chapter 5: the artefact

After two relentless days and nights of travel, Divit and the soldiers still hadn't reached Tiren Village. Fatigued and feeling out of place, Divit sat quietly in the cart on the third day, his thoughts replaying the disaster from the night before.

In the dead of night, he had tried to chat with a young Alf girl, hoping to connect with someone among the group, but things had gone terribly wrong. One of the other Alfs had stirred awake and misinterpreted the scene, thinking Divit was up to no good. She had shoved him away, hard enough to wake the rest, and soon he was met with hostile stares from all around. Now, they viewed him with even more suspicion and disdain.

Divit leaned back, frustration churning within him as he glanced warily at the Alfs who sat nearby, their eyes full of suspicion. "Why does everything I try to do backfire?" he thought. "Now it's like they're waiting for an excuse to bash my head in."

He shook his head, forcing himself to focus elsewhere. "If only that Alf hadn't interfered, I might've made a friend here," he muttered to himself. "No use thinking about it now. Just ignore them." And so he remained silent, lost in his own thoughts for the rest of the journey.

Finally, just before sunset, they arrived at Tiren Village. The village was much larger than any he had seen, its buildings rising above the trees with an impressive scale. As the soldiers directed the other Alfs to their designated places, two of them took Divit aside, guiding him along a separate path. He followed in silence, his nerves tensing as they approached the largest house he had seen yet.

"Something feels wrong about this," he thought as they entered the grand building.

The soldiers led him into one of the many rooms in the mansion, then abruptly left, locking the door behind them. Alone, Divit looked around, wondering why they had brought him here. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ashthi standing beside him.

"So," she said with a mischievous smile, "did you enjoy the journey?"

Divit jumped, startled. "Oh! You nearly gave me a heart attack. Where did you come from?"

Ashthi chuckled. "It was worth it to see you so jumpy," she replied. "But really, how was the trip?"

Divit groaned. "Oh, it was delightful. Every Alf was glaring at me the entire way. I even tried to make a friend, but clearly, that didn't go well."

Ashthi laughed. "I'd imagine it wouldn't. Just looking at you, the Alfs probably didn't even recognize you as one of them."

Divit blinked. "What's that supposed to mean? Do I really look that different from the Alfs?"

She nodded, smirking. "Yes, actually. It's obvious to anyone who looks at you. Alfs are known to have a certain grace, more mana than most beings, and they're… well, attractive."

"And you're saying I'm…?"

"Ugly," she said bluntly, grinning. "You asked."

Divit sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Ouch. That was harsh."

Divit's eyes narrowed as he looked at Ashthi, suspicion clear in his gaze. "I need to know something," he began. "Why are you being so nice to me? Watching you and your father, I wouldn't have pegged kindness as your strong suit. You barely know me, yet you're going out of your way here. What's your reason?"

Ashthi leaned forward, watching him with an intrigued expression. "Look, Divit. You're not as foolish as you seem." She pointed a finger at his chest, her tone turning serious. "I spared your life because I need something from you. But first, you need to hear a story."

Divit raised an eyebrow. "A story? What kind of story?"

She gave a mysterious smile. "Just listen. You'll understand."

"Long ago, thousands of years back," Ashthi began, "there was an Alf who gained incredible power from Erignite, the mythical beast that rules over the shadow realm. Do you know how he found the path to the shadow realm?"

Divit shook his head, listening intently.

"He followed shadows," she said, her voice low, "and those shadows led him to the door of the realm. This Alf was no ordinary one—he was a dark Alf, and he possessed dark mana."

"Dark Alf?" Divit echoed, curious. "So, there are Alfs with darker skin?"

Ashthi nodded. "Yes. But they are incredibly rare—one dark Alf might be born every few thousand years. And having dark mana is even rarer. The Alfs believe dark-skinned Alfs are hated by Nathania, their god, and the ones with dark mana? They say those are marked by the shadow god and the moon god, whose power no one worships anymore."

Divit's eyes widened as the pieces started to fall into place. "So… you want me to find the path to the shadow realm?"

Ashthi laughed. "Oh no, that would be too troublesome." She looked at him, her gaze hardening. "I just want your mana core."

Divit felt a chill run down his spine. "My… my mana core? Won't that hurt?"

Ashthi smirked. "No, of course not," she said sarcastically. "You might just half-die—or fully die. But don't worry, it's worth the risk."

Before Divit could react, Ashthi pulled out a small, ornate box that began to glow. A magical circle flared beneath his feet, and in an instant, unbearable pain shot through his body. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest and screaming as agony washed over him.

Ashthi knelt down, watching his torment with an almost amused expression. "This artifact allows me to extract a mana core from a body. Painful, isn't it? But if you survive, maybe we can be friends after all."

With that, she watched as the ritual continued, her eyes gleaming with cold determination.

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Chapter 5 ends.