Zek was looking inside the library. A few apprentices were reading texts, but the real conundrum was finding Gina without making any noise. Although they agreed to not use magic, Zek had the advantage in size and speed. He was looking between the bookshelves. Maybe she was hiding behind an old book collecting dust.

Not here, here... maybe over here. He wandered about the place until he caught sight of the shoes hiding behind a curtain. He pretended to not notice and swiftly moved the curtain. "Found you-"

Only the shoes were waiting there. He fell into the trap.

"Hahaha, you took the bait. I’m actually surprised that it got you." Gina was watching from above, sitting at a desk. "I guess I won today!"

"Yes, yes. Come down here, I've got no energy to climb those stairs." In reality, he was lying because he was tired of losing so many times. They had been playing for almost seven months, and Zek’s victories were fewer with each week.

She’s gotten so cocky because she learned to hide better after she started playing with other children. They resumed their studies after going back to the classroom.

Gina had learned a great deal about Light magic. With training, her mana reserves had almost doubled, and she could cast some higher-level spells. Truly a mountain of potential. He still had a couple more months to teach her before she went back home to the Republic of Selus, but he was almost done with her training.

Sadly, Light magic is not my specialty. I wish I could teach her some lightning or ice spells, but that could slow down her holy magic training when she goes back. Even with immensurable potential, she could reach a dead end. Zek knew that himself after mastering fire, lighting, and ice magic. His potential was amazing, but he was still only human. He couldn’t learn all the schools and types of magic with complete mastery.

He looked at his old hands full of wrinkles. Every year, he could feel his mana going down and his body doing less and less. Death is the final destination for those who live. He didn’t care about that though. To him, the beauty of life was doing incredible things in the span of some decades. Dragons could live for hundreds of years, but they became detached from others, including their own peers.

To live away from others because you believe yourself to be special or superior is too arrogant. No one can rule forever, but it is okay as long as we make a better future for those who follow our footsteps. He looked out as Gina ran with the other kids. They had bright and giant smiles as they laughed.

"Great Wizard Zek, the other Great wizards, sent a message that they are looking for you."

"Both of them? That’s pretty unusual. Where are they?"

"In the laboratory of the Great wizard Fejin."

He dismissed the messenger and went to the west side of the city. Fejin used to work on the main grounds, but he relocated his laboratory a few months ago for an unknown reason. He took a carriage, and the guards bowed and let him in. He could hear the vague voices of his colleagues.

He opened the door and went inside the waiting room.

"There you are." Fejin was the first one notice him and then Ladun.

"Zek, I wish all of us could talk in a less problematic situation."

"What happened? The fact that the three of us are here means that something grave must have occurred?" He looked at them, but Ladun only pointed to Fejin.

"Let this old man illuminate you about the situation. Show him your research Fejin."

"Follow me." As they walked to the laboratory, Fejin explained. "I’m sure you remember I was working on a way to improve the golems, to make them stronger and faster. It was pointless. I can't make better techniques or spells to enchant them."

"Did you give up? It would be weird for you to throw in the towel instead of looking for another solution."

"I racked my brain with ideas until I found something else. Golems are good because they can fight beasts and they don’t need food to survive, not to mention they aren’t affected by the hot desert. They are the perfect workers to tend the fields and harvest the food." Fejin face turned into a smile. "There are other creatures that can do the same."

"This…!" Zek was astonished by what he saw.

Around fifty undead were tending a field. They were zombies and skeletons, using tools and holding baskets as they took fruits and vegetables. If they were alive, it could be a picture of the ideal farm.

"Necromancy. Fejin, what did you do? We can’t use the undead for manual labor. What if the wizards lose control? They will turn against us! What would the other countries think?"

"They definitely think we are making an army to invade some place or nation."

"Exactly, it is foolish. Why haven’t you stopped this experiment?"

"He wasn't going to do it, but I asked him to keep the investigation." Ladun interrupted him. "We need the undead. I found out something about the magic crop system that our predecessors made."

"You found something?"

"Yes, our founders established a magic net around the desert that allowed food to grow here. We all believe it was powered by mana, but that was only half of it. The spell doesn’t just consume mana to make crops grow; it also takes nutrients from other places."

"From where?"

"Everywhere around us. The desert has been slowly growing in size for the past 40 years. The spell steals the nutrients from the ground, making them a desert."

"Why didn’t they do anything about it? Did they hide from everyone?"

"I don’t think they knew. I only discovered this after using the spell that I created [Nature scan]."

"How do the golems have anything to do with this?"

"The spell has evolved in a way that not only uses the mana in the air and the wizards in the artifact. It is also stealing the mana from the stones that the golems use. Every day, more golems stop working as the field spell steals their mana.

A dark feeling came from inside Zek as he finally grasped the gravity of the situation.

"We can’t keep cultivating here. We are going to starve." This was going to bring the end of Rabase. The only way for them to keep the country stable was to find a replacement.

"Use the Undead. If we are the ones in control, then we’ll know exactly if the spells are stealing our mana, which is the only option."

Zek tried to think of an alternative, but there was none. Fejin and Ladun had summoned him here so the three of them could bring the news to the people. Seeing undead out of nowhere would raise panic, but if the Great wizards announced it together, then they would accept it.

But using necromancy openly is going to make us enemies of almost every other country. They could leave this land behind and move to another country, but it would be a disgrace. Following behind another nation that would use their magic power for things like war or conquest would be the greatest betrayal to the people of Rabase. What I’m thinking. I can't tell the people to abandon their homes and lives to follow under someone else rules. It is our responsibility to secure their future.

"Give me one week. I need to do something before we announce this to the people." He had to send Gina away. He couldn’t afford to have her learn about this and inform the Faith. They would be labelled as dark wizards that are conspiring to kill the living.

He was trying to dismiss the feeling of shame in his heart. He couldn’t look at her after doing something like this. All those moments playing and reading the teaching of the faith together. He was going to become a hypocrite. He didn’t care about that. He was more than willing to be labeled if it meant helping his people. But...

I can’t do it while she’s here. I have to send her back first.

That week was nerve-wracking. He had to invent a lie that he was going to start another project, he was going to be busy, so he couldn’t teach her anymore.

"It's okay, I can stay and learn with the other wizards. You have taught me so much already Master-"

"No, I sent a letter. The Faith will come pick you up in a few days." His tone was cold and devoid of the usual care he used with her.

"D-Did I do something wrong, Master? This is so sudden, you didn't mention anything about this."

"I can’t divulge important matters to a child. Don’t misunderstand your position!"

"S-Sorry, I understand..." That was the last conversation they had.

Gina tried to contact him during those last days, but Zek had the guards send her away. He resolved himself to carry out the undead plan with his colleagues. The only way to not lie to her more was to not see her. Until the last day.

***

Gina was being escorted away to the border along with some guards and Zek. He didn’t want to talk to her, but he couldn’t help but feel worried. He was going there personally to see her away.

He was sitting inside an enchanted carriage that moved on its own. He was hiding behind some curtains, but he could see Gina looking at him several times with sad eyes. He could see the doll he gave her in her arms.

It's almost over. They found the group of the Faith that had come to take Gina back to the Republic. It was a big group, more than twice the number that came the first time.

"Welcome back, Lady Gina." One of the attendants offered his hand, and she took it. "My apologies, [Sleep]."

"What..." She fell into his arms and a wizard took her away using [Fly]. A couple of other wizards followed behind.

"What are you doing?" Zek stepped out of his carriage and the men took out their weapons. Swords, arrows, and magic spells were aimed at him. "What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to incite conflict?"

"Don’t play dumb, Zek Trevelis Oron. We already know about the undead experiments inside your country and how you have been stealing the life of the land." The leader of the group was ready to fight if he didn’t surrender.

"What experiments? This must be a mistake." How did they find out? Did they send a spy?

"I told them Zek." The flap of enormous winds sent the sand away as a golden dragon arrived before him.

"You, the Wise Golden Dragon?" The leader of the Draconic Empire, someone like him, could have found out in dozens of ways.

"Look at the state of the land. This place was full of herbs and trees a long time ago. Now there is only sand. Surrender peacefully and answer for your crimes against the world."

Zek looked around at his people. They were confused but ready to follow his orders. He was about to try to negotiate, but the captain of the Faith was too impatient.

"Let’s start by ending this heinous spell. The High Priestess gave me this scroll. Filled with her own power."

"What are you doing? You can’t undo the spell from here, you don’t have any idea what is going to happen!"

"Why should I listen to someone who allows necromancy in his country! [Mass Dispel]"

"DON’T!" The spell came undone and a massive wave of dark energy turned everything into dust...