The Atlantic wind lashed the cliffs of Slieve League, bending the trees and mixing the scent of sea salt with the damp forest soil nearby. The ÓBroin mansion stood just a few hundred meters from the edge of the precipice, surrounded by a dense forest that served as natural protection. Its watchtowers reflected the sunlight filtering through the clouds, oblivious to the horror about to unfold.
One of the guards walked casually when he noticed someone heading toward the mansion's north wing.
"Who is that?" he wondered."Why are they going to the north wing? No one is authorized to enter that area."
He quickened his pace to catch up.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" asked the guard stationed at the door.
The intruder looked at him and said,"Don't interfere."
He drew a weapon from his vest pocket and lunged, striking the guard in the stomach."This is on behalf of my master," he said, locking eyes with him.
He let the guard's body fall, leaving a large hole in his stomach. The weapon he carried was a device capable of drawing magic from its wielder and forming a magical blade. He took the guard's communicator and continued down the hallway.
At the end, he saw the door and said,"Here it is. This is the seal that keeps the mirror dimension closed. Lord Markus was right. Now, I just need to place this gem and cover it with my blood, and the seal will explode. That will cause the shield to collapse."
"It has been five thousand years since the Kartnod family was sealed. It's time for a new era to begin. I want to meet my ancestors."
He studied the five figures carved into the door: a bear, a wolf, a stag, a dragon, and a serpent—the symbols of the first descendants of the supreme beings.
"If it weren't for someone pleading with one of the supreme beings, they would never have been sealed, along with their army, in the mirror dimension."
"What do you think you're doing?" someone shouted from behind.
The guard who had seen him arrived."What happened here?" he asked, seeing his companion bleeding on the floor.
He drew his weapon—a Beretta 92 with a 15-round magazine—and aimed it at the intruder."Who are you, and what are you trying to do?"
Without answering, the intruder lunged again. The guard fired, but the intruder dodged. Immediately realizing he was no ordinary person, the guard grabbed the badge on his chest and shouted,"Attack him!"
A wolf figure sprang to life and bit the arm holding his weapon.
"Looks like you're not just a simple thief. Who sent you here?"The intruder laughed."That doesn't matter anymore. My mission is complete. A new era is about to begin."
He picked up his dagger with his left hand and severed the arm trapped by the wolf. With a leap, he reached the door and smeared his blood onto the gem he had placed."Welcome!" he shouted, as a bright light erupted, followed by a magical explosion.
The previous night, he had infiltrated the mansion using a concealment seal. This caused anyone carrying a mark to sense a distortion in the barrier. But, lacking knowledge of the seal's exact location, he had stayed hidden, searching for it. His seal's power depleted faster than expected due to the barrier, forcing him to act openly in front of the guards.
When the gem exploded and the light shone, all magical alarms blared. A guard impaled him with an ice spear."Ah!" he gasped in pain. "So, you're a magic user too. Well, witness the ancestral power of my masters."
He coughed up blood and collapsed, but it was already too late—the seal had been compromised. The guard, seeing the light, leaped and placed his hands on the seal, pouring all his life force into it, saying,"I hope this is enough to partially close the dimension and give time for the emergency mechanism to activate."
He fell lifelessly to the ground. But those few seconds were enough for a considerable number of Claimoor to escape.
It had been no more than fifteen minutes since Aunt Maeve had spoken with Noah. Her voice still echoed in his mind. But by that time, the seal had been broken.
Maeve grabbed her cellphone; every second felt like an eternity. When Noah answered, she shouted,"Noah, listen carefully. You are no longer safe. The seal has been broken, and the Kartnod family is free. You must escape at all costs. Reach that place no matter what or whom you must sacrifice. They must never catch you. You are the last hope. Right now, our entire family is under attack."
Before she could say more, a Claimoor crashed through the living room window. In the mansion's hallways, guards ran, trying to contain the creatures, but the Claimoor appeared out of nowhere, breaking doors and walls.
Daniel was reading a book in his room when the alarms sounded, and two shadows formed behind him. The badge on his chest glowed, and instinctively, he shouted, "Protection!" A bear-shaped figure materialized behind him, blocking the attack. Without hesitation, he grabbed an object from the nightstand and formed a flaming sword. With a single leap, he decapitated the Claimoor.
He thought to himself, "Should I go for my mother?"
Immediately, he ran to find her. Seeing the window shatter, Maeve covered her head with her hands and dove behind a sofa. The Claimoor struck with its tentacle, but a bear-shaped figure appeared between them—Maeve had used her protective shield. She could use magic, though not as powerful as other family members. She cast a ray that froze the Claimoor's legs.
At that moment, Daniel arrived and, without hesitation, cut off its head, rushing to embrace his mother."Are you okay?" he asked."I'm fine," she replied. "But we need to leave the mansion. The emergency seal will activate in less than five minutes, and anyone remaining will be trapped in the mirror dimension. We must reach the library."
Orla was in the library with several children of the staff. Calmly, she instructed them,"We must leave immediately. Everyone follow me."
As Orla headed toward the exit, Daniel and his mother arrived."We need to hurry. There's very little time before the emergency seal activates," Maeve said, worried."Emergency seal? What's that?" Daniel asked."It's a precaution we developed after what happened twelve years ago. But it's temporary—it will only give us a year's time, nothing more.""Where is Grandma?" Orla asked."She must be safe. Remember, your father is her guardian, and there's no man more capable than him in all of Ireland. Now we must go."
The guards knew the Claimoor must not leave the mansion; they had to hold out until the emergency seal activated. Alarms blared as emergency lights reflected across the blood-stained hallways. Some servants were struck before they could flee.
In the main chamber, a tentacle smashed the door storing the seals. To their surprise, only a blinding light was visible, spreading like a shockwave.
Meanwhile, at the mansion's rear, survivors fled toward the forest. Mist descended from the cliffs, mingling with the scent of smoke and salt. Daniel and Orla tended to the younger ones.
In Canada, Noah remembered his aunt's words. The seal was broken. The Kartnods were free. The scale of the attack was undeniable—an army that had awaited liberation for centuries.
All those who emerged moved silently, hidden by the dense trees. Some children cried, but they stayed close to Daniel and Orla, who led the group. Maeve watched from afar as an orange light emerged from the mansion. Her brief communication with Noah had been crucial—he needed to know that the only hope of survival rested on him.
Finally, the survivors regrouped in a forest clearing, away from the cliff edge, though still uncertain of complete safety. The mansion was sealed; the Claimoor were temporarily trapped. Yet they did not know if some might escape before the emergency seal activated.
That afternoon in Slieve League was painted red, the screams mixing with the roar of the wind and the pounding waves. Orla held a trembling child's hand while Daniel gave instructions. Maeve appeared among the trees:"We have to move. We cannot stay here."
The group began moving along a path toward the coast, with the sea on one side and the forest providing cover.