CHAPTER 245: CHAPTER 245

I braced myself, heart pounding. "Alright, what’s the test?"

"Simple," Kairos said with a flick of his wrist. Shadows swirled around him, forming a puppet doll about 200 meters away from us. "Just attack that puppet with all you’ve got. I’ll be the judge."

"All I’ve got? Full power then?" I asked, eyeing the distant target. That’s way too far to just run up and slash.

"Yes, hand or any weapon, I don’t care," he replied, conjuring an isolation barrier around us that shimmered like a force field. "You can strike any time you like."

To hit something that far, only one thing came to mind. He must’ve dug into my background—the original Remillia used a bow as her go-to weapon. Didn’t matter much since I’d tried my hand at archery during that shadow brawl competition back in the day.

But could I conjure my own bow? I shook my head, turning to Macaron and mind linked him, I said, ’Take Glacier with you and go back.’

Macaron chirped in acknowledgment, his eyes widening slightly at the setup, while Glacier lumbered to his feet with a low growl. They slipped away into the night, leaving me alone with Kairos and that creepy puppet. The barrier hummed softly, sealing us in.

My spectral seal glowed as I conjured the bow. In an instant, an elegantly crafted weapon appeared in my hands, its hue a deep, blood-like crimson. ’Is this Remillia’s weapon?’ I thought, feeling its weight. It was strange yet familiar, like slipping into a memory I didn’t fully own.

Kairos arched a brow, glancing at my weapon. "A bow... that has no string?"

That’s because only I could see it, but I didn’t waste time explaining. I locked onto the target, blocking out everything else.

The Kairos I knew wasn’t amazed by dark or light magic alone, but I had a hidden ace up my sleeve.

Magic nullification.

I yanked the string back with all my strength, an arrow forming as I triggered Feral Strike and magic nullification at once.

The blood-red arrow launched like a lightning bolt, then multiplied in flight, scattering magic power everywhere. ’Oh shoot, does my Serenade of Daggers ability work on arrows too?’ Panicking, I ducked and shut my eyes, waiting for the target to blow.

"Why are you hiding?" Kairos said, though he kept his eyes on the barrage of arrows slamming into the target.

I cracked open my eyes, peeking out. "That’s it?" I muttered. Is this a scam? I don’t know who’s more disappointed—Kairos with his sky-high expectations or me wondering why it didn’t explo—

Fwoosh!

My thoughts were cut short as the target exploded, the arrows thrashing wildly inside the isolation barrier. The blast rocked everything, a chaotic mix of shadows, magic, and light bursting outward like a fireworks show gone wrong. I stood there stunned, watching the puppet get obliterated, bits of it floating in the air like confetti. But the arrows kept chasing, trailing more explosions in their wake.

The impact nearly knocked me off my feet, but luckily Kairos shielded me, flicking his wrist. His shadows surged forward, devouring all the stray arrows before they could hit us.

"It looked like it was about to destroy the barrier, so I stopped it," he said, snapping his fingers. The barrier vanished in an instant, and the surroundings snapped back to normal, like the explosion had never happened—trees upright, grass untouched.

I smirked, finally feeling like I’d passed this grueling test, but dang, I’d nearly drained my mana again from using Magic Nullification. It guzzled so much energy just to activate it. I plopped down on the bench to steady myself, hoping he wouldn’t notice the dizziness creeping in.

"Two months from now..." he said, his back still facing me. "There will be a meeting, all the members will be there." He then looked at me. "If you still want to be with me, if you don’t mind taking on dirty tasks like me, come find me."

"Don’t worry," I smiled. "I’ll always find you." Since the Nightjars will have an important role in the future.

Kairos gave a curt nod, shadows swirling around him as he prepared to leave. "Don’t disappoint me." But I didn’t notice his ears reddening as he left me.

With that, he melted into the darkness, leaving me alone on the bench. The park felt eerily quiet now, stars twinkling overhead. Macaron and Glacier were probably back at the condo, wondering where I was. I sat there a bit longer, letting the dizziness fade. I stood up, heading home.

"Don’t worry," I smiled. "I’ll always find you." Since the Nightjars will have an important role in the future.

Kairos gave a curt nod, shadows swirling around him as he prepared to leave. "Don’t disappoint me."

With that, he melted into the darkness, leaving me alone on the bench. The park felt eerily quiet now, stars twinkling overhead. Macaron and Glacier were probably back at the condo, wondering where I was. I sat there a bit longer, letting the dizziness fade.

The night air was crisp as I made my way back, the city’s hum a distant buzz. Macaron was waiting at the door, chirping anxiously, while Glacier lumbered over with a concerned rumble. "I’m okay, guys," I said, flopping onto the couch and petting them both.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Second week of class

Second week of class already, and there I was, dozing off as usual while my classmates scribbled furiously in their notebooks, shooting me envious glances now and then. Even the professor didn’t bother waking me up—he knew that even with my eyes closed, I had the answers and the whole topic down.

"Alright, let’s take a break," he announced when he noticed most of the class scratching their heads over those tricky formulas and equations.

Ezekiel set his pen down and stretched, his attention drifting as the whispers from his classmates started filtering through.

"Didn’t that witch change recently?"

"Yeah... she’s gotten way prettier lately."

"Did you hear Caleo dropped out?"

"What? Then what about Remillia? I thought there was something going on between them?"

"I don’t know, but she doesn’t seem fazed by it. She used to eat alone at lunch, but now she’s always out with those popular kids."

"Maybe... she’s going somewhere that’s why she started hanging out with them openly?"

The chatter was all about Remillia again. He glanced forward and spotted her, fast asleep as always.

This wasn’t the first time he’d heard rumors about her. Ever since Remillia entered the Academy, she’d been the center of all the gossip—especially about her relationships. First it was Cypher, then me... and now Caleo.

He shook his head, picked up his pen, and stared at the formulas, but he just couldn’t get his focus back. In the end, he glanced at Remillia again.

He quickly shook his head and tried to concentrate on the equations, but it wasn’t long before he frowned and sighed irritably. "Damn these formulas. Why the hell are they so hard anyway?" he grumbled under his breath.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Greystone Town, Ravensbrook Province

Greystone Town sat in the middle of Ravensbrook Province, a rundown spot that felt stuck in the past. At its edge was a shabby office with a sign that was half-broken: Matthew Owen’s Office.

Around it, it had the usual shops and stores—small diners, hardware places, and markets for everyday folks. No one looking at it would think this was the base of a powerful Gift user.

The truth was, Greystone Town didn’t start as a town. It used to be a wild wasteland, full of monsters and beasts that roamed freely. Matthew found the place and decided to settle there. The creatures kept him up at night with their noise, so he took care of them. He killed most and chased the rest away, just to get some peace.

The parts from the beasts he hunted brought in good money. He used it to build his office and attract others. Soon, poor people and those down on their luck moved in, turning the area into the town it is now. All because of Matthew’s arrival.

As time went on, Matthew didn’t give a damn about who showed up to live nearby. He figured he had nothing to do with them—they were just passing through, minding their own business. Even when monsters raided the town while he was away, tearing through homes, killing people, and wrecking the farmlands, he shrugged it off. "That’s their problem," he’d think. "They gotta handle it themselves."

But years slipped by...

What began as a scrappy little village blossomed into a proper town. Matthew watched the seasons change, saw familiar faces grow old and have kids of their own. Before he knew it, he couldn’t deny it anymore—he was tied to this place. He had become the unofficial leader, the guy everyone looked to for guidance.

That’s why, when Jozef Forbes came calling, Matthew didn’t bolt right away. He stuck around, weighing his options.

Blood trickled from his ears, a telltale sign he’d pushed his Gift to its limits. He rose from the couch, snagged a few tissues, and wiped away the crimson streaks.

"What did you find out?" his secretary asked, her voice steady despite the scene.