The Archivist of Forgotten Realms

Chapter 7

Mikasa stood still, her breath catching in her throat as the dust began to settle around her. The aftermath of the battle against the possessed armor still echoed through the vast throne room, the walls marred with cracks from the immense force of her spell, Astra Nova. The blast had been so powerful, so devastating, that the very ground seemed to tremble beneath her feet. She stared at the rubble of the armor she had destroyed, realizing for the first time just how immense her power had become.

The surge of energy she had felt during the fight was unlike anything she had experienced before. It was raw and overwhelming, but entirely hers to control. She had never imagined she could wield such destructive force. Mikasa flexed her fingers, watching the faint, residual glow of magic dance between them. This was the power of an Archivist, the power she had absorbed from the Key of Light. And with it came the understanding that she was no ordinary girl anymore—she was something more, someone chosen for a task far greater than herself.

“I’m… really this powerful?” Mikasa murmured to herself, her voice barely a whisper.

Beside her, Yuki—still wide-eyed from the spectacle—beamed up at her with admiration. “Mikasa, that was… so cool!” The girl’s voice was filled with innocent excitement, her small hands clapping together in awe. “The way you made the armor go boom!”

Mikasa smiled at Yuki’s enthusiasm, her heartwarming for a moment as she allowed herself to feel proud of her newfound abilities. She knelt to Yuki’s height, ruffling the girl’s snow-white hair. “Thanks, Yuki. But it’s not all about looking cool,” she said with a chuckle. “It’s about protecting people. About using this power the right way.”

Yuki tilted her head, her eyes filled with curiosity. “Mikasa protects me. Mikasa strong!” She pointed to herself with a big grin. “Yuki wants to be strong like Mikasa.”

Mikasa’s smile widened, but inside, her thoughts were more conflicted. How much stronger could she become? Was there a limit to her potential? And why had she, of all people, been chosen to be the Archivist? The title still felt so foreign to her, like it belonged to someone else. But deep down, she knew—this power was part of her now. She had been entrusted with it for a reason, and the more she used it, the more she understood its endless possibilities.

As she rose back to her feet, Mikasa’s gaze shifted toward the man who had been ejected from the possessed armor, now lying unconscious and half-naked on the floor.

Her face flushed bright red as she registered his muscular build, broad shoulders, and messy orange hair. He looked like he had walked straight out of a fantasy novel—handsome and heroic, with a body that could rival the protagonists of her favorite stories.

“W-What the…?” Mikasa stammered, quickly averting her gaze and covering Yuki’s eyes. “Oh no, no, no! That’s… definitely not something you should be looking at, Yuki.”

She frantically searched for something to cover him with, eventually spotting a tattered piece of a flag draped over a nearby pillar. With her face still bright red, she grabbed the flag and threw it over the man, trying her best to preserve his dignity—and her composure.

“There! That should be enough.”

Yuki giggled beneath her hands, not fully understanding why Mikasa was so flustered. “Is he sleeping?” she asked innocently, peeking out from behind her fingers.

Mikasa sighed, her heart still racing from the sight. “Yes, Yuki. Let’s just say he’s… resting.”

With the immediate danger over and the man modestly covered, Mikasa allowed herself a moment to process what she had just learned. This man—this hero—was supposed to be the one who saved Azura. That was his destiny, written in the universal script. But something had gone horribly wrong. The dark energy that had possessed him, that had consumed the castle, wasn’t part of the plan.

The script had been altered,

Rewritten.

Mikasa’s thoughts swirled as she tried to piece together what had happened. The Grand Archive had sent her to save Azura, but what if someone—or something—else had been sent to destroy it? Was she caught in the middle of a greater conflict? She had always thought her role as the Archivist was to preserve and restore lost worlds, but now, she was beginning to wonder if there were other forces at play—forces like her, but with darker intentions.

“Why do I feel like something… or someone… changed history?” Mikasa whispered to herself, her brow furrowed in concentration. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the destruction of Azura wasn’t a natural event. It felt too deliberate, too calculated.

Her mind was still racing when Yuki, who had been quietly watching the man, suddenly approached him, her small fingers poking at his arm.

“Wake up!” she said brightly, her cheerful voice echoing in the ruined throne room.

Mikasa snapped out of her thoughts just in time to see the man stir, his eyes fluttering open. He blinked groggily, taking in his surroundings before his gaze landed on Yuki, who was staring at him with a creepy smile plastered on her face.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Good morning” Yuki chirped.

The man jolted upright with a start, his body tensing as he backed away from Yuki in alarm. “W-Who are you?!” he shouted, his voice filled with panic. He clutched the tattered flag around his waist, his eyes darting between Mikasa and Yuki.

“What’s going on?!”

Yuki tilted her head, unfazed by his reaction. “I’m Yuki! I lived in a village, but now it’s gone.”

The man’s confusion deepened, his brow furrowing as he processed her words. “Gone? A destroyed village…? Near the castle?” His voice trailed off, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Mikasa, who had been hiding behind a nearby pile of rubble to avoid looking at the man, let out a frustrated groan.

“Oh, come on! You’re still naked!” she yelled, her hands covering her eyes—but not fully. Her fingers were spread just enough for her to sneak a peek.

The man, realizing his situation, blushed furiously. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t—uh, I didn’t mean to—" He stammered, grabbing at the flag to cover himself more securely.

“I’ll find something to wear!”

Mikasa, now fully red-faced, shouted, “Please do!”

The man scrambled to his feet and dashed toward a nearby room, which appeared to be some sort of storage area. He disappeared inside, leaving Mikasa and Yuki standing in the throne room. Mikasa pressed her palms to her burning cheeks, trying to calm her racing heart.

“Okay, Mikasa… breathe. You’ve faced worse. You just blew up a suit of armor possessed by dark energy. You can handle a naked guy.”

Yuki, still watching her curiously, tugged at Mikasa’s sleeve. “Why is Mikasa so red?”

Mikasa glanced down at the girl, her face still flushed. “Uh… let’s just say that guy is definitely not bad-looking, okay?”

Yuki blinked, confused. “Not bad-looking?”

Mikasa sighed, shaking her head. “Never mind, Yuki. Let’s just focus on getting out of here.”

A few moments later, the man returned, now dressed in a new set of armor that he had found in the storage room. His face was still flushed from embarrassment, but he tried to regain his composure as he faced Mikasa and Yuki.

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat awkwardly, adjusting his armor. “Now that I’m properly dressed… I think it’s time for introductions. Who are you people?”

Mikasa took a deep breath, composing herself. “I’m Mikasa, the Archivist of the Grand Archive,” she said, trying to sound authoritative. She gestured to Yuki, who was busy examining her new wand. “And this is Yuki. I found her in a village that was destroyed by Wraithborn.”

The man frowned, his confusion only deepening. “An archivist? And a destroyed village?” He shook his head.

“That doesn’t make any sense. I came here to this castle, and there were no destroyed villages along the way. Azura was still… fine.”

Mikasa could see the disbelief in his eyes. He didn’t believe her—he couldn’t believe her. But as the man turned his gaze to the hole in the wall behind her, his expression changed.

His eyes widened in shock as he looked out at the ruins of Azura, the desolate landscape littered with the twisted forms of Wraithborn. The once-thriving world was now a wasteland.

“Are you… serious?” he muttered, his voice low and disbelieving.

Mikasa nodded, her tone serious. “I’m not lying. Azura is in ruins. And you…” She paused, looking him over.

“You were possessed by dark magic. I freed you from the armor, but you were supposed to save this world, weren’t you?”

The man sat down on the rubble, his shoulders slumped as he stared out at the ruins. “I was,” he whispered, his voice heavy with regret.

“I was on a journey to save Azura from doom. I came to this castle to stop the darkness… but when I entered, everything went black. The next thing I knew, I woke up… like this.”

Mikasa’s theory began to solidify in her mind. Something had gone terribly wrong with the original timeline. The man was supposed to save Azura, but instead, he had been possessed, and the land had fallen into ruin.

“Something… or someone… altered history,” Mikasa murmured to herself, her suspicion growing.

The man lifted his head, his orange hair falling into his eyes as he finally introduced himself. “My name is Kenneth Von Ausley,” he said, his voice filled with pride despite the circumstances. “I’m the prince of a neighboring kingdom. I was entrusted with the mission to save Azura.”

Mikasa raised an eyebrow. “A prince, huh?” She crossed her arms, her thoughts still racing.

“Do you remember anything else? Anything about what happened after you entered the castle?”

Kenneth shook his head. “No. I remember the journey… but nothing after that. It’s all blank.”

Mikasa sighed, her hand resting on her hip as she considered what to do next. “Well, it looks like you weren’t able to save Azura. But that’s where I come in.” She puffed out her chest a little, a hint of boastfulness creeping into her voice.

“I’m the Archivist, after all. I was sent here to restore this world, to save it from total destruction.”

Kenneth gave her a skeptical look, his lips quirking into a slight smirk. “Archivist, huh? You sound like me when I was younger—running around, pretending to be a knight.”

Mikasa’s face flushed slightly at the remark, but she quickly composed herself. “This isn’t pretend. I’m serious.”

Kenneth laughed, the sound light and genuine despite the bleak surroundings. “Sure, sure. So, you’re going to save Azura? And how exactly do you plan on doing that?”

Mikasa rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips. “By finding the Orb of Light, of course.”

Kenneth’s expression turned to one of confusion. “The Orb of Light? What’s that?”

Mikasa raised her hand, glowing faintly in response. “I’m a catalyst for Azura’s magic now. I can feel the Orb’s presence. It’s here, somewhere in the castle. And with it, I can restore the realm.”

Kenneth blinked, still trying to process everything he had just heard. He stood up from the rubble, his armor clinking as he adjusted it. “You’re saying… the only way to save Azura is by finding this Orb of Light?”

Mikasa nodded confidently. “Exactly.”

She turned toward the large door at the far end of the room, the one that led to the higher levels of the castle. She could feel the Orb’s energy pulsing from above, drawing her toward it like a beacon.

“It’s up there,” she said, her voice steady. “The Orb is waiting for us.”

Yuki, still holding her wand, looked up at Mikasa with wide eyes. “We’re going to save Azura?”

Mikasa smiled down at the girl. “That’s right, Yuki. We’re going to fix everything.”

As Mikasa and Yuki began to head toward the door, Kenneth called out after them, his voice filled with determination. “Wait! I’m coming with you.”

Mikasa glanced back at him, raising an eyebrow. “Why?”

Kenneth stood tall, his expression serious. “Because it’s my mission. I was sent here to save Azura. I may not understand everything that’s happened, but I can’t abandon my duty.”

Mikasa hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. But stay out of my way,” she said with a playful smirk.

“I’m the one in charge here.”

Kenneth chuckled, falling in step behind them. “Sure, Archivist. Lead the way.”

And with that, the three of them—Mikasa, Yuki, and Kenneth—headed toward the upper levels of the castle, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them in their quest to save Azura.