Today truly seems to be my lucky day. It’s astonishing how fate can sometimes smile so broadly upon someone. First, I extracted valuable information from those goblins; then, I managed to rescue the little girl without a hitch. Along the way, I also gathered critical intelligence from a loquacious ogre wizard. Our journey has been remarkably smooth, with no trace of enemies—who knows which remote valley that necromancer has led his troops into, searching for me in vain.

Though I discarded the little girl’s cumbersome dress, she still proved to be a burden on our journey. Every hour or so, she would complain of sore feet and demand a rest. Despite today’s good fortune, I couldn’t help but worry about when my luck might run out. Each time she sat down, unwilling to continue, that thought plagued me. However, she hasn’t asked for anything else. I know she must be hungry, yet she hasn’t said a word—despite her youth, she understands this isn’t the time to look for food.

Brian followed silently behind me. In our haste to cover ground, I hadn’t paid him much attention. From the moment we started down the mountain, he hadn’t spoken a word, his silence so profound that he seemed like a different person altogether. I noticed this change but attributed it to him replaying the morning’s battle in his mind—after all, despite relying on a powerful artifact, he had single-handedly defeated an entire goblin patrol. Such a feat is certainly worth savoring. I recall feeling triumphant for days after I vanquished a single wolf with magic.

The sun completed its daily descent, slowly sinking into the western horizon, and night began to fall. We were nearly out of the mountains—if not for the little girl slowing us down, we would have reached the foot of the hills by now. The mountains were fading from view ahead; just one more peak to cross, and we’d be on level ground—free to claim our reward and disappear, severing all ties with that necromancer. And to think I ended up with an artifact in the process—what an unexpected windfall.

The last rays of sunlight vanished, and I found a sheltered cave where we could spend the night. Travelling through the mountains after dark—especially with a child—is far too dangerous. Though still within the mountains, I was confident we were now beyond Raith’s reach. Tonight, at least, we were safe.

The three of us lay down in the hollow that served as our shelter, with me on the outside, the little girl in the middle, and Brian on the innermost side. I cast the same protective spell I’d used the night before, ready to deal with any wild beast foolish enough to approach. Perhaps I might even turn it into tomorrow’s breakfast. With these precautions in place, I allowed myself to drift into sleep.

After a long day of travel, and with no immediate threat, I fell asleep quickly, untroubled by fears of any mage breaking through my defenses.

Something touched me, rousing me from a deep sleep. I groggily opened my eyes, scanning the cave’s entrance but seeing nothing suspicious. I lifted my head slightly, peering around the cave, but everything seemed normal; the two youngsters were still asleep. It must have been my imagination, I concluded, turning over and falling into an even deeper slumber. After all, a full day of mountain travel would tire even the most resilient mage.

It was the sunlight that woke me next, a gentle ray warming my eyelids and drawing me from sleep. As I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the little girl’s peaceful face. Perhaps it had been cold during the night—though the exertion of walking had kept us warm during the day, the chill of night made it clear how insufficient our clothing was. She had moved closer to me, seeking warmth by my side.

She was still fast asleep, her face delicate and smooth, marred only by the dirt from lying on the ground. Yet, it couldn’t hide her long eyelashes, her fine skin, and the sweetness and docility that radiated from her.

Though I was awake, I didn’t want to move. For the first time, I took a long, careful look at this little girl—her dainty, upturned nose, her tender, almost translucent red lips, the flawless curve of her face leading down to her pale neck, and below that… Through the gap in her clothes, I caught a glimpse of her barely developed chest, a soft indentation that made my thoughts spiral into a place that startled even me… Perhaps she’s not just a child anymore…

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I sprang up as if from a coil, hitting myself on the head to banish the lewd thoughts from my mind. I am normal. I am a normal man, not a pervert, not a pedophile. My tastes in women are no different from any other man’s… I repeated these thoughts over and over, trying to erase the vivid image that had just seared itself into my brain. There’s no way I could be interested in such a young girl. It was a mistake, a misunderstanding—yes, that’s it, a mistake! By the time I convinced myself, I noticed the little girl had been woken by my sudden movements.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, rubbing her eyes as she slowly sat up, her gaze on me. “Nothing!” I hurriedly replied, but then noticed something amiss… The boy was nowhere to be seen.

There was nowhere to hide in the cave, and outside, within my line of sight, there was no sign of him. He had vanished!

Perhaps he woke early and went for a walk, but he wouldn’t have gone far—though even I didn’t believe that. I rushed outside, hoping to spot Brian in the distance, but there was nothing. Nothing moved within my sight, and it was impossible for a simple walk to take him so far.

I returned to the cave, hoping to find a clue. As I re-entered, the little girl handed me a crumpled note. The writing on the ragged cloth was messy, the result of writing in the dark, but I could still decipher it. Brian had left it—a final letter.

“Mr. Ryder: I’m sorry, I betrayed you. Truly sorry, but I couldn’t wait fifteen years.

I’ve taken your dagger—the one that can kill the necromancer. I’m going to use it to kill Raith and avenge my master! Please don’t be angry. There’s something I didn’t tell you—my master left me a scroll, a transformation scroll that lets me turn into a small animal to get close to him.

I’m sorry, Mr. Ryder. I might cause you to lose this treasure, and I know that whether I succeed or not, I probably won’t survive. I hope you forget me, forget this apprentice who betrayed you.

I’m truly sorry!”

That reckless fool! I instinctively checked my belongings, then crushed the note in my hand. How could he be so naive as to think that such a tactic could defeat a necromancer? Raith would easily sense the magic maintaining his transformation and crush him like an insect! He’s not going to assassinate anyone—he’s handing the artifact to that necromancer on a silver platter! My poor artifact, I haven’t even had the chance to use it properly!

“Damn that boy!” I cursed aloud, only then noticing the little girl’s frightened gaze.

I can’t let this slide. I can’t let that artifact slip through my fingers! Even if it means confronting the necromancer, it’ll be worth it! Brian likely hasn’t reached him yet—he may be lost, delayed. I might still have a chance to catch up, drag him back, and knock some sense into his thick skull. Yes, that’s what I’ll do!

I turned to the little girl.

“See that path ahead? Follow it, and you’ll reach the foot of the mountain soon,” I pointed, “and you’ll easily find someone to help you get back to the city. Don’t worry, I’m just going to fetch that foolish boy. I’ll catch up with you soon!”

As I spoke the last words, I was already sprinting back the way we came.

…

I hid in a spot with a clear view of the entrance, carefully observing the area. Two new ogre guards stood at the door, both looking tense, unlike the careless ones before. I guessed Raith had taken measures to prevent a repeat of past events, likely tightening security within the cave. He was probably still inside—he must know we’ve escaped his control, as we truly had… if not for Brian’s impulsive plan. I didn’t know if Brian had entered yet, so I decided to wait at Raith’s doorstep. That way, I could spot Brian as soon as he arrived and stop him before he did something foolish.

Damn, I only have one invisibility spell. No point regretting it now; I’ll have to improvise.

With the completion of my spell, my body vanished into the air. I slipped past the alert guards with ease—as long as I moved quietly, they wouldn’t notice my presence, no matter how vigilant they were.

I remembered the path to Raith’s room, though the rooms along the way had changed. What were once empty spaces were now filled with ogres and giants, snoring thunderously! They must have spent the night searching the caves and had only just fallen asleep. The scene was almost identical to last time—most of the creatures were asleep, with only a few awake. I made my way smoothly to Raith’s door—still unguarded.

Good, I’ll stay here. If Brian passes through, I’ll know.

A scream echoed from within the room—it was the boy’s voice.