Erend listened quietly as Eccar's voice continued in his mind, explaining the situation. The plan was to head into the forest tomorrow or maybe few days later, toward an old temple where strange things had been happening.
According to Jan and his party, they'd seen black smoke rising from the crumbling statues inside — a sign that something dark was stirring there.
Gunfire still cracked through the air around Erend, but he didn't flinch. He kept his back against the wall in a strangely relaxed manner, shutting out the noise and focusing only on Eccar's words.
"That must be it," Erend muttered in his mind, his instincts sharpening at the description.
"I think so too," Eccar replied. "We'll head there soon. Maybe even tomorrow. But… I doubt it'll actually be tomorrow. These adventurers who are supposed to accompany me are all drunk right now. Haha."
A faint smile tugged at Erend's lips. It must be nice over there, he thought. Meanwhile, I'm stuck dealing with spies and bullets.
"Alright. You handle things on your end," Erend said. "I'm still busy here."
But then Eccar's tone shifted. "Erend… there's something I'm concerned about."
Erend's smile faded, and his brow furrowed. "What is it?"
"It's the Rage. Do you think you can find a way to get rid of it? For good?"
At that, Erend's relaxed posture stiffened. His easy manner drained away, replaced by the same tight knot of worry that Eccar was voicing. He let out a slow heavy sigh.
"I still don't know how to stop it. We haven't even had time to rest, let alone figure it out."
Through the telepathic link, Erend could feel Eccar's frustration — the same mix of worry and helplessness that gnawed at him too. And he understood why. Eccar was about to head into danger alongside new allies, people who could be in serious danger if he lost control and the Rage consumed him again.
"Try not to let your emotions spike too much, Eccar," Erend advised. "Keep yourself calm when you're fighting. Don't let it in."
They both knew how difficult that really was. They'd both felt the seductive pull of the Rage — that wild, exhilarating surge that took over before they even realized it. It sounded simple to resist, but in truth, it was anything but easy.
"I'll do my best," Eccar said with a small chuckle. "Can't afford to put these people in danger, after all… heheh."
But Erend could feel the tension behind those words. The worry was real, even if Eccar tried to brush it off.
"And if something happens, I'll come to you right away," Erend said firmly. "My power will warn me if things go bad — so don't hesitate. I'll be there."
"Yeah… I know. Later then."
With that, the telepathic link faded, and the connection between them broke.
Erend blinked and drew a sharp breath, bringing himself back to the present — back to the echoing shots and the scent of gunpowder in the air. He pushed off from the wall and readied himself, eyes narrowing as he tracked the path Adrien and Billy had taken.
It was time to move again.
The night grew late, the lively hum of voices still echoing through the tavern. But eventually, Jan and Mark, the leaders of their respective parties, began to hush their rowdy members.
Their voices carried a firm edge now, reminding everyone that they had a big day ahead tomorrow.
Some of the adventurers grumbled in resistance, slurring about wanting one more drink or a little more time to swap stories. But the commanding presence of Jan and Mark cut through the drunken haze.
Even the biggest men in the group — Hund and Thorne — who could usually get away with doing things their own way, fell quiet under their leaders' sharp gazes.
With heavy footsteps and unsteady sways, the party members finally shuffled out of the room, muttering to each other and laughing in that sluggish, drunken manner.
Eccar followed them, though unlike the others, he felt no sway in his step. Despite drinking just as much as they had, nothing had changed in him. His head was clear and his body steady as if the alcohol didn't affect him at all.
While the rest of the adventurers stumbled off to sleep, crowding into the rooms Jan and Mark had rented for their teams, Eccar found himself drifting in the opposite direction. The noise and warmth of the building felt stifling now.
So he stepped outside into the night air, looking for a breath of something fresh and cool to clear his thoughts even further.
But the moment Eccar stepped outside, he felt eyes qatching him from somewhere out there in the dark.
He turned his head sharply scanning the empty street and the dim outlines of the city as it settled into the calming silence of night. Lamps flickered weakly in the distance, and most doors were already shut tight. On the surface, everything looked normal and peaceful.
Yet that crawling sensation along his skin told him otherwise.
"What the hell…?" he muttered in his thoughts, narrowing his eyes. The feeling lingered just long enough to set him on edge and then, as quickly as it came, it vanished like it had never been there at all.
Eccar stood still, frowning. "Is this just because I'm a little drunk?" he wondered. But deep down, he knew better. His body wasn't clouded like the others. And his instinct didn't lie.
Meanwhile, deep in the shadows of a narrow alleyway nearby, something stirred.
A darkness within the darkness.
It wasn't an ordinary shadow — but a man, cloaked in powerful Magic that let him merge entirely with the blackness around him, erasing his presence from sight and even from Magical senses.
Yet now, as he watched Eccar turning and scanning the street, a cold weight settled in the pit of his chest.
Did he just notice me? the shadowed figure thought grimly.
His technique was flawless, it was an advanced Magic that could fool even high-level Mages. He had hidden from kings, sorcerers, and killers. No one had ever sensed him before.
But this man had actually felt his gaze.
He's not simple, the hidden watcher admitted bitterly to himself.
Without wasting another heartbeat, the shadow slipped deeper into the alley, moving through the darkness. He kept his form merged, even though maintaining the spell drained his Magic with every step. He can't be discovered now.
Only when he had put a safe distance between himself and Eccar did the figure finally release his Magic and step back into his human form.