Lysander, the guildmaster of Keepers of Elysium, had long known about his wife’s evil nature, but with his power, he had been able to keep it a secret, protecting her from the shadows.
Whenever a trace of her was uncovered near a dead body, his guild would step in. Reports would vanish, leads would disappear before government investigators could reach them, and crime scenes would be destroyed.
As time went on, Lysander hoped Anna would halt her activities, but no matter how much he waited, she never did.
Even after Carissa’s birth, she continued, at least a bit more tamely.
Lysander always wondered why she did it.
She was his wife, had incredible power of her own, and fame. With a single thought, she could easily stop and return to humanity’s side.
Anna hadn’t even become a djinn.
There was no way for demons to take vengeance...if she simply switched sides. At least, that was what Lysander thought.
Unfortunately, the diary in Carissa’s hands was not just any version of her mother, but the younger, more reckless, and evil version.
An evil soul that didn’t want to be confined to a diary.
As a breeze rushed by, snapping me back to reality, I gazed at the towering figure of the mana gate, seeing a small crowd of familiar faces gathered around.
Racing my pace to a speed-walk, I nodded my head politely, realizing I was late.
A moment later, a senior with blonde hair and light-blue eyes, presumably the club president, began speaking.
"Now that everyone is here, let’s begin! As you know, the whole point of the travel club is...traveling. So, everyone must be wondering where we’re going today!"
Taking a deep breath, I paused and gazed at the leader, carefully listening.
"For our first trip...we’ll be traveling to the nearby harbor-city of Mikanos!"
As cheers erupted throughout the students, solely made of first-years, I smiled.
While the president went over some general logistics, describing how we’d be staying in a massive manor, with all the males in one large room and females in another large room, I clutched my backpack and opened it.
Reaching my hand inside, I anxiously glanced around, making sure no one was looking, while moving my hand around until a cold glass surface rubbed against it.
Clutching the vial, I slowly retrieved my hand, revealing a small glass bottle full of an ocean-blue liquid.
Yet, at that moment, a whisper suddenly sounded behind me.
Dropping the vial back into my pack immediatly and turning around, I was met with the eager blood-red pupils of Ruby.
She’s in the travel club?
I guess I had never explicitly written Ruby joining any clubs, so it was possible for her to be here.
Shaking my head, I said while following the club president’s gaze toward the five students at the front of the crowd.
As he finally finished speaking, the mana portal lit up and dark purple, prompting us to walk through.
Strolling through my portal, I was immediatly bombarded by tens of gusts of cold wind, welcoming me to the ocean-side town of Mikanos, based on the Greek city.
It was exactly as I had written it; houses were placed at an elevation and colored all white, allowing for a perfect view of the ocean below.
Turning around, a smile on his face, the club president said as the last student, Ruby, walked through the portal.
"The travel club is all about freedom, and I’m about to show you why! The navigation to our accommodations has just been sent to you. That means, all of you are currently free to explore this beautiful city, even go swimming in the ocean right now!"
Immediatly, the students around me began anxiously glancing around, whispering and pointing toward stores in the distance.
Pausing for dramatic effect, his expression transforming into a stern one, he continued.
"There is just one rule. Be at the manor by 10 PM. You must account for the time it may take to arrive. If you do not arrive at the manor by 10 PM, I’m afraid I must disallow you from entering at all."
"Additionally, you will be sent right back to the academy and removed from the travel club instantly. While you are given freedom, you must remember the simple rules."
With those words, the president simply gave us one wave before hopping in a car waiting behind him and saying.
"Best of luck, first-years!"
Checking my smartwatch, which read 6 PM, I walked forward through the chaotic crowd, finally finding a unique purple-haired figure.
Raising my mouth to her ear, I whispered.
Unfortunately for Serena, the teenage version of Carissa’s mom, which was currently lying dormant as a soul trapped inside a book within Carissa’s bag, despised her father.
The number one hero in the world: Theron. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ n0velfire.net
He was the reason Carissa’s mom had become involved with demons in the first place.
Showing no reaction, Serena simply scoffed and walked away.
"I told you, if she sticks with me, I’ll allow it. I’m not chasing after it, no matter how many damn formulas you throw at me."
Pausing, Serena suddenly looked back and said.
"And, don’t talk to me. Don’t forget I despise you, rank 1900."
Shrugging my shoulders, I simply walked away from the mana portal and toward a nearby store.
It wasn’t as if I saw her as a friend, anyway.
Using my smartwatch, I rapidly found the highest-rated bakery in the area and casually strolled toward it, gazing down the rows of houses below me and at the glimmering ocean-blue lake.
It truly was as beautiful as everyone said; the tan-brick walkways, stone railings, and beautiful sunset.
Under the orange sky, the city truly shone, the streets cast in the ambient light and perfect weather.
I had actually never been to Mikanos on Earth, so perhaps after this ordeal, I would have some time to explore.