In a remote suburb of Washington, silence blanketed the streets—an eerie, unnatural stillness. Suddenly, a golden ring of light shimmered into existence, and Mordo stepped out, his long monastic robes swaying behind him.
"This is the place?" Mordo muttered, scanning the deserted surroundings. "Doesn't look like anyone's here…"
Still, he raised his hand and probed the area with a sensing spell. A flicker of recognition crossed his face.
"Residual magic," he said with a smirk. "Someone's definitely been here."
He began searching, weaving between abandoned buildings. But before he could advance far, another golden portal sparked open in front of him—and from it, a familiar figure stepped out casually.
"You…" Mordo's eyes narrowed. "Kurogai. Did the Ancient One send you here?"
It was the last person he wanted to see.
If Kurogai was here, that could only mean one thing: the Sorcerer Supreme was already aware of Kaecilius's location and had sent her disciple to deal with it. Mordo's stomach churned.
"No," Kurogai replied, a calm smile on his face. "She doesn't know. I'm here to settle a personal score."
"Then don't get in my way. I'm the one who'll bring Kaecilius in."
Mordo, not fully registering the implication in Kurogai's tone, turned and marched toward the adjacent building.
"You really don't listen, do you?" Kurogai said quietly. "Fine. You'll understand soon enough."
A crimson five-pointed rune flared to life in Kurogai's pupils. In his hand, golden runes spiraled outward, shaping into a gleaming magic sword.
Without hesitation, Kurogai hurled the sword toward Mordo.
"Shield—now!"
Even before the weapon was fully formed, Mordo felt the surge of hostile magic. His instincts screamed, and he conjured a defensive barrier just in time.
BOOM!
The moment the sword hit the shield, it detonated like a cannon blast. Mordo was thrown backward violently, crashing through wooden beams and debris. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he forced himself to stand.
"This was a trap?" he spat, wiping the blood away.
It finally clicked. Kaecilius hadn't been sighted. This wasn't about him—it was about Mordo. Kurogai had orchestrated all of it.
"You… Kaecilius is in your hands, isn't he?" Mordo growled.
"That's right," Kurogai replied coolly. "And more importantly, I know you were the one who sent him to steal from the library."
Mordo's expression darkened. A magical light whip formed in his palm, and without a word, he lashed it straight at Kurogai.
"So you really are trying to silence me," Kurogai said, easily sidestepping the strike.
"Mordo, I know you manipulated Kaecilius into breaking into the library. I know you orchestrated the librarian's death. Are you seriously trying to erase the only witness?"
Kurogai's voice was calm, but the air around him grew tense. He wasn't attacking—just dodging, provoking, pushing Mordo deeper into a corner.
"You've got nowhere left to run, Mordo. What now?"
"I kill you. Then no one will know anything."
"So you admit it," Kurogai said with a knowing smirk. "That's all I needed to hear."
Then he stopped. No more dodging, no more taunting. He simply turned toward an empty patch of air and raised his voice.
"You heard him, didn't you, Ancient One?"
Mordo froze. His eyes widened.
The air shimmered. The space to Kurogai's left cracked like glass, then crumbled—revealing a portal. From within it, a bald woman in a white robe stepped forward with quiet grace.
The Ancient One had arrived.
And she had heard everything.
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