The opulent top floor of the office building exuded an old-world charm with its traditional lamps casting a warm glow and a collection of ornate canes adorning the walls.
Kaede Kobayashi, the principal of the prestigious Cypress Academy and an SSS-ranked auror, sat behind a large wooden table, surrounded by scattered papers and ancient tomes.
As he leaned back in his chair, his piercing gaze fixed on the flickering flames of the lamp, a frown creased his wrinkled forehead.
"It seems that the gate is acting up again," he muttered to himself.
Just then, the air in front of him rippled, and a figure materialized out of thin air.
Clad in a flowing white robe that accentuated his muscular build, the man had a thick white beard that cascaded down his chest.
"Xander Montgomery," Kaede acknowledged the man's presence with a nod.
"Yes, sir," Xander replied, bowing his head in respect.
"Deal with the matter as soon as possible, Xander," Kaede instructed him sternly.
"Of course, sir," Xander replied, before fading away into thin air.
Left alone once again, Kaede sat deep in thought, his mind racing with the possibility of a breach in the mystical gate that guarded the school against the malevolent forces beyond.
He looked around the room, taking in the familiar sight of the traditional lamps that adorned the walls.
The canes that were aligned on one side of the room had been collected by his father during his years as an auror, and Kaede took pride in their display.
As he turned his attention back to the scattered papers on his desk, his thoughts drifted to the current situation with the gate.
It was not the first time that the gate had acted up, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. But with the safety of the academy and its students at stake, Kaede couldn't afford to take any chances.
He leaned forward, picking up a sheet of paper and scanning it briefly before placing it back down on the table. He reached for a nearby phone and dialled a number.
"Send a message to the head of the surveillance team. I need them to strictly monitor the area around the gate and report any unusual activity immediately," Kaede spoke into the phone in a calm but firm voice.
"Right away, sir," came the reply on the other end of the line.
----[Pov Change]
The inciting incident of the novel, an event of great significance and impact, unfurls as Stella, Ji-Ho, and Sun set out on a quest to uncover the truth behind an eerie rumour enveloping the forest.
Their journey leads them to a daunting gate that is usually guarded by A-ranked devils, posing a perilous threat to any mere mortal who dares to approach it.
Against all odds, the trio manages to emerge unscathed, thanks to the timely intervention of their saviour, Karl.
However, with Karl's untimely demise before the commencement of the story, the plot has been irrevocably altered, and the future remains shrouded in uncertainty.
The ramifications of this pivotal event loom large over the remainder of the narrative, fueling a sense of unease and anticipation as the characters navigate through the unknown terrain ahead.
"So what's the plan guys?", Sun-Jung asked.
Ji-Ho, Stella, and I were near the entry of the forest region, and academy guards were deployed there to forbid students' access.
"We need to find a way to trespass guards", Stella stated.
"Leave that to me", Ji-Ho said as she flicked her wrists and her aura surrounded us creating an illusion barrier.
"Will this work?", Sun asked.
"No one below A rank can see through this illusion, it's an inherited skill", she said. Inherited skills are much more vital than learned and easy to master.
"Cool",
"Great, let's move", with that, Ji-Ho started moving with all three of us following her lead.
It was 11:00 PM, and the atmosphere in the forest was thick and eerie, with the sound of leaves rustling in the wind and the hooting of an owl in the distance.
The academy grounds covered only half of the island, with the remaining area consisting of dense, impenetrable forest that was off-limits to cadets.
As we made our way deeper into the forest, a sense of drowsiness started to take over the rest of us, strange sounds of birds could be heard, which could not be specified into a category.
Suddenly, a strange, guttural sound echoed through the trees, causing us all to jump in fright.
"What was that, an eagle?!" Stella whispered, her eyes wide with fear.
"I don't know, but it definitely wasn't an eagle," Sun replied, his voice trembling slightly.
"Maybe it's a vulture," Ji-Ho joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Ha ha, very funny," Stella retorted in a monotone.
But then, just as we were starting to relax, another noise filled the air - a high-pitched, almost comical screech that sounded like a mix between a bird and a cartoon character.
We all burst out laughing, the tension melting away in an instant.
"Okay, that's definitely not a vulture," Sun said, still chuckling.
"Maybe it's a new species of bird," Ji-Ho suggested.
"Or maybe it's just some poor creature with a really bad singing voice," Stella added.
"Will you guys please stop talking and start walking?" I said, my voice laced with annoyance.
Stella let out a frustrated "tch" while the others remained silent.
"Uhm, guys!" Sun suddenly spoke up, his eyes widening as he turned back. "Why can't I see a way back?"
Stella looked at Sun with confusion, and we all followed his gaze to see a massive chasm separating the two grounds.
"What the hell?" muttered Ji-Ho.
"Guys, I think we should wait for the instructors to handle this," Sun suggested, sounding nervous.
"But how idiot?", Stella asked, frustrated. "There's no way back!"
We all stood there, staring at the gaping chasm in silence, trying to figure out what to do next.
"Let's not stand here, just continue moving", at her words we looked at Ji-Ho and nodded and again started following her.
As we walked further into the forest, the sense of unease only grew stronger. The rustling of leaves sounded more sinister than before, and the darkness seemed to be closing in around us.
Suddenly, we heard a strange noise coming from up ahead. It sounded like a mixture of giggling and whispering. We froze in our tracks, our hearts racing with fear.
Stella turned to us and whispered, "Did you hear that?"
We nodded, no one daring to speak.
"Let's just turn back and head to the academy," Sun suggested, his voice shaking with fear.
"But what about the chasm?" Ji-Ho asked, feeling a sense of panic rising in her chest.
"We'll find another way back," Stella said, her tone determined.
As we turned to leave, we saw a shadowy figure lurking in the darkness. It was small, almost childlike, but its eyes glinted with a malevolent glimmer.
The figure vanished into thin air, leaving behind an ominous cackle that echoed through the forest.
We all stood there, while I acted feared the rest were really frozen with fear. Because now they all were certain that they were not alone in the forest.
"Yo-You-You-You-You ca-casted the-the ba-ba-barrier for illu-illu-illusion, r-r-r-r-right?", Sun asked Ji-Ho in a stammering tone as he shivered with fear
Sun's stammering question was met with silence, and we all turned to Ji-Ho, waiting for an answer. He seemed just as scared as the rest of us, and his face was ashen.
"I don't know," he finally managed to say. "I didn't do anything. That figure... it wasn't a part of my illusion."
We all stood there, frozen in terror, unsure of what to do next. The forest had never seemed so dense and claustrophobic before.
Every rustle of the leaves and every snap of a twig seemed to signal something sinister lurking just out of sight.
"Let's just keep moving," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "We need to find a way out of this forest, fast."
We continued through the forest, our footsteps barely making a sound as we tried to move as quietly as possible.
Every now and then, we heard strange whispers and giggles coming from the shadows, sending shivers down our spines.
As we walked, the darkness seemed to grow even deeper, and the trees grew closer together, forming a tangled web of branches and leaves that seemed to close in on us.
Suddenly, we heard a blood-curdling scream coming from somewhere in the forest. We all froze in terror, and for a moment, it seemed like time had stopped.
"What was that?" whispered Stella.
"I don't know," Sun said, his heart racing. "But we need to get out of here, now."
"For fuck's sake, stop stating the obvious, we are all trying to figure that out", I replied.
The air around us grew colder, and we all felt a sense of dread wash over us. We heard the sound of twigs snapping in the distance, and then the eerie laughter of something that sounded inhuman.
Suddenly, a tight grip on the hem of my shirt made me frustrated.
"Who's grabbing me?" I yelled.
"I'm not touching you," Sun's voice quivered from a distance.
I turned to face him, confused. "What do you mean? Then who-"
Before I could finish my sentence, the grip on my shirt disappeared into thin air.
I turned back to face the darkness ahead of us. The only sound was our shallow breathing, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
"Fucking Run", Sun yelled and started running forward as Ji-Ho and Stella followed his lead.
"Are you guys forgetting that you all are Aurors", I shouted.
"Yeah, No, Fuck this shit!", Sun yelled as he ran even faster.
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