Rex stood over the mage's body.
The stone spikes receded back into the earth with a low grinding sound, and the corpse slumped forward, limp. As it hit the ground, purple blood spilled out, too dark, too thick, staining the stone unnaturally.
Rex took a step back.
"…What the hell."
He crouched, forcing himself to look closer.
The mage's face was ordinary. Too ordinary. No monstrous features, no warped eyes, no visible corruption. Just a man who had chosen the wrong ritual, on the wrong mountain, at the wrong time.
The staff lay nearby.
Rex picked it up, turned it over.
"…Nothing special."
No hidden runes. No strange cores. Just a well-crafted lightning staff.
But then he noticed it.
On the purple-black battle robes, partially hidden near the chest, was a symbol.
An eye.
Not a normal one. The shape felt wrong—too sharp, too deliberate. Like it was watching back.
Rex swallowed.
He pulled out his knife and carefully cut that section of cloth free, folding it and slipping it into his pouch.
As he searched further, something hard thudded against his fingers.
A book.
Rex pulled it out slowly.
Black cover.
Iron-bound corners.
And something red smeared along the spine and edges—too dark to be paint.
The title was etched in dull crimson letters:
CRIMSON RITE
Rex's stomach tightened.
"…Yeah. No. Something's wrong."
He slotted the fire focus.
"IGNIS."
Flames crawled over his gauntlet. He held his hand over the book, hesitating. Every instinct screamed to burn it. To erase it. To pretend it never existed.
But something stopped him.
Curiosity.
Fear.
Or maybe something worse.
He lowered his hand.
Instead, he turned to the body.
The fire consumed what was left of the mage, reducing cloth, flesh, and bone to ash. Rex didn't watch closely. He didn't need to.
Noir chuckled softly in his head.
"Oh, this is going to be interesting."
We should leave, Sage said sharply. Before another one comes.
Rex nodded and began the long climb down the mountain.
He never noticed the figure watching from far away.
A silhouette.
Still.
Silent.
And then gone.
The Guild – One Day Later
The guild doors opened.
Lira looked up.
"Oh. You're back. How was it?"
Rex stepped inside, slower than usual.
"…Horrible."
That made her stand straighter. "Really? Why?"
Rex didn't answer.
Instead, he pulled out the cut piece of cloth and held it up.
"Do you know this symbol?"
Lira leaned closer, squinting at the stitched eye.
"…No. Why?"
Rex took it back.
"There was a magic circle on top of the mountain. A mage in purple-black battle robes. He was preparing a lightning ritual."
Lira froze.
Then she laughed nervously. "You're joking. Right?"
Rex met her eyes.
"I killed him."
The room felt colder.
"…What?"
"He tried to kill me," Rex said quietly. "I just gave it back."
Lira's playful expression vanished completely.
"That's… that's serious," she said, already reaching for paperwork. "We need to send someone there immediately. You—go rest. Now."
Rex hesitated. "…And the symbol?"
"Rex," Lira said firmly, "right now we have a higher priority."
He nodded slowly.
She didn't notice the weight in his pouch.
She didn't see the book.
And Rex didn't show her.
Because deep down, he knew—
He had touched something he was never meant to find.
And whatever the Crimson Rite was…
It had already noticed him.