As Tem and I walked towards the gate, we were abruptly jolted by a voice that echoed from behind. "Hey!" Our bodies instinctively turned to confront the source of the sound, and before us stood three individuals, their identities shrouded by the hoods that concealed their faces from view.

I looked at the three of them and asked casually, "So, what's up? What do you want from us?"

As the hooded figures remained silent, concealing their faces, Tem and I exchanged confused glances. It was evident that these strangers were not here for small talk, and our uncertainty amplified the tension in the air. My muscles stiffened, and I braced myself for a potential altercation.

"I'm with you," Tem whispered, and I gave a small nod of gratitude. Nevertheless, an apprehensive sensation lingered in my gut, and I couldn't help but think that this was a reckless decision. The prospect of battling within the kingdom walls, with the potential to draw attention from the knights, seemed foolish for us and the strangers.

As my mind raced with concern, one of the shrouded figures delved into their back pocket and retrieved a luminous stone. Chanting "Dimittis," the figure hurled the stone towards my feet, and in a dazzling burst of light, it temporarily blinded both me and Tem. When we regained our vision, it was as though we were enclosed in a glass dome.

"What is this?" I asked, my voice laced with confusion.

One of the strangers dramatically removed his cloak, revealing his true identity. It was the person we had encountered before.

My sword arm instinctively drew, and with a challenging stance, I confronted the individual before us. "It's you?!" I exclaimed with a mixture of shock and fury. "What do you want from us?"

A wicked grin spread across the stranger's face, and he taunted us with malice in his voice. "It's simple. I just want to beat the crap out of you," he spat.

frustration etched on my face, I interrogated the stranger before us. "What did you do to us? What was that stone for?" I demanded, my eyes narrowing. "If we fight now, we'll attract the knights, and you'll be the one in trouble," I warned.

The strangers remained undeterred and drew their swords, assuming battle positions. "Don't worry about anyone hearing or seeing us," one of them sneered, taunting us with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "We're in a separate dimension, so you can't ask for help from anyone. Within this dome, we're free to do whatever we want without repercussions from the outside world!" he spat.

The air crackled with electricity as the strangers charged at us with deadly intent, their swords glinting in the dim light. It was evident that they were all highly skilled sword fighters, we met them blow for blow, each move executed with the grace and precision of a dancer. We engaged in a fierce battle, our swords clanging and sparks flying as we danced around each other.

As the clash of swords echoed, I could feel adrenaline coursing through my veins. Suddenly, one of the strangers stepped forward and taunted me, his face twisted into a cruel sneer. "You're no match for us," he spat. "And when we're done with you, we'll take the holy essence from the girl and have some fun."

I furrowed my brow, my mind racing as I tried to decipher the stranger's words. "Girl? What girl? Is he talking about Grace?" I thought. My eyes narrowed as I tried to make sense of the situation.

Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the stranger's battle cry as he charged at me "you're mine!". I barely had time to react as his sword came hurtling towards me. With lightning-fast reflexes, I raised my sword and managed to block the attack just in time.

The stranger was clearly taken aback by my quick defense. "You're lucky," he spat out, his face twisted with anger. "An above-average knight would have had much trouble blocking that." He jumped back.

I ignored the mumbles of the strangers, focusing instead on the task at hand. They kept mumbling that I was just lucky and it would never happen again, but I paid them no mind. Taking a stance, I leaped forward with incredible speed, my movement causing the ground to crack beneath my feet. The strangers were caught off guard and unable to react in time.

The sound of the stranger's scream echoed through the air as my sword struck him down. His body fell to the ground, writhing in agony. The other stranger stood frozen in shock, his eyes wide as he tried to make sense of what had just transpired. "What was that?" he muttered, his voice trembling with fear and confusion.

"I don't believe luck had anything to do with it," I said, my voice filled with anger as I turned to glare at the remaining stranger who taunted me. The stranger looked at me, sweat pouring down his face as he struggled to come to terms with the events that had just transpired. The thought of "If he attacked me first, I would have been dead by now" was still lingering in his head.

"Do it again," I suggested. "Attack me again and let's see if what happened was just luck." The stranger looked at me and saw the seriousness in my eyes. My anger was radiating. The stranger slapped his face in an attempt to calm himself down. "Do it again?" he asked, as he raised his sword. As the sword was raised, it began emitting dark energy, as if it were preparing to unleash a special move.

With a sinister tone, the stranger uttered, "I invoke the name of the Demon king, Sitan, to lend me his power and eradicate the foes who impede your revival." As he spoke, the sword pulsated with increasing dark energy, enveloping it in a shroud of darkness. The stranger assumed a fighting stance and charged forward with immense speed, his sword aimed at me. "Block this!! An attack strong enough to level a building!" he exclaimed.

The stranger's sword sliced through the air with immense force, hurtling towards me like a bolt of lightning. My heart racing, I raised my own sword in anticipation, gritting my teeth and preparing for the inevitable impact. The clash of metal against metal echoed through the air as our swords collided, sending shockwaves rippling across the ground beneath our feet. With a grunt of effort, I deflected the attack, my sword barely holding up against the sheer power of the strike. "That was a powerful attack, it would be a lie if i said deflecting that attack was easy" I thought to myself.

The stranger's legs trembled uncontrollably as he stumbled back in disbelief. "I-impossible," he stammered, his eyes widening. "Y-you blocked that!?" He struggled to come to terms with what had just happened, still in a state of disbelief.

I exhaled heavily as I inspected my sword, taking in the damage done by the stranger's powerful attack. "I can see that was your strongest move," I acknowledged. "It was quite powerful, I won't deny that. If you had faced someone else, you may have won. Unfortunately for you, luck was not on your side this time."

With no second thought, I discarded my damaged sword and charged ahead, catching the stranger off guard. He was still reeling in shock from my previous deflection of his powerful attack, unable to react in time to my sudden advance. Closing the gap between us, I delivered a powerful punch that sent the stranger flying and rendered him unconscious in an instant. "Is that all?" I said, a hint of disappointment in my voice. "I was hoping for more of a challenge."

After the defeat, the dome shattered, and I quickly searched for Tem to check on his well-being. As I approached the scene, I saw that Tem had already emerged victorious, with his opponent lying motionless on the ground, defeated and lifeless.

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I hurried towards him, my heart pounding with concern, and approached him to check if he was okay. As I got closer, I could see that Tem was tired, but he managed to muster a smile and nod to assure me he was fine. I returned the nod.

"Sir Aaron, I have successfully defeated my opponent," Tem said, with a hint of pride in his voice, despite his tired appearance. As I approached, I could see the sweat on his forehead and the slight trembling of his hand. "But are you sure you're okay?" I asked, my concern evident in my tone. Tem nodded, assuring me that his injuries were not severe.

As we approached the unconscious enemy I had defeated, I carefully checked his pulse and confirmed that he was still alive. "Good thing I didn't kill him," I thought to myself, "I still need information from him about the 'girl' he mentioned."

As we inspected the unconscious man, a sense of urgency consumed me. My heart raced and my palms began to sweat. "What if he really was talking about Grace?" I thought anxiously. "I need to get to her house immediately."

As the commotion caught the attention of a nearby knight, my heart raced and my adrenaline surged. The knight quickly approached us, demanding to know what was happening. I turned to Tem, my eyes filled with urgency and determination. "Can you handle this?" I asked, my voice tense with emotion. Tem was taken aback by my sudden departure but I didn't have time to explain. I took off running, leaving Tem to deal with the knight and whatever else might come their way.

Meanwhile, my heart was racing as I sprinted towards Grace's house, my palms sweaty with nervousness. As I approached, my stomach dropped as I saw the door standing open. Without a second thought, I rushed inside, praying that she was safe and unharmed. The mere thought of anything happening to the gentle and kind Grace made my blood run cold.

My eyes scanned the room frantically until they landed on a headwear stained with blood. I felt my heart drop as I realized the horrifying truth.

"This is Grace's," I whispered, my hand shaking as I reached for it. I tightly clenched the headwear, feeling my nails dig into my palm. Grace, the gentle soul, had fallen prey to the brutality of the world, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of protectiveness towards her.

As I stood there, a sudden wave of voices flooded my mind, taunting and mocking me with their words of despair. I felt the weight of hopelessness bearing down on me as they repeated their cruel message: "Despair! Despair! Everything and everyone you care about will eventually get hurt and you can't do anything about it!" Their words seemed to echo in my head, as if they were bouncing off the walls of my mind, and I couldn't escape them.

Tem arrived with the guards, panting heavily. "Aaron, I brought them and explained what happened. They wanted to confir-" he trailed off, his eyes landing on the blood-stained headwear clutched tightly in my hand. Without a word, he knew it belonged to Grace, and his heart dropped as he scanned the area and saw no sign of her.

Tem approached me hesitantly, his steps slow and cautious, as if he were walking on eggshells. As he drew closer, I could see the tension etched into his face, the strain in his breath. He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice caught in his throat, and he had to clear it several times before he could form a coherent sentence.

"Sir A-Aaron," he stammered, "we still have the stranger that we captured. We can still look for Grace, there is still hope." His words were filled with emotion, his voice shaking with fear and uncertainty.

I met his gaze, and for a moment, we just stood there, the weight of the situation heavy on our shoulders. But as I listened to his words, a small spark of hope flickered within me. Some of my anger dissipated, though it still lingered in the air like a thick fog.

Tem's hand clasped my wrist tightly, his grip conveying his determination. "Those who are responsible for what happened to Grace will not go unpunished," Tem's eyebrows furrowed. "We cannot give up hope. We will find her."

I stared intently at Tem, noticing the determined expression on his face. "That's right," I thought to myself. "Grace could still be alive. If they had killed her, they would have done it right here. And the other stranger mentioned something about extracting some kind of essence from her." With these thoughts in mind, I felt a glimmer of hope ignite within me once more.

M

y lips curved up into a smile as I spoke to Tem. "You're right," I said, nodding my head in agreement. "We can still find her." Gratitude swelled in my chest as I looked at Tem with appreciation. "Thank you for reminding me of that," I added, my voice laced with sincerity.

Tem nodded, a happy look on his face. "Mmh... Let's go see to the prisoner and ask some questions," he said, his voice resolute.

Desperation propelled me, Tem, and a group of guards towards the Knights of Asfalis Headquarters. We moved with urgency, eager to reach our destination. As we arrived, we noticed Claire dashing towards us from the opposite direction, her chest heaving with each breath. When we met at the entrance, Claire stood before us, panting and wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Aaron, I heard what happened. We have to find her fast," Claire said, looking frantically between Aaron and Tem.

The three of us dashed towards the interrogation room, heedless of any uncertainties. Upon arriving, I attempted to gain entry, but was halted by a Knight who stood guard outside, firmly stating, "Access restricted to authorized personnel only."

Asserting her authority, Claire strode confidently to the forefront, her tone unwavering. "I am authorized personnel," she declared, emphasizing each word. "Let him through; I shall conduct the interrogation myself."

The Knight faltered, his words coming out in a jumble. "Captain Claire! It's...it's you. My apologies, Captain. Please, do come in." With that, the door creaked open, allowing us to enter the room.

The door shut behind us, enveloping us in a tense silence. A table stood in the center of the room, separating us from the captive. The prisoner sat across from us, bound to a chair.

The prisoner lay slumped in his seat, barely conscious. Without a moment's hesitation, Claire strode forward, delivering a fierce slap that sent the prisoner sprawling to the ground. Tem and I were taken aback by the sudden outburst, but it was evident that Claire was not to be deterred. She seized the prisoner by the collar of his shirt, dragging him to his feet and slamming him against the wall. Her voice reverberated through the room as she bellowed, "Where is she? What do you want from her?!"

The prisoner sneered at Claire, his smugness unmistakable. "I've no idea what you're babbling about," he drawled, feigning ignorance.

Claire released her grip on the prisoner's shirt, balling her fists at her sides in frustration. She inhaled deeply, willing herself to regain her composure. "Tell us where she is, or you'll face punishment,"

The prisoner slumped back into his chair, his self-satisfied grin never faltering. "What's this all about? You slap me and start making wild accusations?" he scoffed. "What proof do you have? All I wanted was to scrap with some bloke. I've no idea who you're on about."

The prisoner dodged the question, feigning ignorance about the abduction. "What the hell are you on about? Who is she? And what would I want with her?" he sneered, attempting to deflect attention away from himself.

Claire reached her breaking point. Her hand balled into a fist and she swung it towards the prisoner, but I intervened just in time and caught her wrist.

"No, you'll get in trouble if you do this," I said, with a calm voice.

I glared intensely at Claire, causing her to feel surprised and taken aback by my sudden display of anger. My furrowed brow, narrowed eyes, and clenched jaw were all physical manifestations of my frustration. Even though I spoke calmly, Claire could sense my anger simmering beneath the surface. In response, she took a step back, feeling her own frustration mounting..

I marched up to the smug prisoner, my fury barely contained. "Quit pretending you don't know anything. I remember our conversation during the fight. You told me your plans for Grace," I growled.

I clamped down on the prisoner's shoulder, squeezing it tightly with a threatening grip. His gaze met mine, and he shrank back at the darkness etched on my face. The prisoner's eyes bulged, and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, his fear palpable.

Finally, the prisoner couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay! Okay! I'll tell!" he said, giving in to my intimidation.

I stepped away from the prisoner, and he started to talk, his forehead beading with sweat.

"We were given orders to kidnap the girl. The first attempt failed because someone got in the way. So we came up with a new plan to take both of you out and complete the mission, as well as seek revenge," he said, his voice trembling.

Claire's eyes narrowed as she asked, "But why take her? What was the reason for this?"

The prisoner hesitated, clearly trying to come up with a false excuse. His sweat-soaked shirt clung to his body as he fumbled for words.

Claire's voice was low and menacing, her hands slamming down on the table with a loud thud. "You better start talking, and you better tell the truth," she growled. The prisoner's body trembled with fear, his eyes darting around the room as he tried to come up with a convincing lie. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words caught in his throat as he realized the gravity of the situation. Sweat trickled down his face, and he nervously licked his dry lips.

End of chapter