Lucien suddenly panicked.
He was surprised he didn't lose control after using his dark power, but now Aryel was lying unconscious in his arms. He quickly checked her; once he realized her magic energy had only been depleted, he took a deep breath and calmed down.
He thought for a moment — "Should I take her back to the inn?" But then decided he didn't want to alarm the others inside.
He walked to the shade of a nearby tree and gently laid Aryel on his lap. While tucking a strand of hair from her face, he realized his heart was pounding fast.
"What is happening to me? Why did I get nervous now? Why do I feel so different when she's around?"
As he muttered to himself, a strange warmth stirred inside him.
He also noticed something important: this time, he was able to use his dark power without losing himself. Deep down he knew if he managed to fully control that power, he would become much stronger against the Blackthorn organization.
But then that familiar thought returned:
"This time there was no problem because Aryel was here… but she won't always be. Even she can't fully control her light yet. Is it right to depend on her?"
Lucien lifted his head and looked at Aryel's face. For a moment even the darkness fell silent.
His heartbeat quickened, his face warmed. When he realized he was staring at someone sleeping, embarrassment rushed through him.
"Will she get mad I didn't carry her inside? Was letting her lie on my lap too much?"
While he was drowning in these questions, Aryel slowly opened her eyes. She suddenly lifted her hand to Lucien's face.
"Am I dreaming? Why am I lying on your lap?"
Lucien flinched; he felt his entire body flush red. He was burning up.
"Y-you suddenly fainted… your magic energy was depleted," he stuttered.
"If I took you inside, everyone might have panicked. So I wanted to wait until you woke up. I wasn't doing anything bad… really."
Aryel started to giggle.
"I didn't think anything like that, thank you for taking care of me."
She slowly sat up beside Lucien.
"I used my light power for the first time, so I didn't know how to control it."
She locked her gaze onto Lucien. She reached out for his hands and squeezed them tightly.
"Let's train together from now on, okay? I can use my light because of your darkness. And you can learn to control your darkness thanks to my light. What do you think, isn't that a good deal?"
Lucien stared at their hands. Aryel was holding them so tightly… and strangely, he didn't want to pull away. There was a surprised expression on his face.
Aryel asked, "What are you thinking?"
Lucien blinked. "Huh? What did you say? Ah, I got distracted… Sorry."
Seeing him like this made Aryel burst into laughter.
"I asked if we could train together from now on?"
Lucien looked back down at their hands again. They were still firmly connected. Aryel noticed his gaze, laughed again, and slowly pulled her hands away.
Lucien only blushed harder.
"S-sure," he managed to say, without even thinking.
They had no idea Maia and Nathan were watching them. Maia, with a mischievous smile, was quietly listening and had signaled Nathan to stay silent.
Lucien suddenly realized what he had agreed to. Just moments ago he was telling himself not to rely on her—yet now he had agreed without hesitation.
But instead of regret, a soft warmth spread inside him. It felt like his heart and mind were at war.
Aryel stood up slowly to walk, but dizziness hit her. Lucien immediately rushed to catch her.
"You just recovered, you shouldn't be this careless," he said with concern.
Aryel pouted.
"Enemies won't wait for us on the battlefield, you know."
Lucien frowned.
"I don't think you'll use all your magic so carelessly in a real fight.
Not while I'm there. I won't allow it."
Aryel was surprised by Lucien scolding her. But the fact that he was worried about her… she actually liked that.
The cold wind between them at the beginning had now turned into a gentle warmth. Aryel, holding onto Lucien's shoulder, started walking toward the inn with him. They had only walked a short distance when Maia and Nathan appeared.
Aryel spoke in surprise,
"Ah, Maia… what are you doing here?"
Maia raised a brow.
"We came to check on you two. Why are you here so early?"
Aryel quickly answered,
"I came to train, then I ran into Lucien. We trained together."
Maia instantly noticed Aryel's state:
"Are you alright? You're struggling to walk."
Aryel immediately removed her hand from Lucien's shoulder.
"I'm fine, I just ran out of magic. I fainted a little… but I'm fine."
Maia's eyes widened.
"How? What happened?"
Aryel didn't want to prolong the topic:
"I'll explain on the way, okay? Don't we need to leave soon?"
Nathan nodded.
"Yes, the merchant caravan has arrived. They're eating, we'll leave soon."
Lucien quickly adapted:
"Then let's eat something too. We have a long road ahead."
When they reached the inn, the others were already seated and eating. Vega and Kael's voices filled the whole place. They joined them and grabbed quick bites. Lucien and Aryel remained unusually quiet. This silence irritated Maia. What was going on between them?
She told Maia everything, yet Aryel told her nothing. She couldn't take it anymore:
"So… why were you holding hands earlier?"
Aryel spat out the water she was drinking. Lucien choked on his bread and began coughing. Vega turned around immediately.
"What? Who was holding hands?"
Kael helped by slapping Lucien on the back so the bread would come out. After Aryel recovered, she took a deep breath.
"I used my light power today, guys. While training with Lucien… his dark energy brought out my light.
Then I couldn't control it, I used all my magic, and fainted. That's all."
Maia's eyes went huge.
"You really used your light power!?" She jumped up and hugged Aryel tight.
"I'm so happy for you, Aryel! You finally did it!"
Vega and Kael also joined in celebrating. The tension dissolved instantly. Lucien let out a relieved breath once all the attention shifted away from him.
***
Everyone had settled into their carriages and was ready for the journey. They didn't know what awaited them, so deep down they were anxious. Even though they tried not to show it, they were scared.
Failing their first mission…Even worse, getting injured… Or maybe losing one of their teammates…
These thoughts gnawed at the corner of each of their minds. After a long and uneventful journey, they arrived in the city of Miren. Everyone was exhausted and tense.
They quickly got out of the carriage and gathered in the square. They needed to clarify their plans for what to do next.
After gathering everyone around, Griffine began to speak:
"Today, we rest, friends.
Tomorrow morning we'll split into groups and explore the surroundings. We don't know what they're planning, and we're not even sure they'll come here first. We're just going to look for clues."
After a brief pause, he continued:
"And we'll spend our free time training together. We aren't familiar with each other's strengths — the more we train together, the better coordinated we'll be in battle."
Everyone nodded at Griffine. "Yes, Captain."
Miren City wasn't a very big place, but it was cute, lively, and full of color. Colorful buildings, flower pots hanging from wooden windows, and small stalls lined up along the street gave the city an energetic vibe.
A wide river flowed right through the center of the city; the sound of the water left a soft murmur, and the current flowing under the bridges somehow brought a calming feeling.
Most of the houses lined along the riverbank had flowerpots on their balconies; the mixture of red, yellow, and pink flowers stood out even from afar.
The marketplace was quite close to the river, so the scents of bread, fruit, and spices mixed together in the streets. Even though the city was small, it was always bustling thanks to the passing merchants. Miren had something soothing about it.
"Who wants to come to the market with me tonight? Maybe we can relieve a little of our tension."
Maia immediately jumped in:
"Nathan and I will walk together, alone."
Nathan had no idea about this. Maia had made the plan all by herself. Nathan was actually a bit bothered by this.
Aryel smiled.
"Sure, I'll join."
Lucien shrugged. "If I don't fall asleep… okay."
Vega immediately chimed in:
"It won't be fun without me. Of course I'm coming."
Griffine added in a calm voice:
"Nira and I will stay at the inn. Have fun."
After resting a bit, everyone dispersed to their rooms to meet again in the evening. Right at that moment, Nathan grabbed Maia's wrist and stopped her.
"Can we talk for a moment?"
Maia heard the seriousness in Nathan's voice and suddenly panicked.
"What's wrong, Nathan?"
They moved to a quiet corner and sat down. Nathan didn't waste time and got straight to the point:
"I've never been in a relationship before, Maia. Maybe I'm thinking about this wrong but… I believe we need to talk about these things at the beginning."
Maia's eyes widened as she listened attentively.
"Of course I want to spend the evening together, let me say that first. But… making plans without asking me bothered me. From now on, let's decide things together. If either of us is forced to follow wherever the other leads, we'll eventually have problems. And we'll hurt each other."
Maia's eyes suddenly filled with tears.
"You're right… I didn't think about it. I was just too excited to spend time together."
Tears silently rolled down her cheeks. Nathan held Maia's face gently with both hands.
"Don't cry, Maia… I didn't say this to upset you. I just… want us to build a healthy relationship on a solid foundation. I want this relationship to last. Having you by my side brings me peace. I've never felt like someone truly loved me before."
Maia grew even more emotional hearing those words, her tears flowed faster.
Nathan slowly pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. Maia rested her head on Nathan's chest, her breath trembling. Hearing his heartbeat made her happy — knowing she wasn't the only one nervous was comforting.
Maia slowly pulled herself back.
"Do you have a handkerchief so I can wipe my nose?"
Nathan smiled. He quickly opened his bag, took out a handkerchief, and handed it to her. Then, hesitantly but gently, he leaned forward and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.
Maia gasped quietly. She wasn't prepared for that at all. Her cheeks turned bright red, and her heart was pounding wildly. She didn't know what to do from excitement.
Nathan stood up and offered his hand to her. "Come on, let's go rest a bit. We need to gather some energy to walk around the city tonight."
Maia couldn't say anything — she only nodded. She placed her hand in Nathan's, and her fingers disappeared between his.
They walked to their rooms with their hands firmly entwined. With each step Maia took, her heart seemed to beat a little faster.
***
After finishing their breakfast in the morning, they headed into the forest to train together. After a few hours of practice, everyone had begun fighting more coordinated.
As Griffine strapped his sword onto his back, he spoke: "That's enough training for today. Now let's split up and search for clues."
Then he assigned the groups:
"Vega, Nathan, and Nira will come with me. Lucien, you'll lead the other group. Take Aryel, Kael, and Maia with you and head to the east side. We'll start from the west."
After a short pause, he added:
"We'll communicate using Nathan's insects. Nathan's power allows him to control animals and insects. Controlling insects requires less magic power, so in any situation, Nathan will be informed first."
Lucien nodded, accepting the mission. As Aryel and the others checked their equipment, a subtle tension filled the air.
Kael took a deep breath:
"It's finally starting."
Vega immediately stepped in with a teasing smirk:
"Will you be okay without me? Without my wind, your flames stay pretty dull."
Kael rolled his eyes.
"Are you going to be okay without me? Let's make a bet — who finds a clue first?"
Without hesitation, Vega extended his hand.
"Deal. Loser grants the winner one request."
Kael smiled in return:
"Agreed."
This playful banter between them softened the atmosphere a little. Even Aryel, Lucien, and Maia couldn't help but smile.
Soon after, everyone gathered together. After a brief goodbye, the two groups set off in their own directions.
***
They had been walking through the forest for nearly two hours.
The tree trunks had grown thicker, their branches knotting together high above. Sunlight filtered through the leaves in thin streaks, casting a dim glow over the ground. The soil was damp; with each step, they heard the rustling of bushes and distant birdsong. The forest felt both peaceful and strangely tense at the same time.
Lucien and Aryel walked in front, with Kael and Maia following behind.
Kael spoke, trying to break the silence:
"You didn't come with us last night, but we had a blast."
Maia immediately responded:
"We also had fun. And it was very romantic. I can't always hang out with just you guys anymore."
Kael snorted a laugh.
"You're right. If you don't want to get abandoned again, you should give your boyfriend more attention."
Maia raised a brow.
"Oh? Are you giving me relationship advice now?"
Kael shrugged.
"I'm just saying what I observe."
While the two of them bantered, Aryel and Lucien turned back toward them.
Lucien had grown serious:
"In our previous investigations, we discovered that mutated creatures were usually being produced in caves within forests. I think we're facing the same situation again. There's a large cave ahead, and I can sense a lot of magic energy coming from inside."
Aryel swallowed lightly.
"Should we enter ourselves? Or should we notify the other group and wait?"
She lowered her gaze for a brief moment; she didn't want to show her fear.
"Ah… and do you know how to communicate through the insect, Lucien?"
Lucien noticed the uneasiness in her voice. After all, they were new protectors on their first mission.
"Yes, we've communicated plenty of times before. I already sent the information. But I need to go check the cave first, so we have detailed clues on hand."
Maia whispered nervously:
"So what do we do now? What if they notice us?"
Right at that moment, a loud noise echoed from inside the cave. Everyone froze in place.