Kliff leaped to the side as a bolt of purple-colored energy flew past him. Out of the corner of his gaze, he saw when the blast of poison crashed into the ground, strands of grass and plant life disintegrating to black dust only to be blown away by the wind. He wouldn't want to be struck by that spell; that was for certain.

Regaining his balance from where he now stood, Kliff's eyes locked on the rogue sorcerer several meters ahead of him. Vang, whose face was now completely colored in darkish scales, marched toward him with an air of confidence, spinning the wand in his fingers before taking aim, a subsequent poison bolt flying out of its tip, which was aglow with maroon-colored light.

Kliff recognized the green-colored wand, possessing a shaft that coiled and twisted as would the body of a serpent, as a Colubrid Wand. It was a special type of wand capable of enhancing Poison Magic spells. As such, it came as no surprise that Vang himself would prefer to use it in combat. While the sorcerer possessed a powerful Essence Signature—above average when compared to the rest of his underlings—there wasn't any question that the man's magic was being amplified by the wand, for the strength and velocity of his spells would have surely killed him had he have been a lesser mage.

Since enrolling at Glyph Academy, he'd improved a lot when it came to his prowess in combat, but that was not to say Kliff was a pushover in a duel prior to his student career. Inhaling through his nostrils, striking a solid stance with his leg extended behind him, Kliff held his glimmering Salamander Wand high and shouted, "Fire Magic: Drakorus!" A roaring stream of concentrated fire billowed away from him, its intense heat thrashing against his skin as high-temperature winds made his uniform jostle around his person.

His target was Vang, but Kliff watched as several of the other serpents dove out of the path of his flames, eager to escape a fiery demise. Their leader, however, stood his ground, thrusting his wand out in front of him as he beckoned forth a magical barrier that absorbed the brunt of the attack. The fire spread around its curved structure, rising into the air as a wall of flames before dissipating in a cluster of embers. The magical barrier fractured into shimmering shards after that, unveiling Vang's grimace, his forked tongue flickering past his pointed canines. "That all you got, boy?!" he spat, conceited in the way he flashed his grin.

Sweat trickled down the side of Kliff's face, and he felt a pain that caused his stomach to churn. He desperately tried to fight it, the reminder that this wasn't the first grueling duel he had the displeasure of participating in today, but the exhaustion was making it harder to ignore. He noticed his ragged breaths, the way his legs quivered underneath him, how his vision blurred at the corners; fatigue was pulling him under, and if he wasn't careful, he might risk having a Rejection.

Should I release my Ember? It was a terrible thought, but if he burned through all his available magical energy, what other option did that leave him with? A mage was powerless if their Essence ran empty. If he could just take out Vang, perhaps he'd have a brief respite? Then again, would the loss of their leader lower the morale of his followers or merely strengthen their resolve, anger fueling their motivation?

He'd engaged Vang in a duel ever since Elaine and Custas had left, and even then, it looked like the rogue sorcerer was no more tired than he had been before the madness started. Was this the difference between a Professional Sorcerer and a novice? No. No, of course not. This man, this mage, was little else but a sorcerer abusing his magic to bring harm to other people. Kliff had no intention of losing to someone so pathetic.

Around him, the conflict flourished chaotically, with explosions propelling plumes of smoke into the air. The ground shook with the magnitude of an earthquake, horrible shouts and blood-curdling roars rattling his eardrums. Kliff didn't want to think of the position he'd be in had his classmates not arrived as suddenly as they did.

Mason skillfully managed to keep the majority of the attackers at a distance with his Barrier Magic. The shimmering, translucent shields he conjured flickered with a turquoise glow, absorbing and deflecting the barrage of spells and physical strikes aimed in his direction. Kliff had often thought of Mason as a sorcerer who possessed a quiet confidence. Unlike many other sorcerers, who were fond of relying on flashy offensive spells, Mason's approach was grounded in strategy and restraint, making him a formidable opponent in any duel. The tall student's calm demeanor, even in the midst of such a tumultuous battle, reminded Kliff of the depths of power that lay behind that reserved exterior.

Abigail, on the other hand, didn't offer any of her targets the chance to take a single breath as she bombarded crowds of unsuspecting dullards with towering pillars from the very earth beneath her feet, their surfaces rugged and textured. As they reached for the sky like miniature mountains, they sent unsuspecting men off their feet and spiraling through the air. She had always shown a keen enthusiasm for dueling, but Kliff had never witnessed her exhibit such raw intensity.

She resembled a wild creature, a wide grin expanding across her face as she spun on her heels and with a swift, deliberate motion, she thrust her wand forward, channeling her magical energy. From the cracked, splintered earth, an enormous hand emerged, forged from the very soil around them. Its fingers were tightly clenched into a fist, ready to unleash the strength Abigail commanded. The solid construct extended over the ground, winding and shifting as it launched for the rogue sorcerer several paces ahead as if to drag him down into the Shadow.

Praise be to Aeris, she's on our side, Kliff thought nervously.

Every now and again, he'd catch a quick image of the titanic cat in white fur, Bearing its lengthy set of canines, it bounced from one spot to the next, moving in leaping strides as it mowed down its enemies with a furious storm of slashes from its massive paws. Landing crouched on all fours, the beast extended its head high, its blue eyes scanning the forest clearing for who it longed to sink its claws into next.

Kliff had seen a saber-tooth white tiger before once inside of the local zoo in Aerlion, but never did he think he'd ever observe one of the remorseless predators when it wasn't caged behind bars. Its rounded ears shot up atop its skull, and in the next heartbeat, it lunged away, leaving a typhoon of dust in its wake. As far as he was concerned, Kliff would let the tiger continue its rampage, just so long as it kept its sights off of him and his friends.

A flurry of motion pulled his attention to the zigzagging blast of poison hurtling for him. Taking a quick breath, Kliff sidestepped to his left, the attack spell zipping past him in a hurry, and in the same motion, he raised his wand, shouting, "Fire Magic: Ignax!" before a massive fireball flew toward his opponent. Manifesting another protective spell, Vang kept himself safe from his flames.

"Is now really the time to be worrying about others?" Vang hissed. "Am I not enough to satisfy the man who shall surpass Ark Regaleo?"

Kliff met him with a dark glare. "Hardly. I'll defeat you, just like I did to that oaf of a water mage you sent after me earlier."

Vang snorted at that. "It's a huge mistake comparing Garam to myself. We're on different playing fields. Though, I must commend you, Dresden. My men told me they discovered the charred remains of that sulmo where you had dumped him by the riverside. You really didn't hold back, did you?"

"I didn't kill him!" Kliff shouted. "Your men are misinformed."

"Perhaps, but that burning rage still lies within you, doesn't it? I wonder, will the murderous Pyre show his face to me?" Vang spread his arms in the air. "Will this forest be engulfed in another hellish inferno?! As a criminal myself, you truly have my respect. Killing so many nobles in a single night couldn't have been an easy job. I'm impressed."

Kliff felt his blood run hot in his veins. "You bastard! If you think I would—"

A monstrous, high-pitched shriek erupted from the depths of the forest, a sound so piercing that it seemed to slice through the very air, drowning out the clamor of magic blasts and battle cries surrounding Kliff. He turned, his heart pounding, as he watched flocks of birds scatter into the sky, their wings beating frantically against the sun. That sound, it had come from the same direction where Kliff had seen Elaine disappear with Custas, and the thought sent a cold chill coiling tightly in his chest. Panic gripped him as he imagined what horrors might await his friends in the shadows of nature.

"Well, well. Looks like Bytis has come out to play. I was wondering where that mad mage snuck off to," Vang chuckled, venom cloaking his burning orange eyes. "I hope you said your final farewells because if that maniac's found 'em, they're as good as dead."

"What was that?!" Kliff demanded. "What's out there with them?! Answer me!"

"That there was my trump card," Vang said, licking his lips with his forked tongue. "He was never one to follow orders, even before he went insane. Douglas would have gotten rid of him, but he valued his skills, as do I. Other than myself, I'll say Bytis is the strongest sorcerer in this forest. And right now, I bet he's itching to swallow Custas and that light mage whole."

"No..." Kliff uttered.

"It's a shame, too. I guess that means we won't be getting paid in full. That's okay, though." Vang swung his arm forward, channeling his magical energy to the tip of his wand. A thick, gelatinous ball of poison surged forth, glowing ominously as it soared like a cannonball toward him. As it left his wand, an insidious sneer curled at the corners of Vang's lips, his forked tongue flickering between his reptilian fangs. "I'm sure a compromise can be made once I hand over a nobleing from the famous House Dresden!"

Kliff stood firmly, his body thrumming with the magical energy he had gathered from his Core. He had resolved himself to counter the incoming attack with a spell of his own, and just as he prepared to unleash his fire, a sudden movement in the dense shadows of the forest drew his attention. Without warning, a brilliant blueish streak shot forth, rocketing toward him with breathtaking speed, resembling a burst of wild lighting tearing through the sky.

In a heartbeat, it struck the earth mere feet from where he stood. Kliff's breath caught in his throat, and he stumbled backward, desperately trying to regain his balance. The impact was immediate and explosive, erupting into a tower of glistening ice that soared upwards, catching the sunlight and refracting it into a spectrum of sparkling colors. It broke apart the second the ball of poison collided with it, dispersing glassy shards in every direction, the coldness of the howling wind stinging the sides of his face.

"The hell?!" Vang grunted. Kliff hadn't noticed when the wind mage had arrived at his leader's side, just that the taller Rymevai man stuck close beside him, his Thief Wand glimmering with his magic.

Kliff followed their astonished stares, shooting a glance to his right, where a girl with auburn-red hair emerged from the forest and stepped into the clearing. Her Advanced Wand was sheathed in a layer of sapphire light, and her pale blue eyes were as sharp as glaciers. Even at a distance, Kliff sensed her magical energy storming inside of her like a cruel, unforgiving blizzard.

"Ha! So, the Glacial Girl herself graces us with her presence, does she?" Abigail scoffed a short distance away, her foot mounted on a stump of earth she'd summoned from the ground. "Surges! Took you long enough!"

"Hell yeah! Adeline's here!" Jack exclaimed, breaching the muddy puddle he'd been hiding in, pumping his fist overhead as he laughed. "You Serpent Fang sulmos are screwed now!"

Vang glanced at the Rymevai sorcerer next to him. "Glacial Girl?"

"The very same," his subordinate nodded. "She's on our list, too."

"Adeline..." Kliff uttered softly. Her clothes were tattered, and her exhausted expression, coupled with the bruise and scuff marks marring her skin, implied that she'd just been in a duel herself. Kliff hadn't seen her since she'd ordered him to guard the Butt Rock along with Mason and Abigail. That she was here now meant...

"I came looking for a mage among you," Adeline announced loudly, marching for them, breath clouds streaming out the corner of her lips as she spoke. "Tell me, who is the man calling himself Vang? I learned from several other cronies I clashed with that he was the leader of this sad excuse for an operation. Where can I find him?" Nobody responded to her—perhaps they were still mystified at her presence alone, and Kliff couldn't blame them. Adeline had always carried a commanding air with her, a trait she'd undoubtedly inherited from her father. Arriving slowly at a stop, Adeline's pale eyes shifted toward the sorcerer covered in darkish green scales. "So, it's you then?"

Vang chuckled. "How did you—"

"While most children were read stories of fantasy growing up, I was being educated in the art of spells and warfare. I guess you could say I've since developed an aptitude for identifying who's the highest in rank." Kliff's throat tightened as he observed the crimson line that cascaded down from her scalp, a vivid contrast against her fair skin. The icy patches patterning her body glimmered faintly, revealing bluish streaks that hinted at an unnatural chill. Strands of her auburn hair, usually full of life in the wind, clung together, the tips encrusted with frost. It was perilous for any sorcerer to push their limits; certainly, she understood the risks. Yet, as Kliff met her cold, indifferent gaze—cold and unwavering—there was no mistaking her resolve.

"I think you'll come to find that this situation differs a lot from the wars and conflicts you've read in your textbooks, girl," muttered the Rymevai mage, stepping in front of Vang with a brandished wand, as well as a few other serpents, rusted daggers gripped in their filthy hands. "You seek a challenge with Vang, then you'll have to go through us first."

Puffs of frosty air escaped her lips, drifting like delicate wisps of fog. Each breath she exhaled formed thick clouds that curled and danced around her face, wrapping her features in a shroud of mist. "I know," Adeline said calmly, pointing her wand back at them. "That was always a part of my plan."

*

* *

The titanic snake, covered in scales like oily, black shards, craned its neck high in the air. Building from the bottom of its stomach, Elaine caught sight of the orange light pulsating like a heartbeat. This light traveled up the length of its long neck to its unhinged jaws, black smoke streaming past its long fangs. In that instant, Elaine knew what was going to happen next, and she wasted no time raising her wand overhead, forging the barrier of light as quickly as she could.

With a terrible, monstrous roar, the basilisk angled its snout down at them, and out of its mouth came a wild current of bellowing flames, shooting for her as if they, too, were predators seeking to maim—or, in this case, burn—its pray before it had taken its next, and likely, last breath. The heat of the fire was intense, scorching waves igniting her skin as the hottish air made it hard for her to breathe. Nevertheless, with her magic, she had cast the spell, and Elaine witnessed with quivering legs as the endless fire curved around her like burning waves. They plowed into the barrier with enough force to uproot a tree, cracks and fissures parting on its translucent surface.

Elaine had wisely chosen to shape the spell in the form of a dome. This way, neither she nor the immobile Custas croaking behind her would feel the wrath of the fire. It wasn't a large barrier, mind you; Elaine was quite confident that she could fit at least five people inside if they all stood with their backs pressing against one another. Yet, even as she stood protected within her archaic defenses, the overwhelming heat did not spare her of its howling wrath. She felt like she was trapped in an oven or a small cave at the base of an active volcano. Beads of sweat sprouted across her forehead, draining down past her nose and dripping off her chin.

The mere act of breathing was made difficult due to the intensity of the fire, and if she allowed her consciousness to slip, she might even run the risk of losing herself in the darkness. Grunting, Elaine shook her head, determined to keep herself awake. A heavy pressure pressed down on her body, almost as though she was the barrier itself, standing firm as it was bombarded by a rampaging typhoon of fire. Her Core felt hollow, an uncomfortable cramping sensation spreading along her chest. Her Essence supply was at an all-time low, but she still had some magic left. It wasn't a lot, but it would have to do.

She heard a voice calling her name, and with a staggering glance over her shoulder, she found Custas, struggling to remain standing as he pressed his weight into the galbora tree beside him—the portion of the tree that the barrier had protected. The rest of it had been most likely reduced to burned wood and ash by now. "Elaine..." Custas grunted, the dark strands of his hair stuck to his damp and pale forehead. "Your magic...can't defeat him...not when he's like this..."

In that, he had a point. Even now, as she struggled to keep her focus and regulate her magic, Elaine couldn't ignore the fissures splintering over the barrier like jagged vines creeping up from underneath an old house. Her barrier wouldn't hold for much longer...and that was exactly what she was counting on. "Stay low...to the ground..." Elaine replied, the strain in her voice impossible to ignore.

Custas' brows furrowed at her. "What?"

"Stay low to the ground! Do it!" The basilisk's fire intensified, and with a final crack splitting apart straight in front of her, allowing her to see the world's true colors on the other side of her barrier's golden-tinted filter, Elaine crouched to her knees. Within the next second, the barrier imploded, shattering apart in a magnificent, golden explosion that swallowed the enormous creature's flames. Golden fire expanded out from them in a ring, shooting up in the air like a geyser, causing the ground to shake below Elaine's feet. She had seen this before.

During Professor Marsh's initiation test at the start of the semester, Elaine had undergone a...Spell Distortion. Fortunately, nobody had gotten injured—save for, of course, the numerous deathstalkers that had her surrounded, snapping their claws and clicking their mandibles in eager anticipation to rip into their meal—but what she'd gained from the experience was a new spell. She'd never inquired if it was a common trait—acquiring spells she had never even seen in the aftermath of a Spell Distortion—however, whenever her body acted on its own in the midst of a Distortion, that spell she would cast stuck with her, almost as if she had always known it.

When she had cast it, Elaine remembered that after the barrier had received a significant amount of damage, it detonated with a fiery impact. Something like that would be enough to take down a basilisk...or at the very least, it'd hinder the gigantic beast to some capacity. Through the smoke and flames, Elaine watched the reptile recoil with a snarl, slithering backward as it shook its head violently.

There it was.

The opportunity she was looking for.

Steeling her nerves, inhaling a sharp breath through her clenched teeth, Elaine bolted off her spot, charging toward the basilisk with her wand held out beside her. Her barrier's explosion had dealt quite the blow, not only to the basilisk but to her surrounding environment. Where once proud galbora trees stood were now charred stumps of wood; instead of lush grass, Elaine ran over black dust and soil. Once again, Elaine was reminded that she would never use such a destructive spell against a human, but for a sorcerer disguised as a monster, she had no choice but to act rashly.

While basilisks were impressive creatures, she wasn't aware of any specimen capable of producing fire. This told her that Bytis—or whatever his name was—didn't exactly transform into a genuine basilisk, but rather, a magically enhanced version of one. He was capable of withstanding the brunt of such an explosion, just as Elaine predicted he could shake off a blast of magic to the face.

Thrashing her gleaming wand in front of her, golden rays engulfing its tip, Elaine shouted, "Light Magic: Icto Lumen!" Her hair thrummed violently as a javelin of pure light flew away from her and across the air. It soared with such speed that the basilisk hadn't had the chance to react before the spear of shimmering gold collided with its left eye. Another horrific wail echoed throughout the forest, only this time, instead of a roar of intimidation, it was a cry of pain.

The basilisk shook and tossed like a worm caught in the sunlight, twisting and curling its long body in unnatural positions, dragging its head over the ground before stalking its neck skyward, black smoke streaming out of its closed, burned eye. Elaine felt a twinge of sorrow for seeing it writhe in pain—truly, she didn't think she'd ever grow accustomed to using magic to hurt others—but she knew that if they were to survive, she would need to compromise her morals, her ideals, for the time being.

Spinning around fast, she sprang for Custas, who was still struggling to stand on his two feet, his shoulder pressed against the remnants of a galbora tree—a colossal stump with darkish green scorch marks singed into its bark. "Come on!" she exclaimed grabbing his hand, tugging him along as she made a hastened sprint into the cover of the forest ahead.

There was a good stretch they would need to cross before soil, ash, and burned wood transitioned into vibrant green grass, waist-high hedges, and trees that towered so high that she often struggled to see what lay beyond the canopy. Elaine moved as quickly as she could, fingers clasped tightly with Custas, who was dragging his feet weakly as she tramped behind her. She honestly didn't think he'd be capable of moving so soon, but he surprised her in that he had yet to collapse to the ground again.

A large leaf slapped her in the face as Elaine breached the dense foliage, the enraged bellows of the reptilian titan echoing behind her. She knew such an injury wouldn't hinder it for long, and just as she'd suspected, the sound of scales slithering over soil and branches spread through the forest, sounding as if someone was dragging along with them something heavy. Elaine ducked her head as she dove into an even faster spring, tightening her grip on Custas and pulling him with her as fast as she could.

She collided with leaves and low-hanging branches, nearly tripped upon a log lying over the forest path, and almost let go of Custas' hand several times, but she had to keep moving. She needed to keep moving! If they lingered, even for a second's notice, the basilisk hunting them would pounce on them before they'd even have the chance to flee. The heavy, dragging noise grew louder as she ran. Trying to keep her eyes concentrated on the winding route ahead, blurry green and brown shapes soaring past her at the side of her vision, she couldn't keep the haunting sight of the giant snake's crimson eyes out of her mind.

She knew it was back there. She knew it meant to end both of their lives. Against herself, Elaine spared a hesitant glance over her shoulder as she ran, and that's when she saw it: the enormous mass wearing black scales like armor jumping out of a wall of foliage, splitting open its mouth as smoke puffed out of its nostrils like dark ribbons.

Elaine's heart pierced her chest. In the next second, she'd be joining her aunt in the Eternal Gardens. "Wind Magic: Venti Latus!" Elaine felt the wind wrap around her, almost alive with a strange, sentient force. It danced playfully at her ankles, curling around her legs in a gentle embrace that began to lift her. The gusts surged upward, swirling around her waist and, with her next step, they swept her completely off the ground.

In an exhilarating rush, Elaine broke free from the earth. The world around her blurred into a haze of colors as she sped through the air, weightless and free. As she soared, a flash of familiar movement caught her eye—Custas was flying ahead, his figure a streak against the backdrop of the forest, effortlessly rocketing through the wilderness. Elaine's arm stretched taut as he and the winds pulled her relentlessly forward. Her legs trailed behind her, suspended in mid-air, no longer grounded.

Dust dispersed in a thick cloud from where the basilisk buried its spot right where they would have been had they not moved. Elaine discerned its one good crimson eye shooting at her with anger before it was consumed in a wave of blurry colors. Adrenaline and excitement spiraled inside her stomach, and the world around her coagulated into colorful and nondistinctive shapes as her hair billowed uncontrollably, and ahead, through her clouded vision, she caught the backside of her wind mage friend, his body lying horizontally as if he were swimming through a river.

She wasn't sure how the boy was managing to stay conscious, but that thought was quickly erased from Elaine's mind as a reptilian shriek discharged after them. The basilisk—Bytis—had yet to abandon his hunt. With effort, Elaine forced herself to look behind her, spotting a lengthy, coiling shape of darkness chasing after them. That could have only been a basilisk; its oily black scales gleamed starkly against the forest's greens, yellows, and browns.

Elaine felt her balance shift precariously as Custas leaned his body to the side, narrowly evading the massive trunk of the galbora tree that surged past her on her left. As the density of the forest intensified around them, Elaine struggled to maintain her control as she was pulled in a new direction every other second. Despite being a sorcerer teetering on the edge between life and death, Custas was surprisingly agile. She watched him, his dark hair whipping wildly, the fabric of his uniform flapping violently against his frame, as with a strained, croaking voice, he willed his body to veer sharply to the right just as a tall hedge sprang up before them.

Inhaling, Elaine looked behind her again, raising her wand as she did. It was hard to make out any distinct shape or creature, given how swiftly they were flying, but if she squinted, she could barely make out the sight of a long and large being slithering its way between the thick trunks of galbora trees, a single orb of crimson moving within its black shape.

The tip of her wand shimmered with golden light as she fought to steady her aim, but with her arm flailing uncontrollably as if it kept a mind of its own, she'd have a better chance at hitting the beast had she been blindfolded. Determined not to fail, however, Elaine tightened her grip around the wand's handle, focusing all her energy on calming her body and emotions. Every muscle tensed as she struggled to remain motionless amid her wild flight. With effort, her eyes locked onto the beast's massive, coiling form, the basilisk racing toward her with a piercing shriek that sent vibrations through the air. "Light Magic! Icto Lumen—"

Suddenly, Elaine fell out of the air, but not before a javelin of light discharged from her gleaming wand. Elaine watched as it flew away from them into the forest, unsure if it had met its target. The heavy pull of gravity crushed her against the forest floor. She lay there stationary, a strong ringing in her ears. Her stomach churned, and for a moment, she thought she would bend over and vomit. The rapid and unexpected change from moving incredibly quickly to coming to a blaring halt weighed heavily on her body, and Elaine felt herself quiver instinctively. She hadn't let go of her wand, however.

"Custas..." she grumbled, sitting up, a hand pressed against her forehead. As her vision cleared, she discovered they had landed in a small pocket at the center of looming galbora trees, waist-high thorn hedges blocking them on all sides. Just how far away were they from the forest's edge now? "Custas! Where are you?!" Elaine called out, shooting quick, panicked glances around the enclosed area. Eventually, she found the boy lying on his back a short distance ahead of her; arms stretched out, his wand lost in the long grass. She crawled over to him as fast as her body allowed—she intended to stand up, but her weak legs forbade her from committing to it—and as she made it to his side, she gasped with fright.

The poison, the silent destroyer. Vang's heinous magic held Custas in a toxic grip that slowly consumed him both inside and out. His already palish skin had taken on an eerie pallor, resembling the complexion of a porcelain doll, much less a human, while his labored breaths emerged as shallow whispers. Dark, purple veins snaked across his limbs, pulsing like the tendrils of a carnivorous plant.

Light and shadows...Elaine hastily shot her hands around his shoulders, shoving him gently until his eyelids opened up, purple-colored liquid leaking out the corners of his eyes. "Custas..." Elaine said softly. "I...we need to..."

Coughing weakly, Custas shook his head. "It's over...Elaine...there's no point in...staying with me..." he struggled to say. "...I'm...already dead...and if you don't leave...you'll die...too..."

Elaine hadn't realized she was crying until tears began raining down on him, her vision growing blurry. "Stop saying that! I can't leave you! I won't!"

"You have to..." Custas grunted. "You've got...people who care about you...a family who loves you...think about how they'll feel...when they find out their daughter...won't be coming home..."

"And what about you?!" Elaine shouted. "Are you trying to convince me my life is worth more than yours?! That, for whatever reason, I have more of a right to live than you do?! Are you dumb?! That's not how this works, Custas!"

Despite the condition he was in, his lips curved into a dimpled grin. That strange, purple liquid rivered down the sides of his face as he shut his eyes again. "Me? I'm...I'm a nobody...someone who doesn't matter...a pathetic sulmo meant to be forgotten. But you? If you can...become a Professional...Sorcerer...maybe you can find a way...to make this world less shitty...for the both of us..."

The heavy noise of slithering across the underbrush echoed behind her, steadily growing louder with each fleeting moment. It moved with unsettling deliberateness, crashing through the dense foliage and snapping branches with a low, menacing rustle. The basilisk was indeed still after them, but Elaine didn't care. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, feeling the warmth of a blush rising in her cheeks. "...Custas..."

"Dammit...this blows..." Custas continued lowly, an arm covering his eyes. "...I can't believe...this is how it...all ends. I never got to be a sorcerer...and worse, I didn't even tell you...how I felt..." Custas gritted his teeth tightly in his jaw, his hand bawling to a fist atop of him. "Why do I have...to be so damn unlucky?!"

"How you feel? What do you mean by that, Custas? What was there for you to...?"

Custas peaked at her from over his arm, the sclera in his strained, pained eyes turning a light shade of purple. "Run..." he whispered. "Run away...as fast as you can...Leave me here...the two of us...don't have to die like this..."

Creaking wood and the sharp cracks of snapping branches alerted Elaine of the towering beast slithering out from the inky shadows of the forest. It lurked just beyond the treeline, not even ten meters away from them. The basilisk raised its long, sinuous neck with a slow, languid motion as smoke curled from its wide nostrils like a haze of a distant wildfire. A deep growl rumbled from within its massive form, a gurgling symphony of hunger and power. Its one crimson eye zeroed in on Elaine's gaze, the slit pupil bisecting her like a dark blade.

Elaine knuckled the ground as she steadily rose to her feet.

What am I doing...?

The weight of the Common Wand in her hand felt light within her grasp, like a twig in the undergrowth, much less a tool of the mystic arts.

I don't want to die...

She exhaled slowly, allowing a cool current of air to slip gently past her lips. The tension that had previously constricted her insides, urging her to seek refuge among the trees of the forest, had finally quieted.

I have to...I need to...

"...Run..." Custas croaked. "...Elaine...don't..."

Glancing back at him, lying there barely clinging to consciousness, a powerful force within her stirred to life. It was her Essence, igniting like an inferno—intense and bright—at the heart of the planet. Its heat and passion surged through her veins. She turned to face the basilisk again, tilting her head upward so that she may meet the gaze of the creature. Its piercing crimson eye bore into her very soul, a deep abyss radiating a primal hunger. From within its mouth hung agape was a glow of smoldering flames emanating from the depths of its throat.

In that instant, as she stared into the face of certain death, a singular question reverberated in her mind, loud and insistent, cutting through the clamor of fear: What kind of sorcerer do you want to be?