Chapter XXXV

Nigreos Noctis glanced around his living quarters once more, ensuring that he could still sense every security measure put in place. Even though he didn’t have much that would be worth stealing and that it was highly unlikely anybody in the Citadel would dare break into the quarters of a Master, he still couldn’t help but be cautious. He didn’t know how long the mission to Omaruo would take. For all he knew, he’d be back in a day or perhaps it would be months before he and Album returned to Ijiria. Then there was the matter of the time zone shifts. Time in Omaruo passed twice as fast as in Ijiria, so a two days spent there would only be one in his homerealm.

Nigreos reached down to the realm dagger sheathed at his hip, given to him by Album the previous night when he had returned from Nuvo’s. It wasn’t his first time in possession of a realm dagger nor was this his first mission across worlds. In fact, it wasn’t even his first time jumping to Omaruo. However, the circumstances surrounding this current mission were enough to cause the simple weight of the dagger to make him sick. The time had finally come and he still wasn’t sure whether Eric Reiner was their enemy or not. He could only hope that the boy had nothing to do with it and that they would never again cross paths. As long as the one in possession of the Assassanation Gem was unrelated to Abi then Nigreos was certain the mission could be finished swiftly and efficiently. He and Album were some of the most powerful mages in Ijiria. Taking care of a rogue sorcerer should be simple. In addition, the presence of the nerich purchased from Nuvo, tucked away in the pocket of his suit, assured him even more.

Well, I guess I’ve stalled long enough. Album’s gonna get impatient if I take too long.

Nigreos turned and made his way toward his front door but, just as he was reaching for the knob, he felt a sudden presence just outside. He hesitated for only a moment before recognizing who it was and, with a brief smirk, pushed it open. There, standing just to the left of the door, leaning up against the wall, was Master of Wind and his old friend, Ryokumo Caeli, eyeing him with a sly look.

“You’re welcome,” the man said. “I was so tempted to distort myself but, since I know you don’t like me creeping up on you, I decided to do you a favor just this once and allow you to sense my presence. It is a special day, after all.”

Nigreos rolled his eyes but found himself happy to have his old friend there. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to say goodbye before leaving but, evidently, Ryokumo had gotten wind of their departure.

“Sure, thanks,” Nigreos grumbled. “Thanks for not being an ass.”

The other man laughed, falling into stride alongside him as they began walking down the silver and white corridor. It was still early in the morning and the sun had yet to rise so the only illumination came from the red torches hanging on either side of the hall. Their footsteps clicked against the marble floor, echoing down the empty corridor

“So, the day has finally arrived,” Ryokumo mused. “Are you excited, Nigreos?”

“Excited?” He snorted. “Sure, I’m excited to finally put this whole mess behind us. We’re lucky the whole attack has been so carefully kept under wraps, but there’s only so long we can keep rumors from getting out.”

“Well, with any luck it shouldn’t take long, yes?” Ryokumo replied.

“Yeah, with luck. But we’ve never had much of that, have we?”

His fellow Master laughed bitterly. “All too true. In that case, I suppose you should start preparing for a nightmare of a mission.” The man then furrowed his brow then turned to look at him. “By the way, I heard from Nakoma that you brought back a Child of Reiner last night, but he didn’t say how you came across her. What’s the story there?”

Nigreos grimaced, not feeling in the mood to even think about his unfortunate turn of events following his departure from Nuvo’s. After neutralizing the four Children accompanying her, Nigreos had taken Arisa Kirisan back to the front gates of the Citadel. After explaining the situation to some of the guards, all the while making up a vague excuse about how he had gone into the Night Market to browse the shops, he had taken the woman down to the dungeons then gone to inform Nakoma Taurus, who was heading the interrogation of the Children. He could tell that the Master of Fire had been dubious about why he had gone to the market but, since Nigreos wanted to keep his possession of the nerich to himself, he had kept the truth hidden. After such a long night, he really didn’t want to discuss it again with Ryokumo.

“It’s nothing special,” Nigreos replied. “I went out to the market and got jumped by some overconfident stragglers from the attack. So, I did my job and took them down. Figured their leader might be helpful to the investigation.”

Ryokumo nodded. “Yes, I heard she was one of the ones who entered the Vault. Quite a find, though I didn’t realize you enjoyed partaking in shopping.”

“Yeah, well, I needed some time to myself to wind down,” he lied. “Too much on my mind these days.”

“Understandably so.”

When they reached the end of the hallway, Ryokumo summoned the silver disk to their level. The two men stepped on and the Master of Wind uttered another “Ortumo” to begin descending. Nigreos folded his hands behind his back and stared forward at the wall as the various floors passed them by.

“Nigreos,” Ryokumo said after a moment. “You know, I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and I want to ask you for a favor.”

He glanced sidelong at his friend, a brow raised in curiosity. “A favor? Well, if it’s within my power…”

Ryokumo nodded, seemed to consider what to say, then sighed. “If Eric Reiner truly is behind this then, despite what King Markreas commanded, you shouldn’t erase him. Instead...I think you should bring him back to Ijiria.”

“Bring him…?” Nigreos furrowed his brow. “What are you talking about? How the hell would that help anything. I’d show him a lot more mercy than the king or the council.”

Ryokumo shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s true. Despite Abi’s past, there was still a time when she was beloved by almost everyone she met. The people of this Citadel have not forgotten that nor has the king, I think. She was one of the greatest healers this city has ever seen and there are many who owe her their lives. King Markreas is still in her debt and I’m sure even a man as harsh as him won’t easily forget that.”

Nigreos frowned. “And? Obviously I know all that, but how does it pertain to Eric?”

“Well, for one, he’s her son,” Ryokumo pointed out. “If you could convince Eric Reiner to stand before the king and pledge his allegiance to Ijiria, I do believe that His Majesty would allow him to remain in the Citadel. Abi saved the king’s son and he can spare hers. It’ll be as simple as that. Then, we won’t have to erase Eric, we can return him to his true homeland, and everything will be okay.”

Nigreos considered his words for a moment, wondering if perhaps he was right. Was there a way to spare Eric and preserve his final promise to Abi? However, just as the thought passed through his mind, he reluctantly discarded it.

“But Eric Reiner won’t pledge allegiance to us,” he said simply. “The King has commanded that we erase anybody who came in contact with that stone. That’s not something he’s just going to overlook. Even erasing can't always take away emotions. His hatred for us will remain and he will fight us until the end.”

“Perhaps,” Ryokumo admitted. “And if that happens, then we have him erased like originally planned. But I want you to try, Nigreos. Try and bring him here...and perhaps we can save him.”

The disk slowed to a stop as they arrived on their designated floor, Ryokumo’s words echoing through his mind. At the end of the day, sparing Abi’s son was something he wanted to accomplish. If there was even a possibility of doing so, no matter how slim, then he wanted to try.

“I’ll do my best,” Nigreos said softly as he stepped off the disk and into the corridor beyond.

Ryokumo followed silently behind him as the two made their way down the halls. Their destination was the “Gateway”, a room used for official trips made into other worlds. It also happened to be the entryway into Ijiria. Each world in the multiverse had a handful of designated spots where reality connected to other realities. One could travel between worlds from any point, but they would always arrive in one of those spots no matter where they jumped from. The capital city of Erika, as well as the Citadel, was constructed where it was purely because of the location of Ijiria’s entry point. That way, if anybody tried to jump to Ijiria from another world, they would arrive in the middle of the most fortified building in their world.

Nigreos and Ryokumo stopped in front of the double doors of silver that led into the Gateway, both taking a moment to gather their thoughts, before the former reached forward and pushed them open. It was just as Nigreos remembered it with its obsidian walls and floor. There was no furniture nor were there any decorations or windows. It was a room that was designed to keep any intruders locked in should they try to jump worlds. The doors they entered through were designed to only be opened by those who knew the correct combination of spells.

“You certainly took your time.”

At the sound of her voice, Nigreos turned to his right to see his partner, Album Luz, standing with her arms folded across her chest and a large bag slung over her shoulder. Part of him wanted to snap at her and explain that he was just making sure everything was in order and the only reason he didn't was because of the other presence in the room. Just beside Album, standing tall and confident, was the daughter of the king, Anna-Piura Iiji. Despite the fact that any member of the council could have done so, Piura had insisted on overseeing the jump to Omaruo and so, there she stood, as imposing and awe-inspiring as ever.

“Apologies, Album,” Ryokumo replied before Nigreos could. “I kept him a little longer than necessary. But we’re here now.” He then turned and bowed toward Piura. “And it’s a pleasure to see you again, my princess.”

The woman nodded, bowing her head slightly in return. “And you, Caeli. Come to see them off, have you?”

“I have,” Ryokumo said. “I hope that is okay with you?”

“I have no problems with it,” Piura replied. “Now, we should begin. I have other things to attend to today so, Master Noctis, are you ready?”

Nigreos nodded, reaching down to his side to unsheath the realm dagger granted to him. It was a beautiful blade, finely crafted by a blacksmith long dead. Its hilt was wrapped in red leather with different colored gemstones adorning it. Just below the golden pommel was a small, ruby button and above was a blade glittering bright and bluish-green. It had been forged from one of the rarest materials in the world. Powerful amounts of mana flowed through it and Nigreos could sense it all interacting with the dark mana in his body.

“Yes, I’m ready,” he said.

Piura looked then to Album and she nodded as well.

“Alright then,” the princess began, “you may activate the dagger. And remember, unless this mission takes months, it won’t recharge its mana supply in Omaruo before it’s time for your return. Once the problem has been dealt with and the stone reclaimed, send a signal and we shall have the gateway opened from our end.”

Nigreos and Album both were already aware of the plans but he knew the princess liked to be thorough. She wanted nothing more to go wrong and so, he listened silently as she informed them of what it was they were expected to do.

“Reclaim the stone,” she continued, “and wipe any traces of our magic from that world. Spare no one. Make it seem as if this never happened. Is that understood? Noctis? Luz?”

“Understood, my princess,” both replied together.

Piura nodded. “Good. In that case, you may begin.”

Nigreos took a deep breath and turned around, pressing his finger lightly over the ruby button. Then, having prepared himself for the mission to begin, he pushed the button, activating the powers of the dagger. Yellow mana erupted from the pommel, enveloping the blade as it did so. Nigreos then lunged forward and sliced the dagger through the air, making a cut in reality itself. The world around the incision began to warp as the cut expanded into an oval-shaped portal of yellow, the mana swirling within.

“Luck be with the both of you,” Ryokumo said. “Take care.”

“And you,” Nigreos called back.

Album said nothing, instead staring silently into the portal. The two Masters exchanged a brief glance before stalking forward together. He could feel the eyes of Ryokumo and the princess behind him, watching them leave and Nigreos prayed that the next time he saw them, everything would have worked out for the better.

With Album by his side, Nigreos stepped into the portal and allowed the mana to overtake him. For a moment, it felt like he had been submerged in an endless ocean of water. He couldn’t breathe and his limbs felt heavy, as if gravity had become stronger. However, the surreal feeling lasted only a second before Nigreos felt himself emerging from the portal. He placed his foot down and pushed forward, suddenly feeling the bite of the wind and the cold feeling of raindrops hitting his skin. The sound of waves greeted his ears though it wasn't a calm sound. When his eyes adjusted, he found himself standing on a beach staring out at a raging ocean before him. The sky was covered by dark gray clouds and it was clear they had arrived in the middle of a storm. At his side, Album was staring up, her eyes narrowed.

“It’s winter, I believe,” she said. “Late December, early January.”

Nigreos nodded before glancing back over his shoulder to where the portal still swirled. With another press of the button, the gateway gradually closed until there wasn’t even a trace of it left save for the minor residue of mana that remained behind. He had no need to get his bearings since he’d taken the trip before. Omaruo’s gateway opened out on a secluded beach a few miles from the coastal town of Wilham. However, before he even had a chance to truly look around, his eyes went wide. A few dozen yards down the beach, there was a man huddled in the sand over a modest little fire, staring at them, stunned. Judging from his unkempt hair and beard, as well as his dirty clothes, it was clear he was a homeless man.

“Damn it,” he uttered.

Album followed his stare and sighed in irritation. The man slowly got to his feet and looked ready to turn and run, but the Master of Light was far faster to react.

“Lumina,” she whispered.

A second later, Album shot across the beach in a flash of white light. Before the man could do anything, Album was upon him, her hand shoved through his chest and a look of utter horror on his face. Nigreos couldn’t hear the word she spoke next but, when the man started crumbling into dust, he knew what she had done. The man’s body collapsed to the sand in front of Album and, moments later, there wasn’t a trace left of him. It all happened in mere seconds. With her task done, Album turned and walked back across the beach.

Nigreos shook his head. It was unfortunate, but it couldn’t be helped. They couldn’t allow anybody from that world to know of their existence and they certainly couldn’t let anybody see their magic. Nigreos quickly looked around the beach but, thankfully, there wasn’t another soul in sight. He had hoped there wouldn’t be anybody at Omaruo’s entry point.

“Well, let’s hope that’s not any indication of our luck here,” he growled as his partner walked up alongside him..

“I already sense something,” Album said, her stare now shifted to the stone staircase leading down to the beach behind them, the erasure of the man not seeming to faze her at all. “A powerful mana source...though in this world, it is hard to say whether it is caused by the stone or something else.”

Nigreos furrowed his brow, focussing on detecting what it was she sensed. Since there was a drastic difference between the mana density of Ijiria and Omaruo, it took the Master only a few seconds of focus to find what he was looking for. There was indeed a strong sense of mana back in the direction of the town. Given the readings from the QuaerBasim, it was almost certainly being caused by the usage of the relic.

“Let’s follow it,” Nigreos said. “If it leads us to this sorcerer then perhaps we can wrap this up swiftly.”

“Agreed,” she replied.

***

With their destination set, the two Masters proceeded toward the stone staircase and made their way up onto a dirt path that Nigreos recalled would take them to Wilham. Album produced two black cloaks from her bag and they were quick to wrap them around themselves, pulling the cowls up so as to conceal their faces from anybody they came across. Despite knowing that two cloaked figures walking through town was sure to make some suspicious, it was better than letting any locals see their appearances. Nigreos’s pitch black skin and Album’s pale white were unique to users of their respective magics so it wouldn’t be found anywhere in Omaruo. The cloaks were the preferable option to draw the least attention and they also served to keep them dry. Normally, he would have cast a spell to keep them warm but, given that his mana recharged far slower in magicless realms, he knew it would be foolish to waste it on as benign a reason as that.

The path went on for nearly three miles and they encountered nobody before it came up alongside a road that led to town. They then followed it, keeping to the right so as not to get hit by the technology-powered vehicles that occasionally drove by. Luckily, it was also apparently a less common road and so, they only encountered a few before they arrived in Wilham. Now, the source of mana was even stronger and Nigreos knew they were getting close. He kept his own power centered around his fingers for quick use should the sorcerer ambush them. After all, if the person was as powerful as the Basim made them out to be then they would almost certainly have sensed their arrival. The sorcerer could very well be preparing to take them on and Nigreos was adamant about not allowing himself to lower his guard.

The rain did them a favor, keeping the streets relatively empty and so, it was easy to keep aware of their surroundings. Since the center of the mana they sensed was coming from the western side of town, they intentionally avoided main street, keeping to the neighborhood roads. Everything was exactly as Nigreos remembered it and he couldn’t help but to feel a twinge of guilt.

The place forced him to think about Abi.

They often called Omaruo Abi’s Haven because it was the place she had considered her home. She left Ijiria behind and made a life for herself here. She had a family—a husband and a son. Knowing her as long as he had, Nigreos knew how much this world meant to her. She even took on the surname “Reiner”, the name of the magicless man she fell in love with. The name had no influence or prestige in Ijiria and yet, she had been insistent upon keeping it. Had she been able to, she almost certainly would have returned before her death.

Nigreos thought back to the day he arrived for the first time in this quaint little town. It was the one and only time he ever met Abi’s husband and son. Eric had been small at the time and he had only caught glimpses of the boy, but he had spoken to her husband directly. At the time, just looking at the man, he could only wonder what it was about him that made Abi fall for him. How could a woman from a world like Ijiria fall for someone as bland and boring as him? What could he do without magic? Nothing. And that was all he could do when Abi was taken away from this world.

I wonder what he’s up to now. Perhaps I should track him down and speak with him again. If I do as Ryokumo suggests and take Eric away from here, perhaps it would be a mercy to erase Scott Reiner before I go.

“We’re getting close,” Album muttered under her breath.

Nigreos could sense it, too. And soon enough, when they rounded a corner, they both instinctively knew that they had arrived at the right place. Before them was a school three stories high, standing tall over all of the houses that surrounded it. A large quantity of mana was emanating from it and so Nigreos knew that whatever they were looking for would be there. He suspected Eric Reiner of being of high school age so, if his suspicions were true, then this being their destination surprised him little.

“Be cautious,” Album warned. “I believe it to currently be afternoon but that doesn’t mean there won’t be anybody within. We must avoid drawing attention.”

“Agreed,” Nigreos responded. “I say we refrain from making contact with anyone for the time being. Instead, we should gather our bearings, see what we can learn, and then find a place to serve as a base. We’ll go from there.”

With a plan set, the two of them began approaching the front gates of the school. Nigreos could see a courtyard just beyond but there weren’t any students in sight. Confident that there wouldn’t be anybody to question them just yet, Nigreos stepped forward and, with Album at his side, stepped into the school.

The moment he did, everything went dark.

***

When Nigreos opened his eyes, his mind felt like it was in a haze. For a minute, he couldn’t remember where he was or what was going on. It felt like he was laying on the ground but when he tried to move his head to look around, he found himself feeling overwhelmingly weak. Nevertheless, he forced himself to a sitting position and took in his surroundings. He frowned. He was sitting on the floor of what appeared to be an empty classroom. There were desks situated all around the room in rows and they faced a whiteboard at the front. There was no sign of any of the students or the teacher and the door to the classroom was wide open.

What the hell? Where am I? What’s going on?

He hurriedly placed his palm against the ground and sent his mana through the building, hoping to sense for any sign of danger. However, he found that there didn’t seem to be an immediate threat. Content that, for the time being, he was safe, he quickly wracked his brain to see what he could remember.

Album and I made it to Omaruo...and were tracking that powerful source or mana. We got to that school and...when we went inside…

His memory stopped there. He couldn't recall anything of what happened after they went inside the school.

Were we attacked? Did the sorcerer get the upper hand on us after all? There’s no way! I would’ve sensed him, especially in a place lacking in magic such as this. Clearly, I’m still inside the school so what I should do is find Album and then try and figure out exactly what’s going on.

Nigreos fought against the fatigue weighing him down and, using the desk, pulled himself to his feet. After checking to make sure the canister containing the nerich was still tucked away within his pocket, he then brought his power to his fingers once again, ready to defend himself should the need arise. He knew there must be students or at least members of the staff in the building so he pulled his cowl back over his head before carefully stepping out into the hallway. Much to his surprise, he found nobody there either. There wasn’t a soul in sight. Slowly, Nigreos crept forward, his footsteps against the linoleum floor echoing through the empty corridor. As he walked, he noticed the doors to each classroom wide open but, each time he poked his head in, he found them empty as well.

What’s going on? I don’t understand this. Where the hell is everybody?

When he came to a staircase leading down, he decided to head that way, hoping to maybe find the entrance. When he reached the next floor, it was more of the same. The hallway stretched out in both directions without any sign of human life.

The classrooms on this floor were all empty as well. It almost seemed as if the students and staff had simply vanished into thin air. Everything was perfectly clean and taken care of. It looked as if it had been inhabited just that day. The only thing missing were the people.

He rounded a corner and began quickening his pace, getting more panicked than he’d liked to admit. He still couldn’t sense Album anywhere so he didn’t even know if she was inside the school. For all he knew, she was still out in the city. He went around another corner, checked all the classrooms, then turned again. It was only once he went around a fourth time that he stopped in sudden surprise.

Wait…

The number on the classroom he was standing beside had the numbers 2-13 painted on its door. But he knew that should be impossible since he had just checked 2-13 just moments before. In fact, if he was remembering right, he could have sworn that was the number on the classroom he had started out in. Getting a sinking feeling in his stomach as he started to understand what was happening, Nigreos broke out into a run and rounded the next corner only to find room 2-13 just before him once more.

You’ve gotta be kidding me! This can’t be possible!

He took off again, bounding down the staircase and moving to the next floor.

Class 2-13 was right there a few doors down from the stairs.

Nigreos continued running, finding the next staircase and heading back down, once again confronted with the same hallway.

This school...from the outside, it looked as if it couldn’t possibly be more than three stories! But I’ve gone down the stairs four times and haven’t once found a staircase leading up! This could only make sense if…!

Nigreos turned and rushed toward the windows, wanting to look outside to see what was beyond. Sure enough, when he looked down, he could see the courtyard they had seen on their way in down below, making him appear to be on the second floor.

This place… I’m in a pocket realm!

Pocket worlds were realms that could be created by magic users. It was insanely advanced magic and even the most powerful sorcerers succeeded in making no more than a small town. Since time passed differently in those realms depending on how the creator set them up and so, they were often used as prisons to contain powerful criminals. In addition, no human beings in the multiverse had enough mana to support more than one pocket realm. If he was indeed trapped within one then it could potentially take him days to break out and that would only be considering how time passed where he was. For all he knew, months could pass in the world beyond.

Damn it! How is this possible! Is the sorcerer so powerful that they both knew we were coming and set a trap for us of this magnitude!? But...there’s no way Eric Reiner could have ever done this. There’s no way a teenager could have the knowledge and experience to pull this off, let alone one who’s lived in Omaruo his whole life! So...whether Eric Reiner is our target or not...one thing is for certain…

Somebody else is responsible for this…