The world was in a state of calmness but his spine was tangling with worry. The honed instinct of his was telling that the storm was getting close.

The young knight with patience stood in front of the tree alone. He crossed his arms and backed against the tree, staring at the place where Silas vanished with a light.

Although he was a bit worried at the start, considering it was Silas he knew the man could manage it alive with his sly tongue and sharp mind. The only thing he could do was wait and ask about this phenomenon.

Roland looked up at the sky, wondering why he was here. He usually fell into this pattern of thoughts whenever he was alone. And for some reason, he hated that part of him.

Roland shook his head and let out a long sigh. He extended his finger and curved a message on the tree visible to Silas when he came out.

He nodded at the tree and whispered. "Sorry for hurting you."

He then turned around and left the forest, tracing back the way they came in. After a while, he reached out, blocking the rays of sunlight with his hand. He looked ahead and saw Eli speaking with a new face.

The man was handsome, his skin flawless as if he was created a while ago by the world. His light green neatly tied and placed on the side, worry etched on his face as well as confusion.

Eli was scanning at the green haired men and talking to the spirits.

Roland heard pieces of conversation and marched forward.

Eli noticed him and didn’t say a word or acknowledge him, he resumed the talk with spirits.

’It is serious,’ Roland thought and listened from the side.

"Really? Can’t find his power? Can you sense the time flow?" Eli muttered. "I see. What about the world? Did it say anything? Or just ignoring you. Okay."

"Geon." Eli called out the green haired man.

"Yeah."

"You are going to be stuck with this for a while." Eli delivered the news.

"Ah." Geon nodded with sorrow and said with a taunting smile. "The world abandoned me right?"

"We don’t know for sure, Geon." Eli said, reassuring the depressed man. "But we will find a way to increase your status. Don’t worry, I will help you."

Geon nodded and turned to Roland, his head tilted. "Where is Silas?"

"In the forest." Roland pointed with his chin. "Currently in some sort of place. My guess is he is entering a trial."

"We need to move without him." Geon said in a hurry. "Right now, the beast tide is coming at us."

"Lynn..."

A sharp voice suddenly cut through the air. There was confusion and affection hung in it.

"Don’t call my name." Lynn responded quickly, lifting herself up with her gift.

Roland took out the sword and prepared for the attack. He looked around, searching for the source of the voice.

But there was no one in this vast field, other than Eli, Geon, Lynn and him. He expanded his energy outside his body, searching for the trace of the supernatural.

But the man was good.

Roland looked around with his sharp eyes, deeply thinking about the voice and the connection between Lynn, the witch.

Only one man surfaced on his mind.

Flux.

Lynn lifted up her pale palm and slapped downward. A wave of air descended crushing down everyone here. She didn’t consider people behind her at all.

Roland released the energy shield from his body and absorbed the energy behind her attack, resisting with his feet.

The compressed air attacked everyone here.

Roland noticed the crack in nature and focused his attention on it. One man appeared from the crack, slowly walking toward Lynn.

His gazes were soft and carried a flame of determination. He extended his arm toward Lynn and spoke in earnest.

"Stop running away from me, Love." He said.

Lynn looked at with a chilling expression but Roland could see her hand trembling underneath her long sleeves.

"What do you know about me, Flux?" She said, biting her bottom lips.

"I don’t know." Flux answered, shaking his head softly. "I don’t know anything you are feeling. But let me. Let me stay with you and live. Don’t we promise to stay together."

"I can’t." Lynn answered flatly. She stopped biting and returned to her mask, cold and emotionless face.

Roland frowned, sensing the hostile intention from the witch. He cursed himself quietly and braced for the fight.

Flux nodded and a bow materialized on his hand. "Then, I will destroy that obsession of yours and drag you to my heart."

"Try if you desire." Lynn spoke and pointed a finger at Flux.

The air compressed and molded into the shape of flawless marble. It was invisible and hard. Harder than any known substance in the world.

She then lightly tapped at the marble and released the compression in the outer layer. The air marble travelled fast, passing through the wind with fierce yell.

Flux nodded at the attack, his face calm and composed. Despite the massive difference in strength between him and Lynn, he knew his odds of winning against her.

The odds were none. But those odds were calculated with him alone. And Flux was not one man. No, he was far from that.

"Shield." He yelled out, ignoring the incoming attack and taking out an arrow from the spatial gap in his pocket. The arrow was simple but packed with strange energy Roland never sensed before.

But he knew it was a problem and he didn’t think his fifth circle could absorb that completely or absorb at all.

Flux didn’t bait a glance at the Lynn’s attack and fired a shot.

Roland waited, trying to see how he was going to defend against her attack. The casual push from Lynn was strong enough.

Roland couldn’t hope to defeat her with his strength unless he used his own gift. But the price he had to pay would be severe to him.

The marble reached fast.

Before it struck Flux, the shadow on his feet twitched and came out in the shape of a giant hand. It blocked the marble.

There was no impact or anything like that. The marble was surrounded by the shadow and vanished.

Lynn clicked her tongue in disapproval. She knew the depth of Flux’s planning.

So she turned her head to the back and glanced at the young knight. Asking for Eli and the spirit was impossible. So, the only one left was Roland.

"Help me defeat him."

"Are you sure?" Roland asked.

Lynn nodded. "He is here to destroy the tears. Your master won’t like it."

"He is not my master.... yet."