The campaign... Is over?

Five improvised crosses stood aligned, symbolic graves and a humble memorial for those who fell along the way. Even though they hadn’t known them for long, each one left a remarkable impression, especially the one in the middle, which had a good piece of fabric from Nicholas's cape tied to it.

“If Gio were here, I’m sure he would have beautiful words to say for you guys.” Nicholas paused, tearing up. “Something along the lines of how part of us dies here with you, keeping you company until we are finally reunited in eternity. At the same time, part of you remains here, memories that will live with us through the end of our journey. I’m not as good as he is with words, so I hope my feelings can serve as a good sendoff.”

“I’m sure it will reach them,” Pietra said, putting a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

“Yeah, me too,” Kai agreed, doing the same. He smiled, trying to ignore the fact that more than half of the people they were honoring were literally standing beside him.

“Bye-bye, Asai…” Guava sobbed, clutching Nicholas’ shirt as hard as she could.

“This is our second farewell, Brother. Just like in the first, I promise you to keep the legacy of the Exorcists alive until my last breath.” Tien cried buckets of tiny ice cubes while maintaining a perfectly straight face.

Dealing with grief in her own way, Lirika stood in silence a bit far from the others. She might play it cool, but she would miss Asai as much as everyone else.

“Goodbye, everyone.”

With these last words, the party left, continuing toward their next objective: Lapeci, the capital of magic.

“As you can see, this is simply a message. I advise you to listen carefully because it can’t be played again,” Giovanni’s projection warned the group as they walked. “I’ll assume you’re still a bit confused about your current circumstances. Worry not, I will bring you a few answers—”

“Why do you keep repeating yourself in these messages?” a feminine voice interrupted him from the background.

“Because when it comes to my lovely friends who have a bad habit of missing obvious hints, I can’t be sure which one they will find first. So, better safe than sorry.”

“How rude, we aren’t that bad at finding clues in his RPG campaigns!” Kai protested.

“Shh, you can complain later,” Pietra scolded him.

Back to the magical projection:

“You’re not going to cut that out either, are you?”

“You don’t pay me enough for that.”

“Why do you keep saying that? I don’t pay you at all…”

“Whatever, keep going. Time is ticking.”

Giovanni sighed.

“As I was saying. This will be my third, and final, message—”

“We lost one…”

“Kai, shut up.”

Giovanni proceeded to deliver his same serious speech about the campaign he had created, calling it his masterpiece, and how his friends were racing against time. He also mentioned that the next objective was within the great tree in the Forest of Ossau, indicating that this recording should have been given to them before their visit.

“Oops…” a voice whispered from Nicholas’ shadow.

“Did you guys hear anything?” Kai noticed.

“Shh!”

Giovanni warned about the dangers of using the upgraded swords and admitted that he had lied about them draining their life force to hurry them into becoming stronger as quickly as possible. Then, he apologized for not being able to guide them better, because he was afraid that his messages could end up in the wrong hands and completely ruin the plot. At last, he hoped his friends could have fun with their overpowered abilities, claiming that this was their reward for finishing the campaign.

As Giovanni bid them a casual farewell, the projection ended.

“That’s it?”

“We won?”

“Don’t play games with me, Giovanni! I still don’t have my overpowered ability!”

The original trio seemed confused and irritated, while the rest of the party wondered what the person in the projection meant with all that weird talk.

“Well, we did miss one of the crosses he left for us.”

“It probably was where we started,” Pietra deduced.

“It can’t be… I was supposed to be overpowered from the very beginning, and now we don’t even know how to get back there!” Kai shouted in frustration.

“Uh… I’m a bit out of the loop here. Can you tell us what’s going on? Is that religious fanatic the friend you were looking for?” Tien asked for an explanation.

“Ah, yes. He likes to play the enigmatic mastermind, but he’s usually harmless. As for what he said, don’t worry about it. It wasn’t important,” Pietra replied.

"It was crucial! I feel weakened! Nerfed! Diminished! Reduced in effectiveness!" Kai complained dramatically.

“We can’t simply backtrack there, though. Let’s move on for now. Maybe if we find Guson again, he knows where it is,” Nicholas reasoned with him.

“When we find him, you mean.”

“Exactly. Be patient.”

“Ugh…”

“There. That’s the portal to Lapeci.”

Lirika, who was leading the search for the doorway to Lapeci within Suzuki’s domain, pointed to a floating archway surrounded by six levitating towers. Each tower had a unique theme and atmosphere. The four elements flowed gracefully around them, together creating a vibrant path leading to the arch.

After crossing it, the group finds themselves in a vast, circular Astrology Chamber. An enormous Armillary Sphere stands proud at the center, its gears turning with a slow, steady, autonomous movement. Other instruments—quadrants and sextants—drift around, seemingly waiting for a scholar to pick them up, while an array of telescopes of all shapes and sizes lines the room’s perimeter. The only two visible ways out are an open passage leading to a wide balcony and a mirror reflecting an entirely different place.

“Good, the last thing I wanted was to find someone familiar,” Lirika says, relieved.

“Are you from here?” Kai asked, curious.

“Yes. I have lived here almost my entire life. I’d rather not talk about my personal stuff, though. C’mon, that mirror will take us to the ground.”

“To the ground?”

She grins, nodding for the group to head toward the balcony.

“Take a look outside. This is one of the few things I like about this city.”

The gang follows her instructions. Stepping outside, everyone is faced with a breathtaking view of the entire city below.

“We are in what is called the Observatory Stars—floating islands used for astrological studies.”

When viewed from above, Lapeci reveals a perfectly symmetrical design, largely based on geometric shapes. Paired with vibrant colors, it resembles a massive kaleidoscope. Its borders are secured by six imposing towers, the same ones featured on a smaller scale within Suzuki’s domain. At the heart of Lapeci stands a castle, the largest structure in the city by far.

“Wow…” Nicholas was speechless.

“Now that’s a place worthy of a fantasy world!” Kai spoke enthusiastically.

“I have never seen anything that feels so magical!” Guava exclaimed, excited.

“Fesolgu has its own unique beauty, but I have to admit that Lapeci rivals it,” Tien compared.

“I don’t think it’s that much of a big deal,” Pietra commented casually.

Silence.

“Sorry…”

Passing through the mirror, they arrive in the back of a small junk shop illuminated by a purple flame, flickering inside a brazier.

“Oh? If it isn’t my favorite customers! Welcome, dear Corrupters! My name is Franlia Fagusio, and it's a pleasure to have you in my humble shop!” a fancy feminine figure greets them, speaking in a sing-song voice.

Sitting with her feet resting on a table, she’s dressed in a loose black shirt and puffy black pants. She has a more mature appearance and long, slightly graying brown hair. Her eyes, seen through the purple lenses of her rounded glasses, are blue, and atop her head, a purple sombrero stands out with several small trinkets dangling from its brim.

“They are getting more weird…” Kai whispers.

“Isn’t it a bit risky for you to hide a secret entrance to the city used by Corrupters?” Pietra interrogated, suspicious.

“Of course, it is! But it is also quite good for business! The profit from working with Corrupters is worth every danger!”

The eccentric woman spots a familiar face among them.

“Is that young Lirika that I see among my dear customers? Yes, it is! Has Salazar summoned you back?”

“Not quite, but I’m here to speak with him.” Lirika turns to the rest of the party. “The place where we will meet the person I talked about is not far from here. The elder wizards are very suspicious of tourists and travelers, so I’m going first to confirm if he can see us now. Stay here and don’t cause trouble!”

Lirika left.

“Who wants to explore Lapeci while she is away?” Kai proposed immediately after Lirika was gone.

“Me!” Guava jumped, raising her hand.

The sudden sound of gunfire could be heard outside.

“These enhanced wands are way cooler than regular magic!” a male voice shouted.

“This is the future! Only losers waste their time casting! C’mon, I want to carve some runes in this beauty!” a second male voice spoke enthusiastically.

“Don’t use these prototypes outside our classes! You will be expelled for it!” What sounded like their teacher could be heard chasing them.

“Blergh, I wish I was deaf too. Just by the sound of those shots, I know it's the same trash from Vatogus,” Pietra stated, disgusted.

“Kids these days,” Franlia Fagusio shook her head and sighed.

“Maybe… Another time,” Kai mused, rethinking his plan.

Guava nodded.

“I guess I’ll just read a bit more of the book Asai gave me then.” Guava took the grimoire Kai gave to Asai out of her pouch and sat on a bench.

“She gave it to you…?” Kai murmured, disappointed. “Does it have any cool or dangerous spells on it?”

“I learned to make bubbles with it!”

“Bubbles, you say?” Kai seemed interested.

“Yeah, look!” She made a circle with her finger and blew, creating a few cute soap bubbles.

“I see why she gave it to you. I was scammed. I want my depressed knight back!”

“Lady Fagusio, do you have any limbs for sale? A friend of ours lost his arm recently, and I would like to trade for a new one,” Nicholas negotiated.

“Certainly! Just tell me his size, species, skin color, and age, and I’ll see if I have it in stock!”

“Actually, he’s a living armor.”

“Oh? You meant a prosthetic one?”

“What?”

“Sorry, don’t work with those.”

Troubled, Pietra called the others to a corner.

“I need to say this. This whole situation with Lirika sounds fishy.”

“Fish… Asai…” Nicholas sobbed as she continued.

“I don’t want to sound paranoid or accuse her, but don’t any of you think this situation is developing kind of suspiciously?”

“A bit,” Tien agreed.

“Not at all,” Kai disagreed.

“Asai…” Nicholas cried.

“Ah! I think I learned how to create tulips!” Guava declared joyfully, not even paying attention, as she looked at a flower poking out of her hair.

“We are doomed.”

Lirika returned.

“He can see us now, but… He demands that only me, Kai, Nicholas, and Pietra come.” She let her frustrations show.

“Absolutely not!” Tien instantly refused.

“He is an Archmage, one of the wisest and powerful people in the world. It’s a miracle I was able to get an audience with him!”

“I refuse! Pietra was right to be suspicious. You are going to sell them to him!”

“Can’t you see that I want the best for them? Kai can break again any minute, and Pietra's loss of sight is hard to heal even with divine magic. It’s an opportunity we can’t waste!”

Tien fell silent and breathed deeply.

“If something happens to them… I won’t rest until I kill you.” He stared at her with a deadly expression.

“It’s okay, Tien. She is right. We need to try,” Nicholas calmed him.

“I can’t lose more people.”

“You won’t.”

Tien looked at Nicholas for a few seconds.

“Okay. I’ll be waiting here.”

“Be careful,” Guava waved at them.

Upon following Lirika out of the shop, the original trio got a clearer view of the local architecture. Baroque buildings of various sizes and shapes showcase the tastes of their owners. Furthermore, magic and spells saturate the air, lending a truly unique character to the streets.

“We need to explore this place later. I’m holding back my tears here because of how excited I am!” Kai said.

“I can show you all around later. Let’s focus on our objective first.”

“Where are we going, exactly?”

“That tower over there.”

“The pink one with rainbows and unicorns? Not that white one with Biblically Accurate Angels flying around it, or the red one that is constantly on fire? Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Are we finally having a good time?”

As the group got closer, the tower turned dark and ominous, filling with gargoyles.

“Never mind…”

A menacing guard, over six and a half feet tall and entirely covered in black robes—including his face—opened the gate for them.

“Everyone is silent. Is it getting more evident that we are going straight into a trap?”

“Not now, Pia.”

The door closed behind them as they stepped inside, locked by magic.

Absolute darkness.

Footsteps descend a staircase.

Each step rings out like the deep tick-tock of a clock.

With each step, a golden clock face illuminates, frozen in the thin air.

He reaches the bottom. The tick-tock stops.

Profound silence.

“Master Salazar.” Lirika drops to her knees, her trembling voice reverberating up the tower shaft.

The older man grins at her. He has gray hair slicked back and a well-groomed beard. His attire consists of a long, gray overcoat, brown trousers, and a pair of dress shoes.

“Young Lady, if I remember correctly, I ordered you to bring only the Corrupters,” he says in an imposing tone.

“What do you mean? Those three I mentioned,” she replies, confused.

“There is… Another.”

Salazar slowly walks past Kai and stops behind Nicholas, directly in front of his shadow. Then, he turns and sees Gilkrana, frozen in time, about to deliver a fatal blow with pointy branches emerging from her sleeves.

“It’s rude to sneak in uninvited, daughter of the forest. Leave.”

Gilkrana is gone with the blink of an eye.

“Master, I’m sorry. I didn’t know—” Lirika stutters before she is interrupted.

“Enough, Young Lady. The crystals you collected for me have helped me regain a lot of vitality. I can even walk again thanks to you. For that reason, this mistake is forgiven.”

“You are too kind,” she says submissively.

“Now, what do we have here?” Salazar walked back to Kai, who was frozen in time along with the rest of the gang. “You said this young man needed my help, correct?”

“Master, I don’t have the right to ask because you gave me everything when I needed it most, but please, he needs to refine the control of his abilities so as not to be consumed by them.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I know exactly what to do.” Salazar joined his fingers with his palm open and pierced Kai’s heart with it in a move that was practically instantaneous and imperceptible.

“NO!” Lirika screamed in terror.

“My apologies. I thought this talk about helping him was one of your lies so you could lure him to me.”

“Why have you done this?!”

“You know very well why. My body is decomposing rapidly, and the crystals won’t do for much longer. His body is the perfect replacement. Not only was he blessed by the same Goddess as me, he is the only one among the three who hasn’t been able to negate her influence yet.”

“I beg of you, undo this! I will do anything! I will search for another replacement! I know you can do it!”

“I can. Unfortunately, my time is short, and if not me, another—”

He stopped mid-sentence and gazed back at Lirika. She was now frozen in time, holding one of her crystals tightly right in front of his chest.

“Now you are just disappointing me. Choosing this bunch over me? Your own patron! Did you forget what you are without the power I give you? That you were born in a city of mages as someone who can’t use magic?! You utter fool! I should—” Salazar stopped his scolding abruptly. “Out of consideration for all you did until now, I will spare you. Now, begone. Our contract is over, and you are expelled from Lapeci!”

Just like Gilkrana, Lirika vanishes in an instant.

“Oh, dear. Did the betrayal of a loyal servant strike that much of a nerve with you?” A most unexpected sight jested, materializing right behind him.

The Goddess of Time, Rasnati.

“My Fair Lady! I apologize for behaving disrespectfully in front of you.” Salazar bowed slightly.

“I’m more offended by the fact that you still have your arm going through the young lad’s chest while doing so.”

“Of course. Just let me—”

As Salazar was about to let go of Kai, the young man pulled him closer and pierced his stomach with his sword.

“Argh! How can you defy time itself?!” Salazar shouted in complete disbelief.

“Don’t you dare… speak to Lirika… like…” Kai took his last breath, ceasing to move.

Salazar suddenly appeared a few steps behind where he had been, his blood frozen mere inches under the wound.

“You were careless, dear. If it weren’t for my blessing, you would be bleeding to death now.”

“To show such disgrace in your presence, my Fair Lady… I’m ashamed.”

“As you should be. Now that you have done as I ordered you, leave me alone with those heretics for a moment.”

“As you wish.”

He vanished as well, leaving no trail behind.

The moment Salazar vanished, Rasnati gazed at the trio with disdain. Kai lay motionless on the floor. Nicholas and Pietra remained frozen in time.

“You remind me of a pest I once knew. He managed to escape from me for a long time, but in the end, no matter how much you run, your time will always come.” She positioned herself between them. “Do you insects really think I wouldn’t notice? That I wasn’t aware of your defiance? I have no idea how you manage to reject my gifts, nor do I want to know. The only thing that interests me is that this heresy will be punished accordingly. Now… Cease.”

And with that single word, they were wiped from existence.