5th Realm… 9 Realms Association Stronghold…
After a month of hard work in the blue planet, the spies gone with Alaric came back to report.
A thick fog coiled around the towering spires of the Nine Realms Association Hall, where Jason Mama sat in his grand chamber, the dim candle light flickering across his stern face.
He listened to the report being delivered by the returning spies.
Before him stood Alaric, the Supreme Wand Magus and head of the Blue Planet Wizard Association. Beside him were three spies—cloaked, hooded figures who bore the weight of failure in their bent postures. Their eyes barely met Jason’s gaze, shadows of anxiety lingering behind them.
Jason leaned forward, piercing eyes fixed on the lead spy. “A month, I gave you a fucking month, Alaric. A full cycle to track Madam Clark. And yet, here we are… empty-handed.” He roared, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.
Alaric nodded solemnly, his tone measured yet apologetic. “We have combed every known hideout and used my personal spies also. From the Frosted Highlands to the Blackthorn Forest. No trace of her. It’s as if she didn’t exist on the Blue Planet.”
Jason’s brows furrowed, his frustration barely contained. ” Dob you mean Vanished? Madam Clark doesn’t just vanish. She’s more clever than we all expected. If you have nothing to show but excuses, then perhaps I put my faith in the wrong magus.”
“Forgive us, my lord,” the lead spy interjected, taking a cautious step forward. His voice trembled slightly, betraying his nerves. “Though we failed to locate Madam Clark directly, we did uncover… something strange.”
Jason’s gaze sharpened. “Strange? I have no use for strange unless it leads to her capture. Speak. Quickly.”
The spy swallowed hard, nodding. “While searching the eastern reaches, we observed unusual activity near the Divine Deity Sect’s island. Typically, the sect’s gates remain heavily guarded, and they rarely permit outsiders. But for the past month, a steady stream of people has been entering their territory.”
Jason’s fingers halted their tapping. “And? People visit sects all the time. What makes this significant?”
“The people only went in but they were not coming back, my lord. At least, not even 10th of them. Of the thousands that went in, less than ten percent have emerged.”
The chamber fell into an eerie silence. Jason’s eyes narrowed, his mind racing through possibilities. “And those who did return? Did you question them?”
The second spy, a slender woman with piercing grey eyes, spoke up. “We tried. Those who returned seemed… different. Distant. They refused to speak of their experiences on the island. Some even tried to attack.”
Jason exchanged a glance with Alaric. “What reason would they have to suddenly open their sect doors to outsiders, only to swallow them whole?”
Alaric crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on the floor as if deep in thought. “I also don’t know. But if people are disappearing at that scale, something unnatural is happening. This may not be connected to Madam Clark, but it cannot be ignored.”
Jason rose from his seat, pacing toward the chamber’s fire pillars. His hands clasped behind his back, he spoke without turning. “Alaric, what do you know of the Divine Deity Sect’s inner workings?”
Alaric’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Little. The sect has always been shrouded in mystery. Its elders rarely interact with other factions, and their power structure remains hidden. Even the Blue Planet Wizard Association has limited intelligence on them.”
Jason exhaled sharply. “I don’t like blind spots, Alaric. Blind spots lead to power shifts. I cannot have another force rising unchecked, especially when Madam Clark is still loose.”
Turning back to the spies, Jason’s gaze hardened. “You will infiltrate the Divine Deity Sect. I don’t care how long it takes—find out where these people are disappearing to. Find out if Madam Clark’s hand is involved.”
The lead spy hesitated. “Forgive me, my lord, but… the sect is known to deal harshly with intruders. If we are discovered—”
Jason’s eyes flashed with cold fire. “I did not ask for excuses. You signed on as spies, not children afraid of shadows. If you fear death, what’s the point of your existence?”
The spies stiffened, bowing their heads. “Understood, my lord. We will depart at once.”
–
Blue Planet… Divine Deity Sect…
Inside the Divine Deity Sect, flames danced along the towering pillars of the grand hall, covering in the amber light of arcane lanterns.
Nine faction leaders of the sworn wizards sat in a circular formation, each seated in intricately carved thrones reflecting their power and status. The air was thick with tension as all eyes rested on the figure seated at the head of the table—Madam Clark.
The Staff Faction leader, an elderly man with a long silver beard that grazed his chest, rose first. His voice carried a tremor of unease. “Madam Clark, I must voice my concern. The influx of soldiers entering the sect does not sit well with me. Their numbers grow by the day. Such a movement will attract unwanted attention.”
His staff, topped with a gleaming crystal orb, thudded softly against the floor as he resumed his seat. The Sword Faction leader, a tall and stern-faced woman with twin blades strapped to her back, immediately followed.
“I concur,” she said sharply. “The Nine Realms Association will not sit idle if they notice our forces swelling. A million soldiers cannot march unnoticed, no matter how discreet we think we are.”
Madam Clark leaned back, her golden eyes glinting beneath the silk veil that partially obscured her face.
“The Supreme Sword Magus, Elarin, is guarding the sect’s entrance personally. Do you doubt his strength? He alone is enough to handle any intruder.”
A low murmur rippled through the room. The leader of the Dagger Faction, an enigmatic man whose eyes shimmered with ancient runes, raised an eyebrow.
“Elarin’s strength is unquestionable, but even he cannot fight spies from all directions. The Nine Realms Association has spies everywhere. This—”
“Is under control,” Madam Clark interrupted, her tone smooth but firm. “The soldiers are here for a reason. Do you forget what lies ahead of us?”
A silence followed her words. Finally, the youngest of the leaders, head of the mace Faction, shifted in his seat uneasily. His wolf-like eyes glimmered with doubt. “We understand your ambition, Madam Clark. But this war… it risks too much. The Nine Realms Association is not to be trifled with. Jason Mama alone—”
“Jason Mama,” Madam Clark cut in coldly, “will burn, just like the rest of them.”
The icy finality in her voice sent a chill across the chamber. She rose to her feet, the lantern light reflecting off the intricate silver threads woven into her midnight robes.
“Forty-five days. That is all I ask. In forty-five days, my son Kent will return from the spirit world. When he does, we begin our war. The Nine Realms will fall one by one, starting with the Seventh Realm. Jason Mama and my husband, Ryon Lionheart, will be the first to die.”
The room fell deathly silent. Even the most skeptical of the faction leaders could not meet her gaze. The mace Faction leader swallowed hard. “And if Kent does not return?”
Madam Clark’s eyes narrowed, her voice soft but seething with power. “He will. My son never fails. Even if he doesn’t, we won’t stop. We didn’t start this war to stop midway.”
The Sword Faction leader nodded reluctantly. “Then let us begin preparations.”
As the leaders departed the grand hall one by one, whispers of war echoed through the corridors of the Divine Deity Sect. The wheels of fate had begun to turn, and with each passing day, the flames of conflict grew hotter, ready to consume the Nine Realms in a firestorm of vengeance and ambition.
–
Thank you so much guys…