In the distant past…

As the carriage rode through the forest, its structure was adorned with beige and silver patterns. The sun gleamed through the green grass scattered throughout the ground as trees clung closer together.

Taka, taka, taka.

The horseshoes rattled along the forest as they raced along the faint dirt path.

The neighboring citizen suggested they could reach Starling Crest in no time, but only through the skirts of Yvonne Forest.

The woman, Ikaria, held her young child in her arms inside the carriage. Her hazel eyes were fixated on her son's face, and she never left sight of him for a second. "Look at him, hon."

The father, Euris, sat beside his wife, and his crimson pupils glanced into his son's face.

The child was named Seyric; he was about a month old. His skin was pale and delicate, while his eyelids remained closed as he rested in bliss from the warmth of his mother.

Euris smiled as he carefully patted the child's head. "He looks so beautiful. Sooner or later, he'd look exactly like his mother."

Ikaria giggled as she faced her husband, fazed from his beaty as the sunlight shimmered on his ashen-silver hair.

Her eyes were a bit shaken while her hazel eyes scanned the long eyelashes that flickered with his gaze, and pinkish lips plastered a warm smile on his face.

Until the moment, Ikaria had the courage to parted her lips and say, "No. I'm pretty sure he'll be as handsome as you. And surely, you'd teach him how to become a mage too."

As they leaned over each other's heads, they smiled in unison.

"He will. Besides, I'll make him the finest to ever become one."

They both smiled and influenced their eyes as Euris wrapped his arms around the back of his wife. But not long after, the horses' pace suddenly halted.

Rustle... Rustle. The green leaves started to flutter in the wind. As the coachman wiped his cold sweat from his face, his eyes swept through the thick trees around them.

The silence defeaned his ears. No sign of life could be heard from the distance.

Ikaria's heart clenched as she glanced outside the carriage window and exchanged a quick look with her husband. "What's wrong, honey...?"

"Don't overthink it, honey." Euris responded with a broad smile across his face in reassurance.

"Heyah!" The coachman—whopishh! Crackled by the whip as his hands swayed and his hands roughly held leathered hand as the tail hit against the horses' backs. "Heyah!!!" he repeated.

Even with the coachman's commands, the horses hardly moved in their stance.

A deep sigh escaped from the coachman's lips as he turned back to the wooden window and pulled in to the side until he could peek inside.

Creak, the grind of the wood against the wooden wall made the couple switched and refocused their attention.

"Why did we stop? What seems to be the problem?" Sudden burst of question raise by Euris, made the coachman lowered his head as he glanced up to Euris with his pupils.

On the other hand, Euris squinted his eyes toward him and the hand on his knees was suddenly clasped by his wife, which made him glance at her for a short moment.

"My Lord, the horse refused to move. They might be afraid of something in the forest; this could be a sign of a danger that might happen," said the coachman with a rapsy tone.

But then, Ikaria's grip tightened in Euris' hands as his heart throbbed and rumbled inside his chest. He gave the coachman a death glare and said, "Don't say that! Do something about it!"

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The coachman bowed his head and he squeezed his eyes shut, "Forgive me, m....my Lord... It was just a hunch. We will have to wait until the horses had calmed down..."

"Then get moving." He gestured his hand away as the coachman raised his head.

"Yes, my Lord."

The coachman wasted no time to stepped down and he tripped on the ground as immediately stood up and used the horses back to stead himself up.

"Do you think there's nothing wrong?" Ikaria pondered. "I feel like there is something I...I can't explain how I'm feeling."

Euris's pupils slightly shifted, so he looked at her. He was greeted by her pupils, which vibrated erratically as her complexion started to pale.

"Calm down, wife. Panicking doesn't help us. Beside you don't have to say like that... Be careful with your words." Euris intertwined their fingers, and he used his other arm to pat her back gently.

"It's terrible for my wife to be stressed out after a short vacation. It'll make you look horrible."

"Hey, that's mean." Ikaria's face turned sour at his statement.

"I knew it, I shouldn't have come." She pouted her lips and looked away.

Euris giggled as he pinched the side of her cheek. "I wasn't kidding, hon. I was just hoping to cheer you up."

Ikaria finally turned her face back as their eyes locked. "It's not that I want it to happen... But it's just...me having a very good intuition,"

As the corner of Euris' lips lifted, he placed both of his hand on her cheeks and pressed them together, "Don't worry, wife. Everything will be fine."

On the other hand, the coachman caressed his horse's back in a gentle gesture.

Whooshh~ A sudden, strong current of wind passed by for a second time, and this time it sent a mysterious whisper to his ears, which shivered down his spine.

The wind also touched Euris' skin through the open window. His body hair stood tense, and his pupils stared at the coachman's back. Without a second thought, he moved away from his wife.

"I have to go."

Euris opened the door and stepped out of the carriage.

He paused when Ikaria's hands grasped tightly into his arm. "Where are you heading?"

Euris faced her and met her gaze.

Her brows curled together, her lips pursed up, and her eyes scanned his face.

Yet he remained firm and had an emotionless look on his face. He placed his hand on his partner's shoulder. "I'll be back; lock the door."

He slowly removed her grip and closed the door. He took a final look at his family before he walked away.

Ikaria's eyes helplessly followed her husband's back while she followed his orders and locked the door. She heaved a deep sigh as she glanced at the child in her arms and cupped the child's cheeks.

"I'll keep you safe, sweetie... Keep resting well."

Euris paced towards the coachman and stood beside him as he gazed into the distance. "Do you feel that?"

The coachman glanced at him, his eyebrows slightly raised, and mouthed, "Yes, My Lord..."

The sky slowly darkened as the wind aggressively battled the branches and leaves.

The coachman was taken aback, soon the ground had formed a shadow and gathered together to create an entity out of it.

A dark silhouette floated mid-air, and beneath the shadow he cast, a man rose from the ground.

He held a dark wooden staff and wore a black cloak. "Come out, my comrades."

An ear-to-ear smile spread across his face as he laughed loudly.

The trees cast shadows on the ground as three men appeared behind them.

Euris couldn't help but ball his fist tight as his eyes traveled as the three marched toward them.

A mask covered the bottom of their faces with black cloaks. Only their eyes were visible.

It was as if the dark silhouette began to form a pale human form, as a thick, dark mist enveloped the silhouette's naked body as he held his hand in the air. From the black smoke appeared a hat, and he placed it over his head.

Everyone on the scene felt shivers down their spines as it surged into a rampage of aura.

The coachman's eyes rapidly blinked as he raised his head over the man who floated in mid-air. His pupils were shaken as his lips shook, and he mouthed, "How could it be... a dark spirit is among them?"

End of Chapter

Volume 1 - Chapter 1.