Adam’s heart pounded as he surveyed the chaos around him. He could see the scene that had threatened to overwhelm him, and now, with every passing second, he realized that his magic had failed him when he needed it most.

Everything—the roaring elephant, the slithering snake, and the violent destruction that had appeared to ravage the land—was closing in on him and his small band of friends.

In that moment, frustration and helplessness washed over him like a tidal wave.

For a brief, heart-wrenching moment, Adam stood rooted to the spot, lost in a whirl of troubled thoughts.

He wondered why his spells had faltered, and what magical force might be at work to weaken him now.

Then, as if in answer to his silent questions, his eyes locked onto something unexpected: Brand’s glowing green eyes. In that instant, a sudden realization struck him.

The sight of those eerie eyes, still burning with an unnatural light despite the tumult around them, sparked a small but confident smile on Adam’s face.

It was as if he had uncovered the hidden truth behind the destruction. That single look, so full of unspoken meaning, changed everything for him.

Brand, who had been standing high on the wooden balcony of the two-story house, had been smirking confidently just moments before.

Now, noticing the change in Adam’s expression, Brand’s own smirk faltered.

His confident look was replaced by surprise and a growing sense of unease.

Without wasting another moment, Adam acted swiftly. He slid his sword back into its hidden sheath beneath his clothes with smooth, practiced movements.

Then, raising his other hand steadily, he called out in clear, loud English—a word that carried the weight of his determination and resolve:

“Dispel.”

The moment that word left Adam’s lips, the very air around him seemed to change. It was as though his voice had reached into the heart of reality itself.

The fabric of the world began to crack like fragile glass breaking under too much pressure.

Thin lines of light and strange distortions appeared around him, stretching outward in all directions as if the world was shattering into countless tiny pieces.

As these cracks grew wider and deeper, pieces of the illusion began to fall away.

They tumbled from the air like shards of broken glass, disappearing into nothingness as though they had never been there at all.

In the blink of an eye, the monstrous forms that had once loomed menacingly before him had vanished.

The massive elephant, with its glowing red tusks that had seemed to promise doom, was gone. Equally, the enormous snake—with its crystalline, black scales that had glittered with dark magic—had disappeared without a trace.

In the place of those nightmarish creatures, Adam now saw only what he recognized. The familiar figures of his closest friends stood nearby.

Sophia and Bryan were there, though their eyes glowed green just like the other villagers. Their bodies were unnaturally still, as if caught in a deep and mysterious spell.

It was then that Adam glanced around, his eyes taking in the rest of his surroundings.

The village was intact. Every house was whole, and there was not a sign of the destruction that had so recently seemed to rage across the land.

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The villagers, though still menacing with their glowing eyes, were gathered in their usual places, surrounding the group in a tight circle.

The chaos and carnage that had threatened to overwhelm them had all been an illusion—an elaborate trick meant to confuse and terrify.

Adam’s eyes narrowed as he slowly turned in a circle, scanning every inch of the area with renewed caution. Deep in his mind, he formed a single, stark thought:

It was all an illusion…

The realization hit him hard. Everything—the terrifying creatures, the destruction, the chaos—it had all been nothing more than a powerful illusion, a spell designed to overwhelm his senses and cloud his judgment.

The enemy was not simply a physical force, but a magician who could twist reality itself.

From his vantage point on the balcony, Brand looked visibly shaken.

His previously confident demeanor was gone, replaced by uncertainty. “So, you broke my illusion magic…” Brand said in a calm voice that nonetheless trembled with disbelief.

There was a quiet, dangerous edge to his tone, as if he could not quite believe that his carefully woven spell had been undone so easily.

Even as Brand tried to keep his cool, Adam could see that his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil. In his mind,

Brand was thinking: 'He broke my spell… a four-star spell… so easily. This shouldn’t be possible unless… ' His thoughts raced, trying to find an explanation. 'Only a magician of equal strength—at least a four-star magician—could possibly dispel an illusion of that magnitude. Who exactly was this boy before him?'

While Brand stood there, lost in his own tumult of thought, Adam moved quickly. He turned toward Sophia and Bryan with clear focus and unwavering determination.

With a steady hand, he extended his arm toward them and snapped his fingers. Once again, his voice rang out, calm and resolute:

“Dispel.”

A faint ripple of energy spread from Adam’s hand, like a soft wave that carried his power outward.

That energy reached Sophia, Bryan, and two others who stood close by—Bryan’s son and Samuel, who was known to be Brand’s own brother.

Almost immediately, the eerie green glow in their eyes vanished. In its place, clarity returned to their gaze, and their awareness was restored.

It was as if a heavy spell had been lifted, and they were waking from a long, terrible dream.

Sophia blinked rapidly, as if she were emerging from a nightmare. Her body trembled slightly, and she looked around with a mixture of confusion and relief.

Bryan and the others also glanced about, their faces etched with shock and uncertainty as they tried to process what had just happened. The oppressive, hypnotic light that had held them in its grip was gone.

Sophia’s eyes locked onto Adam’s, and in that moment, her voice came out softly, trembling with raw emotion. “Adam…” she whispered.

A wave of deep feeling washed over her, and tears welled up in her eyes. “I thought I had lost you… I thought you were gone forever.” Her entire body shook as she spoke, and the lingering fear from the illusion still clung to her like a shadow.

Adam’s brow furrowed as he watched her reaction closely. In his mind, he wondered 'what exactly she had seen in that illusion to frighten her so terribly. What did she see in that illusion that scared her so much? ' he thought, his concern deepening with every passing second.

Meanwhile, Bryan’s gaze shifted around the crowd of villagers. His expression turned serious as he scanned the faces in the crowd, as if searching for someone or something among them.

Adam noticed Bryan’s anxious behavior but chose not to address it immediately.

Instead, he turned to the group and spoke with authority: “You all need to leave this place. Go far away from here. This magician will use you to try and stop me if you stay.” His voice was firm, carrying the weight of his command.

The words stunned the group into silence. Sophia, Bryan, Bryan’s son, and Samuel all turned to look at Adam, shock written on their faces.

“But Adam—” Sophia began to protest, her voice laced with worry and uncertainty.

Before she could say anything more, Adam raised his hand once again. He shifted his gaze upward toward the sky and moved his wrist so that two fingers pointed high above.

With a clear, commanding tone, he spoke the word that he had been saving for this critical moment:

“Swap.”

In an instant, the magic took hold. Sophia, Bryan, Bryan’s son, and Samuel vanished from their spots.

In the place where they had stood, a small pile of stones tumbled to the ground, crashing with a dull, echoing sound that filled the suddenly silent village.

The abrupt disappearance left no room for argument—Adam’s command was absolute.

Adam’s face hardened as he turned his gaze back toward the balcony where Brand still stood.

Brand’s face, which had already been marked with shock and unease, now showed a mix of frustration and disbelief. It was clear that Brand’s carefully constructed world of illusion had been shattered by Adam’s power.

Adam’s mind raced with questions about the true strength of his adversary and the nature of the magic that had been used against him.

He knew that the battle was far from over, and that Brand’s magic was only one part of a much larger magical arsenal.

Yet, for now, Adam had reclaimed control of his own reality. The illusion had been broken, and the truth—however unsettling—had come into view.