Caught in gray, Essairyn barely heard the rumblings before dawn. Her ashy vision blurred her other senses as she tried to wake up from a cold sweat. Her sluggish limbs floundered motionlessly, unconsciously causing her heart to pound in panic. That sinking feeling spurred her body to arise from the unseen entrapment that unraveled reluctantly at her will. A sudden jolt jarred her body upright from covers that looked like they had just been made. Like the listless dead, she had laid obliviously in sleep as the screeches of despair whipped past her ears.

"You're awake!" A tearful sob intermixed with wild joy numbed her senses momentarily. Izlende had pounced upon Essairyn as if seeing someone awaken from a coma. "I thought I had failed and made a terrible mistake in trying to counteract the poison discreetly," she cried, hugging Essairyn even tighter. "Thank goodness it was effective in the end. But..." Izra loosened her grip and turned her head warily toward the unconscious Brynhilde and shut door. "Looks like you were the only one strong enough to break free in time."

"Izlende." Essairyn's voice was rough with a lingering trace of drowsiness. Izra snapped her worried gaze back to the girl. "What's happening? What're you talking about? Why is there—"

"Shh—!" Izra lightly hushed Essairyn's loudening voice with her palm. "Talk quieter! I don't know if anyone's inside the inn on our floor. We can't alert anyone! I'll answer your questions quickly." She took a deep breath and stared at the other girl with clear, determined, steely-blue orbs.

"Someone's been adding poison to our food at the inn. Technically, it's not poisonous until it comes into contact with an activator. But the more we consume before the activator, the stronger the effect of the resulting poison. Last night's feast was laced with this slowly catalyzing activator so that we wouldn't be aware before we went to sleep. I figured out this out three days ago. And since then, I have been casting purifying spells on you, Brynhilde, and Ennrion." Izlende explained the situation while laying her hands on the slumbering brunette. Every second was precious.

A shocking realization flashed in Essairyn's eyes. "So then last night you were actually—!" Izra knew that Essairyn figured it out. "Yes, I was actually casting a spell on you and Brynhilde in the bathroom." She coughed abashedly. "I need direct skin contact in order to detox the body. You couldn't see the magic circle because I condensed it on your back. I'm not a white magic for nothing, you know!"

Essairyn smiled softly at Izra's subtle display of pride. For sure, having a healer in these situations was reassuring. She understood that Izlende had to act secretly in fear of alerting whoever had done this. Otherwise, they might miss the reason behind their clandestine ploy that could ultimately be connected to their mission.

"We're lucky to have you. How long will it be until the others wake up? The poison renders us immobile?"

Izlende nodded. "The poison is harmless if it doesn't come into contact with the activator within a week or so as the body dispels it naturally. It's been building up for five days now, just two for us, Bryn, and Rion. When you fall asleep while it's active though, it's more difficult to wake up. Thankfully, it didn't take that long for you. Using you as an estimate, Brynhilde should be up in twenty minutes. As for the others..." A dark shadow crossed her face. "It could take hours if I don't get to them soon."

"How long did it take me? You were able to avoid the poison and wake up earlier?"

"Ten minutes. ...You eat a little too much."

"Hey!" Essairyn picked up her pillow and stopped short from chucking it at the silver-haired girl who had bit her lip in order to resist a chortle.

"Ah, sorry, ahah. I could cancel out the poison as it entered my body with an inner spell, but I'm not able to do that easily for others much less in a hidden way. Besides, I was caught by surprise too. I didn't know that they would attack tonight. Otherwise I would have—"

Creak. Thud, the sound of someone walking up the stairs resounded dimly in the clamorous night. Both girls froze, concentrating on the steady thump of boots against wood as it neared their door. A pale bead of magic whooshed from Essairyn's fingertips. Click. The door swung open, revealing a heavyset, tall man garbed in muted colors. For a split second, he stood still in the doorframe, his mind piecing together the unexpected scene before him.

But before he could unsheathe the sword on his waist, the magic bead burst in front of his forehead. He staggered backwards, toppling past the doorway. Taking advantage of the reverse sneak attack, Essairyn leapt from her bed, instantiated her magic sword, and sliced the man's legs and arms. He shrieked inaudibly and twitched involuntarily as the blood pooled below him.

"Why didn't you aim for the neck? Just kill him quickly instead of letting him bleed out. Now you might've alarmed the enemy." Izlende breezed past Essairyn and dealt the finishing blow with her dagger.

"But shouldn't we try figuring out the situation, first?"

"Asking him is pointless, especially since you blasted his face off basically. We need to get outside and see what's happening. Don't you hear the screams? There's a big fight out there, and the townspeople seem to be caught up in it!"

Essairyn shrunk back in shame. Izra sighed and looked at the girl with gentle eyes. "We can't waste time. And you can't be so kind in a life or death situation. Just listen to your instincts like when you made that magic bead. Don't think too much." The girl still had to adapt much more to this ruthless world.

"I understand." Essairyn hardened her eyes and stepped over the man's body.

"I'll stay here to wake up the others. Ennrion will come help you soon. Be careful." Essairyn inclined her head back, nodding at Izlende's words. The silver haired girl felt her heart tighten in distress. Shaking her head, she steeled herself that Essairyn would be okay and rushed over to the boy's room, hoping she wasn't too late.

Barefooted, Essairyn crept down the stairs. Before the bottom of the first floor, she spied a man entering the inn. She crouched down, fixing her sharp gaze upon the man drawing nearer. Feeling something was off, the man stopped and suddenly noticed a large shadow by the top of the stairs. Alarmed, he gripped the hilt of his sword, drawing it out as magic needles abruptly barraged him. Blinded and unbalanced, he screamed and teetered forward before ultimately falling down.

Hearing the cries of their accomplice, nearby men stomped over to the formerly silent inn. Essairyn hastily put on the boots stored in her cache and tied the laces with magic while hurtling out the door. Spotting the people heading towards her, she extended the blade of her sword and swept in a wide arc, striking them all. Running past the fallen group, she whipped her head about, trying to grasp the situation.

Burnt houses and torn bodies bestrewed the townscape. Men and women fled and defended themselves with wild, desperate cries. Children clutched at their mother's skirts or trembled on the ground, their backs pressed against walls bloodied by the futile sacrifice of their parents. Dark-clothed intruders, aided by deformed, blackened figures, indiscriminately slaughtered the townspeople. Demons?! Essairyn was bewildered by the sight of the grotesque creatures that were disgustingly humanoid. Why would demons be helping humans while also killing them? What's going on?! Wait. Where's Akari?! She spun on her heel in the direction of the inn. The danger had caused her to temporarily forget about the little fox. Surely, Akari should have perceived the demons' presence before the night attack. So, she must have gotten away as Essairyn didn't remember seeing Akari sleeping on her bed when she woke up. But she had shared the inn's food with the gluttonous fox several times. Could the poison affect spirits too?

A whistling blade snapped Essairyn to her senses. Now was not the time to be distracted. She deftly dodged the back strike and pivoted. Blood sprayed from the gash; some droplets splashed Essairyn's cheek. Her eyes widened as they connected with the attacker's bulging eyes which were mired in shock, terror, and death. Numbed by the dying gaze and dripping sensation on her cheek, Essairyn stood frozen in place. A slow hand reached up and wiped away the blood. Peering at her bloody fingertips, she trembled, horrified. Just what am I doing? Killing people...

"Essairyn!!" Two voices jolted her out of her daze. She looked up, just in time to see a glinting blade pass inches by her head. An agonized screech followed from behind.

"What're you doing standing in the middle of this?! You're going to get yourself killed!" Aispin berated Essairyn, making her cringe in chagrin. He was right. She needed to calm herself. Stop thinking as Izlende had said.

"I'm sorry."

The girl's faint voice gripped Aispin's heart. He didn't mean to yell at her like that.

"I—"

"We need to get a move on." Ennrion interrupted Aispin. "I'll cover the front of the inn. Aispin, go to the west where the main residential neighborhoods are. Essairyn." He paused, sizing her up. "Go to the east, find out what they're after."

"Ennrion you—!" Aispin began to challenge his orders for Essairyn.

"I got it." She cut him off and sped away.

Aispin turned on Ennrion. "Why did you tell her to go there?! She's obviously frightened by everything that's happening. Why send her to the heart of it?!"

The taller man exhaled with a heavy conscience. "She's stronger than you think. If she's going to survive in this world, she needs to change."

Aispin gritted his teeth in contempt. "You don't have to be the one that decides that for her."

Ennrion stared at the back of Aispin's retreating figure. Izlende, tell me that you're right... A nearby scream brought him back. Silently, he sprinted to the townspeople's aid. The morning would be a long one.

On the other side of town, Essairyn skillfully, thoughtlessly cleared the path before her. Wails of dying foes and black demon dust swarmed the air. A large cage entered her sight. Bound townspeople trapped inside were being hauled away into the back of a truck. Streaking towards the vehicle, Essairyn was ready to slash the tires. Before she reached five meters from the caged people, a man whose face was partially covered by a black scarf dropped down from the sky, blocking her path. Wordlessly, he engaged Essairyn with lightning-fast moves.

"Oh? You're pretty good." She couldn't help commenting on the ninja-quick man. He didn't respond. Frowning, she switched her sword hand and materialized her scythe in her right hand. She couldn't let him get near as he obviously was best suited in close range. Witnessing the casual switching of magically created weapons, the man's eyes widened, and he jumped back in alarm.

"What? You're scared now?" Essairyn taunted with a side-smirk that instantly twisted in a sneer. This man was not like the henchmen she had previously fought. He was sent to protect the getaway of the truck. She wouldn't take him lightly, but that didn't mean she was the least bit intimidated by him.

Essairyn leapt into the air and swiftly ran over his head toward the truck. Shocked, he raced over and prepared to fend off her aerial attack. As expected, she targeted the tires. He blocked her strike, but he wasn't well equipped to withstand it. Not only did the long reach of her scythe prevent him from properly counter attacking, but it was now apparent that she had only been testing him before. He was no match for this strange girl who could wield a weapon crafted instantaneously from magic. As that thought settled in, greed rose in his heart. Perhaps they could capture this girl too. Evidently, she was a mage despite being able to fight physically. But he only entertained this delusion for a moment. They didn't have sufficient strength to capture her this time.

In a split second decision, he flung one of his daggers at her while leaping away. Reflexively, she blocked the throw and even grabbed the dagger as it dropped. Her triumphant expression lasted but a moment when the truck began moving. She had wasted too much time with the man and overlooked her ability to fight magically instead of physically. If she had just sent magic needles over, she could have pierced the tires. F***. I'm getting too used to the knight's style of fighting since attending the Academy. This isn't suitable for me. Get yourself together. You've made too many mistakes already.

Unwilling to let the truck escape, Essairyn accelerated her movements with magic and tailed it. She flung a wide arc of magic underneath the truck, making it skid and collapse under itself. But again, she had celebrated inside her head too soon.

A chilling voice accompanied slow, booming claps. "Very good. Just what I'd expect from a B-class knight. Or should I say, mage?"

Essairyn spun her head around and glared at the speaker. Long, scarlet hair, playful yet hostile amber orbs. She inwardly gasped. Kajarn Choyal.