Sign Of War

The massive doors creaked open, revealing an enormous hall that instantly made me feel small. A long red carpet stretched from the entrance all the way to a grand staircase that led to the second floor. The floor beneath my feet is made of smooth, polished marble, gleaming so brightly that it reflected the light of the fire torches hanging overhead. Towering pillars lined the hall, their intricate carvings telling stories of warriors, kings, and legends long past. The walls were adorned with enormous paintings, each depicting scenes of battles, kingdoms, and celestial beings.

And then, right at the center of the ceiling, hung the most extravagant chandelier I had ever seen. It is massive, crafted from gold and adorned with countless crystals that sparkled like stars. Its sheer glow bathed the entire hall in a soft, golden light, making the whole place feel almost otherworldly.

I don't know if it's me or this place is just... straight up insane.

I had only ever seen places like this in books and movies, but now, standing here, it felt unreal... like I had just walked into a world that isn't meant for someone like me. The extravagance of everything is just so overwhelming. Despite the castle's towering stone walls on the outside, its interior was nothing like I had imagined. It is grand, elegant, and reminded me more of an ancient Roman cathedral than a medieval fortress.

First was Chinese, then Medieval, and now this? Just how my inspirations does this realm have?

As we stepped forward, three knights approached us, each gripping a long spear. They wore heavy armor that shimmered slightly under the chandelier's glow, making them look even more intimidating. Without a word, they bowed their heads in greeting, then turned and motioned for us to follow.

And then, I saw her.

At the top of the grand staircase stood a woman unlike anyone I had ever seen before.

She's wearing a flowing golden-brown robe that drapes over her body with effortless grace, its fabric slightly catching the light each time she makes a subtle movement. A thin cloth covered the lower half of her face, allowing only a glimpse of her sharp, refined features. But it was her eyes that immediately drew me in. Icy blue, piercing, and unreadable.

Her hands rested elegantly at her sides, adorned with golden rings that glistened with every slight movement. Her long, jet-black hair was arranged in an intricate bun, held in place by delicate jeweled accessories, including a crown that sat atop her head. The simple yet regal design of it made it clear—she is someone of great importance. A royal.

She looked like an angel. A woman straight out of legend.

But something about her is different. The way she held herself. Her aura... the sight of it makes me wanna get down on my knees.

And as her presence suggests, she didn't just look powerful.

She is powerful. Like a Queen.

Wait... a Queen? Could she be...

"Welcome back, Riessevilles," her voice echoed through the grand hall. "And you as well, Singularity. I heard it's your birthday. Here, a small token of appreciation."

She extended a small, nicely wrapped rectangular box toward Quilya, who accepted it without hesitation. As soon as she lifted the lid, a beautifully crafted hair stick was revealed inside. It's delicate yet intricate, with a silver moon ornament hanging from one end, its tassel swaying gently with the slightest movement.

Even for an accessory as simple as a hair stick, it looked expensive—probably crafted with rare materials and was made by an expert.

Quilya examined it for a brief moment before offering a small smile. "I'm honored to receive such a thoughtful gift from a royal. I sincerely appreciate it, Your Highness," she said, bowing her head slightly in gratitude.

"My pleasure," the woman replied, nodding in return. Then, without missing a beat, her gaze shifted toward the rest of us. As her eyes met mine, I saw something flicker in her expression. A hint of recognition, surprise, perhaps something else. I don't know. But just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, replaced by her earlier calm and composed demeanor.

"Anyway," she continued, "the kingdom of Maurgriann has been anticipating your return. It is good to have you back, Singularity."

Quilya didn't react much, only offering a half-hearted smile in response.

"That aside," the woman went on, "it is always an honor to have—" She abruptly stopped mid-sentence, clearing her throat lightly before continuing. "Ahem, four realm guardians visiting my kingdom once in a while."

Four?

Wait.

Did she just say four realm guardians?

That makes no sense.

As far as I know, only three are here. Quilya, Scarlette, and Lavenossa.

I can't help but frown due to my mind derailing. Did I mishear her? Or did she just make a mistake?

There is no chance she meant me, right? I'm not a realm guardian. I'm just some unfortunate idiot who somehow blundered into another world, got adopted by a well-off family, and now I'm here... or something like that.

"But what brings the two of you to my palace?" she asked, her attention now fixated on Lazaro, who was uncharacteristically quiet the whole time.

"We have problems that need fixing," he answered without hesitation, his tone clipped and straight to the point.

She studied him for a moment before exhaling softly. "And you're hoping to ask for my assistance? It must be serious, then. Very well, follow me. We'll discuss this in my chamber."

I should have left it at that.

I should have brushed it off and moved on.

But my mind's stuck.

Four realm guardians? In this room?

Who could possibly be the other one?

It had to be a slip of the tongue, right? Maybe she meant to say three but got caught up in the moment.

Or maybe...

My gaze briefly flickered toward Krein and Miss Kreziana. Could it be one of them? Could they have been hiding it all this time? I mean, it's definitely possible.

Or...

I hesitated, the thought barely forming before I immediately tried to dismiss it.

Could it be... Marreanne?

No. No way.

That doesn't make any sense.

She was born after the war, wasn't she? She never mentioned anything about being a realm guardian, and no one else did, either.

If she is one, wouldn't I have known by now? Ugh, my mind's a mess all thanks to that.

I clenched my jaw, trying to push the thoughts aside, but the seed has been already planted.

If there really is a fourth realm guardian among us, then it had to be Krein or Kreziana.

For goodness sake, this is making me crazy. I'm supposed to be thinking about what I should do to gather clues about myself.

We followed her through the long, decorated hallways, passing towering columns and walls adorned with paintings and old carvings. The castle had an undeniable air of grandeur, yet it also felt cold. The space this place has makes each footstep echo softly against the polished floors. It was the only sound that accompanied us including the faint rustling of our clothes and the occasional flickering of torches lining the walls.

After walking for what felt like hours, we finally reached a set of tall, oak doors with gold linings. The woman leading us paused only briefly before pushing them open, revealing a well-furnished lounge inside.

"Come in, all of you," she said, stepping aside to let us through.

The room is surprisingly cozy compared to the rest of the castle. A small, round table sat in the center, its glossy surface is slightly illuminated by the soft glow of a single lamp. The seating was arranged neatly around it. Plush couches that looked far more inviting than the stiff chairs I had expected. The dim lighting and warm tones of the decor gave the space a quiet, almost intimate atmosphere.

We took our seats, and as soon as we settled in, Lactose cleared his throat. The sound was subtle, but it was enough to signal that the discussion is about to start.

As I shifted into a more comfortable position, I couldn't shake the nagging thought at the back of my mind. Does anyone here realize that I have absolutely no clue who this woman is? Aside from my hunches, so far, I only heard Quilya address her as 'Your Highness', but that didn't exactly answer my question. I wanted to ask, but it felt inappropriate. The last thing I wanted is to appear ignorant in front of royalty.

"I'd like you to start with your issue, Larvagnne," the woman said, directing her attention toward him.

Upon hearing his name, he leaned back against the couch, crossing his arms. He let out a short breath before finally speaking. "There have been several strange occurrences in my town lately. And on the way here, we encountered something that almost resembled that of a dark realmer."

"A creature," Scarlette added with a firm voice. "A chimera-like beast cloaked in black miasma. I also spotted a few similar ones in humanoid form a few days ago while patrolling the borders of Lashevierr."

The woman pressed her fingers lightly against her chin, thinking. "I see. I received a similar report from the kingdom of Morsenia two days ago. And yesterday, a letter arrived from one of Delddaryely's five major houses—Vorlundis. The sender was Dharlan IV."

"Dharlan IV?" Krein repeated, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You mean, a Delddareylyan noble from the Viscounty of Vorlundis?"

At that, the woman reached under her desk and retrieved a small brown envelope, setting it carefully on the table. The paper inside was crisp, likely freshly written. Then, she picked up another document from a neatly stacked pile beside her and placed it next to the envelope.

Seeing an opportunity, I leaned closer to Quilya and whispered, "Who is she?"

Without turning to face me, Quilya replied in a hushed voice, "Queen Zinne Maurgriann. I'll explain later. Just listen for now."

I nearly choked on my own breath. A queen?! So I was right?!

I forced myself to keep a straight face, pretending I didn't just heard the biggest shock of the night. Was she the one who ordered them to bring me back?

Unaware of my internal panic, Queen Zinne continued. "Both letters describe similar cases. Creatures covered in black smoke," she said, tapping the documents in front of her. "But tell me, during your encounter, did you see a strange mass of dark energy in the sky?"

That question caught everyone off guard. A moment of silence passed before Quilya and Krein exchanged glances. Without saying a word, they gave each other a small nod.

"We did," Krein confirmed. "It resembled a particular spell, but the medium was different. It was undoubtedly dark magic. However—" He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, as if deciding not to continue. Instead, he turned toward Quilya, silently passing the explanation to her.

"My findings are... unclear," Quilya admitted, lowering her voice. "Even I can't say for certain what it truly was. But I do have a strong suspicion that the caster of that spell is not from this realm."

Silence fell over the room. I could almost feel the tension growing as everyone is trying to absorb what she just said.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Marreanne asked, sitting up a little straighter.

Quilya exhaled, carefully choosing her next words. "When a spell is cast, the average person wouldn't be able to track its origin. That's common knowledge. But those of us trained in magic—especially at advanced levels—can determine where the magic came from and who cast it. As a realm guardian, it's a combat knowledge honed through expertise and years of experience."

That explanation is true for most of them here, but her tone suggested there was more to it.

"And yet," she continued, while her expression darkened, "this particular spell... left no trace. No signature, no identifiable energy pattern. It was as if the magic itself had been dropped into this world from nowhere."

A chill ran down my spine. If someone as powerful as Quilya couldn't pinpoint where it came from, then whoever—or whatever—was responsible is perhaps on an entirely different level.

Miss Kreziana was the first to respond to Quilya's statement. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the armrest with an unreadable expression. "I see. So, what you're saying is that while you weren't able to locate the caster within this realm, you did manage to trace them... elsewhere? Somewhere outside of Claghes?"

Quilya remained silent for a moment before nodding. There was no need for her to say more. Her silence was enough to confirm Kreziana's assumption. Instead of elaborating further, she simply waited for Queen Zinne to speak next.

Zinne's sharp eyes studied her carefully. "Just now, you mentioned that this spell was similar to her magic," she said calmly but firmly. "By her, you mean the Tenth Realm Guardian, the Lich of Infinity. Am I correct?"

"Indeed," Quilya affirmed.

The latter narrowed her gaze. "And how can you be so sure?"

"She is the only one capable of spying on different worlds through magic," Quilya explained matter-of-factly. "And yes, you all heard me correctly. That dark sphere of energy we saw—it was a perception spell."

A perception spell?

I frowned slightly. This was the first time I had heard anything about this. I know about the Lich of Infinity. It's the guardian of equilibrium. But there wasn't enough information of its abilities, hence the surprise.

Quilya took a deep breath before speaking again. "Oculus Veritatis: Visio Infinita," she murmured.

The air in the room grew thicker. The silence that followed was heavy, almost suffocating. Although she didn't actually imbued even a fraction of mana into it, the mere mention of the spell's name alone was enough to send a ripple of unease through the room.

Krein was the first to react. His expression was serious as he muttered, "That spell... If I remember correctly, it translates to Eye of Truth: Infinite Vision, doesn't it? It indeed is a perception spell, and there is only one being in existence who can use it."

"The Guardian of Equilibrium," Scarlette finished for him.

Quilya gave a slow nod.

Lancaster exhaled sharply. "I remember that spell," he said, rubbing his temples as if recalling an old memory. "She used it once during the war... Quilya, if you know more about this, now's the time to share it. We need to figure out what's really going on, and it sounds like you might have the key to understanding all this."

Quilya didn't hesitate. "As I mentioned earlier, the dark sphere of energy we saw was a perception spell, much like hers. Even if this isn't the most urgent concern right now, the letters you received," she glanced at Zinne, "describe anomalies similar to what we encountered. That means the creature we fought on the way here... and the perception spell..."

"...are somehow connected," Krein finished.

A moment of silence passed between them.

Then Marreanne spoke up, furrowing her brows. "Wait... Are you suggesting that Raine could be behind this? But she's a Realm Guardian."

Raine? So that's the name of the Guardian of Equilibrium?

Quilya shook her head. "No, I'm not. But we all know that dark realmers have a history of stealing magic, so that possibility still exists. However, that's not what I'm implying. What I'm saying is... there is someone out there who can use the same type of spell as her."

Krein's expression darkened. "When this spell is activated, Raine can project her consciousness across realms in real-time, allowing her to observe anything, anywhere. If the dark sphere we saw is anything like Infinite Vision, that means someone—likely the caster—was watching us from another realm."

"Exactly my thoughts," Quilya confirmed.

Lactose rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So, it's not just about those creatures covered in dark energy," he mused aloud. "Singularity, you also mentioned that the medium of this spell was dark magic. And as far as we know, there isn't a single person in this realm who can use dark magic. Just what in the world is going on here?"

That statement made something click in my mind.

I don't know who this 'Raine' is, but judging by the way they're talking about her, she must be unbelievably powerful, too.

And if Quilya's suspicions are correct... then the caster of that dark magic...

...is not from this realm.

"We have two possibilities," Krein began. "Either she is the one responsible for that magic, or..." He let his words trail off, waiting for Quilya to complete his sentence.

"There is someone else out there who possesses the same ability as her," Quilya finished.

Something about her words stuck with me. I had heard something similar before... not too long ago.

Wait... didn't Saliva say something like this back in his office?

'This realm is in danger. The forces of the dark realm are finally making their move, and we don't have much time left. Aeriah, our mission is to bring you back to the kingdom alive.'

A cold sensation crept down my spine. The dark realm... evil forces...

"I wonder..." I started to say, but my voice must have been too loud because everyone immediately turned their attention to me.

"Riah?" Marreanne prompted, tilting her head slightly.

"Uh, it's nothing," I quickly dismissed, feeling a bit awkward under their sudden gazes. "I just remembered... Marreanne told me something about the dark realm before. It just made me wonder if there's a connection. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Miss Kreziana chuckled lightly. "Actually, that's one of my concerns as well," she said, glancing at me before turning to Zinne. I sighed in relief. Thank you, Miss Kreziana, for getting me out of that awkward situation.

"It's been a hundred years since they were sealed away at the edge of the universe," Kreziana continued. "On top of that, the goddess sealed all the gates to prevent any more threats from entering. And yet, somehow, Quilya found a way to bypass those sealed gates."

"Hey, there's that book, you know? But let's not get into that right now," Quilya muttered, shifting in her seat as if suddenly uncomfortable.

Zinne's sharp gaze landed on Kreziana. "What exactly are you implying?" she asked.

Kreziana met her gaze without hesitation. "Isn't it obvious?" she said firmly. "Strange creatures have been appearing in multiple regions—not just in Lashevierr. And then there's the perception spell. We all know that no one else in this world is capable of such magic except for our own comrade—the Tenth Realm Guardian. And yet, someone outside this realm has used it. Not just once, but multiple times, according to these letters."

She motioned toward the stack of reports neatly placed on Zinne's desk.

"The real problem here is," she continued, "as the Guardian of Infinity, she is also the Guardian of Equilibrium. And that role comes with a certain kind of authority—she holds power over the astral plane. Isn't that the very medium of her magic? The same force she uses to manipulate all forms of matter?"

Zinne narrowed her eyes slightly. "And?" she pressed.

"You already know the answer, Queen Zinnethia Aurellianne Maurgriann," Kreziana declared. "The only ones capable of controlling dark mana are the beings we sealed away a hundred years ago. If my suspicions are correct, then they have most likely already taken over the human realm. And if we had been any slower in returning, none of us would be sitting here now in front of you."

A heavy silence filled the room once again.

"Our hundred years of waiting has finally come to an end," Kreziana continued. "The seals are weakening, and the forces of the dark realm are making their move. It's only a matter of time before the gates... completely shatter."

I sat there with my mind racing. I spent my whole life not knowing who I was. I spent sleepless nights and restless days wondering what my future would look like. But this? This is too much. This ain't something I had ever once imagined for myself.

And I thought I'm just here to find out who I am...

"If that's the case," Zinne declared as she rose from her seat, "then gather everyone here by the end of the month. The long wait is over. Mages, Guardians... Our greatest enemy has returned."

She let out a slow breath before speaking again.

"The dark realm... is back."

In a world of magic...

"Every single one..."

War is always bound to happen.

And it is about to happen again.

Then Zinne's eyes met mine.

"And if you're an ally, that includes you too, Alice."