Arcada scrolled through an ancient folio and rubbed his chin. The old wizard decided that since he had to return to Terra Solis, he, at least, needed to buy some local books for his collection. Listra was waiting outside. Meanwhile, she managed to shortly visit her old friend, buy some interesting stuff for her shop and eat a little breakfast.

Big man had just opened another book when the young woman rushed to inside the store and grabbed his arm.

- Time to return! – she whispered.

- Why? What’s wrong?

- A forbidden guest is waiting for you!

Arcada didn’t understand what his friend meant but listened to her advice. He quickly put all the books back and the two left the shop. A second later a portal brought them back to the Nulla City, right to Arcada’s mansion.

As soon as the magicians went out of the portal, the old wizard heard a loud clang behind his back. He turned around and look at the street. The city was unusually bustling. Hundreds of people were passing by the old building, discussing something very actively. They all seemed to be very alarmed. A tall man in a long cape was standing right at the forged fence of Arcada’s mansion. He grabbed the bars of the gates and shook them strongly. The gates made an unpleasant iron clang once again.

- Go inside the house and tell my butler to bring you back home later. - Arcada glanced strictly at Listra.

After the girl had left, the old wizard neared the fence and carefully examined the stranger. The cape was hiding the man’s face, but the magician could still easily recognize him.

- What are you doing here? If somebody notices you, you will be immediately arrested! – Arcada almost screamed but quickly lowered his voice.

- Where is El?! – Deas pressed his body against the fence.

The old man felt uncontrolled fear for a moment. D’s eyes were completely black, and his face was covered with black veins. He angrily shook the bars again and grinned, showing his sharp as knives fangs.

- I don’t know. She went to the legion’s meeting. What has happened? – Arcada tried to cope with his fear.

- I feel that she is in danger! – Deas shook the bars once again ripping them out.

- Calm down! – Arcada stepped out of the newly created hole in the fence – If you want to find her, you must calm down! Otherwise, other magicians will feel your presence!

- Let’s go! No time for that! – the young man tried to take his rage under the control.

People were running down the street, away from the city center, so two magicians hurried in the opposite direction.

- What is going on here? – Arcada looked around.

- I have no idea. I teleported here shortly before when I felt El’s pain. – Deas covered his face with a hood.

- You put a connecting spell on her? – the old wizard was rather surprised.

- Only to know, when this idiot is in trouble. – the necromancer snorted dryly.

A couple of blocks away from the Council Hall Arcada heard familiar voices in the crowd. Three small figures were desperately trying to push through the stream of people fleeing from the center. The old wizard grabbed all three and dragged them to the side.

- What is he doing here? – Ada shouted out as she noticed D.

- Looking for El. And you? What has happened here? – Ardcada quickly checked if all the kids were fine.

- We’ve heard that those monsters were here, they attacked the Council Hall. – explained Nick.

As the boy finished his phrase, Deas frowned, quickly turned around, and ran towards the Hall, leaving others behind.

- You three better leave. Teleport somewhere else! – commanded the old wizard.

- No! Come on! We must catch up with that guy! – Sam hurried after Deas.

Ada and Nick followed their friend before Arcada managed to object. In less than ten minutes all four reached the central square. It was completely blocked by the legion’s warriors. After the first glance, the old wizard instantly pushed the kids behind his back. He didn’t want them to see, what he saw. The whole square in front of the Council Hall was covered in blood and bodies of horrible giant monsters and fallen magicians. Healers and guardians were wandering around in confusion, not knowing what to start with. They looked devastated and shocked. Some of the healers were trembling in fear.

The old magician looked around and saw Deas on the side of the street. The necromancer helplessly huddled against the walls of houses like a beast driven into a cage. He attempted to come closer to the square but there was no chance to do it unnoticed by the legion's soldiers. The young man was anxious and lost.

For a moment memories of the first war with Terra Terrorem popped up in Arcada’s memory. Even back then, when Deas was significantly weaker than now, the necromancer fearlessly and furiously fought against the strongest magicians of the council’s army. He had never backed down, never doubted even for a second leaving only death behind him. For the first time in all those years, the old magician saw D being so weak and vulnerable.

A massive wooden door of the Council Hall opened, and a group of people came out of the building. Arcada immediately saw the redhead slowly walking down the stairs. She was limping, bandages on her right hand and stomach were red from blood but she was alive. Big man waved his huge hands, attracting the girl’s attention. El squinted and limped towards her friends. As soon as Deas saw her alive, his face immediately turned completely emotionless.

- I see, you brought the most unsuitable viewers with you. – the redhead said wearily leaning on Arcada’s arm.

- How are you? – her old teacher asked.

- Well…Alive. So, already 60% luckier than those guys… - El pointed at the bodies at the square. – D, you must immediately leave! You are compromising herself!

- Then we are leaving together pixy. There is nothing else to do in this disgusting place. – the necromancer turned around and headed away from the square.

All six hid in the alley, and Deas teleported the whole group to his castle at Terra Terrorem. El fell on the sofa in the main parlor, her whole body was hurting so she had absolutely no powers to move anymore. Deas ordered Tarnan to start a fire and bring some food, then neared his friend and checked her wounds.

- Can you heal it? – Sam gazed D straight in his eyes.

- In a way. – the man answered shortly and placed his hand on El’s head.

- Leave my wounds to me! – the girl huffed and moved away – I will be fine. We need our magic for other things.

- I could, at least, make a healing potion… - suggested Arcada.

- No, right now we need another potion! Do we have all we need? – the redhead strictly looked at her friends.

- Yes, Listra and I got The Tears. – big man took out a small bottle.

- Ah, yes. And here is The Grass. – Ada got out of a daze and handed the plants to the old wizard.

- Good. Wait. Why is it freshly cut? – Arcada raised his eyebrows and stared at the kids.

- So, you three went there and didn’t die…What a shame… - Deas rolled his eyes and sat down on the windowsill.

- Anyways, you should start with the potion now. I will join as soon as I feel better. We don’t have much time! – El commanded.

- Right… After such an attack…How could it even happen? Nulla Meridianus is so well protected! – the little witch shook her head.

- I don’t know. Today we got numerous reports about monsters in different dimensions. I guess, somebody just tried to distract us because when most troops arrived at assigned Terras, there were already no signs of monsters. But, after some time, I felt, that there was something wrong in the Nulla City. My troop was the first one to return and to face those creatures…Many didn’t survive… - the girl closed her eyes for a second – And one of the elders was murdered. The council won’t leave it like that.

All six remained silent for some time. How could it happen that the impregnable city fell so easily? How strong was that mysterious necromancer? One was clear, soon enough the council would vote for the invasion and start gathering an army. The time was running out.

- Show us, where Ada and I can start preparing the potion. The boys will take care of all the artefacts and runes for the ritual. – Arcada stood up and pronounced loudly.

Deas led the magicians to catacombs under the castle. There, in spacious rooms, he kept his large collection of magical objects. The old wizard placed a book in front of the twins and explained to them in detail how to prepare the place for the ritual. It was important to do everything in the correct sequence and exactly the way it was written in the book: a large pentagram exactly 3x5 meters big; 13 small intricate runes, each 20 centimeters far from another; then 7 artefacts: a broken mirror, a feather, a sandglass, a bone, a dry flower, a golden pomegranate, and butterfly’s wings. Deas checked on brothers a couple of times but didn’t say anything, he only approvingly shook his head. The boys felt honored and scared at the same time. Getting so close to dark magic they felt how sinister it is.

Arcada, D, and Ada stayed in a smaller room next to the hall for the ritual. The potion was indeed very complicated. Way too many ingredients and even more directions on how to handle those ingredients.

In the evening Deas ordered Tarnan to prepare rooms for the children. He stayed up with Arcada for some time more after sending the trio to sleep. Two magicians finished the last preparations. Now they only needed one of those monsters.

The necromancer slowly walked through the dimly lit corridors of his castle, stopped in front of a small door, and knocked on it.

- What’s up D? – El replied from behind the door.

- Just wanted to ask if you are okay. – he answered emotionlessly looking inside the room.

- Yes. I will be much better tomorrow.

- Good.

- D!

- What?

- Could you bring some candles, please? You know, I don’t like darkness…

- How foolish is it to fear darkness when you have powers like yours? – Deas shook his head.

The redhead didn’t answer. She only smiled, rubbed her forehead, and shrugged. The young man rolled his eyes and entered the room. He snapped his fingers, and dozens of tiny balls of fire appeared in the air.

- Here are your candles, pixy. – D huffed.

Ada couldn’t fall asleep in this enormous, cold castle. She got out of the bed and slipped out into the corridor. The little witch walked along ancient galleries, decorated with portrays of long-dead monarchs of Terra Copia. Some of the paintings were cruelly torn to shreds.

It was already dark when Ada realized, that she got lost. The girl saw a dim light coming from a room at the end of the corridor. She neared the room and peeped inside. Deas was sitting on the floor leaning back on the bed El was sitting in. He waved his hand and the tiny balls of fire in the air started floating around gathering in bizarre figures.

- And this is Basilisk – one of the constellations of the northern celestial hemisphere. – explained the man – You can see it during the warm season, not now. And those are Prayer and Archer.

Ada stepped away from the door, she didn’t want to interrupt. Once again, a heavy and sticky feeling of shame overwhelmed her. The world had been pretty unfair to Deas for ages and yet, being on the whole rather a cruel and unpleasant person, he managed to keep surprisingly a lot of humanity. The girl thought about her grandmother. She wondered for a moment if her parents also knew the truth about Iduna.