“Before we decide what to do today…” Rishia stands and takes charge of the meeting.

We gathered in the family room after breakfast, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee still lingering in the air. Rishia, with a confident smile, wants to discuss how we should spend the last three days on this island. She also has an announcement to make.

“What is it?” I ask, sipping my coffee. The rich, bitter taste grounds me. Rishia grins and looks at Kai. Kai nods, sharing a conspiratorial look with her. What’s going on?

“Congratulations, you two!” Both of them suddenly stand up and start clapping. Noarin and I jolt in surprise, exchanging confused glances.

“For context: Yes, we overheard your conversation last night,” Rishia continues, her grin widening. Noarin and I blush furiously, the heat rising to our faces.

“What the- How??” Noarin’s voice quivers with embarrassment as she nervously questions Rishia.

“I was about to go downstairs to the bathroom when I heard Noarin’s voice from Aruta’s room. And guess what I heard?” Rishia’s grin turns mischievous. Noarin’s face gets even redder; she crouches down and covers her face with her hands, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Kai turns to me, a playful smirk on his face. “After all these years, this Aruta, who never cared about other living beings, finally got a girl – Mmph!” I quickly throw a sofa cushion in Kai’s face, stopping him mid-sentence.

The cushion hits Kai squarely, muffling his words. He stumbles back, surprised but laughing. Noarin peeks through her fingers, her eyes wide with a mix of mortification and amusement.

“Seriously, guys?” I say, trying to sound stern but failing to hide my own smile. “Did you really have to announce it like this?”

Rishia laughs, sitting back down. “Oh, come on, Aruta. We’re just happy for you two. It’s about time something good happened.”

Noarin finally lowers her hands, still blushing but smiling shyly. “I can’t believe you heard all that,” she mutters.

Kai recovers, tossing the cushion back onto the sofa. “Well, it’s not every day our stoic Aruta finds love. We had to celebrate it somehow.”

I roll my eyes, but the warmth in my chest grows. “All right, all right. Thanks, I guess.”

Rishia clears her throat, regaining everyone’s attention. “Okay, enough teasing. Let’s get back to the plan. We have three days left on this island. What should we do for today?”

“Can we do something more relaxing? Aruta just recovered; he shouldn’t do too much activity,” Noarin says, turning to me with concern in her eyes.

I tilt my head, slightly puzzled. “I’m fine though?”

Noarin frowns, her worry deepening. “Don’t overdo it. I know you’re still having trouble moving last night.”

“That was last night,” I shrug, trying to reassure her. “I can move perfectly well now.”

Kai, sensing the need to diffuse the tension, pulls out his phone with a grin. “Well then, how about we go see a local performance? I heard they’re preparing a festival tonight,” he says, showing us his phone screen. It’s a picture of a festival announcement flyer. “They have some game booths too.”

Rishia perks up at the idea. “Sounds fun, I’m in. How about you guys?” She looks between Noarin and me, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I glance at Noarin, seeing the hesitation in her expression. “Sure, I guess,” I finally say, trying to sound enthusiastic. “I’ve never been to a festival or anything like that.”

Noarin nods, still looking a bit concerned but smiling. “Alright, if you’re sure. But promise me you won’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

I smile back at her, touched by her worry. “I promise, Noarin. I’ll take it easy.”

Rishia claps her hands. “Great! We’ll get ready and go out this afternoon. It’ll be nice to experience something new.”

Kai is already bouncing with excitement, unable to contain his enthusiasm. “Yes! This is going to be great. I hear the food is great too.”

As we dismissed, I catch Noarin’s eye. “Thanks for looking after me,” I say quietly.

She blushes slightly, her gaze dropping for a moment before meeting mine again. “I just don’t want you to push yourself too hard. You mean a lot to me, Aruta.”

I smile, feeling a warm glow in my chest. “I appreciate it. Let’s enjoy the festival together.”

----------------------------------------

When the afternoon comes and everything is ready, we make our way to the festival. The sun begins to set, casting a golden glow over the island. The sound of distant music and laughter grows louder as we approach, and the air is filled with the delicious aroma of festival food.

The sight that greets us is vibrant and lively – colorful stalls, twinkling lights, and people bustling about enjoying the festivities. We make our way through the crowd, taking in the sights and sounds.

Kai immediately scurries to a game booth, dragging Rishia with him. Noarin and I stroll hand in hand through the festival, soaking up the atmosphere.

“This is amazing,” Noarin says, her eyes wide with wonder.

“Yes, it really is,” I agree, squeezing her hand gently.

We spend the evening playing games, eating delicious food, and watching the performances. Laughter and joy fill the air, and for a while we forget our troubles and just enjoy the moment.

image [https://i.imgur.com/rXLsXki.jpeg]

As we’re strolling through the festival, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere, a sudden chill runs down my spine. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I instinctively tighten my grip on Noarin’s hand.

“Aruta?” Noarin looks at me, concern etched on her face. “What’s wrong?”

I scan the crowd, my senses on high alert. “I’m not sure,” I mutter, my eyes darting from face to face. “Something feels… off.”

Just then, a commotion erupts near one of the game booths. People start screaming and running, creating a wave of panic that ripples through the crowd. Noarin and I exchange a quick glance before pushing our way towards the source of the disturbance.

As we break through the throng of fleeing festival-goers, we see the cause of the chaos. A figure stands in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by an aura of darkness so intense it seems to devour the festival lights around it. The figure is tall and imposing, dressed in black robes that seem to writhe and shift like living shadows.

“An ornament holder,” Noarin whispers, her voice tight with tension. “And a dark attribute at that.”

The figure turns, and I catch a glimpse of glowing red eyes beneath a hood. With a gesture, tendrils of darkness shoot out, wrapping around nearby objects and crushing them effortlessly.

“We have to do something,” I say, my heart racing. “Where are Kai and Rishia?”

As if on cue, I hear Kai’s voice shouting from behind us. “Aruta! Noarin! What’s going on?”

Kai and Rishia push through the crowd to join us, their faces pale with shock as they take in the scene before us.

“Another ornament holder,” Rishia says, her voice barely audible over the chaos around us.

The dark figure turns towards us, seeming to sense our presence. A cold, hollow voice echoes across the now-deserted festival grounds. “Ah, more players have entered the game. How delightful.”

I step forward, positioning myself slightly in front of the others. “Who are you? What do you want?”

The figure chuckles, a sound that sends shivers down my spine. “Who I am is irrelevant. As for what I want…” The figure raises a hand, and the darkness around them intensifies. “I want to test the limits of this power. To see how far I can push it. And you, my friends, are going to help me do that.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Noarin moves to stand beside me, her hand glowing with barely contained fire. “We’re not your test subjects,” she says, her voice steady.

The dark figure tilts their head, seeming amused. “Oh, but you are. All of you are. This whole festival is my playground now.”

image [https://i.imgur.com/it14d9l.jpeg]

With a sudden movement, the figure sends a wave of darkness hurtling towards us. I react instinctively, throwing up a barrier of light to deflect it. The two forces collide with a thunderous crash, sending sparks of energy flying in all directions.

“Kai, Rishia,” I shout over my shoulder, struggling to maintain the barrier. “Get everyone out of here. Noarin and I will handle this.”

Kai looks like he wants to argue, but Rishia grabs his arm and nods. “Be careful,” she says, before they turn to help evacuate the remaining civilians.

Noarin steps up beside me, her hands wreathed in flames. “I swear, we just need a break after all that happened. And now this?” she complains

I just smile wryly, feeling the power of my ornament surging through me. “Don’t worry, we will get a time to rest. Eventually”

“Remember, don’t overdo it. You just recovered” Noarin reminding. I nodded.

The dark figure laughs, a sound that echoes ominously across the deserted festival grounds. “Come, bearers of light and fire. Show me the extent of your power!”

As we charge forward, I activate my power. In a flash of light, a gleaming bow materializes in my hands. Beside me, Noarin summons a blazing sword, flames dancing along its length.

The dark figure laughs, a chilling sound that echoes across the abandoned festival grounds. With a wave of their hand, tendrils of darkness shoot towards us like deadly serpents.

I leap to the side, drawing my bow in one fluid motion. A arrow of pure light forms as I pull back the string, and I let it fly. The arrow streaks through the air, piercing through several dark tendrils before the figure dodges at the last second.

Noarin takes advantage of the distraction, closing the distance with incredible speed. Her fiery sword clashes against a barrier of darkness the figure hastily erects, sending sparks flying. She presses her attack, each swing of her sword leaving trails of fire in the air.

“Impressive,” the dark figure hisses, parrying Noarin’s strikes with shadowy blades that form from their arms. “But not good enough!”

A pulse of dark energy erupts from the figure, sending Noarin flying backward. I catch her with a hastily formed light platform, cushioning her fall.

“Thanks,” she gasps, quickly regaining her footing.

I nod, already nocking another light arrow. “Cover me,” I say, taking aim.

Noarin understands immediately. She charges forward again, her sword a whirlwind of flame. The dark figure is forced on the defensive, all their attention on the fiery onslaught before them.

Taking a deep breath, I focus all my energy into this shot. The arrow begins to glow brighter and brighter, until it’s almost painful to look at. With a whispered prayer, I release.

The arrow flies true, a streak of blinding light cutting through the night. At the last moment, the dark figure senses the danger and tries to dodge – but they’re not quite fast enough. The arrow grazes their side, eliciting a howl of pain and fury.

“Cih!” the figure roars, their form seeming to grow larger, darkness billowing around them like storm clouds.

Waves of shadow crash towards us from all directions. I create a dome of light around us, but the impact still sends us staggering. Cracks appear in my barrier, darkness seeping through like poisonous gas.

“We can’t keep this up forever,” Noarin pants, her sword at the ready.

She’s right. We need to end this quickly. As I rack my brain for a plan, I notice something. When my light arrow struck the figure, there was a brief flash of… something. An object, hanging from their neck.

“Noarin,” I say urgently, “I think I saw their ornament. It’s around their neck. If we can destroy it…”

Noarin’s eyes light up with understanding. “Got it. But how do we get close enough?”

I grin, an idea forming. “How about a little light show?”

As the dark figure prepares another assault, I dispel our protective dome. Instead, I create dozens of light clones of Noarin and myself, each armed and ready.

The figure hesitates, momentarily confused by the sudden multiplication of their opponents. That’s all the opening we need.

As one, our clones and our real selves charge forward. The dark figure lashes out with tendrils of shadow, dispelling clones left and right – but unable to tell which are real.

Noarin and I weave through the chaos, getting closer and closer. Just as the figure realizes the deception, we make our move.

I fire three arrows in rapid succession, aiming not at the figure, but at the space around them. The arrows explode into brilliant flashes, momentarily blinding our opponent.

Noarin seizes the opportunity, transforming into her Absolute form; some magical lines begin to cover her body, her eyes glow and some of her hair strands turn red. She leaps forward with her sword raised. With a battle cry, she brings the blazing blade down - not on the figure, but on the ornament glowing at their throat.

There’s a sound like shattering glass. The darkness around the figure seems to implode, sucked into the broken ornament before dissipating entirely.

I collapsed to my knees, my lungs burning as I gasped for air. The world around me spun slightly, my vision blurring at the edges. This technique had pushed me far beyond my limits, leaving me utterly drained.

“I told you not to overdo it, you idiot!” Noarin’s voice, a mixture of exasperation and concern, cut through the fog in my mind. She dropped down beside me, her warm hands gently grasping my shoulders. “Can you stand?”

I managed a weak, ironic smile. “I always wanted to try that,” I wheezed, my attempt at humor falling flat even to my own ears.

Noarin let out a long-suffering sigh, her eyes softening as she looked at me. “What am I going to do with you?” she muttered, carefully slinging my arm over her shoulder and helping me to my feet. I leaned heavily against her, grateful for her support.

“Hey, we finished evacuating the people!” Kai’s cheerful voice rang out as he and Rishia jogged towards us. Their triumphant expressions quickly morphed into surprise as they took in the scene before them.

Kai let out a low whistle, his eyes widening as he surveyed the aftermath of our battle. “Damn, you already took care of that guy?” He jerked his thumb towards the figure we had fought, who stood motionless in the middle of the devastation.

The former dark attribute user stared at his hands in disbelief, turning them over as if expecting the shadows to reappear at any moment. “My power…” he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Noarin, still supporting my weight, holds out her free hand. In her palm lies the shattered remains of the ornament, glinting dully in the fading light. I feel a wave of relief wash over me at the sight.

“It’s over,” Noarin stated firmly, addressing our defeated opponent. “We destroyed your ornament.”

The man's head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock and dismay. “No… I lost my power?” The disappointment in his voice was palpable, tinged with a hint of desperation.

“That’s what you get after what you’ve done,” a familiar, stern voice cut through the tense atmosphere. We all turned to see Saria materializing before us, her tiny form radiating an aura of authority that belied her size.

The magical cat's eyes narrowed as she looked between Noarin and me, her paw tapping impatiently against her side. “You two… Would it kill you to call my name when something like this happens?” She gestured dramatically at the chaos surrounding us. “Just call my name, and I’ll appear quickly to assist you. I can’t watch you 24/7, you know!”

I felt heat rising to my cheeks, embarrassment mixing with the exhaustion. “We kinda forgot about that because everything happened so fast,” I admitted, reaching up to scratch the back of my head sheepishly.

Saria let out a long-suffering sigh, shaking her head before turning her attention to our defeated opponent. The man still stood rooted to the spot, shock and disbelief etched across his features as the reality of his lost power sank in.

“I’ll handle the explaining along with Kai and Rishia,” Saria announced, her tone brooking no argument. “You two go get some rest. You look like you’re about to collapse, Aruta.”

Noarin and I exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing between us. With a small nod, she adjusted her grip on me and began guiding me towards a nearby bench.

As we settled onto the hard wooden seat, I felt the last of my adrenaline fading, leaving behind a bone-deep weariness. Noarin’s arm remained wrapped around my shoulders, a comforting warmth against the cool night air.

“You really scared me, you know,” she said softly, her eyes fixed on the scene before us as Saria began her explanation to the bewildered ex-Holder.

I turned to look at her, taking in the worry lines etched around her eyes, the slight tremble in her hands. “I’m sorry,” I murmured, reaching out to take her free hand in mine. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I just… I saw an opportunity, and I took it.”

Noarin sighed, finally meeting my gaze. “I know. And you were brilliant out there.” she praised, leaning her head against my shoulder.

As we sat there, our bodies still thrumming with residual adrenaline, we watched Saria, Kai, and Rishia deal with the aftermath of our battle. The festival grounds, once vibrant and full of life, now lay in eerie silence, broken only by the hushed voices of our friends as they spoke with the ex-holder.

A gnawing worry began to eat at the edges of my mind. Was this man the only Holder on the island? Saria's words echoed in my thoughts - she had mentioned magical traces all over the island. And not just any magic, but spatial magic. A chill ran down my spine as I considered the implications. Could Belzad have already spread more ornaments across this paradise?

Noarin's voice pulled me from my brooding thoughts. "Hey..." she began, her tone hesitant. I followed her gaze to the edge of the clearing, where a small crowd had gathered. Their faces were a mixture of confusion, fear, and awe as they stared at the devastation before them. "How do we explain this to the public?"

In all our previous encounters, we'd managed to keep things relatively private. This was the first time we'd fought so openly, with dozens of witnesses. I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders.

"Honestly, I don't know," I admitted, my voice low and thoughtful. "Maybe we don't need to, at least not right away." An idea began to form in my mind. "If we can fly out of here silently and unnoticed, people might just think this was a really big supernatural incident."

Noarin raised an eyebrow, prompting me to continue.

"Think about it," I explained, warming to the idea. "This way, people will know that supernatural things exist, but there'll still be some doubt. We might really need help from the government and the authorities to properly explain the existence of magic and dispel any misconceptions."

Noarin's brow furrowed as she considered my words. "Is that so..." she murmured, her eyes still fixed on the chaos around us. The flickering lights of emergency vehicles could be seen in the distance, their sirens a faint wail on the night air.

After what felt like an eternity, Saria, Kai, and Rishia finished their explanation with the ex-holder. They made their way over to us, their faces etched with exhaustion and concern.

"We've decided it's best to leave quietly," Saria announced. "Let the public wonder for now. We can explain when the time is right."

I nodded, relief washing over me. It seemed great minds thought alike. With a little strength left in me, I refract our body, making us invisible. Kai activates his ability and makes us float in the air.

As we took to the air, I couldn't help but cast one last glance at the scene below. The festival grounds, once a place of joy and celebration, now stood as a testament to the changes sweeping through our world. I could already imagine the headlines that would dominate the media in the coming days:

"SUPERNATURAL DISASTER STRIKES ISLAND FESTIVAL"

"EYEWITNESSES REPORT BATTLE BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARKNESS"

"GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BAFFLED BY UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENON"

I sighed, imagining the titles in my head. Then we fly to our villa. So far our vacation didn’t really go well. We definitely have many things to deal with soon.