NOVEL WEB Chapter 33: Start of the Journey.
Velexaria Duskvale, Tower Master of the Dark Mages, sat with regal poise, her obsidian robes embroidered with crimson runes glimmering faintly in the gloom. Her eyes, dark as midnight pools, fixed Ethan with a look somewhere between calculation and pride.
Beside her sat Lysena Veilthorn and Kaeron Duskwright, both Sixth Circle Mages and legends in their own right. The space felt tight with their power, like sitting between walls of unseen lightning.
"So," Velexaria began, her voice low and smooth as silk, "when we reach the Empire's capital, you might feel overwhelmed. It's not merely a council gathering. It's a battlefield of prestige and silent threats."
Kaeron let out a dry snort. "The Light Tower's whelps love flaunting their brilliance. The Thunder Tower, too—acting as if the skies answer only to them."
Lysena tilted her head, her eyes narrow and perceptive. "Don't let their arrogance throw you off, Ethan. Remember, you're carrying the weight of our tower's reputation. We wouldn't have chosen you otherwise."
Ethan cracked a grin, lifting his chin. "I'm not afraid of a bunch of robed peacocks. Let them look down on me—I'll show them what darkness really is."
Velexaria's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. "That's precisely what I like about you. But keep your wits sharp. The Imperial Summit is a dance of masks. Alliances are made and broken in a single conversation. And this year…" Her voice dropped a note, eyes glinting. "…rumors say the Emperor himself may appear."
Kaeron's expression darkened. "Meaning we'll be watched from every corner. One mistake could turn the Empire's eye against us."
Ethan leaned forward, eyes shining. "Let them watch. If they want to measure power, I'll be ready."
Velexaria gave a faint chuckle. "Good. Because the Empire's new generation of mages will be there. And you—" She tapped a black-painted nail against her knee. "—must prove that the Dark Mage Tower has the strongest talent of them all."
Lysena smirked. "No pressure, of course."
"None at all," Ethan shot back dryly.
Their laughter rose softly in the cabin, smoothing the tension like balm over steel.
But that peace lasted less than a mile.
A sudden chill swept through the carriage.
BANG!
The carriage rocked violently as an explosion tore through wood and metal, the blast splitting the road apart in a cyclone of fire and smoke. Ethan slammed against the opposite wall, teeth rattling as shards of burning timber flew past his face.
Outside, thick smoke rolled across the path like a living beast, choking the sunlight and casting the world into a flickering inferno. Through the haze, silhouettes appeared—tall figures draped in heavy cloaks, faces hidden behind masks scrawled with crimson runes.
"They've come…" Velexaria murmured, her voice dangerously calm.
One robed figure stepped forward, peering through the swirling smoke at the flaming wreckage. "No bodies," he hissed. "The spell consumed them entirely?"
Another man crept closer, scanning the debris. "Search the wreckage. We can't return empty-handed."
As he reached for a piece of smoldering timber, a voice rang out, sharp as steel:
"Looking for us?"
The smoke burst apart like glass shattering.
Ethan stood there, sword gleaming wickedly in his grasp, eyes blazing with cold fury. Velexaria stepped beside him, her black robes swirling like storm clouds, shadows coiling around her like serpents. Lysena and Kaeron flanked them, their hands alight with swirling dark magic.
The robed intruders recoiled. "Impossible! The carriage—"
Kaeron scoffed. "Destroyed your little decoy, you mean. Nice fireworks show."
Lysena arched a brow. "I felt the surge of fire mana seconds before it ignited. We slipped out and cloaked ourselves in shadows. Thanks for the entertainment."
One of the attackers snarled and lunged, blade flashing toward Ethan's throat. But Ethan moved like a phantom, deflecting the strike with a harsh clang before slashing the man's chest. Blood fountained into the smoky air as the attacker crashed to the ground.
Chaos erupted.
Swords gleamed. Shadows lashed out like black vipers. Kaeron's darkness coiled around attackers, snapping bones and tearing weapons free. Lysena's incantations sent waves of obsidian lightning crackling across the battlefield, dropping robed men in twitching heaps.
"Too slow!" Ethan roared, ducking beneath a strike and driving his blade into an attacker's gut.
He spun around, parrying another slash before cutting a man's legs out from under him. Blood sprayed across the scorched earth. The enemy fell with a gurgling scream.
A lone figure remained, panting, eyes wide and feral. He bit down on his tongue, blood pouring from his mouth.
"Oh no, you don't." Ethan seized him by the collar and slammed him against a charred tree. "Who sent you?"
The man glared at him, blood bubbling on his lips. "I'll never tell… we are the shadows… we are—"
Ethan's blade flashed once, clean and silent. The man dropped like a stone, lifeless eyes staring skyward.
"Not interested," Ethan muttered, flicking blood from his sword.
Velexaria stepped forward, voice like ice. "Pathetic. Whoever hired them underestimated the Dark Mage Tower."
Kaeron rolled his eyes. "Idiots should've stayed home."
Lysena tilted her head. "Should we hang the bodies as a warning?"
Velexaria waved a hand dismissively. "No. Let them rot. We have a summit to attend."
Ethan sheathed his sword, chest heaving, a grin flickering over his face. "So… think this counts as my morning warmup?"
Kaeron barked a short laugh. "Remind me not to spar with you anytime soon."
Lysena gave Ethan a pointed look. "Remember, this is only the beginning. The Empire will be far more dangerous than this."
Ethan nodded, brushing soot from his cloak. "Good. I'd be bored otherwise."
Velexaria flicked her hand, and dark energy coalesced into a new carriage of shadows and swirling runes. The group climbed in, leaving the flaming wreckage and corpses behind. As they settled into their seats, Ethan cast one last look at the road behind them.
They're trying to kill me before I even get to the Empire. That's how I know I'm on the right path.
Let them come. I'll cut them all down.