Mira

The revelation that the villagers might have known more about the incident and were actively hiding it didn't sit well with the three teenagers. What started as a simple mission to hunt a Starfiend now carried the weight of something far more complicated.

"Should we tell Master?" Han asked, frowning.

"Even if we do, he's just going to raise an eyebrow, smile, and say good work," Erika muttered.

"No, Master won't move unless it's an emergency," Alwyn said. Auren had never involved himself in any of the missions they took as a group. He always claimed that Alwyn and Erika were more than capable of handling things on their own. Getting too involved, he said, would only slow their growth. Erika always argued it was just Auren being lazy and avoiding work. Alwyn sometimes wondered what kind of emergency would actually get Auren to leave his favorite resting spot.

Alwyn didn't like relying on others anyway. His past regression had shown him that it was always better to be self-reliant. Even if Auren had never shown the same cruel intentions as his father, trust was something Alwyn gave carefully.

"Should we head to the Wastes, then?" Han asked.

"No way. I refuse to work overtime," Erika said. "We'll go back to the inn, eat something, and then head out tomorrow. No point in exhausting ourselves."

Han opened his mouth to protest, but Alwyn cut in. "She's right. Heading into the Wastes without proper preparation is too dangerous. We also need to inform Master before we go."

"As if he'd stop us," Erika added with a shrug.

Outnumbered, Han fell silent. The three left Mira's house and returned to the inn. They found Auren already sitting at a table loaded with food. Without hesitation, the teens joined him and began to eat.

"Master, about the mission," Han started.

Auren raised a hand. "Let's talk later."

A quick glance around showed that their group was still drawing attention. Several villagers were watching them with wary curiosity. There was no visible hostility, but after what they had just learned, it was best to stay quiet for now.

Once they finished eating, the group gathered in Auren's room. After they stepped inside, Auren shut the door and focused aether into his index and middle fingers. As the glow formed, he traced a symbol across the door, inscribing a faintly pulsing rune.

"What's that?" Han asked, eyes wide.

"Just a simple rune inscription," Auren replied, giving a playful wink. "Ancient fae art. Not many know how to do it anymore. It should keep our talk private for a little while."

He sat on the bed and glanced at them with curiosity. "So, what did you find? You all look like you've got something interesting to share."

"The villagers are hiding something," Alwyn said, holding out Mira's diary.

Auren took the book and flipped through it with genuine interest. "Our dear Mira was quite the gossip. Hmm... very interesting. So, what now?" He closed the book and fixed his gaze on them.

"We're heading to the Wastes. What else?" Erika said. "That is, if she hasn't already been eaten by some random Starfiend out there."

"Maybe you'll be lucky enough to find her," Auren replied with a grin.

"What about you, Master?" Han asked.

"I'll keep an eye on things, of course," Auren said with a relaxed shrug.

"That just means you want to keep slacking off," Erika muttered, giving him a dark look.

"Hey, wouldn't you rather someone was watching the villagers you think are so suspicious?" Auren countered.

"Please, you're definitely not doing it for that reason," Erika said, clearly unimpressed. "But fine. Stay back like you always do and make sure none of the villagers sneak up and stab us with a pitchfork."

"Aye aye," Auren replied, still smiling.

They all went to sleep afterward, and thankfully, no one attacked them during the night.

At dawn, the three teens set out from the inn, leaving Auren behind. He was too lazy to get out of bed and simply gave them a thumbs up while still lying down.

The group headed straight toward the Ward, this time fully intent on crossing into the Wastes. The process wasn't anything dramatic. One only had to step through. The Ward was designed to stop Starfiends from entering the protected zones, not to keep humans or other creatures from leaving.

Soon, the scenery around them began to change. Familiar black and purple hues crept over the land, swallowing the world's colors. Even the sky dimmed, shrouding everything in darkness, though the sun still shone beyond the barrier.

As they trudged across the desolate terrain, Han spoke up.

"Say, I don't quite get it. Why would anyone want to go through the Wastes? Isn't it, like, extremely dangerous?"

"It is," Alwyn replied, "but not so much near the edge of the Ward. The Starvanguard patrols those areas and keeps them relatively clean. As for why people risk it, it's mostly about money and time. There are official routes connecting the major Ward Zones, but it's limited. The travel time is long, and the toll fees are expensive. So many merchants and travelers prefer to cut through the Wastes with hired bodyguards and guides. It's risky, but faster and cheaper."

"In the end, everything's about money," Erika snorted.

The group decided to follow the path commonly used by travelers crossing between Ward zones. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first, but they soon came across a region that showed clear signs of a fight. The ground was scarred, several dead trees had been completely crushed, and though faint, there were also traces of tire tracks along the dirt.

"Something definitely happened here," Han muttered as he examined the area. Unfortunately, too many days had passed, and they couldn't find any solid evidence beyond the fact that a battle had taken place.

"Think we should spread out?" Erika asked.

"Let's meet back here in an hour," Alwyn said. "You brought your pocket watches, right?"

The others nodded, and with that, the three split up to search. They combed through the dark corners of the Wastes, keeping their eyes open for any signs of Mira or traces of human activity. Minutes passed, but none of them found anything of value.

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Erika finally decided to speak up.

"Hey, system, can't you do something useful for once?"

"The system's abilities are heavily restricted within the Wastes. However, locating nearby living beings may still be feasible. This will require a sufficient amount of aether from the host," it replied.

"Fine, do your thing," Erika said. Alwyn and Han should be far enough away that she could use the system without drawing attention.

As the system activated, Erika's eyes began to glow with enhanced power. Her vision sharpened, and she could now see the terrain in greater detail. Shapes of resilient plants stood out in her field of view, though she didn't detect any large living beings nearby.

"This is more like it," she muttered with a smirk.

Feeling the aether drain as the ability ran, Erika pressed on with more focus. Eventually, she reached an area where the ground dropped sharply to one side. She would have missed it entirely in the dim light, but the system highlighted something odd nearby. A cave was nestled close to the cliff's base, and something was moving inside. Its shape was too small and irregular to be a Starfiend, but Erika still readied her golden thread and crept forward with caution.

As she turned a corner, she threw the golden thread. It shot forward and quickly wrapped around the figure hiding within.

"Eeek!" A voice shrieked as the shape fell with a thump, writhing in panic. "W-who's there?"

Erika silently ordered the system to deactivate the enhanced vision. She raised her Lumen Lantern, illuminating the cave and revealing the face of the person she had captured.

It was a young woman with long, dark brown hair that draped over part of her face. In the flickering lantern light, Erika could make out the faint traces of scars that stretched from her torso up to her cheek. She wore a simple dress, now dirty and covered in roughly sewn patches. Her boots were worn thin, the leather cracked and aged with use.

"Are you Mira?" Erika asked.

"W-who are you?" the woman replied, eyes wide with fear.

"I'm with the Starvanguard," Erika said, holding up her Starpass. "My team and I were sent to investigate the case at Hollowrest. You know something important, don't you?"

Mira swallowed hard under Erika's intense gaze.

It wasn't hard to convince Mira to cooperate with Erika. Maybe it was because they were both women, or because Erika was a Starvanguard, or perhaps Mira was just too naive. Whatever the reason, Erika managed to lead Mira out of her hiding spot and return with her to the meeting point.

Alwyn looked genuinely relieved to see Mira alive and well. At least their efforts hadn't been for nothing. Han, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes, studying her closely as if waiting for her to transform into something dangerous right before their eyes.

"You're Mira, I presume," Alwyn said. "Nice to meet you. I'm Alwyn, and this is my colleague, Han."

Han continued to glare at her, clearly not letting his guard down.

"N-nice to meet you too," Mira stuttered, bowing deeply. This was the first time she had met actual members of the Starvanguard face to face. While there had been Alric assigned to the village, that old man had always felt more like a fellow villager than a respected agent. These three, though young, carried a distinct presence that made her nervous.

"Y-you want to know what happened at the village, right?"

"Yes. We were sent because the village reported a suspected Starfiend breach. They were also quick to accuse you and claimed you were responsible."

"I-it's not me!" Mira said in a panic.

"Calm down. We know it probably wasn't you," Erika said. "We went to your house and found your diary. Nice gossip, by the way."

"Ahhh!" Mira yelped, her face reddening. She hadn't expected anyone to actually read her diary. Even if the thought had crossed her mind, she never imagined it would be the Starvanguard. At most, she had worried a nosy villager might find it, get angry, and burn the book. Maybe even burn her along with it. No one liked having their secrets exposed, even if they were only written in private.

"Can you please tell us exactly what happened?" Alwyn asked, ignoring her embarrassment. "Why did you leave the village and come into the Wastes? What did you see out here?"

"Do… do you believe me?" Mira asked with wide, hopeful eyes. This was the first time anyone had asked for her opinion. Back in the village, people ignored her during their best moments. At worst, they hurled insults or struck her. No one cared about what cursed Mira had to say.

"It's not about belief," Alwyn replied. "We're gathering evidence. Ignoring a potential witness without good reason would be reckless."

Afraid they would lose patience, Mira rushed to explain. "Ri-right, so… the truth is… no Starfiend broke through the Ward. I would've known if that had happened."

"It's because of your ability?" Han asked in a cold voice.

Mira flinched under his gaze but nodded. "Yes… Because of my ability. I've always been able to hear voices. Even the dormant Starfiends, the ones who only slumbered, they still murmur to themselves. Sometimes I hear them beyond the Ward, but never from Hollowrest. Not once. Then one day, something strange happened. A creature appeared, and everyone thought it was an Elder Starfiend."

"An Elder?" Erika said, shocked. If that was true, maybe her useless master would finally get up and take action. She could handle an Elite with some effort, but she wasn't ready to fight an Elder.

"That's what people thought," Mira said as her eyes glazed over, lost in memory. The village had grown tense after a series of attacks on travelers. Some never arrived, and those who did were visibly shaken. They didn't talk about what had happened. The village chief and Alric began discussing whether they should report it to the headquarters. It no longer seemed like an isolated incident. Something was targeting them.

Mira had just returned from the forest with herbs and vegetables. It was getting dark when she saw it. A massive creature sat on a rooftop at the edge of the village. Its form resembled an owl, and its glowing eyes shone through the dusk. The villagers froze in place, too frightened to move. Then the creature spoke.

"Do not be afraid," it said. "I have chosen to show mercy. You, the forgotten children of this world, have been blessed. As long as you stay faithful, you will be protected."

"It told us it didn't want to hurt anyone, and that if we kept our mouths shut, nothing bad would happen," Mira explained.

"And everyone just went along with it?" Erika asked, frowning.

"Most didn't want to believe it, but the creature claimed to have placed a curse on us. It said anyone who betrayed it would suffer unbearable pain, as if dying from the inside," Mira explained, raising her left hand. "It left a mark here..."

Han narrowed his eyes, focusing on the back of her hand. "Where?"

"Of course you can't see it," Mira said. "The mark vanished shortly after the beast left. But the villagers believed the curse was real. Some even began leaving money, food, and trinkets to appease it."

"But you didn't," Alwyn said, watching her carefully.

"No," Mira replied. "I was terrified at first. It looked like a Starfiend, but there were no whispers, nothing at all. That's when I realized something was wrong. I tried to warn the others, but no one listened. When Alric insisted on reporting it, he died or vanished. After that, I knew I had to act. No one else would, so I decided to investigate on my own."