Rei continued to scribble notes into his journal as the clock struck noon over the city of Vex. The blizzard that had raged through the early morning had finally begun to settle, the harsh winds dying down into soft gusts. Snowflakes still drifted lazily from the pale sky, blanketing the cobblestone roads and rooftops in a fresh white layer.
Outside the clinic, a small group of villagers trudged through the snow, their breath visible in the frigid air. Each of them was bundled in thick coats made from the pelts of foxes and wolves. The fur curled around their shoulders and necks, heavy with frost. Beneath the coats, they wore leather tunics, layered for warmth and protection. Their trousers were crafted from wolf hide, rough and dark, tucked neatly into boots sewn from a mix of fox fur and hardened leather, creaking softly with every step.
One of the men exhaled through his nose and looked around, brushing snow from his coat as he glanced at the wreckage still scattered near the clinic's exterior.
"Werewolves again?" he muttered, more annoyed than surprised.
Another man turned and gave a grim nod.
"These damn things are always on our backs. At least they didn't wreck the tavern this time," he said with a bitter laugh.
Just then, a crack echoed through the street.
The men turned their heads in unison, eyes narrowing as they looked toward the tavern. A single werewolf was seen darting off into the woods, its outline barely visible against the snow-draped horizon. The first man narrowed his eyes at the building, scanning the structure carefully, then waved his hand dismissively.
"There's nothing wrong at all..." he said, trying to convince both himself and the others.
Three seconds passed and the tavern groaned, its frame straining under some unseen weight. Then the wood split. Lanterns fell from their hooks and shattered on the ground, flames extinguished by the slush. The structure crumbled inward like a dying animal, and within moments, the entire tavern collapsed into itself. A billow of snow and dust shot into the air.
The man's mouth dropped open, and the gathered group turned to him, their fur-lined hoods rustling as they all stared.
From behind, an old man stood up from a wooden bench, his joints popping as he rose. He pointed a wrinkled finger and shouted over the wind.
"You just had to say something again, didn't you, you damn idiot!"
The man didn't argue. He simply hung his head in shame and began walking down the snow-covered street, the crunch of his boots muffled by layers of fresh powder. It wasn't the first time he had jinxed the tavern. Everyone knew it.
And once again, the bar was gone.
...
After another hour, Rei decided to check the time as he hadn't checked the time since they arrived within the Fourth Sequence. "Arbiter: Resonance Lens: date."
[Date: February 21st, 1:42 P.M. — Year 2 of the Draconic Calendar]
'It's not as late as I thought it was. That's good.'
Rei closed his eyes for a moment before grabbing his leather journal and moving it back into his Arbiter Vault. He rose from his chair, and after a few minutes of silence—punctuated only by waves of chilled air slipping through the broken roof and cracked window—a small note flew in through the window, catching his attention. Rei reached up, snatched it from the air, and looked outside.
'Who sent this? And who is it meant for?'
Rei waved his hand dismissively before glancing down at the note, reading it quietly to himself.
'Five minutes. Front gate of Vex. New mission.'
He read the sentence over and over until his eyes widened in realization. It had to be from the same person who dropped them off here to begin with. With a slight roll of his eyes, he looked at Zay and muttered under his breath, "I have to carry him, don't I?"
Scratching his head, Rei exhaled deeply, then walked over to where Zay was laying. He infused his body with aura and lifted him effortlessly onto his right shoulder.
Turning his gaze, he looked over at Naomi, who had been passed out for hours, likely due to the wave of aura. With a groan, he lifted her onto his left shoulder and stepped into the hallway.
"That's him!"
Rei turned sharply and saw three large individuals in polished silver armor, badges glinting, though too far to make out clearly. Gold trim adorned their chests, and beside them stood the doctor he and Naomi had spoken to about Zay's possible operations.
"He's the one who brought those damn werewolves!" the doctor shouted.
The three armored figures turned toward Rei as the doctor smirked, then turned and walked away. Without hesitation, Rei spun and sprinted down the hallway.
He kicked the clinic doors open with an aura-infused strike and bolted through the streets of Vex.
The guards were slower, just reaching the doors as Rei vanished past the city's gate. With authority limited to within Vex's borders, they could only sigh and stomp away, their boots thudding against thick snow before they returned to the clinic, unsure of their next move until the tavern was rebuilt.
'This place has rules that are completely different from Cindra, or Geo as a whole. Normally, even if a criminal escapes a city's boundary, guards have up to seventy-two hours to pursue them, so long as they have the paperwork. That doesn't seem to be the case here on the Eclipse Continent Sequence. How interesting.'
Rei glanced to his left, then to his right, just as a caravan rolled to a stop in front of him.
A man dressed entirely in white with a simple white mask appeared from behind the caravan and gave a slight nod. "New mission."
Rei nodded in return, uncertain of what else to do. He knew going back to Vex would lead to his arrest for something he hadn't done, and he had no idea what would happen to Zay or Naomi. Accepting this, he followed the man in white and placed both Zay and Naomi gently in the back of the caravan.
He climbed in after them and shut the tailgate, sealing off the rear compartment.
Inside, the back of the caravan was dim but warm. A small lantern, tied securely with rope, swung gently from a hook above a small wooden table. Underneath the table sat a pile of weather-worn books, their pages yellowed with age. Around the space were several barrels fastened against the walls, their tops sealed tight. Two long wooden bench seats lined either side of the wagon, just beneath the small rectangular windows that let in the faintest trace of moonlight through the falling snow.
The coachman settled into his seat at the front, took up the reins, and with a flick of his wrist, the caravan began to move again.
Rei sat quietly, rubbing his hands together as the wind howled outside, the cold left behind for now.
...
'Reaper' knocked on the door. The wood creaked as it slowly opened, revealing Mike on the other side. He narrowed his eyes at the stranger.
"Who are you?" Mike asked, instantly sensing his presence. His aura surged in response, and a spear made entirely of it shimmered into existence in his hand. Without hesitation, he leveled the weapon toward 'Reaper.'
"Calm down... I'm only here…" 'Reaper' paused, cutting his words short. His aura ignited with a sharp, radiant pulse, surrounding them both in a sphere of golden energy that expanded outward until it engulfed an area roughly the size of a medium farm.
Winds whipped through the space, carrying dust and droplets of rain that had begun to fall with a steady rhythm. The bubble pulsed once with golden light, then hardened—its surface shifting and folding until it transformed into towering concrete walls replacing Mike's house completely. The material was coarse and rain-slicked, etched with faint runes glowing under the flickering light. Small rivulets of water trailed down its surface as the downpour grew heavier, splashing against the cracked stone ground below.
They stared at one another for only a moment before Mike spoke again.
"What the hell do you want from me? Who are you?"
'Reaper' lunged forward. In his hand, [Tide Spear] activated as a spear of water shimmered into shape, the droplets merging and hardening into a crystalline form before he thrust it forward.
Mike met it with a counterattack. The clang of metal rang out as his own spear collided with the watery weapon. 'Reaper' let go of his spear mid-thrust, and it dissolved instantly into a splash. Mike jumped back, uncertain of what would come next.
With a swift motion, 'Reaper' redirected the floating water into the shape of jagged spikes. The droplets elongated, sharpened, and then launched forward in a deadly arc.
Mike landed firmly on his heels, raised his spear, and lunged forward. The spikes of water met his counter, bursting into vapor and mist upon impact.
'Reaper' raised his hand and snapped his fingers, whispering, "O' water, drown these lands before me and shatter the world with tsunamis."
His aura erupted outward. A blinding golden light swept across the battlefield, forcing Mike to shield his eyes. Overhead, the sky darkened. Clouds thickened into churning masses before opening with a torrential downpour.
The rain came hard and fast, hammering the concrete floor with a relentless rhythm. It splashed into shallow puddles that quickly expanded. Beneath 'Reaper's' control, the water multiplied. Pools became floods. The flood became a rising tide. Within moments, the water had passed Mike's waist.
The inside of the concrete box echoed with the sound of falling rain and lapping water. Mike looked up. 'Reaper' walked across the surface of the water as if it were solid ground. His steps left faint ripples that shimmered with golden light.
With his right arm extended towards the water, the water leapt toward him, swirling around his hand before shaping itself into a longsword. It gleamed, then solidified—forming a blade of water stone, a rare substance born from extreme pressure, time, and an arcane bond between liquid and mineral.
Mike's throat tightened as he took a step back, water sloshing against his entire body. Running now would only drain his strength. He turned to face 'Reaper' once more and lifted his spear high, waiting for the oncoming clash.