In the southern part of Phoenix city, there was an abandoned two story house. Its windows were cracked and broken, its walls were covered in drawings, and some of its bricks were missing.

The homeless and the downtrodden used to make this place their home, but not anymore. Lately, people were avoiding the building, and even the street felt empty. Some people had moved elsewhere, and their former homes remained deserted ever since.

As Michael and Natalie approached the area, many gave them worried looks. However, it was not the first time they had gone to this place, so even the guards knew better than to try and stop them.

When they arrived at Nunac’s hideout, Natalie pushed open the door. Michael was carrying jugs in one arm and groceries in the other, so he followed behind her.

Not even two steps in the tip of a longsword touched Natalie’s throat. She gave Tommy a look, and the boy lowered his blade.

“How are they?”

Tommy shrugged. “I’m not going up there. Did you bring what she asked for?”

Michael pulled a jagged orange crystal out of one of the bags. “Yep, this should do the trick.”

“Finally.” The three climbed up to the second floor and stopped in front of the attic’s entrance. The hatch was closed, but even so, a putrid smell invaded their nostrils.

“Not it.”

“Not it.”

“Hey, I’ve been here the whole time.”

“So, you’re used to it.” Michael hugged Tommy with one arm and placed the crystal into his palm with the other. “You’ve got this champ. For the people.”

Tommy swallowed in vain and looked up. After much hesitation, he pushed the hatch open with the tip of his sword and threw the crystal in. The smell of rotting flesh and decay quickly spread throughout the second floor.

“My God, how are they still alive?” Michael kneeled and started gagging.

“Have you checked up on them at all?” asked Natalie.

“Yes,” said Tommy while covering his face. “I tap once and they tap twice.”

“Have you seen their faces?”

“Trust me, you do not want to see their faces right now.”

Inside the attic, the orange crystal was starting to take effect. It sucked in the foul smell and converted it into the scent of dandelions.

Unfortunately, it was a fruitless endeavor. The entire attic was covered in blood, littered with mutated guts, and decorated with rotting zombies and piles of Finn's body parts stacked in neat piles near the walls.

The two teens in the middle of the room had seen the crystal but ignored it. They could both recognize its function, but so what? Their nostrils had long since been neutralized.

A bloodied Annie was holding onto a malnourished Finn’s hands. They were both sitting cross-legged, with their eyes closed and their heads low.

Once more, Finn tapped into his internal energy. He focused on the tip of his middle finger, trying to move the mana inside it without affecting his flesh.

He only moved a small portion to lessen the effect, and for a brief moment it worked. Then, a cell burst, broke the others around it, caused a chain reaction, and soon, the entire palm turned red. Before the infection could spread to his elbow, Annie cut off the mutated arm and threw it onto one of the piles.

She watched it for a few long moments, and after confirming the appendice did not move, she turned towards a scrunched up Finn and started healing him.

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“We’re making progress. Let’s try again.”

“Really? Cause it sure doesn’t feel like it. How long did it take for you to figure this out?”

“Two and a half years, but I wasn’t in a hurry and I didn’t have help. You have me.”

Finn started to relax, but then he heard her mutter “You're so interesting, who cares about arrays.” He tried to retract his palms, but Annie held them firmly. Her smile widened, and the glow in her eyes made him gulp.

“Again.”

Finn’s whimpers could be heard all the way downstairs. After much hesitation, Tommy pried the hatch open and the other two threw water jugs and bags of food inside.

‘Where do they poop?’ crossed Michael’s mind, but he refrained from asking. It was his turn to watch over the building, and like the others, he would do it downstairs.

The next few weeks passed over the city in an eerie silence. There were investigations conducted all over the kingdom, but no results had yet been uncovered.

Eventually, an announcement was scheduled on the third Sunday morning since the incident had occurred. Students gathered inside the academy’s yard, along with merchants, nobles, and all manner of interested parties.

On the castle’s third floor, on the balcony where Madam Isabella had given her entrance ceremony speech, there was a man in a purple suit, a short beard, with a longsword by his side. He had the air of a nobble, although his back was slightly hunched. After the crowd settled down and noticed his presence, he raised his free arm to request their attention.

“People of Phoenix and beloved students of our mighty academy, our empire demands your assistance. The investigation for the night of slaughter has reached its conclusion. We have narrowed down the enemy’s locations, and all we need now is to swoop in and wipe them all out!”

Cheers broke out from the crowd, although they were mostly from the adults, not so much from the students. The noble on the balcony frowned at their reaction and hints of disgust washed over his face.

“Unfortunately!” He waited for the crowd to quiet. “Rising tensions at the borders of our mighty empire means we must send our youngsters to do our dirty work for us.

If it were up to me, I’d put every last one of you into training camps, put an axe in your arms and send you off to slaughter. However, most of you have have served your three year conscription duty already.”

The noble clicked his tongue and paused for a second.

“As for the rest, anyone who still has time on their ledgers must prepare to join the effort. I, Veer Vistacia, first of my name, would like to personally thank you for your sacrifice.”

“Will this count as conscription duty?” Natalie’s voice was heard from the crowd.

“No,” the noble gritted his teeth. “This will be considered as part of your curriculum. I’m sorry.”

He all but whispered that last part and then took a deep breath.

“I cannot do much for you youngsters, but I can lead the charge. Join me in the north, and we’ll lay siege to the enemy’s stronghold. I, Veer Vistacia, promise upon my name that I will keep you safe. As for the enemies, I will slaughter every last one of them.”

[In the Empire’s West]

There was an inn in Labyrinth City, but the innkeeper had departed this world. There was a poorly lit dining room on the second floor, but there was no food, and it reeked of blood. Many chairs and tables were broken, but there were still six intact, and one was in use.

Right in the middle of the room, a hunched over, fat beastman was sharpening a hatchet against his chopped up table. There was a tiny skull in his free hand which he was trying to carve into, except the damn hatchet was dull.

Suddenly, he stopped sharpening and turned towards the door with startled eyes. The door opened and a clean-shaven young beastman walked in. As soon as their eyes met, the youngster’s tail lowered, and the countless rings around his fingers clattered against each other.

“Where’s Bloodeye?” Nunac asked.

Instead of an answer, the fat man licked his blade. His eyes rolled inside his head, and his ears twitched, along with the gills hidden behind them.

“The empire has issued a manhunt. Troops are on their way.”

“Will they be young?”

“We must take precaution,”

“Yes, they must not escape.”

The fat man’s eyes refocused and he licked his lips. His tongue got cut on one of his fangs, making him squirm with a smile.

“I don’t have time for this. Butcher, where are the others?”

The fat beastman bit his lower lip and pointed at the floor. “It’s done. The trap is set, and we’re moving soon.”

Nunac froze for a moment, but not due to Butcher’s words. It was because, in the moment he took to look at the floor, the fatass had appeared at his side. With one hand resting on Nunac's shoulder, he pulled the mage closer and took a sniff from his neck.

“My boy, I enjoy our little talks,” he whispered. “For this mission, we should work together.”

He took another deep sniff and left the room to who knows where. As soon as his presence faded, Nunac dropped to the floor, summoned a giant water bubble, and submerged his body inside it.