Valerick might kill us for this", Selene murmured, "but if he's right…"
As they turned, Larsen was already climbing a tree, moving with eerie stealth.
"Where'd he learn that?" Kael whispered.
"He's a natural monkey," Selene replied.
Fiona rolled her eyes. "Can't you appreciate your brother for once?"
"I was joking. He's... talented. I know."
Perched above the ambushers, Larsen waited, poised. Selene scanned the area and raised her hand.
The signal.
Kael's bow thrummed with raw mana. Bran's hands made the final seal as he drew the Second Form of Earth: Piercing Stones.
Kael loosed the arrow. It streaked through the air, humming with stored mana. The first Belenorian barely had time to blink before it struck. It was clean and silent. He crumpled without a sound.
Bran followed a heartbeat later.
"Second Form: Piercing Stones!"
Stone shards launched from behind the enemy with brutal precision.
Impact. Another one fell.
Larsen made his move.
With a sudden leap, he latched onto the Belenorian's ankle, not quite what he'd promised. He had no footing, just hanging there midair, weight pulling him down as he shouted:
"Move, Ravnar!"
The Belenorian, startled, unleashed a chain from a glowing magic circle drawn midair.
The cadets who were watching froze.
Larsen wasn't supposed to be the distraction.
Now they all saw it glinting in the air like a predator's fangs. The chains, snaking toward Valerick from the treetops, fast and silent.
"Move!" Kael gasped, but the word caught in his throat.
Ravnar hadn't seen them.
Time seemed to fracture. The instructors were unaware. Every cadet stood paralysed and helpless, watching death fly toward a man who didn't even know it was coming.
But then, Larsen successfully yanked him down. They tumbled. The chain sliced past, missing Ravnar by inches. He was shocked and relieved at the same time. It happened too fast for him.
He didn't have a moment to divert his attention. Valerieck's signal grew closer and closer, pulsing like a drumbeat in his mind.
The other instructors' attention wavered as well. They were caught between the ambush and the chaos unraveling before their eyes, unable to concentrate on either.
"They'll manage. I don't know what exactly's going on, but it was clearly an ambush," Mason said firmly. "We can't focus on that now. If this doesn't succeed, we'll lose even more."
His words struck hard, shaking the instructors from their daze.
Down below, Larsen and the belenorian hit the ground hard, a dull thud echoing through the trees as dust burst up around them. The noise turned every head and eyes snapped toward the sound.
Kael cursed.
"No, no, no, no, I told him!" he murmured, already rushing toward Larsen. "It's all my fault for trusting him. He's still a student."
Selene, Fiona, and Bran followed, spreading out to surround him and the remaining Belenorian.