23 Meeting - Part 1

"Where's the dagger?"

A questioning voice, filled with barely perceivable hostility, reached Seph's ears right as she entered a clearing.

She gulped and turned towards the speaker. Yurel stood there, a smile on his face, and a glare in his eye. The glare rooted her feet and implored her to answer. Yurel must have tried to sense for the knife and not found it on her.

"... With Krys and Jach." She muttered under a shaky breath.

Her eyes darted around, she couldn't look Yurel in the face, it unsettled her. They searched for a spot to land on, and landed on Callu's face. She was standing in a corner, right up against a hedge. Seph saw Callu's eyes widen as she processed what Seph had just said. Her lips trembled, and her eyes darted from Seph to Yurel.

At last, she looked Seph right in the eyes, mouthing four simple words.

'What did you do?'

"Speak up, would you now?" Yurel ordered. His voice sent an icy chill down Seph's spine. This was it, whether they made it out of this situation in one piece depended solely on the exchange that would follow.

Seph couldn't tear her eyes away from Callu. She was shaking now, trying to step back and disappear into the hedge.

No, Seph couldn't be meek now—this would determine everything. She couldn't be meek even if she wanted to be. She had to stand up to Yurel for Callu's sake.

Seph took a deep breath and stepped forward. She stared back at Yurel with conviction.

"Krys and Jach took it back. They must have enchanted it with something that allowed them to track it," She stated.

"Ah, now I could hear you." Yurel's smile widened. He walked towards her. "So you mean to say, you've failed! You have failed to bring my dagger to me."

He paused, as if awaiting her confirmation.

Seph gazed defiantly into Yurel's eyes. She could not afford—No, she did not want to give him the affirmation he was expecting.

"No," she declared.

Yurel placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ah yes, you got caught by two professors while having a big head start over them, losing the knife that was in your possession in the process." His grip tightened. Seph winced. "I was mistaken, that isn't a failure at all! It's not like your only job was to walk down a couple of floors without being caught."

He glanced over at Callu.

"Why did you do that, Seph? Did you just so badly want to see our dear Alli Cat steal it in broad daylight?"

Callu gulped. That turned Yurel's smile into a grin. He turned back to Seph.

Seph tore Yurel's hand off of her shoulder. "You can't make her steal the knife, Yurel. I won't allow it."

She skirted around him and walked to Callu.

"What did you do?" Callu cried.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Seph tried to reassure her, but Callu's look exuded betrayal.

Shit. She should've just brought the knife down here, then Callu wouldn't have looked at her this way.

No, no! She couldn't risk Kyvas' life too! Besides, she did promise herself that she'd save Callu, and she still had the chance to do that.

"You willingly handed over the dagger to the professors, did you not?" Yurel smirked. "That means she'll have to play her part! You do not have the choice to oppose me."

Seph tried to reassure Callu once again. "I'm sorry, but please trust me," She grabbed Callu's hand, only for Callu to swat it away. Seph looked at her pleadingly but to no avail.

"I'll make sure that we'll be fine," Seph repeated. It'll have to do. She had to get them both out of this first. She turned to face Yurel.

"Give up on the dagger this time, Yurel." She looked him straight in the eyes. "The Immortal is on his way here for that knife. You would be wise to let it go."

Yurel raised a brow. "Oh?"

"I overheard Krys earlier. He'll be here today, and you know as well as me that you would not be able to get away from him." Seph glared.

"That's quite the lie, Seph." Yurel's smile faded and he met Seph's glare with one of his own. "What's the real reason?"

"I'm not lying." Seph shook her head. "You can try to steal it again if you so dare, but I won't let Callu go with you."

Yurel snorted. "Oh, she's coming, whether you like it or not."

This was not good. If Yurel didn't back down, Seph would have to fight. She wasn't scared to do so, but that would alert the tower staff, and she was sure that Yurel would rat them out in that case. She kept the glare up, but reached behind her to grab Callu's hand. Callu didn't protest this time.

Yurel stepped to the side, covering the gap in the hedges; the only exit from this alcove.

She had to go next to Callu, didn't she? And she just had to stay there in that corner. Why would she deliberately let herself and Callu get cornered? Seph cursed at herself.

"You can't afford this risk." Seph tried to convince him.

He scoffed. "They call me Lyk's eyes, girl. If the Immortal were really coming, I would have come to know about it. Don't try to scare me with your lies."

"Well, maybe you're going blind!" She raised her voice in a panic.

Yurel stepped towards the two. "It would be fun to see what Lyk does with you." His smile returned to him.

Seph raised a hand. Her fingertips lit up with a pale light. It seemed like she would have to fight after all.

Yurel smirked and brought his hand up as well. He began to draw a line in the air.

A strong mana signature washed over her. It grew stronger by the second, and didn't seem to stop growing in strength. She had felt this signature before, once, and had met the man who was responsible for it. Seph lowered her hand and smirked.

"He's here."

Yurel furrowed his brows. His hand faltered, and the line he drew dissipated.

"... It seems like you were right." Yurel frowned and lowered his hand.

Seph still kept her hand tense, in case Yurel planned on an attack again.

"Today's plan was bound to fail," she said, thankful that her voice kept steady. "Face it."

Yurel contemplated for a moment before breaking out into a smile. "... Perhaps you are correct. But Lyk will hear of this. It would be fun to see what h—"

"Let him hear it, then," Seph interrupted. "I saved your life today, and I stopped everyone from knowing that Lyk is after that knife. I think he'd gladly forgive me."

She watched him reach into his pocket, and felt a pulse of mana activate. She frowned. Did he activate a flare again?

The air seemed tense, heavy with uncertainty. Then...

"Alright," He sighed. "You win."

Yurel stepped to the side. "Now go. I'll ask Lyk for further orders."

Seph tightened her grip over Callu's hand and half-jogged out of the clearing, giving Yurel a stare while passing him.

Another few meters and her job gave way to a run. She dragged Callu to another clearing, not daring to turn back. She looked around, as if confirming that she was a good distance away from Yurel, and stopped.

And then puked out the contents of her stomach.

"That... was scarier than it had any right to be..." She mumbled, hands on her knees, before puking again.

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Following that, she heard the shaky voice of Callu.

"Please..." Callu pleaded, her grip on Seph's shoulder tightening. "Please, don't ever do that again."

===

"He's here," Krys muttered, his eyes on the message they had just received.

'So that was him,' Kyvas voiced out an impatient sigh. 'Finally.'

Kyvas had felt an enormous mana presence encroach on the tower earlier. He had wondered if that had been the Immortal.

Krys nodded. "The meeting is in an hour from now. Are you ready?"

No, he wasn't. But this was his last resort.

'Yes,' Kyvas grumbled. 'I can't wait to head back home.'