Chapter 5: Advent of Veythos

Nicholas exhaled, his breath ragged—but a slow, knowing grin crept across his face. His presence dimmed, his magic receding like the tide before a storm. 

The creature paused, its hollow face tilting in eerie curiosity. 

Then Nicholas lunged—not with magic, but with his fists. A reckless, suicidal move. 

The creature swatted him aside effortlessly, sending him crashing into the dirt. exactly as he'd planned. 

His blood splattered across the frozen ground in a deliberate arc. 

Nicholas dragged his fingers through his own crimson, completing the half-drawn sigil he'd begun in his fall. The moment the circle closed, the earth shuddered. The air crackled with static, the scent of ozone sharpening as a massive summoning array flared to life beneath the creature's feet. 

The creature took a step forward— 

And the sky split open. 

"Karyū."

Karyū roared, and the heavens answered. 

The shadow-creature recoiled as the wyrm's fangs of crackling lightning sank deeper, burning through the abyss of its form.

Dark tendrils lashed out, writhing like dying serpents, but the storm would not be denied. Karyū's coils tightened, each scale humming with raw voltage, searing away the creature's defenses in bursts of blue-white fury. 

The creature shrieked, a sound that warped the air itself—but the wyrm was relentless.

With a whip-like motion, it flung the shadow-beast skyward, then struck like a thunderbolt descending.

A pillar of pure energy engulfed the creature midair, illuminating the forest in stark, flickering light.

The shadows burned, peeling away in ragged strips, dissolving into nothingness before they could even touch the ground. 

For a heartbeat, the creature hung suspended in the storm's heart—a writhing mass of darkness shrinking, collapsing inward— 

Then it detonated. 

A shockwave of force rippled outward, flattening the underbrush, sending the survivors staggering.

But when the light faded, there was nothing left...no corpse, no lingering malice—just the acrid scent of ozone and the slow, fading crackle of dying lightning. 

Karyū lingered only a moment longer, its luminous gaze sweeping over the battlefield before dissolving into scattered embers and mist. 

The road was littered with bodies, the scent of blood and burnt magic thick in the air.

--- 

The risen suns painted the forest path in bruised blue as five strangers stood amidst the wreckage of their first shared battle.

The air hung thick with the scent of burnt ozone and iron-rich blood, the huge shadow's corpse already dissolving into ink-black mist between them.

The silver-haired woman was the first to break the silence, sheathing her rapier with a practiced flick.

Up close, the others could see the fine embroidery on her travel-worn cloak—telltale signs of old money fallen on harder times. 

"Elyria Veythari," she introduced herself, extending a hand toward Julien—the only one who didn't look like he'd bite it off. "This is my sister, Sera. You have our thanks for the assist." 

Julien wiped grime from his cheek, revealing boyish dimples. "Julien D'Valia! And these are my brothers—Lucien and Nicholas." He gestured toward the other two

Lucien was busy cradling his dagger like someone owed him money, while Nicholas just stared at the dissipating monster with hollow eyes, as if calculating how much of a pain in the ass this whole situation was going to be. 

Lucien flicked his dagger into the dirt, where it stuck upright, vibrating. "You expect us to be all sunshine and handshakes after getting jumped out of nowhere? Funny how that thing showed up right when you two did." He pressed a hand to his ribs, wincing. 

Sera peeked from behind Elyria, fingers worrying the torn sleeve where Julien had yanked her from harm's way. "That thing would've killed us all if you hadn't—" 

Julien shot Lucien a glare and then tossed her his waterskin. "Relax. We're all heading the same way. Might as well get used to each other." 

Sera fumbled the catch, their fingers brushing just long enough for her to turn pink. She took a quick sip, then nearly choked when Nicholas turned on his heel and walked off without a word, his boots leaving dark prints in the dirt.

Elyria watched watched quietly haven't noticed injuries they sustained seemly magically healed after drinking from the waterskin they held

As Nicholas moved, Elyria raised an eyebrow at Julien. "Your brother's got the brooding act down to an art form." 

Lucien smirked. "Oh, that's not an act. That's just how he is." 

Julien sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's not big on people. Or talking. Or, uh... existing near others, really." 

The group fell into step behind Nicholas' retreating figure, shadows stretching long across the road.

Elyria kept pace with Julien, while Sera lingered half a step behind, stealing glances at him. 

Elyria lowered her voice. "That summoning circle he carved mid-fight—that rare magic.. who taught him." 

Julien's smile faded, just a little. "Nick's always been... ahead of the curve, actually it's our parents who taught us" 

Lucien snorted. "Yeah. Ahead of the curve and six feet into his own head." 

Nicholas didn't turn around, but his pace might've gotten just a fraction faster.

----

---

Deep in the remnants of the battlefield, where the trees still bore the scars of lightning, the air shifted.

A figure stood in the shadows—not quite present, not entirely absent.

A gloved hand reached out, tracing the scorched earth where Karyū had struck. 

"Interesting," murmured the watcher, voice like winter wind through dead leaves. 

" Seems Elias taught them well, a summoning of that caliber, executed at his level with *blood* as the catalyst? Hehe~ "

" No need for another test then, he's proved capable and I'll reluctantly agree to your demand this one last time"

The figure dissolved into the gathering dark, leaving no trace behind.

-----

------

Julien wiped the last of the grime from his face, his usual easy smile returning as he glanced between Elyria and Sera. "So, where are you two headed?" 

Elyria adjusted the strap of her pack, her voice measured

" Veythos. Assuming we make it there before something else tries to kill us." 

Julien's grin widened. "No kidding? That's where we're going too."

He jerked a thumb toward his brothers. "Well, they might not act like it, but trust me, beneath all the scowling and dagger-twirling, they're just as eager to get there as I am." 

Lucien still nursing his ribs, shot him a flat look. "Speak for yourself. I'd be happier if the place burned down before we arrived." 

Nicholas didn't react, his gaze fixed ahead on the distant spires of the floating isles, but the slightest tension in his shoulders betrayed his attention. 

Julien ignored them, turning back to the sisters. "Look, the roads between here and the Academy aren't exactly safe—clearly. And since we're all heading the same way, why not stick together? Safety in numbers, right?" 

Sera, still clutching Julien's waterskin, bit her lip. "You'd... really let us travel with you?" 

"Of course!" Julien said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Besides, I've got a feeling you two are more than just pretty faces with basic spells, might be useful to have you around incase something decides to crash the party." 

Elyria studied him for a moment, then glanced at her sister. Sera gave a tiny, hopeful nod.

Finally, Elyria sighed. "Fine. But if your brothers stab us in our sleep, I'm holding you personally responsible." 

Luciensmirked. "No promises." 

Julien clapped his hands together. "Perfect! Then it's settled. We leave at first light—unless Nick here decides to wander off before sunrise again." 

Nicholas exhaled sharply through his nose—the closest thing to a response they were likely to get—and started walking, his silhouette cutting a sharp line against the twilight. 

The others fell into step behind him, an uneasy alliance formed under the watchful glow of the six suns. Somewhere above them, hidden beyond the clouds, Veythos waited. 

And with it, whatever came next.