Mira and I said goodbye at the Academy gates.
She hugged me tightly — without words. Just… like a sister.
Then she smiled, turned around, and walked back, dissolving among the white towers and students.
Liara and I headed toward the city.
The Academy forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
Tall trees cast long shadows, and the air here always felt slightly colder than beyond the walls.
While walking, I changed my appearance.
White hair.
Blue eyes.
A familiar mask.
“Liara,” I said quietly. “There’s someone else here.”
She didn’t turn.
“I feel it,” she replied calmly.
We kept walking.
First, I saw a silhouette.
Then the outline of a figure.
A human…
But not entirely.
When we were about ten steps away, she stopped.
She stared at me for a long time.
Then at Liara.
Only after that did she step forward.
“Greetings, travelers,” she said.
Her voice was soft.
But inside it — cold.
“Greetings,” Liara answered.
The stranger narrowed her eyes.
“Your hair… your eyes…
You are that legendary elven warrior, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Liara said calmly. “And your name?”
She hesitated.
“Be… Beatrice.”
I don’t even know how it slipped out:
“What an original name.”
Silence fell instantly.
Liara shot me a brief look.
“Did you want something?” she asked.
“No…” Beatrice looked away. “Just…
I was in the city. Everyone is talking about you.
And about the boy traveling with you…
The one with incredible power.”
She looked at me again.
“And you match the description.
About eleven years old.
Except…” she frowned.
“They say he has black hair. And black eyes.”
I shrugged.
“Probably got mixed up.
My name is Arkgrim.”
The next moment happened too fast.
She drew her blade.
The edge was at my heart before I could blink.
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A freezing cold radiated from the sword — my skin instantly started going numb beneath it.
I made sure I didn’t react in time.
I screamed.
“Ahhh!”
And fell onto my back like I was panicking.
“What are you doing?!” I shouted. “What for?!”
At that exact moment, Liara drew her blade and stepped between us.
“Enough.”
Beatrice froze.
Then sharply withdrew her sword.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “You matched the description so closely…
I was mistaken.”
She knelt beside me.
“You look so… defenseless, Arkgrim.”
And suddenly she placed her hand on my head.
Ran her fingers through my hair.
I barely held back from purring.
Oh yes… now that’s a weapon.
She laughed.
“I don’t know why,” she said, “but I had a feeling that if I did this — that would be your reaction.”
She stood up.
“My apologies. I misidentified you.”
And left.
We watched her until she disappeared among the trees.
“She’s strange,” Liara said.
“And her sword… it’s unusual.”
“Her hands are something else,” I said dreamily.
“YOU WHAT, ZEN—”
she cut herself off sharply.
“…Arkgrim! She almost killed you!”
“Well, that happens,” I shrugged.
Liara stopped and looked at me.
“She’s not human.
Not a dwarf.
And not an elf.”
I nodded.
“Yes.
That’s what’s strange.”
We continued walking.
And somewhere behind us, deep in the forest, the feeling of being watched didn’t fade for a long time.
Chapter: “Plans, Demons”
We reached the city by evening.
Lantern light fell softly over the stone, almost cozy. After the silence of the forest, the noise of the streets felt right — alive.
Humans, elves, dwarves.
Laughter, swearing, merchants, the smell of food.
Liara walked beside me with her arms crossed.
“So what now?” she asked. “What are your plans?”
I shrugged.
“No idea.
Maybe… you’ve got one?”
She stopped.
So did I.
Liara thought seriously. Not for a second or two — genuinely. That always meant something big was coming.
“I think,” she finally said, “we need a squad.”
“A squad?” I clarified.
“Not just a squad.
At least… epic level.”
I whistled.
“Wow.
Going big right away.
Can we maybe start with ‘well-equipped and not dying in the first five minutes’?”
She snorted.
“Zenhald, we’re talking about demons.”
“Funny you say that. I actually wanted to talk about them.”
She looked at me cautiously.
“Liara,” I began, “you know not all demons are obsessed with destruction, right?”
She frowned.
“Not sure.
Usually they…” she made a vague gesture, “kill everything around them.”
“That’s because you’ve seen soldiers,” I said calmly. “Not demons as a species.
Most demons are born with a purpose.”
“A purpose?” she repeated.
“Yes.
Like golems.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Golems are created.”
“And demons aren’t,” I nodded. “But the principle’s similar.
There are demons whose purpose is the destruction of all living things.
And there are… others.”
“Others?” She crossed her arms.
“Those without that purpose.
Demon-like beings.
They think, feel, doubt.
But they’re controlled by those whose purpose is built in.”
Liara stared at me for a long time.
“Wait,” she said slowly.
“You’re saying demons are divided… into a hierarchy?”
“Exactly,” I nodded.
“And the real question isn’t whether demons want destruction…
but who exactly wants it.”
She exhaled.
“Zen.
You personally killed a demon warlord in Dorwood.
And now you’re saying we can negotiate with them?”
I shrugged.
“I killed the one who chose war.
That’s different.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Sounds dangerous.”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“But peacefully annihilating entire cities isn’t exactly safe either.”
Liara grunted.
“You know,” she said, “when you talk like that, I forget you’re eleven.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I try.”
She smirked.
“Still… if you’re right,” she continued, “we don’t just need a squad.
We need people who can talk to demons.
And people who can stop them if talking fails.”
“There we go,” I spread my hands.
“Finally constructive.”
We walked on.
“Hey,” I said casually, “didn’t that… girl seem strange to you?”
Liara nodded immediately.
“Yes.
And her sword.
And the way she moved.”
I smiled.
“Her hands though—”
“ZEN.”
“—very professional,” I corrected quickly.
“Combat hands. Obviously combat.”
Liara shook her head.
“One day your jokes will get you killed.”
“Already did,” I said.
“But so far I’m still alive.”
We went deeper into the city.
And somewhere behind us, under a different name and a different face,
someone was walking in the same direction.
And understood far too well
what exactly we were talking about.
Chapter: “Tavern Truths and Curses”
We entered the tavern after dark.
Warm light.
Voices.
The smell of roasted meat and fresh bread.
We sat at a table.
Liara didn’t hesitate.
“Where do you know so much about demons from?” she asked directly.
I shrugged and grabbed a mug.
“Books.
Practice.
Stuff.”
She looked at me very carefully.
“‘Stuff’ usually means ‘you’re not telling me something.’”
“Oh, come on,” I said. “I’m fluffy and harmless.”
She snorted…
and, to my surprise, didn’t press further.
Instead, she did something else.
“Owner!” she called. “Over here.
And bring a lot.”
Food started arriving one after another.
Mugs.
Plates.
More mugs.
And, as tavern law demands,
people immediately started sitting at our table.
“Hey, beautiful…”
“Hey, elf girl…”
“What’s with the kid?”
I didn’t even get to open my mouth.
“LISTEN, ZENHALD,” Liara said without turning her head.
“Scram. Go sleep.”
I blinked.
“Uh…” I stretched. “And when do I get a harem?”
She looked at me.
And burst out laughing.
“I curse you,” she said through laughter,
“to remain a virgin forever.”
“NOOO!” I jumped up.
“TAKE IT BACK!”
“Too late,” she smiled. “The spell’s already cast.”
“That’s cruel!” I protested. “I’m a tragic hero, you know!”
“Go to sleep, hero,” she waved a hand.
“I’ll stay a bit longer.”
I sighed.
Well… let her rest, I thought.
I grabbed some food, rented a room, and went upstairs.
The room was simple.
A bed.
A table.
Silence.
I sat down and started eating.
Slowly.
It had been a long day.
Epic squad…
Demons…
Humans…
And somewhere in this same city,
a very strange “Beatrice” was walking around.
I smirked.
“World… you’ve definitely become more interesting.”
I finished eating, lay down on the bed,
and simply closed my eyes.
