THE MIND GAMES AND SILENT MOVES

The crimson glow from the mind control Renshi circle pulsed violently as Exca poured an immense amount of his Renshi into it. The red light stretched across the eerie landscape of Sasaki's mind, bathing the blood-drenched sky and zombie-infested streets in its glow. The circle expanded, consuming the entire town within Sasaki's consciousness.

Exca gritted his teeth, leaving a fragment of his soul inside the circle to anchor the spell. His main soul form snapped back into his real body, now seated cross-legged within the original casting circle back in Guhan.

Without delay, he activated the mage-crafted telepathy link to contact Lyon.

"Lyon, do you copy?" Exca said, his voice echoing in Lyon's mind.

"Yeah, I hear you. Did it work?" Lyon responded calmly.

"Yes. But it's draining fast. My Renshi will hold for a week, at most. That's all the time you have to find that woman, eliminate her, and bring the boy back to Guhan," Exca explained, his voice low with exhaustion.

"I'm on it. Heading to the dungeon now," Lyon replied.

"I'm counting on you, partner."

"You can rest assured," Lyon said before cutting the connection.

Lyon, though already prepared, had sent one of his Octo tentacle clones ahead to the eastern border where the darkest dungeon lay sealed. He remained home a little longer to spend time with his children.

"Papa, are you going out again?" asked his son, Jackson.

"Yes, my boy," Lyon replied with a tired smile. "Take care of your sister while I'm gone. Keep up with your training—I'll want a one-on-one spar when I return."

"That's no problem! I'm looking forward to it. How long will you be gone?" Jackson asked with excitement in his eyes.

"Four to five days. A week at most," Lyon replied, gently patting his son's head as he stepped out.

As Lyon mounted his horse and rode toward the eastern gate, he murmured to himself, "Ever since your mother passed, raising you both hasn't been easy… I just hope this mission ends quickly."

Meanwhile, back inside their home, Scarlet—the younger sister—sat beside Jackson.

"Big brother, don't you think Papa's been more busy lately? I wonder what he and the ruler are working on," she asked.

"Yeah… I've been thinking about it too," Jackson replied. "It's unlike him to disappear for days unless a powerful darkside spirit shows up in another kingdom. He's probably heading into battle."

"Don't worry, Papa is strong! No darkside spirit can defeat him," Scarlet said cheerfully.

But Jackson wasn't at ease. "Who's this boy they want to bring back? Why the darkest dungeon… the place Sasaki is sealed? Why did Papa mention a mind control spell?" The thoughts weighed heavy on his mind.

"Big brother? Are you okay?" Scarlet asked, snapping him out of his daze.

"I'm fine," he replied quickly. "But I need to step out. Don't wait up—eat dinner even if I'm not back. I just need to check something."

"You're leaving me too?" Scarlet pouted.

Jackson bent down, patting her head with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon. I promise."

She nodded reluctantly, watching him leave as he walked to the stables.

"Where are you heading, young master? It'll be dark soon," one of Lyon's personal Shinras asked.

"I'm off to the castle. I have something urgent to handle with Marcel," Jackson lied smoothly, hiding his real intentions.

"Something urgent?" the guard pressed.

"Personal stuff," Jackson said as he mounted his horse and took off. "Sorry, Marcel… I'm dragging you into something big without warning," he thought.

Marcel—son of Exca and Jackson's best friend—was unknowingly about to get caught in the tides of fate.

Meanwhile, Lyon had already reached the second border using a teleportation spell the moment he departed home. The darkest dungeon loomed before him—silent, ancient, and filled with dread.

"Exca! Do you copy?!" Lyon called out as he jumped down from his horse, his voice echoing through the stone path.

"Calm down, Lyon," Exca's voice echoed in his mind, "You still doubt my mind control spell?"

Lyon exhaled slowly, gripping the hilt of his sword. "I don't doubt it, Exca. I'm just cautious. We're dealing with a monster who devoured a special darkside spirit. Even sealed, Sasaki is a time bomb."

The wind howled through the dungeon entrance, as if whispering secrets yet to be uncovered.