After Myrra left, Ian stood up and made his way out as well.
He headed to Ian Themar and completed his usual work under Master Malon. It didn't take long. Once done, he left to pick up Myrra. She was already waiting.
Reina and Yelthara were there with her.
Ian approached. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
Myrra gave a small smile and reached for his hand. "You're on time."
Yelthara stepped forward and grabbed his other hand, clearly copying Myrra.
Then she turned to Reina with a grin. "Looks like you're the only lonely single left."
Reina raised an eyebrow. "At least I'm not a homewrecker."
Yelthara moved behind Ian and leaned a little to the side. "Ian, Reina is being mean to me…"
Ian and Reina didn't react, while Myrra just laughed quietly. They were used to Yelthara's dramatics.
After a few more lines of light conversation, Ian and Myrra started walking toward his private facility. He had a meeting with Eryndor there to go over more details on deciphering the ancient scripts.
Reina and Yelthara split off to do their own thing.
Ian arrived at the location, but something felt off. The door creaked open, and he stepped inside.
There, lying in the middle of the room, was Eryndor. He was bloodied, broken, and looked like he might already be dead.
Ian's heart skipped a beat. He moved quickly toward him, kneeling by his side. "Eryndor?" he whispered, but there was no response.
Without hesitation, Ian began trying to stabilize him, checking for a pulse, his fingers moving urgently. But before he could get far, he felt a strange shift in the air.
A field. A barrier had been set, trapping them inside.
Ian's instincts kicked in. "Myrra, get back!" he shouted as he quickly shielded her from the surrounding area.
Then sent a though to Flori "Be alert, protect Myrra".
A sudden swoosh sliced the air, a strike aimed directly at Ian.
He dodged just in time, narrowly avoiding the sharp attack. The sharp object cut through the air with a hum.
"Well, well... You've got some moves, I'll give you that." A voice came from the shadows, calm and mocking.
A young man stepped forward, his figure emerging from the darkness.
Ian's eyes narrowed. He recognized him, it was Vulas. But not the same Vulas Ian had seen before.
"You are..." Ian asked, but Vulas interrupted with a smirk.
"Yeah, the same person you humiliated," he sneered. "Honestly, if you want to blame someone, blame yourself. You helped the wrong people. Now, you and your little lover are going to die a terrible death."
He let out a dark laugh. "Remember, don't interfere in other people's business... if you even get a next life, that is... ha, ha ha."
Ian didn't respond right away. His mind was already calculating, analyzing the situation. He could take Vulas down without much effort, but he was still considering the possibility of someone else nearby. If there were more, maybe even a second order, then things would get much more dangerous.
Meanwhile, Myrra was tending to Eryndor, her hands working to stabilize him. Flori, hidden as the flower hairpin on Myrra's head, kept watch, ready to act and subtly aiding in Eryndor's healing.
Ian's thoughts focused again. He needed to take Vulas out first.
Before Ian could even move, Vulas vanished into the shadows. His body flickered with black strips, dark energy crackling around him.
Vulas lunged forward, expecting Ian to be paralyzed with fear, thinking he had already won.
But Vulas was wrong. As his reaching hand came within inches of Ian, it was suddenly severed by a flash. The sword cut through the air in a blur. At the same time, a spear shot out, nailing his foot to the ground, keeping him in place.
Vulas let out a furious scream, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
He turned his head in disbelief, his eyes locking onto Ian. The dark blue sword gleamed in Ian's hand, the same dark aura swirling around it. It stretched out, forming a protective covering around Myrra and Eryndor, encasing them both in a shimmering cocoon.
Pain twisted across Vulas' face as the agony set in. "You... I'm going to enjoy killing you," he spat, cutting through his own leg to free himself.
His body began to distort as something grotesque sprouted from his back, a non-humanoid leg, black and spindly, twitching and lashing out as if it had a mind of its own.
Vulas grinned through clenched teeth. "Now you're done..."
With renewed speed, he pushed forward, his movements erratic and terrifying, but it wasn't enough. Ian merely watched, and he knew what was coming next.
Before Vulas could even react, a barrage of spikes shot toward him from all directions. They closed in quickly, striking him with brutal precision. His body jerked as each one pierced him, the sheer force of the attack nearly splitting him in half.
Vulas howled in agony, but there was no escape. His body jerked violently as the spikes struck, and his breath grew shallow. His vision blurred as the pain consumed him, and through gritted teeth, he barely managed to cry out, "Uncle Kolvar…"
Ian stood on guard, eyes scanning the surroundings. Before he could even process what was happening, a voice cut through the air, smooth and surprised.
"Well, are the students from Rulmose really this powerful nowadays?" The voice sighed, a touch of disbelief in it. "Times are changing…"
Ian's hand tightened around his Obryx sword, every muscle tensed as he scanned the area.
Kolvar stepped into view, a sinister presence. "Why don't you let him go? I promise, I will let you all die a peaceful death."
Ian's mind raced. Let him go? He wasn't about to give up now, not with Myrra and Eryndor at risk. He kept his stance firm.
Kolvar's gaze sharpened. "I know you can hear me. You want your little lover to stay safe, don't you?"
Ian's jaw clenched, but he didn't answer, his thoughts racing. Protect Myrra, protect Eryndor… This was no simple fight.
Suddenly, Kolvar's shadows extended, surging toward Myrra's protective barrier. Ian reacted instantly, stepping back and raising his blade, but before he could act, a multitude of flowers appeared in mid-air, their petals glowing faintly. Flori had already moved.
The shadows touched the flowers, and as soon as they did, the dark energy turned to ash, disintegrating under Flori's control.
Kolvar snarled "This won't save you."
Ian thought quickly. Second order, probably. I can't lose control.
A wave of guilt washed over him as he glanced at Eryndor, still lying helpless. But protecting Myrra came first. He had to make a move and run as fast as possible. Ian was sure he could do it, but he would have to leave Eryndor behind.
Just as he took a step…
A glowing spell model materialized in front of Myrra. Ian recognized it immediately. That's from Yeonelyth…
Kolvar's eyes widened in surprise. "What is that… a new…?"
Before he could finish the sentence, his body disintegrated into dust. The spell model flared brightly, and the remnants of Kolvar vanished. The last wisps of his presence faded into nothingness, and the model gently returned to Myrra, its protection settling around her once again.
In a dense forest outside of Ial Themar, Kolvar twisted in agony, his body wracked with pain as he tried to regain his bearings. His limbs felt as though they were on fire, every muscle screaming in protest. He gasped for breath, the lingering effects of the spell still clawing at him. But gradually, the burning pain began to subside, and his vision cleared.
"WTF was that...?" he muttered, his voice low and strained. His mind raced, still trying to process what had just happened. The spell, the sudden destruction, it was unlike anything he'd ever encountered.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to sit up. And as the last traces of his pain began to dull, he let out a heavy sigh. "It's dangerous here. Good thing I prepared a clone," he mused, though his voice still held a tinge of frustration. "The clone took a hit, damaged my... well, everything, really, but at least I'm alive."
With renewed focus, he pushed himself to his feet, shaking his head. "I need to stay as far away as possible now." His eyes narrowed as he scanned the forest, paranoia settling in. "Someone is hunting us here..."
Without another word, Kolvar shot off at top speed, weaving between the trees as he moved deeper into the forest, determined to escape whatever had nearly ended him.
Back at Ian's facility, Ian, Myrra, and Flori just stared in stunned silence.
Ian felt a new sense of awe and respect for Yeonelyth. Whatever that spell was… it wasn't ordinary.
He pushed the thought aside for now and turned his attention to Vulas.
Vulas was still writhing in agony, spikes protruding from his body, and his mouth was filled with desperate, threatening words. "You don't come any closer," Vulas spat, his voice filled with venom. "My father is on the city council! He'll..."
His words faltered as he gritted his teeth against the pain, but the threat was still there, a desperate attempt to hold onto some form of power. "You'll regret this... You have no idea who you're messing with!"
Ian looked at him coldly. There was no doubt, Vulas had to die. But the real question was how. Killing him now might draw the attention of more dangerous figures…
And then, a sudden blast.
The forcefield surrounding them cracked and shattered in a burst of energy.
"Myrra! Ian! Are you alright?" came Yelthara's voice as she stepped through the broken barrier. Beside her stood a man, Ian recognized him, he has seem the man back at the museum, the same one who chastised Vulas.
"We're fine," Ian replied quickly, though his eyes immediately fell to Eryndor's lifeless body. "But..." He trailed off, the weight of the situation settling in as he looked at Eryndor's still form. There was no breath. No sign of life.
Yelthara's gaze flickered to Eryndor before narrowing on Vulas. Recognition crossed her face. Her expression turned dangerous in an instant. Without a word, she moved toward Vulas. Lightning crackled around her, a brilliant storm of energy as she raised her hand. With a single, decisive motion, Vulas's body turned to charcoal, consumed by a violent surge of thunder and lightning.
The man next to Yelthara sighed and shook his head. "Giullis... you should have kept a better watch on your... son." His tone was heavy with disappointment, and he didn't seem at all fazed by the destruction.
Ian was surprised by Yelthara's reaction. She might've had her own reasons for killing Vulas, but he understood, she did it to pull him out of a predicament. She took the blame onto herself, shielding him. His respect for her deepened.
If he had been the one to kill Vulas, no matter how justified, Vulas's father would've retaliated. But with Yelthara involved… not many would dare say anything. At least, not to her. Vulas's father simply didn't have that kind of influence.
Ian then turned and knelt beside Eryndor. His body was still. Too still.
Flori hovered just above them. "They did something strange to him," it said softly. "Otherwise, I could've kept his body alive…"
Myrra's voice trembled, her eyes shining with tears. "Brother Eryndor… What are we going to tell Sister Enira…"
Ian gently pulled her close, holding her as her voice broke. Yelthara approached quietly, along with the man beside her, kneeling to check. After a few moments, they both stepped back. There wasn't much they could do now.
Reviving someone wasn't impossible. For normal people, or at least those below the First Order, it was still within reach. Technology, rituals, reconstruction methods… with the right money, with the right connections, one could bring someone back.
But once you reached the First Order, it became a different matter altogether. Power came with rules. Restrictions. And revival in those cases, well, it wasn't just a matter of resources anymore. It was bound by universal laws.
Still, for someone like Eryndor this was possible, but his body itself seems to be eroded and even his brain seems to be eroded so Ian can't really think of anyway to revive him.