Silently shadowing Kei, we navigated the narrow wooden corridors with cautious steps. The tight confines of the hallway gave way to a diminutive room.

“The spare room?”

Arisu’s voice, barely above a whisper, carried a note of curiosity as she peeked inside.

Dim light seeped through a small, dusty window, casting a subdued glow upon the unassuming space.

“Did you hide something in here again, Kei?”

Arisu teases, a playful glint in her eyes as she surveys the room.

“Whether I did or not doesn’t matter.”

I looked around the room, bewildered by its dustiness.

“Do you ever clean this thing?”

“Well, I forget to… A lot of the time, hehe.”

Arisu chuckled, a sheepish smile accompanying her admission.

“At least train your good-for-nothing brain to remember.”

Kei’s remark, delivered with a sigh, carried a teasing undertone. Arisu gasped at the playful insult to her intelligence, her eyes widening in mock offence.

“My brain is not ‘good for nothing,’ I’ll have you know!”

“Tell that to last week.”

Kei pulled the chest off of the shelf, its weight unsettling the settled dust in the air.

He opened the chest, and a lone crystal lay peacefully inside.

“Kei? What’s that?”

“I don’t know myself, but I have a feeling it might be useful.”

He extended his arm and grabbed the crystal; he held it towards me with confidence that I knew what it was. He wasn’t entirely wrong, but it was still a mystery to me nonetheless.

“Do you know what this is, Lyssa?”

“I… think I do?”

“Pray, do share! Will it bestow upon us powers of myth and legend, or perhaps unleash a bit of mischief into our mundane lives?”

Arisu’s unnecessary query was dismissed as Kei began to probe further.

“Tell us all what you know about it.”

“I’ve seen something similar to it; the phantoul gave me something with a parallel shape yet a different colour.”

“I see…”

Kei closed his eyes and sighed as he exited the spare room of Arisu’s residence.

“This is a mystery indeed…” I heard Arisu mutter under her breath.

As I was about the step out of the spare room, Arisu stopped me.

“Do you reckon the elusive Phantoul might spill the beans about that crystal? It does seem to have a rather friendly demeanour, and between you and me, I sense a special connection there. Perhaps a bit of playful banter or a mischievous wink could coax out some of its secrets, don’t you think?”

“We summoned it not too long ago, we should give it a little break before conjuring it again. Also, why are you abruptly speaking like that?”

“I assume we’re going to ask the village about this crystal you magically discovered?”

“Correct.”

As we stepped out into the fading daylight, the lively village bustled with activity.

Arisu turned to Kei with a spark in her eyes.

“Kei, do you think the villagers have any clue about this crystal?”

“We’ll start with Kurochi. Despite her age, she seems to be very knowledgeable and helpful. Maybe she might have insights.”

“Do we even know where she lives?”

“No, but I can sense her outside, playing with her friends.”

“Where?”

“Follow me; I’ll take you there.”

“Hurry up then!”

I nodded in agreement.

“Let’s find Kurochi and get some answers about this crystal. Time is of the essence.”

Kei took the lead, guiding us through the bustling village with purpose. Arisu kept up with his brisk pace, her curiosity evident in the spark in her eyes.

Kei’s gaze scanned the lively surroundings, finally settling on a group of children playing near the outskirts. Kurochi, distinguishable by her distinctive jet-black hair, was among them.

As we approached, the children dispersed, leaving Kurochi with a thoughtful expression.

“Kurochi!”

He called out, his voice carrying across the lively village. The young girl turned towards us, curiosity etched on her face.

“We need your knowledge.”

Arisu, ever energetic, chimed in.

“Have you ever seen a crystal like this before?”

The bustling village hushed as Kurochi examined the crystal, her young eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. She reached out, delicate fingers grazing its surface.

“I do not know what this crystal is.”

Kei’s demeanour remained unchanged, but the urgency in his eyes intensified. Arisu, always energetic, leaned in, her eyes reflecting a determination to uncover the truth.

“Is there anything you can tell us, Kurochi?”

Arisu inquired, her voice a blend of curiosity and concern. Kurochi hesitated before speaking again.

“I have seen nothing like this before. It is a mystery to me.”

“Kurochi, if you’ve never seen what it’s like, who in the village might have?”

Arisu probed further, her eyes gleaming with a mix of determination and worry.

“I do not know, perhaps try asking the leader.”

Arisu quickly nodded and grabbed my arm.

We made our way towards the village leader’s house. The sun was beginning to set, casting an orange glow across the landscape, but we had no time to appreciate its beauty. As we reached the leader’s doorstep, Arisu knocked firmly on the wooden door, her impatience evident in the sound. A few moments passed before the door creaked open, revealing the elderly man with wise, weathered eyes from before.

He looked at us with a mix of surprise and curiosity, clearly not expecting visitors at this hour.

“What brings you here?”

Arisu took a deep breath, her eyes locked with his, and began to explain the reason for our unexpected visit.

After a moment of silence, he nodded slowly.

“I see.”

Kei handed the leader the crystal

"Do you know what it is?"

The village leader examined the crystal, his fingers tracing its smooth surface. His eyes narrowed as he inspected it from various angles, a frown forming on his face.

"I cannot say for certain, but this crystal bears a resemblance to an ancient artefact that has been lost to time. Celestial Legends say that crystals, similar in appearance to this, hold immense power and are capable of granting extraordinary abilities to those who harness their energy."

Arisu's eyes widened with excitement, and she leaned forward eagerly.

"Extraordinary abilities? Like what?"

The village leader's gaze shifted to Arisu, with a hint of caution in his eyes.

"The legends speak of Archon Abilities. But these are mere tales passed down through generations. Whether they hold any truth or not, I cannot say."

Kei's expression remained stoic, his mind racing with thoughts and possibilities.

"We understand that legends are often steeped in exaggeration, but there must be a kernel of truth to them. Is there any way to unlock the crystal's power, if such power exists?"

"The legend does not mention anything about how to tap into the crystal's power, but there have been stories of people who have successfully wielded its abilities. Therefore, there must be a method for unlocking its powers, unless those accounts were fabricated."

As the village leader finished speaking, a sense of unease settled over the group. Arisu, still gripping onto my arm, was the first to speak up.

"We need to find a way to unlock its power, if it even has any."

Kei nodded, his expression thoughtful.

"You're right. We need to explore this further, but for now, let's keep this between us."

The village leader nodded in agreement, his weathered eyes reflecting a sense of responsibility.

"Lyssa, you haven't said anything...are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Let's keep this between us. We should return to Arisu's lodgings for now."

Kei suggested, his gaze sweeping across the village. The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the landscape.

"We'll continue our investigation in the morning."

Arisu nodded, her eyes still sparkling with curiosity.

"Yes, we should rest. But tomorrow, we're going to find out more about these Archon abilities and this crystal!"

She held the crystal up in the air for a brief moment.

"You're forgetting something, Arisu."

"Huh? Oh right... and the Black Heart!"

Arisu slightly chuckled, and we bid farewell to the village leader while making our way back to Arisu's home. The village was quieter now; the lively bustle of the day was replaced with a peaceful tranquillity.

As we walked, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. We were on the brink of a discovery—a revelation that could change everything—this crystal, its power, and the existence of other Archons.

As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, the sky transformed into a canvas of deep purples and inky blues. The village was bathed in an eerie silence. The flickering lanterns cast long, dancing shadows on the cobblestone streets as we made our way to Arisu's home, our voices barely above a whisper.

"I still can't believe it. The Archon abilities, the crystal, and now... this Black Heart. It's like we're living in a fantasy novel."

Arisu exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder.

Kei looked at her.

"Well, we're not exactly ordinary villagers, are we?"

I nodded in agreement, my mind still reeling from the events of the day.

"Guys, what exactly are Archons? I mean, are they a type of being?"

Arisu asked; before anyone could answer, a sudden bright light pierced the darkness, causing us to squint. A shimmering portal had materialised, and through it, monsters were pouring out.

It wasn't long before the first door opened, with villagers, now awake, pouring out of it. They caught a single glimpse of the creatures and were soon screaming and running for cover.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The panicked villagers darted past me, haphazardly zigzagging through the narrow streets. With their jagged teeth and scaly, mottled skin, they bore a striking resemblance to the beasts I remembered from my past life.

"What are those things?"

Arisu asked, her voice trembling as she clutched her bow, her knuckles turning white.

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter."

But it did matter. To me, it meant everything.

I recalled the first time I had seen such creatures. I was a child, waiting to see the new queen at the ceremony, when a guy with a green crystal attacked without warning. These monsters followed his every command.

It suddenly dawned on me that the crystal the man had while he was attacking was identical to the one I saw in the mysterious man's abdomen when glancing through the orcs' memories.

The four of us stood there, transfixed by the sight before us. The monsters were gaining ground, causing chaos and destruction as they went. The villagers were no match for their strength and ferocity.

"We have to do something. We can't just stand here and watch them destroy everything."

Kei said, his voice firm.

Arisu nodded in agreement, her eyes still wide with fear.

"But what can we do? We don't even know what those things are."

With no time to waste, we quickly sprang into action.

Arisu raised her hand out to absorb the light from the portal, which seemingly closed it. It was then that I realised the portal was made of light; Arisu had noticed that.

That made our job slightly easier.

As Arisu manipulated the light, Kei's arms transformed into a black, viscid-looking substance and stretched forth towards the monsters.

The monsters snarled and lunged, their jaws snapping wildly. I leaped into the fray, my shadows shielding my body as additional shadows congealed into a sinister black scythe, which carved through the closest beast with proficiency. It ruptured into a thousand pieces at my feet, a sickening odour wafting through the air.

I noticed Kei and Arisu struggling to do even a little damage to the monsters.

Seeing the monsters' resistance to Kei and Arisu's attacks, I knew I had to do something.

But suddenly, a loud battle horn erupted throughout the whole village, and possibly even beyond that.

The atmosphere grew heavy as we came face-to-face with a threat we hadn't anticipated.

The village warriors, armed with their magic, fought back valiantly, but their efforts were in vain. The monsters appeared unfazed by their spells and relentless in their pursuit.

"Lyssa, over here!"

Arisu's voice pierced through the chaos with desperation etched into every syllable. I pushed through the crowd, dodging spells and claws, making my way towards the source of the commotion.

Arisu stood beside Kei, her light blue hair matted with sweat and her bright blue eyes wide with terror. They were surrounded, outnumbered, and outmatched.

"Stay behind me."

I charged forward; my shadow lengthened, wrapping around the monsters and immobilising them.

But there were too many. No matter how many we took down, more seemed to emerge. It was strange at the time; Arisu had absorbed the portal, so where were they coming from? My mind echoed with countless possibilities, but it was obvious that there was another gateway we hadn't found.

I closed my eyes and focused, feeling the weight of my shadows gather around me.

With a flick of my wrist, they transformed into small particles of darkness, ready to explode.

I released them towards our enemies, creating a thick obfuscation, and moments later, they detonated with a loud boom. Thankfully, I had also created protective barriers for the villagers, Arisu, and Kei, so they wouldn't be affected by the blast.

As the smoke cleared, I opened my eyes and surveyed the area.

Only a mere fraction of the beasts were gone.

They began attacking again, using brute force to knock a whole crowd of warriors back to the closest building—which wasn't even that close—destroying it.

The rest of them were still advancing towards us, their eyes glinting with malice.

“Why is this happening?”

I let my scythe cut through the air, cutting through some of the monsters who effortlessly regenerated in return.

Arisu suddenly came up behind me.

"What are you doing?"

I hiss, my voice barely audible. But I already know the answer. Arisu is about to attempt something reckless—something that could cost her dearly.