In the distant past…

A carriage wheels rattled as it followed a shallow dirt path along the lush patch of grass, a towered presence of tall oak trees surround the area as it shaded the land.

The carriage came from the main lands of the West-Central Region, Eve'n Dew.

Home to most magical creatures and spirits resided closely bound by nature.

After a long week of vacation, the family inside the carriage longed to return to their region on the Western side of the Einheart Kingdom.

The citizens of the Evran, a border city, suggested the tourist travel by the outskirts of Vyrim Forest. It was the easiest detour towards the Western Region which is known as Starling Crest.

It was a rich land of magic, that covered all the landscape and where the family inside the carriage resides.

Clop. Clop. Clop. The horseshoes rattled along the stretch of path in a rhythmic pattern.

Inside the carriage, a woman named Ikaria held her young child in her arms. Her hazel eyes were fixated on her son's face, and she never left sight of him for a second.

"Look at him, hon."

The father, Euris, sat beside his wife, and his crimson pupils glanced into his son's face.

The child was named Seyric, he was about a month old.

His skin was pale and delicate, while his eyelids remained closed as he rested in bliss from the warmth of his mother.

Euris smiled as he carefully patted the child's head. "He looks so beautiful. Sooner or later, he'd look exactly like his mother."

Ikaria giggled as she faced her husband, fazed by his beauty as the sunlight shimmered on his ashen-silver hair.

Her eyes were a bit shaken as her gaze lingered on a warm and affectionate look as she focused on the warm smile on his face.

Ikaria then parted her lips and said, "No. I'm pretty sure he'll be as handsome as you. And surely, you'd teach him how to become a mage too."

As they leaned over each other's heads, they smiled in unison.

"He will. Besides, I'll make him the finest to ever become one." They both smiled and influenced their eyes as Euris wrapped his arms around the back of his wife.

The horses' pace remained constant while the dirt path suddenly vanished from the surface, replaced with a thick moss and a grass over the horses' foot, even thicker from the path they had started.

"Huh?" The coachman had also taken notice as he glanced at the thick grass that already reached the height of four inches.

His eyes squinted and blinked, 'If that citizen is correct, shouldn't this place be a bit more clear? Why does it seem like the road had not been touched for a long time?'

Amidst the forest, a figure hid behind the thicket as the carriage brought a rattle amongst the vast silence of the forest.

A wide smile formed on a man's lips as he fixed his cloak over his head and his eyes squinted together in his thoughts.

"Master," said by one of the men behind him as the other two leaned against the tree, they all stayed hidden in the dark shade.

"It's a good thing that were able to lure them here," the cloaked man said as a sinister smile remained on his lips.

"Tourist as always too easy to fool." He added with a prideful tone as the three men behind him nodded in unison. "Let's go, prepare yourselves, we'll have a fine feast tonight."

---

On the other hand, not long after the moment of peace shared by the couple was suddenly abrupt into a halt.

Shriek~! The horses' pace suddenly halted as the carriage wobbled violently, and flung Ikaria and Seyric in her arms along the impact.

Euris instinctively hugged his wife in haste as he held her closed which made him the one to bumped against the wooden frame.

Thud! He grimaced as he glanced at his wife in his arms.

Ikaria gasped—"Ho...honey? Are you alright?"—she placed her palm on his cheeks as she glanced at his frown face, "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine don't mind me," Euris wavered her worries and he smiled at her warmly.

Rustle... Rustle. The green leaves started to flutter against the hollow of the wind. As the coachman wiped his cold sweat from his face, his eyes swept through the thick trees around them.

No sign of life could be heard from the distance as the silence deafened his ears.

Ikaria gazed against the window as her heart clenched and exchanged a quick look with her husband. "What's wrong, honey? Why did the carriage stop?"

"Don't overthink it, honey," Euris responded with a broad smile across his face in reassurance.

"Heyah!"

Whopishh! Crackled by the whip as his hands swayed and his hands roughly held leathered hand as the tail hit against the horses' backs and he repeated.

But even with the coachman's commands, the horses hardly moved in their stance except the horses' response were full of whines in distress.

The coachman sighed deeply as he turned to the wooden window behind his back.

Creak. The wood grind against the wooden frame made the couple switch and refocus their attention as the coachman appeared on a small framed box.

"What seems to be the problem?"

Euris questioned while Ikaria clasped her husband's hand on his knees, which made him glance at her for a short moment.

"My Lord, the horse refused to move. They may have sensed something in the forest," said the coachman with a raspy tone.

But then, Ikaria's grip tightened in Euris' hands as his heart throbbed and rumbled inside his chest.

"Do something about it."

Euris stated as he comfort his wife.

The coachman bowed his head, "Forgive me, m....my Lord... For my useless blander. We will have to wait until the horses have calmed down..."

"Then get moving." He gestured his hand.

"Yes, my Lord."

The coachman wasted no time to step down and he tripped on the ground and immediately stood up and used the horse's back to stead himself up.

"I feel like there is something I...I can't explain how I'm feeling."

Euris's pupils slightly shifted, so he looked at his wife. He was greeted by her pupils, which vibrated erratically as her complexion started to pale.

"Calm down, wife. Panicking doesn't help us. Besides you don't have to say that... Be careful with your words." Euris intertwined their fingers, and he used his other arm to pat her back gently.

"It's terrible for my wife to be stressed out after a short vacation. It'll make you look horrible."

"Hey, that's mean." Ikaria's face turned sour at his statement.

Euris giggled as he pinched the side of her cheek. "I wasn't kidding, hon. I was just hoping to cheer you up."

"It's not that I want it to happen... But it's just me having a very good intuition,"

As the corner of Euris' lips lifted, he placed both of his hands on her cheeks and pressed them together, "Don't worry, wife. Everything will be fine."

On the other hand, the coachman caressed his horse's back in a gentle gesture.

Whooshh~ A sudden, strong current of wind passed by for a second time, and this time it sent a mysterious whisper to coachman's ears, which shivered down his spine.

The wind also touched Euris' skin through the open window. His body hair stood tense, and his pupils stared at the coachman's back. Without a second thought, he moved away from his wife.

"I have to go."

Euris opened the door and stepped out of the carriage.

He paused when Ikaria's hands grasped tightly into his arm, "Where are you heading?"

Euris faced her and met her gaze.

Her brows curled together and her lips pursed up her husband remained firm look on his face and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll be back, lock the door."

He slowly removed her grip, her hands tried to reach his sleeves but the distance was already far.

Euris closed the door and took a final look at his family before he walked away.

Ikaria's eyes helplessly followed her husband's back while she followed his orders and secured the door. She heaved a deep sigh as she glanced at the child in her arms and cupped the child's cheeks.

"I'll keep you safe, sweetie... Keep resting well."

Euris paced towards the coachman and stood beside him as he gazed into the distance.

"Do you feel that?"

The coachman glanced at him, his eyebrows slightly raised, and mouthed, "Yes, My Lord..."

The sky slowly darkened as the wind aggressively battled the branches and leaves.

The coachman was taken aback, soon the ground had formed a shadow and gathered together to create an entity out of it.

A dark silhouette floated mid-air, and beneath the shadow he cast, a man rose from the ground as he wore a cloak. He held a dark wooden staff.

"Well, well. Look would you look at that," an ear-to-ear smile spread across his face as he laughed loudly.

The trees cast shadows on the ground as well when the three men appeared behind them as they marched behind the mage.

Euris couldn't help but ball his fist tight as his eyes travelled at the three marched toward them.

A mask covered the bottom of their faces with black cloaks. Only their eyes were visible.

It was as if the dark silhouette above the mage, suddenly began to form a pale human form, as a thick, dark mist enveloped the silhouette's naked body as he held his hand in the air.

From the black smoke appeared a hat, and he placed it over his head.

Everyone on the scene felt shivers down their spines as it surged into a rampage of aura that came to the floated form of the human above the mage.

The coachman's eyes rapidly blinked as he raised his head over the man who floated in mid-air.

His pupils were shaken as his lips shook, and he mouthed, "How could it be... a dark spirit is among them?"

End of Chapter

Volume 1 - Chapter 1

The dark spirit had spread the dark mist around him, it scattered and trail behind the four men on the field.

The dark mist aura flashed around them.

The three of the men, experienced a surge of strength, sight, and speed.

For a second, the aura vanished as they sucked through their bodies.

While the mage remained active, his dark mist aura surged constantly around his body.

The dark spirit flashed a wicked smile. His eyes were cold and his pierced look was implanted in Euris' mind. But suddenly he vanished into thin air.

Only four men were left on the field.

The swordsmen scanned Euris and the coachman as they held the sword handle at the same time.

Shing. The handle made a high pitch sound as they pulled it out of the scabbard.

*"Surrender your goods and hand me over your power or else you'll pay a price."**The mage said.*

*Euris glared at them,*"Not a chance!"

*'Mist Fist,'**he chanted in his mind as a sudden burst of wind erupted from the forest. The wind started to form a white mist as they gathered into Euris' fist.*

As the swordsmen exchanged glances, they drew their brows together.

The mage gestured his hand over his men with a slightly raised lip. "You asked for it."

Euris' hands continued to form a thick mist, it rotated constantly. He suddenly punched into the air and gestured his fist toward his opponent.

The mist in his hand drove a wave of wind toward the path.

The three swordsmen jumped to the side as they attempted to dodge the wind in mid-air and only two of them landed on the ground.

The remaining swordsman was hidden by the trees as he held onto a branch. He grinned from ear to ear as he got a bird's-eye view from above.

His comrades flexed their swords to their sides as they rushed towards Euris.

The wind blew into Euris's body as he squeezed his eyes shut.

The ground rattled as rocks clutched his body. It formed a thick layer of rocks covering the lower half of his body and his arms. He stepped forward and blocked the coachman behind him.

Their swords swung at Euris in haste as soon as they reached him.

CLANG!!! He blocked the sword with both of his hardened arms.

The sword clanged upon impact and they were pushed back as they gritted their teeth behind the cloth they wore.

As they kept swinging at Euris, they continued to attempt to get the upper hand, while still being pushed back.

No signs of defeat are visible in their eyes, instead they remain calm and steady.

Euris momentarily found open gaps in their body so he immediately moved his arms and hit them with a great impact.

"Cough-!" it caused them to cough air as they stood still and took a breather.

Suddenly, the swordsman leapt away from the branch. He raised his sword mid-air in the direction of the coachman.

Euris turned his head towards the shuffled leaves. He drew his pupils to the man towards the coachman.

He bit his lower lips and immediately smacked the two swordsmen's legs as they groaned and fell to the ground.

He spread his hands in a quick motion. A spark of light came from his hands. It created a crackle sound and suddenly dashed at the speed of light in the swordsman's direction.

KRAAACK!

Having been struck by lightning, he lost his grip on the sword and fell to the ground.

Yet, the central ridge slashed through the coachman's arms as he groaned out loud.

Euris clenched his teeth and squinted his eyes at the coachman, he hurried ran over, he knelt and placed his hands near his wounds.

'Light Restoration,' Euris' hand started to shine a white light as a warm sensation clung to the coachman's skin as his wounds closed.

The coachman's eyes sparkled brightly as the pain he felt started to ease. In a blink, the pain had vanished. "Thank you, my Lord!"

After finally standing on their feet, the swordsmen groaned and fixed their gaze on Euris' back before moving.

Euris rushed to move away from the coachman and faced the swordsmen with a fierce and determined look in his eyes.

He raised both of his arms as he smashed into the ground.

CRAASSH! The ground shook at high frequency as the swordsmen struggled to keep their footing.

The ground from his arms suddenly began to show waves like water as it approached their feet.

Suddenly, the rock towered above the two men's feet as it pushed them upwards.

Moving around, they sprinted towards Euris and moved away from the towers of rock.

From afar, the clothed mage watched them fight. The mage held his staff high above his head.

He chanted between his breaths as the sky started to gather its force and then emitted a spark of light in the crackle of the clouds.

He chuckled as he gazed at his men and Euris. "This will be your end!"

As Euris' body was surrounded by an aura, its hair stood up. He raised his head and gasped as a bright light dashed in his direction.

Euris raised both arms as he was struck directly by lightning.

KABOOMMM!

The swordsmen around him flew away upon impact and landed on the ground a few inches apart, smoke flew out of their flesh as they lay motionless.

Their dark features make them impossible to recognize.

Energy surrounded Euris as he remained in his stance as the battle of magic and lightning inside his body took place. The light emitted around him grew violent and stronger.

He squeezed his eyes shut as sweat streamed down his face. His eyes were filled with bright light as soon as he opened them.

The light gradually calmed down. The corner of his eyes flickered an electric static as he blinked his eyes.

His pupils scanned his surroundings as he found three men had fallen to the ground, two were unrecognizable.

His eyes traveled to the mage who stood in the distance, and his eyes glared but he plastered a grin on his lips.

"Seems like you underestimate me too much—you don't even hold back from killing your subordinate."

The mage laughed hysterically at the top of his lungs. "They mean nothing to me. Death always comes from the weak."

Euris gritted his teeth. "You deserve to die!"

"And so are you!"

A mage pointed his staff at him as he made his way toward him.

Several violent and powerful spells were cast on him.

Euris' pupils were relentless. As his body responded and countered them, he was also able to dodge his spell in a calculated manner.

In contrast, his use of mana was more careful and limited.

There were many thoughts running through his mind, but he couldn't leave the thought of calm and patience in his heart. His face was stern and confident, and his eyes glistened.

While he cast spells on his opponent, the mage didn't stop. The spell had grown more powerful and violent. His face showed no sign of fatigue caused by overusing powerful spells.

Euris scanned the mage's face carefully to check his complexion. He had not been tired, in fact. His face became bright and full of excitement.

He pondered—'Did the dark spirit spell give buffs by expanding his mana core? If it's true...how can that be possible?' And bit his lower lips hard.

His eyes flickered as he struck Euris with his spell.

"Cough..."

Euris was taken aback. He could feel his inner strength violently erupt. His inner organs throbbed as he coughed for a moment, and a warm liquid dripped from the corner of his lips as he wiped the blood off.

"You're a very curious one aren't you? Your curiosity also throws you off guard?" The mage giggled energetically.

"Fine, I'm feeling well today. I'll fill you up."

Euris glared at him as the mage placed his staff on the ground.

"Dark spirits can surely be described as wicked. No one knows just how powerful and effective they can be. My dark spirit is capable of buffing me with unlimited mana for an hour.

I doubt you could bear that long."

Euris' eyes grew larger as his face stiffened. He took his time to catch his breath as his eyes never left the sight of the mage. "That's cheating..."

"No, it is a masterpiece! I'll show you the true power of the dark spirit!"

Suddenly, the dark spirit appeared back in thin air after the mage summoned it again. The spirit gestured his hands in the air as a dense mist started to spread out of his body.

"Recall of Darkness!" The mage chanted as the mist surged violently out of the dark spirit's body as it transferred through the swordsmen lying on the ground.

Dark mist surrounded the three men as they stood.

Their faces were lifeless and cold and their eyes were endless darkness.

From a dark mist, they grabbed a sword from thin air forming a shadow-like blade and began to advance toward Euris.

Euris' eyes dilated as he stepped back, but he kept his hand in front of his body.

The muscles in his body stiffened and his nerves trembled.

As he had attempted to blend magic and lightning into his body a while ago, he overused them.

This is a sign of him starting to reach his limits.

'A dark spirit knows the art of resurrection...but it is the resurrection of a vile soul who has been lost in darkness. I don't see any signs of life in their eyes. I'm sure there's no doubt it became a puppet without its soul.'

Euris sank deep into his thoughts as he prepared for the movement of the three swordsmen which cornered him.

---

On the other hand, the carriage remained sealed from the inside.

Tears fell from Ikaria's eyes as she witnessed every moment of her husband.

Since the beginning, everything has been fine.

She couldn't stop a loud pounding in her chest. Her tears streamed down and poured down her child's face.

He was asleep despite the noise from outside as her body shuddered completely.

Mage and Euris were both distracted to each other.

As the dark spirit watched them fight, his eyes squinted and he yawned abruptly, but his boredom was soon overtaken when he exhaled a sweet aroma.

The smell grew stronger as he followed them until he noticed that it had come inside the carriage.

He smiled and glanced at the coachman. In the air, he murmured coldly at him.

For a minute, the coachman's eyes shut as his body fell suddenly.

The dark spirit vanished in the air and appeared above the carriage as he gestured his hands around and continued to mutter words.

A sudden chill swept through Ikaria's body as she sat inside the carriage.

A cold and heavy burden weighed heavily on her shoulders. Despite her best efforts, her eyelids began to become heavy when she tried to open them.

But as time passed, she discovered herself swallowed up by endless darkness.

End of Chapter

Volume 1 - Chapter 2