Raven arrived at the enchanted item shop located at the heart of Luminis City.

The market streets was buzzing with voices, but she barely noticed. Her mind was still

Raven pushed open the door of the enchanted item shop with more force than necessary, the bell above jingling violently as she stepped inside.

Maltida stood at the counter, surrounded by a group of club members sorting through boxes of freshly enchanted gear and attending to a pair of chatty customers.

She looked up as Raven entered and waved brightly.

"Welcome, Raven! You made it—" Her cheerful greeting ceased as she took in Raven's stormy expression. "Well… someone looks like they just swallowed a bee?"

"It's nothing," Raven said flatly, folding her arms.

Matilda wasn't fooled, but she wisely decided to let it slide—for now. Instead, she gestured Raven deeper into the shop, past the customer area into the back section where the rest of the Enchanted Item Club was gathered.

"Well, since you're here, let me introduce you to the rest of the club."

The shop was alive with activity—members of the Enchanted Artifacts Club were scattered about, some enchanting objects, others assisting customers.

Matilda pointed out a few faces, introducing everyone to her.

A tall, soft-spoken girl with dark green eyes looked up from a half-imbued ring she was working on.

"Hey, I'm Lenya," she said with a nod, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I handle most of the enchantments here."

Beside her, a lean boy with a wild air bowed in respect. "And I'm Theo. I handle the Storage and transportation of our items. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Princess Eris."

"I'd rather be called Raven, thank you," Raven said, offering a short nod.

Maltida grinned and motioned for Raven to take a seat on a bench by the rune furnace.

Lenya suddenly tilted her head, a curious smile on her face. "You know… I think I get why you're so grumpy today."

Raven narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"It's a boy, isn't it?" Lenya said innocently as she turned a dagger she was enchanting over in her hand.

"What? No!" Raven's voice spiked higher than she intended. "What are you talking about? There's no boy.

Matilda's eyes lit up with mischief. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands.

"Ohhh, it's that boy, isn't it? Archer. You're always with him." She gasped dramatically. "Wait—did you catch him with another girl?"

Raven rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful. "As if I'd ever get jealous over him and some random girl."

Lenya didn't even look up as she said smoothly, "Funny. We didn't say anything about jealousy… you said that yourself." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Which means we're right. You did see him with a girl, and now you're jealous."

Raven's mouth opened, then snapped shut. Her ears burned.

She looked away, muttering, "I'm not jealous. You misunderstood."

Matilda cackled, delighted. "Oh, this is

gold. Tell us everything!"

Raven groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I'm not jealous or anything. I'm just... bothered. There's this girl Archer's friends with—Nia. She clearly hates me. Blames me for my father's actions five years ago when he took her village to build one of his major trading roads through the mountains."

Her voice dropped. "Her family died homeless and hungry. And I get it. I mean, I do. But the way she looks at me—like I'm the one who signed the orders myself. It's been eating at me. I feel… guilty."

A heavy silence settled over the room. Matilda was the first to break it, placing a reassuring hand on Raven's shoulder. "You shouldn't let it bother you. It's their fault. You're not the one to be hated for something that wasn't even your doing."

Raven frowned. "But it was her village. It was their land. How can you say it's their fault?"

Theo, who had been quietly organizing a shelf of enchanted trinkets, spoke up. "I might know the girl you're talking about. Nia, from the Beast Taming Department. She's from the Sevinth tribe."

He turned to face Raven. "From what I heard, when King Harold began pushing to build the trade roads, he offered the Sevinth people lands and gold to relocate inside the kingdom walls. But the Sevinth tribe refused. Flat out."

He shrugged. "And, well... you know King Harold. He doesn't take no for an answer. So he built the road anyway. They were forced to leave eventually. So you see? It's not your problem—or your fault."

Raven's voice was barely above a whisper. "So, it really happened like that…"

Theo looked up at her with soft eyes. "But that's the thing. Your father made a decision. Her tribe made theirs. You're not the one who gave that order. You didn't destroy her home."

Raven bit her lip. "But still..."

Maltida cut in before she could say more, rising to her feet. "Still nothing. Theo's right. Stop carrying a burden that doesn't belong to you. If she wants someone to blame, she should look to your father—not you."

Just thenm a small group of customers entered the front of the shop. Maltida clapped her hands together.

"Alright, enough of this moping. Raven, go take your mind off things. Help Kio at the counter. They've got questions about some new frost pendants. Kio would fill you in on how things are done around here."

Raven sighed but stood up, brushing imaginary dust off her uniform. She trudged toward the counter where an older girl was already smirking at her.

Maybe they were right. Maybe it wasn't all on her shoulders.

But that didn't make the hurt in Nia's eyes any easier to forget.

* * * *

Richard strolled through the academy courtyard, his cape billowing behind him in the wind.

His head was held high, eyes scanning the students that passed him with resentment.

After his duel with Archer, they all switched up on him. They called him a failure, a disgrace to his family—but none of that mattered now.

He was a different person. He felt invincible and untouchable.

The whispers of his peers, the wary glances from instructors—it all fed his ego.

He was Richard von Eldric, heir to one of the most powerful noble houses. Nothing could stop him from restoring his lost honour.

Just then, an arm shot out from a shadowed alcove, yanking him sharply into the darkness.

Before Richard could shout, a gloved hand clamped over his mouth. A masked face loomed inches from his own.

It possess sharp, grinning features carved into the mask. The man before him wore a jester's outfit that gave off an eerie sensation in the dark.

"Richard von Eldric. What a pleasure."

Richard shoved the hand away, glaring. "Who the hell—?"

The man gave an exaggerated bow, his jester's bells jingling. "Andras, at your service. Leader of the Blood Jest Cult."

Richard didn't flinch. Instead, his eyes narrowed. "Are you affiliated with Chancellor Elysia?"

Andras let out a mock gasp. "Ugh. Must you lump me in with that woman?" He waved a hand dismissively. "We share the same goal, yes. And so do you."

Richard crossed his arms. "What do you want?"

Andras leaned in, his mask glinting in the dim light. "We're not so different, you and I. Both bested by Archer. Both humiliated."

Richard's smirk turned to surprise. "Wait—Archer beat you? You? You're a grown man. Couldn't you handle a normal child?"

Andras's hand shot out, gripping Richard's collar and slamming him against the wall. "There's nothing normal about that monster," he hissed. "Which is why I intend to kill him before he grows any stronger."

Richard shoved him off, straightening his uniform with a scoff. "Tch. That's your goal. Mine is revenge. I want to restore my honour, my legacy. Prove to the world I'm the best."

Andras chuckled again, "Then we are aligned more than you admit. If we want to achieve our goals, it's in our best interest to work together."

Richard scoffed arrogantly, flipping his collar. "I work alone. Besides, Chancellor Elysia instructed me to wait. Until we've found his weakness."

Andras' posture stiffened. "That could take forever. Can't you see? The longer we wait, the stronger that monster grows. Every day, he gathers more power, more allies. We must act now."

Richard hesitated.

Andras seized the moment, leaning in with a grin. "You see, I've been watching Archer closely. He's made many friends—friends who mean something to him. People he'd protect without hesitation."

There was a short pause. Andras continued. "One in particular has caught my interest... Princess Eris of Emberfall Kingdom."

Richard caught his breath in his throat. "You want to use her?"

"Oh no, Richard," Andras said softly, his voice like velvet laced with venom. "I want to break him. And she… is the perfect place to start."

Richard's mind raced with thoughts.

He could imagine the look on Archer's face when his precious princess screams for help... and he can't save her.

A slow, cruel smile spread across Richard's face. "Now that... sounded like a plan. Andras, count me in."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.