The hall emptied quickly. Guests were escorted out without delay, guided by calm but urgent voices. Within moments, the celebration had turned into quiet, controlled chaos. Maids rushed in every direction—some leaping across rooftops, others sweeping through the gardens with lanterns held high. Butlers moved with sharp focus, weapons in hand, checking every shadow and every blind corner.
Dean finished explaining everything in a low, steady tone.
"So that's everything. We need you two to locate the magical artifact."
Azrea and Memei didn't answer right away. They stood still, listening, their expressions unreadable.
Nearby, Azrean and Sumi stayed close together. Sumi leaned slightly toward him, lowering her voice.
"Did you feel that man earlier?"
Azrean nodded faintly.
"Yeah… but I can't sense him anymore." His gaze drifted for a second. "Whatever artifact they're using... it doesn't seem to affect me. I can still feel everyone around us clearly."
Sumi studied him for a moment, then turned her attention forward. Her eyes widened slightly. Azrea and Memei had stood up. Their expressions had changed. It was cold and sharp. Completely different from before.
"Why... on a day like this..." Azrea said quietly, her voice carrying a chilling edge.
Memei turned her head slightly.
"They ruined everything..." she said flatly. "Azrea, let's go."
Without another word, the two of them walked out. The entire hall fell silent as they passed.
The moment they stepped outside, Memei raised her hand. Threads burst from her fingertips. Thin, shimmering strands of silver shot out in every direction—racing across the ground, climbing walls, weaving through trees, stretching over rooftops, even piercing upward into the sky.
They spread instantly, covering the entire estate like a web. From within those threads, the world shifted. Mana became visible. Currents of energy flowed through everything—steady, natural... except for one thing.
A distortion. A ripple. An unnatural wave disrupting the flow. Memei's eyes sharpened.
"...The surrounding energy is being disturbed," she murmured. "A wave.. it's coming from—"
Her head snapped upward. "Above."
Azrea stepped beside her, her voice calm but firm. "Guide me."
One of the silver threads drifted back and gently touched Azrea's temple. Her eyes closed.
Both her hands lifted slowly. Flames began to rise. At first, they flickered softly. Then they grew—spinning into perfect spirals, stretching outward, shaping themselves with precision.
Wings formed. A long, flowing tail followed. The fire condensed, brightened—and took form. A massive bird of golden flames stood before them, its body radiating intense heat and light.
"Phoenix."
The fiery creature let out a silent cry and shot upward into the night sky like a blazing comet. Everyone below looked up. High above the mansion, it curved sharply—then exploded in a brilliant burst of golden light.
For a brief moment, the sky itself seemed to burn. Then something fell. It was small and metallic. Dropping fast.
Invanne moved instantly. She leaped high into the air, caught it cleanly in one hand, and landed without a sound. Her gaze dropped to the object resting in her palm.
A small, intricate device—covered in glowing runes, tiny crystal components humming faintly with energy. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"...A magic concentrator."
Invanne turned back and lifted the small device in her hand for everyone to see.
For a moment, no one spoke. The entire group just stared at it, stunned. Azrean and Sumi's eyes widened the most. There was something about it—something far too familiar.
"Is that…" Sumi whispered, her voice barely audible.
"A concentrator," Azrean finished under his breath.
Dean and Kumi stepped forward, taking the device from Invanne. They turned it over slowly, studying every detail, their brows tightening as they examined the glowing runes and delicate crystal parts. After a moment, both of them looked up toward the night sky.
Memei spoke from the side, her tone calm but laced with confusion.
"How was it even working without a mana source? I didn't sense anyone up there."
Kumi scratched the back of his head, clearly unsettled.
"This is getting troublesome... something like this shouldn't run on its own. So how was it functioning?"
Dean's gaze shifted to Invanne.
"Take it. We'll need it investigated."
Invanne nodded once and turned away without another word, holding the device carefully as she walked off.
Behind them, Azrean and Sumi leaned slightly closer to each other, their voices dropping low.
"Azrean... we're not imagining this, right?" Sumi murmured.
Azrean nodded slowly, eyes still fixed on the device as it disappeared from view.
"Yeah... that was a concentrator. And the design... it's almost the same as the ones from Earth."
Sumi's fingers tightened slightly at her side.
"What is going on...? Why is something from Earth here...?"
Neither of them had an answer. Azrea and Memei walked up to them then, their expressions softening.
"Everything's alright now," Azrea said gently. "You two should head inside."
Sumi stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Memei without hesitation. Memei smiled faintly and lifted her into her arms, holding her close.
Azrean didn't say anything. He simply turned and started walking back toward the mansion, his thoughts heavy and restless.
Azrean and Sumi were now inside Azrea's room. Azrean lay flat on the large bed, one arm under his head, staring up at the ceiling without blinking. Sumi sat beside him with her legs crossed, her brows slightly knit, the confusion still clear on her face.
The silence stretched for a while before she finally spoke, her voice soft and uncertain.
"What is going on all of a sudden... today felt so strange..."
Azrean let out a quiet breath, eyes still fixed above.
"I don't know either."
After a moment, he pushed himself up and shifted closer to her. Sumi stiffened slightly, a faint blush rising to her cheeks as he leaned in close—so close his lips nearly brushed her ear.
"We shouldn't talk about anything related to Earth right now," he whispered, voice low and careful. "I can sense several presences just outside the door. Guards.... or someone keeping watch."
Sumi gave a quick, small nod, lowering her voice to match his.
"Okay... we'll figure out the concentrator ourselves later... tomorrow... or someday."
Azrean leaned back again, putting a bit of space between them. A faint smile touched his lips.
"But... the birthday party was fun, right?"
That seemed to pull her out of her thoughts. Sumi's expression softened, and she nodded, a small smile forming.
"Yeah... I got what I wanted, so I'm happy."
Azrean dropped back onto the bed, relaxing into the mattress.
"We should sleep. Mom said we can stay together tonight... she doesn't want us separated for a while."
Sumi nodded and slowly lay down beside him, turning slightly onto her side.
"Yeah... and training starts tomorrow too. We should rest as much as we can."
For a brief moment, they looked at each other in the quiet.
"Goodnight, Sumi."
"Goodnight, Azrean."
The room fell still. No more words followed. Before long, their breathing softened, and sleep took them both.