The group set out at dawn. The road to Velgris, a small farming village on the edge of a dense forest, was filled with uncertainty. According to the Duke's report, the village had been completely abandoned in a single night—no signs of a struggle, yet a lingering trail of fear had spread through the neighboring settlements.
Alex walked slightly behind EMI and Aria, observing the landscape with a mixture of tension and curiosity.
"Do you think we'll find anything useful?" Alex asked, breaking the silence.
"If we're careful, yes," EMI replied, her gaze serious as she mentally reviewed the report. "What worries me is that we don't know what kind of magic we're dealing with."
"Whatever it is, we can't afford to let our guard down," Aria added, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her ornamental sword—used now more for precaution than for defense.
When they arrived at Velgris, the sight was desolate. The village was completely empty. The doors to homes stood wide open, and belongings were scattered across the ground, as if the villagers had fled in terror.
A chill ran down Alex's spine. The silence was deafening, broken only by the crunch of their footsteps on dry leaves.
"This is… unsettling," Alex muttered, glancing around.
Aria nodded.
"Too much so. It's as if something tore the villagers out of here."
EMI examined the ground for clues. Eventually, she stopped beside a charred circle in the village center.
"This isn't normal. This circle looks like part of a summoning ritual—but it's incomplete."
Alex crouched down to examine it more closely. The marks were burned into the earth, but some of the runes were unfamiliar even to him—and he had studied the basics.
"Do you think this is the dark mage's doing?" he asked.
"Most likely," EMI replied, frowning. "But what concerns me more is that it doesn't look recent. This has been here for weeks."
They decided to investigate the mayor's house—a larger building compared to the others, but equally abandoned. Inside, they found scattered papers, a map marked with nearby villages, and a diary that had belonged to the mayor.
Aria picked it up and began to read aloud:
"Something dark is approaching. The villagers have started having strange dreams—all of them the same: a hooded figure calling them into the forest. At first, we didn't think much of it, but last night, three entire families vanished. If this continues, no one will be left to protect Velgris."
EMI crossed her arms, thoughtful.
"Looks like this mage isn't acting alone. He's using some kind of mind magic—compulsion, maybe—to control people."
Alex felt a knot in his stomach at the thought of families walking helplessly toward their doom.
As the sun began to set, they decided to search the nearby forest—the direction the villagers seemed to have gone. The shadows grew longer as they walked beneath the tall trees, and the air grew colder with each step.
Suddenly, Aria stopped.
"I heard something."
Everyone froze. Alex heard it too—a low whisper, like a thousand voices murmuring in unison.
"I don't like this at all," Alex muttered.
They moved forward cautiously until they reached a clearing in the forest. There, they found symbols carved into trees and a stone altar covered in dark runes—similar to those from the village circle.
EMI approached carefully, studying the runes.
"It's an anchor point. They're probably using it to stabilize their magic in this area."
Suddenly, the whispering intensified, and shadows began to move between the trees. Alex, EMI, and Aria raised their guard as humanoid figures—formed entirely of darkness—emerged from the forest.
Alex swallowed hard, recalling the techniques he had practiced.
"Let's hope this works."
Using his attack rune, he launched an energy blast toward the figures. The explosion lit up the forest for a moment—but the shadows quickly reformed, as if nothing had happened.
"Normal attacks don't work," Aria said, drawing her sword. Its blade began to glow with a silvery light. "Use light or fire magic!"
EMI nodded and began casting fire spells, managing to disperse some of the shadows—but they kept advancing, relentless.
Determined not to be a burden, Alex tried another technique, but his attack still wasn't strong enough. Just as it seemed the shadows would surround them, EMI unleashed a massive spell, forming a barrier of light that shielded them momentarily.
"We have to destroy the altar!" EMI shouted, pointing to the center of the clearing.
Aria nodded, summoned her shadow beasts, and directed them toward the altar while covering them with her spells. Alex stayed behind to protect her, using his skills to keep the shadows at bay.
Finally, the summoned creatures reached the altar and, with a precise strike, shattered it. The shadows let out a deafening scream before vanishing completely.
The group, exhausted but unharmed, gathered in the clearing.
"That was just a warning," EMI said, wiping sweat from her brow. "If that dark mage can create something like this, we're in serious trouble."
Alex looked at the altar's markings, unable to shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.
Aria placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You did well today, Alex. We couldn't have done it without you."
EMI nodded, though her expression was still clouded with concern.
"Yes, but we need to be better prepared. This is only going to get worse."
As they made their way back to the village, Alex knew one thing for certain—the real confrontation with the dark mage had yet to come