“GAAAHHH!”

I was roughly brought out of my sleep by the sensation of something heavy landing on my stomach and chest. My eyes opened to the sight of Iris’s gorgeous face which had a cute pout.

“What were you dreaming about!?” Iris shouted. “I’ve been trying to wake you up for so long!”

I seethed in pain as I raised my head.

“So your next option was to pounce me!? What if you broke my freakin’ rib cage!?”

Iris chuckled.

“Please! I know you’re strong enough to take a titan’s thumb to the chest!”

I rolled my eyes in response.

“You think too highly of me Iris…”

My eyeballs trailed down to Iris’s shirt chest where I realized that her shirt was not doing a very good job covering the top part of her cleavage.

“You know,” I said in a sleazy tone. “You can stay in that position for a little longer…”

“Huh?”

My girlfriend stared down and realized what I was looking at. Her cheeks turned pink as she gasped and jumped off of me.

“Pervert!”

“I think you’re the real pervert here. Breaking into your boyfriend’s room while he was sleeping.”

Getting up from my bed I glanced over at Iris with a snarky smile.

“What were you trying to do, hmm~?”

Iris’s face turned completely scarlet and steam came out of her ears as she backed away and started screaming louder.

“I-I wasn’t trying to do anything weird! I-I just w-wanted to wake you up! Plus, your door wasn’t locked!”

“Really?”

Looking over to the far side of the room, I noticed that my door was completely open. The hallway of the dorm is fully exposed with a few people walking by and watching inside.

“Geez,” I rubbed my forehead as I sighed. “I knew that lock wasn’t shit…”

Iris cleared her throat loudly, gaining my full attention.

“A-anyway, it’s Sunday! No classes! Do you want to go have some fun?”

“Like a date?”

“We haven’t done anything romantic together for weeks! All we’ve done was just prepare for the midterms!”

“I guess…but I don’t really have a place in mind.”

“Me neither,” Iris admitted. “Maybe we can brainstorm together. Or just go walking around the streets of Eleiweth.”

“I don’t know about that,” I stated. “The streets get very crowded on Sundays. The last time we went out on that time someone stole my left shoe!”

“Come on, Baxter! That’s not such a big deal! It’s just a shoe!”

“Iris, they stole my whole shoe! How the hell did they manage to snatch my shoe off my dang foot while I was walking!? I’m still trying to figure that out!”

Iris giggled.

“It was pretty funny. Seeing you hop around Eleiweth with one shoe.”

As my beloved continued to let out her soft laughter in reminiscing of the memory of me being pickpocketed I couldn’t help but smile at the beautiful sight of her.

“Maybe…we can go check out the Midnight Paradise down Amethyst Street! I heard they were showcasing a movie!”

I tilted my head in confusion.

“What’s a movie?”

“…Not sure, but it sounds interesting, right? Wanna go?”

Before I could respond I shut my mouth as my brain brought up something I wanted to do on Sunday. I planned to visit the church downtown to ask the priest about Zen.

“Actually Iris, let’s head down the church first then check out that movie thing.”

“Huh? Why? You stopped going to church years ago!”

“Yeah, but…wouldn’t hurt to visit once in a while…”

I didn’t want to tell Iris that was going to go in reason of understanding a new fighting style because she might get mad at me for putting my desire to train before our relationship.

Iris grumbled to herself and then replied, “Fine~! But let’s not take too long! That church is rundown and the priest gives me the creeps and so do his…familiars…”

“I know I know.”

Me and Iris got dressed and walked out of Elendria Academy with our arms locked together. As always the streets of Eleiweth were wide and gorgeous the only difference was that it was packed with so many people.

My shoulders constantly bumped into others and the two of us struggled every time. The main reason Eleiweth was crowded on Sundays was because of the church. The majority of the citizens were extremely religious and wouldn’t waste any minute to praise the Lord in the holy house. Commoners and nobles alike walked together to the cathedral for prayer and blessings, the only people who were not welcomed were Nulls since they were seen as abominations.

This was the reason why we were going to one specific church. I only went there once and never returned due to it freaking me the hell out. The priest was weird and he had two familiars that caused me and Iris some problems…

But I was desperate and put my feelings to the side to get stronger.

“His church usually isn’t packed. It better not be…”

“Hey, Baxter!”

Iris tugged my sleeve.

“The streets are too packed! We won’t be able to make it to the church at this rate!”

“It’s not a big deal, we’re not in any rush.”

“We are Baxter! The movies are coming on at ten o’clock sharp!”

“Seriously? You should have mentioned that before! It’s these moments that make you wish you were born with the affinity for teleportation magic huh?”

“Like Ronny?”

“Yeah, that annoying jackass.”

Iris chuckled at my rude comment about our classmate and then continued to converse with me to pass the time.

“You know teleportation magic is actually illegal to use in the streets right?”

“Really? Why?”

“Don’t you remember our history lesson back in the second week of our first semester?”

“Iris, you know I don’t.”

“You should! History is important!”

I raised my hands in defense as Iris scolded me.

“Sorry sorry! Anyway, what’s the story? I’ll pay attention if you’re the one telling it.”

My words caused Iris to redden in the face. She cleared her throat and began to tell the story.

“Three hundred years ago, the Kingdom of Eleiweth was ruled by King Edgard, who was said to be the wisest and kindest ruler the city ever had. Then on the Holy Day, the anniversary of when the Hero of Light defeated the Demon King he was assassinated by a warlock whose magical affinity was teleportation.”

“A warlock?”

Iris nodded.

“His name was Ezekiel, the Toothless Hyena. That man terrorized Eleiweth for years committing many murders, human sacrifices, and would even eat the flesh of his victims! Ezekiel was nothing more than a deranged devil worshipper who wanted to achieve immortality through his evil practices.”

“How did he kill King Edgard?”

“Using teleportation magic! As the city was having a parade to celebrate Holy Day, Ezekiel teleported to the float where the king was sitting and slit his throat. Before any of the knights could stop him, he used his magic to—you guessed it—teleport away!”

“That’s crazy! Was he caught?”

“Three days later, two female Holy Knights named Reina and Jericho captured Ezekiel and brought him back to Eleiweth to be punished.”

“Damn, bet he hit the death penalty.”

“Even worse…for his crimes, the Council of Chronos embedded him with the Brand of the Unforgivable. Thanks to that, he would have a constant target on his back. In the end, Ezekiel took his own life by hanging himself on a dead tree…”

I grimaced at the image of the warlock killing himself. Of course, I didn’t feel bad for the bastard but I couldn’t help but imagine what type of despair was going through his head.

Back then those were just useless thoughts. It wasn’t until two years later I would understand the horror of having a brand…

But we’re not at that part yet so let’s put a pin on it for now.

“Hey, Baxter!” Iris called out to me. “Let’s take a shortcut here!”

“Huh? Where?”

Iris pointed towards a tight path between two buildings. Looking down it, I could see that the path led to the lower levels the Slums of Eleiweth.

I shook my head aggressively.

“Bad idea. The slums are dangerous! We could get attacked by robbers!”

“You’re scared of a few low lives with tiny knives?” Iris stated while her arms were at her sides. “Come on Baxter, we’re strong enough to handle them!”

I grumbled.

“I’m not afraid of robbers! I’m afraid of getting my damn shoe stolen again!”

Iris couldn’t contain her laughter as she clutched onto me and buried her face in my arm. After she let out all her giggles she parted from me and skipped aaah to the narrow path.

“Hey!” I called out. “Wait up!”

The Slums of Eleiweth were a complete contrast to the main city. The lower levels of the Kingdom of Silver Sun were covered in muck and piled with mountains of trash that no one would dare to touch due to the overbearing smell and the horrible bacteria. The buildings were broken down and the people were skinny and covered in dirt and wore ripped clothes. Some were also dressed in suspicious outfits while observing us from the side of the street like hawks stalking their prey.

The citizens who lived in the slums were the lowest of the lowest in society. Either they were Nulls who could find no work or mages who had lost everything. While some of these poor individuals became beggars and starved to death while others joined crime groups.

As me and Iris walked through the foul grounds, my nose scrunched up as I looked around. I tried to keep my guard down to not bring her weapon but she was not as anxious as I was. It made sense, she was fully confident in her abilities and was far from afraid of any thief or weirdo.

“I think we can cut through to the church through here,” Iris stated as she pointed down the road.

“H-huh? O-okay…”

My reply was weak due to my attention being on my surroundings. I kept my eyes on the beggars who were lying on the street grounds crying for food or money and the eerie eyes that spied on me and Iris through the broken windows of the worn-out buildings.

Sweat was pouring off of me like it was raining down. Iris felt the wetness from my palm and turned to me. She was able to see my nerves and found the sight to be quite hilarious. 

“Why are so scared, Baxter?”

“I-I’m not scared! I’m just trying to be cautious!”

“But you look constipated!”

Iris proceeded to laugh as my face flushed in embarrassment.

“Come on, Iris be serious! This part of town is dangerous!”

“There is nothing here we can’t handle! Just strike close to me and—“

“HELP!”

The scream of a feminine voice drew our attention.

“HELP! SOMEBODY!”

Immediately me and Iris ran towards where the voice was coming from. We turned to the right corner of a street to find a very cramped alleyway that was littered with hills of trash. At the end of the alley was a tall muscular man with long brown spiky hair and a tattoo of a batwing on the left side of his face. His right arm was also a giant metal one with multiple white runes horribly scribbled onto it.

Captured in his only human arm was a petite teenage girl a white sleeveless shirt and short green pants. Her skin was very pale and she had short silver hair with dark green eyes.

She had a fearful look on her face, tears falling from her eye sockets as her captor was pressing her roughly against his chest.

“Back off!” The muscular man roared. “I’m about to have some fun here! Don’t get in the way!”

“Let her go!”

Iris shouted, her face turning red with anger. Just before she could lose her cool and run at the muscular man, I grabbed her by the hand forcefully and pulled her back to me.

“What are you doing Baxter!?” Iris argued. “We have to save her!”

“We don’t have our weapons remember!? Don’t just rush in!”

“So what? We just leave the girl? Is that what you’re suggesting!?”

“Of course not! But—“

“Don’t be a coward Baxter! You’re stronger than that!”

“I’m not being a coward, I’m just trying to play this smart!”

“We don’t need to—BAXTER LOOK OUT!”

Iris screamed as she pointed to the ground near my feet. I looked down to see a giant black hole in place of my shadow.

“W-what the—“

“Shadow Magic: Nightfall!”

Springing from the pool of darkness were multiple long black creepy arms with long white fingernails. While I managed to avoid a few by jumping backward two of the hands latched onto my legs the nails piercing into my flesh.

I couldn’t contain my scream of pain as I was yoked up into the air, dangling upside down.

Rising from the dark hole was the very caster, a shirtless with stitches all over his chest and arms. He had long messy black hair and his mouth stretched to the sides of his face like a Glasgow smile.

“You fools took the wrong turn…”