Soren's scream was the signal that pierced the library's stillness, and at that exact moment, time stopped for the Tiger. Shock covered his features as he saw Farouk, whom he thought had fainted, raising his hands with a terrifying focus. The Tiger didn't waste a single second; he pushed Soren with all his strength while running in the direction of Farouk, for Farouk to scream with the last of what remained of his energy:The Paper Coffin!
Suddenly, the papers that covered the ground started moving as if they were living beings, attracted toward the Tiger with lightning speed, and started wrapping around his body tightly, restricting his movement completely. The Tiger tried to resist, he tore some papers, but they were gathering on him with more density. The Tiger screamed with anger: "You cowards! Two against one? how weak you are!"
Soren exploded with an exhausted laugh but full of spite, and looked at the Tiger and said with a mocking tone: "Do you remember your words? Humans avoid death while they are on the way to it? You stupid Tiger,"
The Tiger became silent while he feels the paper closing on his breaths, while Soren continued his laughs: "I planned for all this while you were hitting me.. I was dashing backward intentionally to get close to Farouk and activate my Echo spectrum in the right moment. You were just a tool in my plan you ignorant!"
The Paper Coffin started to complete, and nothing remained from the Tiger except his eyes full of hate, before the papers cover them completely. Soren turned toward Farouk and said with panting: "Quickly Farouk.. my energy is vanishing, I exhausted everything."
Farouk nodded his head with difficulty, and his voice coming out interrupted: "Take it easy on me.. I am completely shattered, but I will end this." Farouk placed his hands on the ground, and the papers started to form and harden until a hundred paper spears emerged around him. Farouk caught the closest spear to him, and his crimson aura started to flow in all the spears, charging them with a destructive power.
Farouk screamed: "Die!" and launched the spears all at once toward the Paper Coffin.
But, and before the spears reach their target, the yellow sky split to show a mysterious gate made from colored magic threads, it swallowed the spears in one moment
(A reminder for the reader: the owner of the gates appeared in Chapter 15).
Farouk and Soren froze from the shock. Soren screamed with a hoarse voice: "Make more quickly!"
But the time was too late. From the gate came out a man wearing a majestic white cloak, exactly like the Tiger's cloak, but his presence was more terrifying. The man said with a calm and steady voice: "Your time has ended oh Philosophers.. you won this battle, but I am here to recover one of my sect members."
Soren laughed with bitterness: "And do you think we will allow you to take him while we are here?"
The stranger looked at him with coldness, and with a blink of an eye, a gate opened in front of Soren, a hand came out from it and hit Soren with a huge power to slam him beside Farouk. At that time, it became clear to Farouk and Soren the shape of the strange person who came out from a magic gate; he was wearing a cloak with a picture of a Crow on it. His hair was short purple intersected with white strands, and his eyes were purple radiating with mystery. He was tall, wearing very elegant clothes that don't fit with the brutality of the place.
The owner of the Crow cloak said: "Listen well.. I am not here for fighting, I have a mission to return the Tiger to the sect." He raised his hands, and small gates appeared around his wrists, and he hit the ground with power led to the shattering of Soren's Echo spectrum completely, to return all of them to the forest.
The "Crow" walked slowly toward Farouk and Soren who fell from the severity of tiredness. He launched his aura which made the air heavy around them, but he stopped suddenly and looked to the left side, then went toward the Tiger and carried him. He opened a magic gate, and said while he leaves: "You won in the fighting.. but in this battle, death is your fate, and the fate of this fake world."
The Crow disappeared with the Tiger, and a total darkness settled on the forest. Farouk and Soren had reached the edge of collapse; Soren fainted completely, while Farouk kept struggling to keep one eye open, trying to protect his friend.
Suddenly, footsteps sound was heard approaching them.. someone walking calmly toward them. Farouk tried to stand, tried to gather his scattered energy to defend Soren, but his body betrayed him. When the person arrived, it was a woman's body.
Farouk's eyes widened with shock, and he whispered her name before he dives into fainting while saying "Lumira" and fell unconscious beside his comrade in a dark mind. Farouk was drowning in a whirlpool of regret; his imagination pictured for him his student's corpse lying on the ground, and the voice of the "Tiger" while he mocks their death repeats as an echo that doesn't stop. He was blaming himself: "If I didn't go Soren would have died, and if I went to Soren Kealen would have died.." He kept repeating the word "Fate" with a delirium looks like madness, until this darkness was split by a soft but firm voice calling him from far: "Wake up.. wake up Farouk."
Farouk opened his eyes to find the morning light caressing his eyelids. He turned right and left searching for his comrade, and didn't find anyone, so he screamed with his highest voice: "Sooooren!"
The reply came from behind him with a mocking tone: "You stupid shut up.. I am behind you." Farouk turned to see Soren leaning on a tree trunk, and beside him a woman. Farouk's features froze and he said with wonder: "Lumira?"
Lumira laughed gently and said: "How is your body? Does the pain still eat you?" Farouk looked at his torn knee to find it completely healthy, as if the Tiger's fangs never touched it. Lumira continued while smiling: "I treated your injuries, you only need rest.. it seems you faced an opponent who is not from humans."
Soren sighed saying: "He was strong to a terrifying degree, without that plan we wouldn't have survived." As for Lumira, she looked at Farouk with cunning and said: "And you Farouk.. I didn't know you fight bears! That bite on your knee suggests that a beast tried to devour you."
Farouk replied with seriousness: "A bear? if it was a bear it would have been more merciful.. that person stripped himself from humanity, he pounced on me as if he is a predatory animal." Then he asked her with interest: "And how is the plan oh Philosopher?"
Lumira answered while she finishes treating Soren's wounds: "Continuing, but I noticed heavy movements of students in the city.. is there something wrong?"
Soren answered her: "It is an exam from the academy Arcanum peaks." Lumira nodded with understanding while she announces the end of her treatment, so Soren stood up and thanked them then launched quickly returning to his home to check on Janiro.
Suddenly, Farouk jumped while remembering his student, and said with an urgent tone: "Lumira, I need your help immediately."
Lumira was surprised: "What help?" But Farouk didn't give her a chance to ask, but pulled her from her hand saying: "Follow me quickly, I will explain everything to you on the way." They launched with the speed of lightning toward his home, and Farouk's heart beating with fear that it might be too late.
When they arrived, the scene was horrific; the house is destroyed, and the remains of the battle everywhere. Farouk broke into the place screaming the name of Kealen, to find him in the end falling on his knees fainted beside the headless Gazelle corpse. Lumira froze in her place and said with horror: "What is this ugly sight?"
Farouk felt Kealen's pulse, and said with relief: "He is still alive! Lumira help him quickly."
Lumira moved with high professionalism: "I need something to wound myself with to activate my skill." Without hesitation, Farouk took out his paper blueprint and turned it to a spear, and wounded Lumira's hand. Lumira placed her bloody hand on the ground and screamed: "Garden of Thorns!"
A dense green light emerged surrounding Kealen's body, and Lumira's blood started to turn into energy threads entering Kealen's body treating him, and Farouk watching with held breaths.
After moments, Lumira said with tiredness: "I finished, he only needs rest." Farouk carried his student on his back and entered him to the room, and placed a pillow behind his head carefully.
Lumira turned toward Farouk with sharpness: "Now.. explain to me what is happening. A corpse without a head, and you and Soren are shattered.. who are those?"
Farouk started to tell her the details of the mysterious sect's attack, and how they targeted them for being "Philosophers," and mentioned the name of the "Ruler" they sanctify. Lumira was shocked and said: "A sect that knows our identity and attacks us like this? And what is the story of this Ruler?"
Farouk replied with concern: "I fear he might be a legendary being.. if this is true, then we are before a catastrophe that might wipe out humanity."
Their talk was cut by a weak cough sound. Kealen woke up suddenly, and looked at his hands and screamed hysterically: "I killed him! I killed him!"
Farouk held him from his shoulders strongly: "Shut up! You did what you had to do, if you didn't kill him he would have killed you." Kealen became still while looking toward the Gazelle's corpse which flies and insects started to gather around it in a disgusting sight.
Lumira approached him gently, and placed her hand on his eyes: "Don't look, close your eyes and forget what happened.. you are now safe." Kealen relaxed under her soft touch, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself before a woman with natural beauty; long hair, green eyes like forests, and a luxurious dark green dress decorated with black lace and an elegant hat.
He asked her with daze: "Who are you?"
She answered with a warm smile: "I am the Philosopher Lumira.. and you, what is your name oh brave young man?"
He answered her with shyness: "Kaelen Arminster."
She said while laughing: "A beautiful name that suits you." Farouk interrupted them saying: "Oh boy, rest today, for tomorrow is the day of your departure and your return to the academy."
Kealen remembered the exam and felt a mixture of sadness and awe, but Lumira reassured him: "You rest, and me and Farouk will fix what was destroyed in the house."
Lumira and Farouk went out to work, and Kealen remained alone looking at his hands and thinking about his home that he will see tomorrow. He leaned his head on the pillow and a small smile was drawn on his face while the warm sun rays were caressing his face to say in himself: I am still alive