Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Whispering Village

Ray was pacing back and forth in the dark corner near the eastern gates.

He kept his head down, being very careful not to gather the unwanted attention of the senior guards stationed nearby.

I watched him from the shadows for a good ten minutes before stepping out.

’Letting him stew in his own panic makes him less likely to ask any annoying questions,’ I thought to myself, adjusting the collar of my training jacket.

"Oh, you are already here," I said, stepping into the light.

I put on a surprised face, acting as if I had not been waiting for him to get impatient.

"Ah... yeah... thank you for coming tonight, Shane," he stuttered, looking around nervously at the quiet courtyard.

"No problem." I shrugged off his gratitude and pointed toward the north side of the perimeter.

"There is a slightly smaller section of the outer wall toward that side. Let’s go over there to slip out."

We started walking quietly along the stone boundary.

The walls here were comparatively smaller than the main gates, but they were still tall enough to be a serious obstacle for a normal person.

As we crept closer, we spotted three guards pacing the area under the lamplight.

"How can we get past them?" Ray asked in a hushed whisper, hiding his face behind my shoulder in the bushes.

I already planned for this problem.

Right after his question, Zephyr stepped out from a nearby building into the open path.

He walked casually up to the guards, pointing urgently toward the opposite direction as if there was a serious emergency happening near the dorms.

Two of the guards immediately ran off with him to check the fake disturbance.

"Let’s move," I ordered, breaking into a fast sprint across the open grass.

Jumping to the top of the stone wall was an easy feat for my body. I landed softly on the wide ridge.

But Ray failed to catch the top edge.

His weak hands slipped against the smooth stone, and he fell backwards onto the hard dirt with a thud.

I sighed and jumped right back down to the ground.

Bending my knees, I formed a tight step with my interlaced hands. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Quick, step up before the last guard turns around."

He nodded frantically, placed his boot into my hands, and used my upward push to launch himself over the wall.

I vaulted up right behind him, and we dropped down into the woods outside the academy grounds. We both started running fast through the trees.

We cannot let any late-night travellers or returning hunters see us and report our faces to the principal.

The severe punishment for breaking curfew is getting expelled, and getting caught now would ruin everything.

As we ran side by side through the pine trees, I decided to ask a few questions to confirm the important details.

"So, are we heading to your home in the lower city?" I asked, keeping my breathing totally steady despite the fast pace.

"Mmm... no," Ray answered, not daring to look back at me.

His voice sounded strained and tight.

"Then where is your mother resting right now?"

"I said to you earlier, right? She is staying with a close relative. They live in a small village outside the capital. We... are going there."

’Bingo,’ a smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

We are officially moving toward the Whispering Village.

That changes things for the better.

The village was abandoned years ago during a cult massacre where they sacrificed hundreds of people’s souls to Azrael.

That means I do not have to worry about accidentally hurting any innocent bystanders when the spells start flying later tonight.

"Oh, I really hope she is feeling fine," I offered in a soft, supportive tone.

I deliberately played the caring friend to twist the knife of guilt deep in his gut.

If I were to start a brutal fight with the cultists, I do not want Ray trying to hold me back or getting in the crossfire to protect his handlers.

Breaking his resolve early is the safest tactical play.

"I... I hope so too," Ray choked out, sounding like he was on the verge of crying.

He wiped his face with the back of his sleeve and just kept running.

A long hour passed in total silence as our feet hit the dirt roads.

We finally reached the outskirts of the ruined settlement.

Whispering Village was located deep in the centre of a dense forest, a good distance away from the capital’s safety patrols.

We slowed down to a cautious walk as we crossed the old boundary line.

There was zero sign of life present.

The small wooden houses were already burned down to their frames or broken apart by old weather and decay.

Right in the centre of the ruined square, a large campfire crackled softly, feeding on logs.

The orange light cast creepy shadows across the empty dirt paths as the night air was freezing, making my breath fog up in front of me.

"Ah, is no one here to meet us?" I asked innocently, stopping near the edge of the firelight and looking around the empty square.

There was no immediate reply.

Ray stopped a few feet away from me.

His pale face looked sick and hollow in the orange firelight, thin shoulders shook as he stared at the dirt, unable to meet my eyes.

He clenched his fists at his sides.

"I am sorry, Shane," Ray whispered, his voice cracking with shame and terror.

The moment the apology left his lips, the shadows around the village square shifted.

Dark-robed figures jumped down from the rooftops and stepped out from behind the burned walls.

They surrounded us in a tight circle.

All of them held their scarred hands out toward me, forming glowing red magic circles in the night.

A high-pitched sound pierced both of our ears.

"Guh," I closed my ears and struggled to stop the noise from drowning out my consciousness.

Ray was already on the ground, unable to withstand the sound of it, convulsing badly.

The ambush was finally sprung.