My eyes were on the rapidly moving surroundings, and I was caught in the arms of this old man with no idea what he wanted. He asked, or instead demanded me, to come with him, and now I'm God knows where in the Naien forest. I couldn't escape this forest now, even if I wanted to.

He had assumed that I would agree, and he was right. If what he said was true about the mages hunting me for this newfound power, my only chance at survival would be to go with him. "I agree to go with you," I said, my voice filled with resignation. "But first, tell me who you are."

I was in no position to get away, and he'd be my only source of information for now. Plus, it was likely he was doing this for my safety. My distrustful side had me split internally. I wanted to ask, but I was still determining if he would give trustworthy answers. Why would he want to save a cursed person like me? Eventually, my curiosity won out, and the questions rushed out of me.

"Where are we going anyway? Why would the mages hunt me? That was my home, you know. It's not like I did anything wrong. I only visited a pond, which can't be a crime."

The aged man sighed, exasperated as if he expected this barrage of questions. He looked at me with a mixture of annoyance and concern before answering.

"The Moth chose the old pond as her last seed, then? That's where you're wrong, my new idiot- "

"My name is Falond! And you still haven't told me who you are."

The elderly man paused momentarily, his gaze intense as he continued. "My idiot Falond, your existence is a threat in today's world. I'm glad I found you when I did. If your power had developed independently, you would have been hunted down. Your home is no longer safe. Visiting that pond triggered events that put you in the crosshairs of your entire kingdom. You may not have done anything wrong, but it won't matter to them."

He paused for a moment, thinking about another subject entirely.

"That rogue is not what he seems. Did you not find it strange that such a powerful rogue was with your group of lay-about half-baked adventurers? The shadows are intense around that one. He's an adept who can use shadow hop, an advanced technique, even for those who follow the path of shadow. Frankly, if that idiot weren't trying to protect you, he'd have killed that monster by himself eventually."

"What is it with you calling everyone idiots?" I couldn't help but ask, my curiosity getting better.

"That's what you paid attention to? Hopeless, on top of being an idiot. What a bother; why would the Moth pick someone like you?"

"What do you mean?" More importantly, how could he tell? He was so sure about the Moth, more than I was even.

"You'll find out soon enough. For now, I'm taking you to a special location, the only spot on this continent where a lucky incompetent of aura can be made into something useful."

"Who's incompetent? And is that what this is? Aura?"

"Only an incompetent would say that."

Before I could continue, he covered my mouth for a second. I felt a tingle of energy spread from his hand to my body, followed by an abrupt halt of my power circulation. It was a sensation like cold water pouring over me, dousing the spark of my attempted control.

I had no idea how he did that. I looked at his eyes and saw they were focusing on the distance. Some of that mysterious power was regenerated; I tried to circulate it to my eyes to see what he saw. Just as I started, some of that kind of power came from his hand and sealed me.

"No, lucky fool. You're far too obvious with it, not to mention incredibly inefficient. If they find us with you radiating like that, we will be dead for sure if I can't run away with you."

The old man's words hit me like a slap in the face. His blunt honesty stung me, but it also made me realize the gravity of the situation. I had been unaware of the consequences of my actions, oblivious to the danger I posed.

Find me? Why would anyone do that? I've been someone living in the slums for years now, trying not to get in the way of others. They'd only target me for stealing mana reagents or materials. Even then, the mages never tried to kill or find me this far out in the Naien.

As I was lost in thought, the old man swiftly scooped me up again, effortlessly lifting me over his shoulder. Without hesitation, he sprinted, his speed surpassing anything I had ever seen. It was as if he could run at a rate that would make the greatest mages in my old city seem like turtles. Even the magistrate of Ulis city would pale compared to his current speed.

He was heading deeper and deeper into the abyssal part of the Naien Forest. I could even tell we were running from something, but the question was, what? What were they using to track us anyway? And why bother?

Time seemed to blur as we continued, and I didn't have the faintest idea of where in the world we were—a troubling scenario when you have no control over what's going on. Whatever that Moth gave me was dangerous, at least for someone without knowledge.

This old man knew more but didn't bother to talk about it. While we were running over deeper into the forest, it'd be the same line of answers when I'd ask. "Not now." "No need for you to know yet." A cold wave of sweat washed over me when it dawned on me that he wasn't sure he could get us out alive.

Looking up and seeing a grand magic array in the sky made me realize that if caught, a Grand mage or higher ranking would be the one who'd be stopping us. There were only two in this part of the world, and I'd never seen either before in my life. Grand mages were incredibly rare and, to my knowledge, were only one level away from the peak of power in this world.

So why was one coming after us? It couldn't be just me. Thinking further on it, that had to be it. This crazy old man was running even before he met me. And that bastard just picked me up and ran away with me on top of that. I was implicated before even realizing it. Nothing could be done; it's not like I can struggle away from him. Plus, would a Grand mage even spare me as soon as they realized I had this forbidden aura? I doubt it.

Suddenly, he came to a halt, enveloping us in a thin veil of aura that extended to me. We were in a nook of a tree. I felt a sense of concealment by being in harmony with the tree. In the distance, I could hear a young woman's icy, irritated voice. "Hadrian, let's end this tiresome pursuit. You can't hide from me forever. I know you have a young heretic with you. Allow me to put an end to your suffering." I tried to follow Hadrian's gaze, now aware of his name, to see who this woman was.

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High above the sky, the magic array pulsed with a cold and harsh light, much like the demeanor of its caster. Behind a tidal mist of mana was the outline of a voluptuous figure. The Grand mage appeared before us. She was as beautiful as she was frosty. With her porcelain skin, sharp features, and ice-blue eyes that seemed to penetrate through everything they saw. A half-blue, half-white hooded robe that the portal church members used covered her.

The Grand mage seemed to grow frustrated at being unable to locate us; feeling her gaze in our direction, she seemed to be looking everywhere. I stopped breathing and desperately put whatever was radiating out of me into the depths of my body. "You think you can hide from me, Hadrian? This is pointless. Give him up. It's a pity to see an elder of the auramancers get involved in such a scandal."

Hadrian remained silent, his stern gaze never wavering from her. Despite the icy atmosphere, he managed to keep his composure.

The atmosphere grew tense as Velexa tried to peer through our concealment. The world seemed to hold its breath as if waiting for the impending storm. My heart pounded in my chest, the chilling reality of the situation crashing down on me. I was on the run, being chased by a Grand mage, hiding with an elder of the auramancers who seemed to be the only one willing to help me. And all because of a special gift from a mystical Moth, a gift I didn't even fully understand. This was like living in a nightmare. Well, that and this "elder" was already running from her in the first place.

The faint shimmer of energy Hadrian was emitting was doing its job, but it was a close call. If that Grand mage, whoever she might be, came near enough, our cover would be blown. I didn't need to be a master at reading expressions to see the lines of tension etched on Hadrian's face. His stern features, usually unreadable, were now clearly stressed.

With every stride the Grand mage took, a fleeting wisp of blue mana lingered on the ground. It suggested either a showy display of power or the signs of a newly promoted Grand mage struggling to rein in her new tier of mana. I had read a few insights about the arcane world of mages from a musty tome in my former family's library. One page described how, upon ascending to a higher tier, a mage would struggle with controlling their newfound mana for several days, often unable to fully harness their potential.

Unknown to me, this was the source of Hadrian's mounting stress. If the Grand mage, Velexa, mastered control over her newly ascended tier of mana before we reached the place we were heading to, It wasn't just over for the young idiot he was carrying; it was over for him, too.

Grand mages were monstrously powerful, and Hadrian wasn't a fool; his trick was good, but an experienced Grand mage would see through it. It was only his luck that Reverent only sent the newest and most inexperienced Grand mage in the kingdom to come to track him.

Earlier, Hadrian had made a crucial mistake and been spotted by the wrong person while he was on the outside. Add on that, he stumbled upon a newly blessed one of aura users, with the burden of trying to hide him too; just one wrong step, and they'd not make it out alive. Yet, his duty as a sourcer demanded this of him.

Almost becoming one with the tree, Hadrian expertly camouflaged his body like a natural part. The newly ascended Grand Mage was still gradually advancing toward us. In response, Hadrian and I held our breaths, and he manipulated the surrounding energy to reinforce our concealment.

Yet again, my heart was pounding, and a feeling of death befell me. Compared to fighting Woodbourne Trogg, it was far more significant this time, at least before, I could maybe run. But now? I, too, would be smoking ashes like that monster.

Gravity itself increased massively while the mage was coming closer. The air was nearly liquid with the concentration of mana around her. An immense pressure was hitting my body, causing my bones to creak. Hadrian seemed unaffected by it. The mage raised her staff toward a tree next to us. With astonishing speed, a jet of water-imbued mana erupted from her staff, slicing the tree in half before I could even process what had happened. Not stopping there, the high-pressure stream continued to cleave through several trees behind it with equal ease.

What was even more terrifying was no casting or incantation, merely a slight flick of her staff, and almost everything within tens of meters to our right was obliterated. Two massive globes of shimmering blue mana swirled around her, and a ring of smaller ones orbited just beyond the reach of her staff.

A surge of horror coursed through me as I realized she was likely to strike at the trees on her left next, exactly where we were hidden. Why wouldn't she? It wasn't as though it would demand a significant amount of energy. A globe of her mana started to glow behind her. A voice played through it.

"Grand Mage Velexa, the council requires an update on your pursuit of Hadrian Jelwood. Has the target been dealt with? Has Lectus Conmor been returned to his place of exile?" A voice emanated from the glowing globe, carrying the gravelly tone of a man weathered by many years.

"I am currently engaged in that task," Velexa responded, her voice soft yet icy. "Jelwood has momentarily evaded my grasp, but it's only a matter of time before he's frozen before my magic. He has encountered a new one of his kind, an additional annoyance for the council. As for the Conmor exile, I have momentarily lost his trail. The new aura vermin may be him, however. Meaning Jelwood may have him in his company."

"A new one? It is interesting how they sporadically emerge, given that we eradicated their last known sacred sites decades ago. Nonetheless, this isn't your concern right now. If you fail to locate and bury them in the next few moments, you must return to the closest mage branch. You are due to begin your specialized training as a Grand mage. Besides, you're venturing too close to the vicinity of that Elven woman."

"What? So soon? I was informed that I could proceed with this mission at my own pace before returning for the council's training regimen. I assure you; the Elf is no issue to me."

"Enough, I'll not argue with you, girl; disregard the few moments I mentioned earlier; return immediately. Your impudence might be your undoing one day. Even the most formidable Grand mage wouldn't dare to provoke that Elven woman. If you fail to return by the designated time, expect disciplinary actions, including a punishment on your mana circuits."

I was clueless about what that implied, but at the mention of punishment to her mana circuits, Velexa visibly paled. It was clear that whatever it meant, it wasn't good news. The communication globe was terminated before anything else could be said. The elderly council member wouldn't tolerate argument.

An evident wave of frustration swept over Velexa. She violently slammed the base of her staff into the ground, causing a multitude of cracks to spiderweb across the earth and a thick cloud of dust to cloud upwards. It was a reminder that while mages were known for their immense magical power, their physical strength was not to be underestimated either. Interestingly, despite the rising cloud of dust, not a speck of dirt dared to settle on her pristine robes.

With reluctance etched on her face, Velexa gripped her staff tightly and began to ascend. She did not use her staff as a mount but flew off the ground rapidly. In a fit of icy anger, she threw a series of water and ice spells indiscriminately into the surrounding forest while returning to the city.

When I thought we were clear, the icy Grand mage abruptly spun around and started a powerful spell. Mana swirled around her, almost in solid form, easily visible even to my untrained eye. She was about half a mile away when she began this chant, yet the pressure from her spellcasting could be felt even at this distance.

Hadrian, whom I had nearly forgotten due to the mage's presence, increased the density of the power around us. Symbols materialized, and the surrounding wood began to fuse with our bodies, noticeably more with Hadrian than with me. He pushed me into the tree, sealing the entrance with his body. Seeing his actions, my heart sank. I had hoped our distance would be enough, but it wasn't so.

An eerie silence descended upon the world, during which the aura within me instinctively circulated. My body had begun to recover somewhat during this period, albeit shallowly. The energy concentrated on my vitals, preparing for self-sacrifice.

Then... Boom.

A blinding white flash, a sensation of weightlessness followed by a feeling of helplessness. Finally, a splatter of red as darkness took over.