CHAPTER 1112: CAN’T FIND

Adrius stood before the window of his chamber in the tower. The storm outside painting streaks of silver and shadow across his face.

He had been in that same position for nearly half an hour, unmoving. His eyes locked on the darkened sky.

Rain lashed violently against the glass, branches bent under the force of the wind, and thunder grumbled endlessly beyond the hills.

Yet his mind was elsewhere, deep within the maze of possibilities that none of his knowledge could explain for now.

Just a few days earlier, he and Lysander had finished their meeting with King Aethor and the council of generals.

That discussion had stretched into long hours, filled with tension and debate.

Adrius, as the Archmage of Astoria, had made it his duty to ensure that preparations for the coming calamity were absolute.

He knew the entity’s awakening in the outer worlds would soon ripple into their world and the disaster it brought would not be small.

He had even gone beyond the usual boundaries of royal protocol and insisted that the kingdom’s adventurers, Mages, and guilds be mobilized alongside the royal knights.

Many of the generals had not taken that suggestion kindly. Their pride bristled at the implication that their legions were insufficient.

But Adrius had no patience for their pride.

He had simply unrolled the vast parchment map that he and Lysander had spent nights constructing.

Across its surface dozens of marks glowed faintly with dark red lights, indicating the locations where traces of necrotic energy had begun to stir beneath the land.

The patterns were spreading too many and too wide for the knights alone to contain.

Adrius had explained this calmly but firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"It is not a matter of your strength," he had said. "It is a matter of numbers. We cannot guard every point on this map with just the royal army knights."

That memory lingered faintly in his thoughts as he continued to watch the storm. The sky’s color had taken on a strange hue, darker than natural clouds should be, and the sound of each thunderclap carried a faint vibration that resonated through the walls.

Adrius felt the faint vibration of unnatural Magic in it. Not destructive but also not entirely elemental. That made his chest tighten.

He had already searched his archives earlier, dragging old tomes and scrolls across his table, hoping to find mention of a storm that carried such an unnatural aura.

But there had been nothing.

Lysander had taken over the search when Adrius’s eyes grew tired, and now the young apprentice stood by the shelves flipping through another stack of brittle pages.

"There’s not much about storm anomalies, Master," Lysander said after a long silence, his tone apologetic. "You’ve already gone through most of the weather-related records. None of it mention anything close to this."

"I see..." Adrius muttered absently. His hand rested on the window frame. "This storm carries Magic energy at the same time the necrotic leylines are stirring again. I know you sense it too. It’s no ordinary rain."

"Yes, Master," Lysander replied quietly. "But we still don’t know what it means."

Before Adrius could respond, a sharp echoing pulse struck his mind—a telepathic signal.

He blinked then immediately recognized the frequency. Someone was reaching for him across the world.

"Someone’s calling me," Adrius said, his tone turning focused. "Continue searching the archives, Lysander. I’ll handle this first."

"Yes, Master." Lysander bowed slightly and returned to his task.

Adrius walked into his private chamber and sealed the door behind him. The sound of the storm dulled.

He focused his mind and opened the telepathic channel.

"Adrius," came Adrien’s voice, sharp and urgent through the link.

"What is it?" Adrius asked at once.

"There’s a storm here,"

Adrien said, his tone heavy with strain. "But it’s not normal. The air’s filled with Magic energy. We can all feel it. It’s spreading fast. This shouldn’t even be possible in our world. Something’s wrong."

Adrius froze. For a brief moment his mind went blank. He could feel the pulse of truth in Adrien’s words.

Magic energy manifesting in a world where it should not exist at all. His stomach dropped with unease.

"What did you say?" Adrius asked.

"I’m telling you," Adrien replied. "Magic energy is here. It’s in the storm itself."

Adrius’s pulse quickened.

He turned toward the window again. The same kind of storm, here and there—two worlds apart yet both echoing the same anomaly.

He had no words to describe what he felt. Anxiety, disbelief, and a growing realization that the entity was breaching into that world.

He clenched his jaw.

"This is worse than I feared..." he murmured, almost to himself. "Adrien, stay alert. Whatever is happening this storm might not be weather at all. This also happened in my world."

Even as he said it, another rumble of thunder rolled across the sky.

Adrius could feel the sharp tremor of emotion ripple through the telepathic link. The feeling of shock and disbelief all at once.

The telepathy between them did not just transmit words, it carried the pulse of their emotions as well.

"The same thing also happened there?" Adrien’s voice came through, tight with disbelief.

"Yes," Adrius replied. "We are searching for its cause now. The storm here is infused with Magic energy. It resonates with the leylines themselves."

For a moment, silence filled the link. Then Adrius felt a sudden wave of despair emanating from Adrien.

"I initially thought to ask for your help here," Adrien’s voice trembled slightly, though he tried to steady it. "But if you’re facing the same problem, then... I can’t burden you with our problem here."

Adrius’s expression hardened.

"Adrien," he said firmly. "I don’t know what is happening right now. This storm is somehow affecting multiple worlds. Which means we are both part of the same event."

There was a pause on the other end. The silence felt heavier than thunder.

"I understand," Adrien finally answered.

Adrius exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing as lightning flashed outside the window.

"Listen to me carefully. I will continue searching for answers here. If I find anything I’ll contact you immediately. But for now, you must hold the line by yourself."

"You mean... prepare for the worst?"

"Yes.If the storm grows stronger or the energy becomes unstable, you’ll need to act fast. I suggest that you assemble your best warrior. If this anomaly escalates, it may manifest into something physical." Adrius said.

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