The workshop was a total mess. Like the kind of mess that would make safety inspectors freak out.
Magic gadgets buzzed. Gears clanked. And whatever smelled like burning toast definitely wasn’t supposed to be on fire.
But Talia? Oh, she was in the zone. Her green hair swung in its usual twin tails, eyes locked onto her RuneForge. Spells, sparks, and a whole lot of stubbornness swirled in that chaos.
BAM! Earthquake. Okay, maybe not an actual earthquake. But something shook.
Talia squinted at an orb glowing red on a pedestal.
And as if things weren’t dramatic enough, her workshop door slammed open.
Kelan, her assistant, burst in, gasping for air. “Lady Talia! Urgent message!”
Talia gave him a look that could freeze fire. “Spit it out.”
“The… observation room!” he wheezed, basically playing charades for “BIG EMERGENCY” with flailing hands and wide eyes.
Talia rolled her eyes but didn’t waste time. She zoomed across the workshop.
Kelan stumbled after her, tripping over who knows what. Probably something important. But no time for that now.
The observation room was dramatic, even for a magic guild. Magical mirrors covered the walls, showing different parts of the kingdom. Like some invasive security camera setup.
Floating crystals gave off moody lighting. But the main attraction? A huge table with a colorful orb right in the middle. Gotta love the drama.
Talia flicked her fingers.
The orb lit up, showing a huge projection from their surveillance network. The room’s mood went from “meh” to “okay, something’s definitely up” as it focused on four figures moving through a forest.
Talia smirked. “The kingdom’s so-called finest.”
News had swept through the guilds like wildfire. The king had slapped Hero Ava’s party members with magic limiters as punishment for some royal offense. Exiled to the kingdom’s poorest village.
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“Uh, Lady Talia...?” Kelan looked super worried. “The magic readings. They’re... um... really high.”
Talia rolled her eyes. “It’s just the full moon. Magic does weird stuff when that happens.”
But even as she spoke, the magical sensors pulsed. Brighter. Flashing warnings. The air thickened. Heavy. Unstable.
The image zoomed out. Talia’s eyes widened.
A creature. Floating in the sky. Warping reality.
A mix of voids. Wrapped in white flesh. Crackling claws. Purple energy.
“What in the realms is that?” Talia’s voice shook.
The sensors went haywire. Beeping. Screaming. Lights dimming. The air, thick like mud. The equipment struggled. Hummed. Trembled. Even the walls seemed to shake.
Kelan’s voice broke through. “Lady Talia… that’s… that’s a Mythical! A new one!”
Talia’s heart pounded. A new Mythical? Impossible!
Her eyes snapped to the four floating figures. Rising. Higher. “Can it control gravity?” she whispered. “No MagicBeast has ever shown that power…”
Kelan’s face was pale. Terror in his eyes. “If it controls gravity… what else can it do?”
“Contact the other guild leaders! Now!” Talia barked.
Kelan rushed to the crystals. His hands flew. Blue light. Energy rippling. “Emergency! New Mythical sighting in Drudgery Forest! All guilds! High alert!”
Talia stared at the projection. The figures dangled. Like puppets. Controlled. Mocked? “Is it testing them? Playing with them?”
Suddenly, the four figures fell. Wind screaming.
“No, no, no!” Talia gasped. “It’s going to kill them!”
A flash. Blinding.
Then... nothing. The four figures were gone.
Talia blinked. Stunned. “Where did they go?”
Kelan was frozen. “I—I don’t know. They just…”
The image shifted.
A new figure. Standing. Facing the Mythical. Cloaked. Masked. Power radiating.
Talia’s heart raced. “Who… is that?”
The figure raised a hand. Casual. Lazy.
But the effect? Instant. Devastating.
The projection flickered. Twisted. Lights dimmed further. The orb sputtered. Struggling.
Then? Darkness. Complete silence. The sensors dead.
Kelan’s voice cracked. “What’s happening?!”
Talia’s breath caught. “They broke the connection.” Awe. Fear. “Whoever that was… they cut off our magic.”
The silence deepened. Only the faint crackle of magic remained. Whoever that figure was, they had just changed everything.
Talia turned to Kelan. “Find them. Now.”
Kelan nodded, pale. “I’ll mobilize the scouts and contact the other guilds. We’ll find them.”
He rushed out.
Talia stood. Alone. Mind racing. This wasn’t just power. This was something far more dangerous.
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Chapter 12 Video/Audio version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsU41eqAyuw