I drank a green vial that Nomad had picked up at a local alchemist, the icy pain numbing down but not completely gone.

  “We’ll be taking the hidden pathway that’s located right here,” Valora pointed to an empty section of the map, “there’s a tunnel that leads straight to the Shadows’ hideout,” she spun the marker in her hands.

  “But?” Nomad tapped his crossed arms impatiently.

  “But it’s heavily guarded. My inside contact saw this entrance one time but he could only get as close as to the gate before they escorted him away,” she set the marker down, her eyes glowing underneath the dim light of the chandelier that hung above.

  “Then we’ll fight,” Rose said, her jaw tightened, her eyes red-rimmed from the tears that had fallen previously.

  “That’d be nice and all but we’d probably end up drawing too much attention and they’d just move Aura to a different location,” I interjected.

  “Exactly,” Valora pointed to me with the marker, “so we’ll need to sneak through and luckily, you two ran into some of our friends on the way here, right?”

  Nomad and I nodded.

  “Nomad?” She asked as if expecting something from him.

  He reached into his pack and grabbed the robes from the Shadows we defeated on the way here.

  “Wait,” Rose interrupted, “you guys fought Shadows on the way HERE?”

  “Yeah, that’s how I got injured,” I gestured to my wounds.

  “How strong were they?” Kasen said, his arms crossed in the corner.

  “Crazy strong,” I walked up to him, “think you’re ready?” I held out my hand.

  He stared at my hand, the gears in his mind moving and clicking before he finally reached his arm out and grabbed my wrist as I grabbed his, “Hell yeah, I’m ready.”

  We gave each other a smirk, one that said all the words we needed to without actually saying them.

  “Everyone, gather over here,” Valora waved her hand, motioning us toward her.

  We walked over and sat on the stools.

  “Now that that little moment is out of the way, here’s the plan,” she looked each one of us in the eye, “With these disguises, we’ll be able to sneak around with 2 of you as prisoners. Obviously,” she pointed to me, “you’re a prisoner.”

  “Why?!” Rose shouted over her.

  “He’s the one they want. If he’s not with us then we won’t be able to get in. As for the other prisoner, it’d probably be best if it was you, Nomad,” she turned to Nomad.

  “Because he and I have been traveling together. It’d be suspicious if I wasn’t with him,” he responded and nodded.

  The rest of the plan is simple. Nomad and I go in with the 3 of them wearing the disguises as they bring us into custody. We take the tunnel and make our way to the base of operations for the Shadows and we infiltrate it.

  We will probably have to eliminate the guards in front of the entrance to the tunnel.

  Her contact will make sure we get to where we need to go, which is where Aura is being held captive. From there, once we reach the prison floor, we’ll fight our way to wherever Aura is.

  “Simple enough,” I said, cracking my neck.

  “Let’s get this show on the road,” Valora tossed Kasen and Rose the disguises.

  “Sir, Nomad has been found and made contact with the student,” the Vice principal murmured to the Principal.

  “We’ll need to make the proper preparations and advance to where they were spotted,” The principal stared forward, his gaze never leaving the picture where Mr Lainhart, him, and Mrs Lainhart were smiling at their wedding.

  He shook his head and stood up. His massive frame towered over his desk as he adjusted his blazer.

  “The more time we waste, the longer they’re in danger,” he took powerful strides out of the room and made his way to the Library.

  The Library had been shut down for the foreseeable future due to damage from the Shadows invasion and to operate as the Magic Defense Force’s headquarters as they arranged for a raid on the Shadows.

  The Principal opened the doors and walked through, his authoritative aura radiating in excess out of him.

  “Hello, sir,” a Magic Defense Force soldier ran up to him, throwing a salute before opening a dossier, “this is the information we’ve been able to gather and we’ve been able to pinpoint the locations of the Mage Slayer; Valora Dagon, Kasen Briggs, and Rose Garner,” he handed the principal the dossier before running back to his station.

  “The Mage Slayer, huh?” The Principal whispered to himself.

  “The Mage Slayer, Valora Dagon. I served with her for a brief stint in the 104th battalion during the invasion of Stulia. She was the captain of our battalion and she had returned after serving in the 102nd. She’s as ruthless as she is cunning, the rumors do not exaggerate,” the Vice Principal wore the stone cold expression she usually had, “her magic is impressive but not the most notable thing about her—her skill with the blade and her stealth is unrivaled by anyone I’ve yet to see.”

  “Well, thankfully you’re here,” the Principal closed the dossier.

  Nomad unrolled the map, familiarizing himself with the layout of the terrain.

  I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder, “Nomad.”

  “Yes?” He faced me.

  “How can we trust her?” I questioned, a feeling of uneasiness washing over me.

  “I worked with her and your teacher, Mr Lainhart, back in the 102nd battalion. She’s good

  people,” he reassured—or tried to.

  I couldn’t help but question her. I didn’t know Valora—she struck me as a hard person to

  get along with—a person who does what they want.

  However, she’s got more experience than us so I guess I have no choice but to trust her.

  We’ve been walking for a few hours down the beaten dirt road that leads to the tunnel entrance. The roads are eerily quiet, broken only by the occasional conversation between Kasen and Rose. Their voices are soft, almost swallowed by the stillness around us.

  Nomad and Valora remain at the front, their eyes sharp as they scan the surroundings, always alert for signs of an ambush. Old habits die hard, I suppose. The tension in their posture speaks volumes—whatever they’ve been through before has left its mark.

  “Stay alert, we’re approaching our destination,” Valora turned her head and whispered to the 3 of us. Nomad moved back while Kasen and Rose stood next to Valora. They put the handcuffs around our wrists and held the chain that was attached. Rose held onto the chain lightly as Kasen held onto Nomad’s. Valora walked casually to the Guards that were stationed.

  “Hello, gentlemen,” she said, nonchalantly.

  They grabbed the walkies from their hips and turned around. A few mumbles and nods later, they opened the gate.

  The 3 of them nodded and walked past, Nomad and I in tow. Once we were past them, Nomad said something, confirming our suspicions as well.

  “That was almost too easy—” Suddenly, he went woozy. His body stumbled as he grabbed his dagger from his boot. He pointed it at Valora, his gaze locked onto her as if he expected something like this to happen.

  “Valora, what have you done?!” He shouted, causing the other members to look around in interest and skepticism.

  “THAT ALCHEMIST?!” He shouted as his body swayed.

  Suddenly, I grew drowsy. My vision was blurred as I tumbled around—trying to balance myself. My head grew light as I looked up and could see Valora, her gaze fixed to the side—avoiding eye contact with any of us. We all tried fighting the sleepiness, the sudden burst of laziness that made us all want to lay on the ground and fall asleep. The air had grown heavy as if it had suddenly betrayed us, each second passing by felt like an eternity. Kasen and Rose were the first ones to fall victim to its poison—succumbing to their slumber. I tried like hell to keep myself upright, to keep my eyes open, to even stand.

  But it was no use.

  As I fell to the ground, I caught sight of what a soldier can do. What a man who fought for his whole life could do.

  Nomad was swinging his dagger for Valora’s throat, his body afflicted with the same effect as us.

  But it’s Nomad. A man who’s been fighting his whole life.

  “I WILL NOT LET YOU TAKE THEM AGAIN!” His eyes were shimmering with tears. His eyes told a tragic tale as he swung his dagger.

  “Dad, how was work today?” Nomad’s son, Connor, asked him. Just the same as everyday.

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  “You know how it is,” he ruffled his hair and walked in through the door.

  “Hey, honey,” Brianna, Nomad’s wife, stood in front of the oven as the water boiled.

  “Hey, babe,” he walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her—planting a kiss on her cheek. She leaned into his touch and smiled.

  “What’s for dinner?” Nomad asked, his voice completely different from the gruff and hardened man we’d come to know and love.

  “Spaghetti,” she turned around and faced him.

  “Mmm, sounds delicious,” he waltzed to their room and grabbed a new pair of clothes before walking to the bathroom. He took a nice long, burning shower that took away the pain of sitting at a desk all day. That refreshed a man who isn’t used to sitting around every day, all day. Every day, he thinks back to when he was a soldier—when killing and running were his only purposes. To his comrades in the 102nd battalion. He shook his head to clear those thoughts. Those were the days of old and these are the new days—the happy days with his family and with peace and silence.

  Twilight deepend, giving way to night as Brianna shouted, “DINNER! COME GET IT!”

  The sound of a stampede ensued, rumbling the house as Connor ran to the kitchen and grabbed a plate.

  “Did you wash your hands?” Brianna asked.

  Connor shook his head rapidly. She smiled, content and put spaghetti on his plate. He walked to the dining room table.

  Nomad came out of their room, yawning.

  “God, I needed a nap. Work’s been kicking my ass lately,” he kissed her. She kissed him back in a passionate embrace before breaking apart.

  “That’ll do it,” Nomad grabbed a plate for himself and joined Connor at the table. Brianna followed shortly after, the 3 of them enjoying a meal like a family. Brianna had implemented a rule that everyone had to at least eat dinner together—not like it was an issue but she didn’t want it to become one.

  “The food’s great, babe,” I snagged some spaghetti with my fork and chomped down.

  “Thank you,” she twirled hers on her fork, longingly.

  “What’s up?” I asked her cautiously.

  “Oh, nothing. I just wish—” she looked at Connor who’s smile bloomed like a ray of sunlight as he ate away. She mouthed to him, “I’ll tell you later.”

  They all enjoyed their dinner, ripples of laughter spread across the room with Connor reciting his day to Brianna and Nomad who watched with a wistful look on his face.

  “Mom, I’m done!” Connor shouted, holding out his plate in front of him.

  “Good job, buddy,” Connor and her walked over to the cookie jar on the island in the kitchen. She reached her hand and pulled out a large chocolate chip cookie. She exchanged it for his dish which she set into the sink.

  “Honey, could you please come into the kitchen for a second?” She shouted at Nomad.

  Nomad grunted as he got up, a testament to his old age. He lumbered from the dining room into the kitchen.

  “What’d you need?” Nomad probed.

  “It’s about you,” She leaned backwards onto the counter.

  “What about me?” He queried.

  “These days… It’s like you’re putting up a front. Your smile, your eyes, even the way you walk isn’t fooling me,” her eyes shimmered underneath the chandelier, “I want my Gabriel back. You aren’t Nomad anymore. You’re my husband, Gabriel. You’re Connor’s father. Not Nomad.”

  “You can’t expect me to just forget my past. That was who I was since I was born.Everyday,” he let out a deep breath, “every single day was one where I fought to stay alive. When The Army Of Ashos marched through my hometown and killed my family. All I felt was relief…” he inhaled heavily, “That's all I could feel… And if it weren’t for me joining the 102nd battalion... I wouldn’t be standing right here, in front of you. That’s where Nomad was born and yes, I’m trying my best but… you just need to let me do this in my own time,” Gabriel’s eyes were distant, his gaze and mind elsewhere.

  “I understand and I will but this is hard for me. Imagine trying to take a walk with your husband in town and all he can do is frantically look around like a crazy person, paranoid about being ambushed in the middle of a shop.”

  “There could be—”

  “ENOUGH, GABRIEL!” She shouted, her gaze lowered to the floor, “Stop. This isn’t what I want for our son. I want him to be normal, to be able to enjoy his childhood. You should want that for him, too,” she heaved a shaky breath, “You never got to enjoy yours because of your family, because of war… because of pain. Let him be a kid,” she wiped her eyes and shambled to the living room.

  Gabriel sat in the kitchen, his mind working through the pain and through the heaviness of what the past has done to him. He thought back to a time when he and Valora would play cards in the barracks—the laughs and jokes, the fun. Maybe if he could be like that, he could finally live a normal life.

  Gabriel picked his jacket off of the rack on the back on the front door. He grabbed the jacket by the collar and swung it effortlessly over his shoulders, the fabric settling into place with a soft rustle.

  “I’m going for a walk, honey,” He said with no response. He shook his head and opened the door. He braced himself as the frigid wind battered his face, numbing his cheeks.

  The eeriness of silence surrounded him. He walked on the beaten sidewalk, the echoes of his boots being the only noise in the vicinity. The arctic climate froze his face, snot running from his nose. He lifted his sleeve up to his face and wiped it away.

  “God, I should’ve brought tissues,” his voice whispered back to him after he murmured it faintly.

  The chilly wind made the bone-chilling weather even worse by settling into his jacket, freezing his skin. The street lamps glowed dimly as he made his way to a local shop, one that remained open 24/7.

  “Gabriel! How have you been?” The man’s voice rang out after the bell jingled above him.

  “Never better,” he replied, sarcastically.

  Gabriel walked over to the snacks and plucked a chocolate bar off of the shelf. He went and grabbed a drink before going to the employee.

  “Will this be all?” He asked, his voice snapping Gabriel out of the trance he was in.

  “Yeah,” Gabriel pulled out his wallet, taking a few omeras out. He set them on the counter.

  “Thanks, Seth,” Gabriel waved and walked out of the store.

  A heavy dread fell onto his shoulders, like a weight had fallen out of the sky and landed on him. His chest tightened as he looked around, his instincts telling him he’s being watched. He walked down the road, trying his best to avoid letting them know that he saw them. His family, everything he worked so hard for hung in the balance. The stakes are bigger than him—Nomad’s life didn’t matter to himself when someone threatens those he loves.

  “Nomad!” A voice shouted behind him. Shivers went up his spine. Not fear but excitement.

  No. That wasn’t the right emotion…

  Nomad hasn’t been able to fight in a long time. Was he excited to fight or was he scared for his loved ones? The shivers up his spine didn’t tell a clear enough story for him to be sure.

  He shifted around to meet the voice. A woman came out from the alleyway that was hidden in the shadows of the street lamps. Her whistle rang out along with her heels that clicked on the sidewalk. Her brunette hair was tied up in a bun, with her black leather pants that accentuated her long, slender frame. Her obsidian colored jacket’s sleekness reflected under the light of the lamps, her face twisting into a smile carved from malice itself.

  “What do you want?” Nomad held his hands in his pockets.

  “What do I want? I want you. I’ve been wanting you ever since I saw you… cowering in fear in the little shithole of a village—”

  Nomad was on her in an instant. His blade drawn, blood trickling from her chin.

  The glint of the silver blade tainted by the blood of a devil.

  “Hey, now. Calm down,” they locked eyes, their gazes brimming with hostility, “I’m not the one you want. My boss sent me to warn you.”

  “Your boss?” His eyes grew wide as he realized the situation that was unfolding, “Who’s your boss? Who do you work for?” He pressed her.

  “All I can tell you is that,” she swiped the blood off of the knife with her finger. She brought it to her lips and licked it off, “We who lurk in the darkness, we who hide away in the sanctity of the shadows, bide our time, unseen and unknown, waiting for the world to falter before we rise. I’ll catch you later,” she turned on her heels and strutted down the sidewalk.

  Nomad stayed rooted to the ground beneath him. He wanted to move.

  He couldn’t. All of the excitement he felt previously?

  Gone.

  His worst fears were coming to fruition and he was scared.

  Has the normal life of an average citizen been making him go soft? Has his instincts been dulled? He pulled his leg up with all of his strength—bolting down the way in which he had come.

  “No… please… God, no,” he muttered to himself, dragging his feet as fast as he'd ever gone.

  Every moment built more anxiety within him. Not for him, he wasn’t scared of dying but his family was in danger. He was confused. Confused on how he let himself get settled down, to let someone close to him, to allow his senses to get dulled.

  He was born in captivity, his mother and father trained him up since he was old enough to work.

  His mom and dad treated him like garbage, like he was the bane of their existence which he very much was, to them.

  He was born a hunter, a survivor. As he grew older, as he killed more and more, he learned that this wasn’t what he wanted in life. That he was born for something more. The skills he honed and the god given ability was for something else—something that wasn’t this.

  As he returned to his senses—his heart powered by the necessity to protect his family. But a thought lingered in his mind.

  Why was she here?

  That was Blair, she was a mage from the enemy nation of Ashos. She was a part of the Army of Ashos that was sent to eliminate King Clemen and ended up going through Nomad’s hometown of Norbury.

  She seemed to have a sort of—obsession—with him; so much so that she had tried to kidnap him as a prisoner of war but Nomad was able to defend himself and escape from her clutches. The way she locked onto him like a beast stalking its prey but there was something different in her gaze. Something intimate.

  Suddenly an explosion resounded through the air from the direction of Gabriel’s house. He raced back home with a heavy heart and a sense of worry tightening his chest. His heart thumping in his ears drowned out every other noise besides the occasional bump.

  His family. That’s all he’s ever had. Brianna, she’s the only woman who ever settled down with him and loved Gabriel for Gabriel and saw past Nomad.

  But that was it.

  His house was blazing in a brilliant inferno as he ran into through the front door without a moment’s hesitation. He screamed,

  “CONNOR! BRIANNA! ARE YOU GUYS OKAY?!”

  No answer.

  Gabriel made his way further into the burning blaze as his worry started to gnaw away at him—convincing him they didn’t make it. He walked into the living room where his worst fears came to fruition. His wife was holding their son, wrapped in a hug—their bodies charred beyond recognition.

  He fell to his knees and cried.

  He’s never cried. His emotions had been closed off to this point, he was forced to be a killing machine fueled by the sole mission of surviving. He didn’t have anyone to call his own besides his teammates in the 102nd battalion but even then, he only told them what he wanted them to know which was very little as he never really trusted them. But the hot tears cascaded down his cheeks, he put his hands against his face and felt them—then more came rolling down.

  “GABRIEL! ARE YOU OKAY?! HOW ARE THE OTHERS?!” A voice yelled outside as he sat down next to them, preparing to burn next to them. His reason for living is gone. His entire life burned down in a flick of the wrist.

  A strong grip grabbed me and pulled me out. I tried to resist but I didn’t have the strength in me to fight back. The starry night sky greeted me like a slap in the face. I never wanted to see it again without them.

  THWACK

  A hand struck his face with a resounding crack. He looked up and saw a familiar face.

  Valora, The Mage Slayer.

  “What are you doing here?” He asked her, wiping the dirt off of his pants and wiping the

  tears from his eyes.

  “I’ve been following the group that murdered your family,” She bluntly stated, obviously not seeing the look across Gabriel’s face—unable to read the room.

  “Just leave me alone. All I wanted was to die alongside them and you couldn’t even give me that,” his gaze looking up at the stars.

  “No, I couldn’t. You’ll want to look at this,” she handed him a dossier with bold letters scrambled across it.

  “Shadows?” He looked at her, his gaze empty.

  “That’s the group that the woman, who you met in the alley, is a part of. Or so we think. Did she say anything suspicious?”

  His mind went back to a specific moment.

  “We who lurk in the darkness, we who hide away in the sanctity of the shadows, bide our time, unseen and unknown, waiting for the world to falter before we rise. That’s what she said to me.”

  She nodded, “that matches the information we have. Now, Nomad—”

  “I’m not Nomad. That was a long time ago.”

  “Right… Gabriel.” She said mockingly, “well you know where the headquarters are. If you decide to join us, stop by.”

  He handed her the dossier and walked away.

  I woke up with a throbbing pain in the back of my head and to the smell of blood in the air. The bitter and stall atmosphere caused me to gag as it filled my nose with its horrid stench.

  “Hello, Dominick, how I’ve longed for this moment. The joyous moment of our ‘reunion’ and the evolution of the way we see the world. And it’s all thanks to you,” the hooded figure chuckled, his cruel grin clearly visible even though the darkness that shrouded his face.

  That’s when I felt it, the leather cuffs wrapped around my wrist—like a predator’s grip, unyielding and cold despite their supple texture. The man walked over to a various array of strange tools, ones that I was unfamiliar with as the fluorescent light whirred to life overhead. My ankles were bound by the same restraints as the ones on my wrist. Despite what I tried, the bounds wouldn’t budge.

  “Ah, these have been magically reinforced. And just for,” he tilted his head and chuckled

  his next words, “good measure,” he waltzed over to me, putting a cloth restraint in my mouth.

  “MMM—MM—” My words were mumbled as I tried to scream.

  “Oh, boy. This is going to be so much fun,” he cackled as he grabbed an unorthodox tool from the tray on the side of the table I was restrained onto.