Astral Magic

Alina safely managed to teleport us into the forest outside the stronghold. The atmosphere of the forest was eerie and creepy. Darkness engulfed the trees, and we couldn't see what was ahead. I was scared, but suddenly, I heard a sound that made me jump behind Alina. She started laughing softly because that sound belonged to a grasshopper.

She whispered, "Magnus, the stronghold is one kilometer from here."

I became shocked and whispered, "What do you mean by one kilometer? Couldn't you have teleported us closer?"

She smacked my head. "If I teleported us closer, We might have gotten caught."

Clutching the back of my head, "Okay. But is Regulus there?"

"No. I checked. He went for a meeting in the Royal Palace." She replied quickly. She gave me a cloak and said, "This is an invisibility cloak. Wear it."

Oh, from Harry Potter. I thought as I wore the cloak.

We blended with the dark forest as we wore the cloak. The forest path was narrow and filled with stones. Walking on it proved to be challenging. The silence between us was alarming, so I whispered to her curiously, "So, what was your age when you died?"

"25." She sounded annoyed. "What was yours?"

I replied happily, "Mine was also 25."

When we reached the end of the forest path, we hid behind the bushes. The stronghold was right in front of us. It looked like an abandoned warehouse, but it held many secrets.

Alina and I exchanged glances, deciding to make our way toward the warehouse. The night air brimmed with tension as we silently approached the concealed entrance.

Shadowy figures guarded the outer perimeter of the stronghold, engaged in hushed conversations around a campfire. One of them said, "That bastard Regulus. He went to enjoy his life while we had to guard this place." And everyone agreed to it. They were bickering about their master's unfair treatment.

We swiftly went past the stationed guards with our invisibility cloaks on. As we reached the entrance, a heavy wooden door stood before us. Alina gestured for me to wait as she approached; her finger went over the lock, creating a symbol, a rune, and then she was chanting something. Accidentally, I stepped on a twig, which created a cracking sound. Alina looked at me angrily. Suddenly, I heard a voice shouting, "Who is there?" That man came close to the sound, but to his surprise, no one was there.

Alina and I had entered the stronghold without encountering any issues. Alina grabbed me by the neck; she angrily said, "Do something like that again. I will kill you myself."

Why does she have a habit like this? I thought. Then, to defend myself, I put my puppy eyes on and said, "It was by accident. No harm done." She let me go and warned me again to be careful.

I thought as I put my hand on my neck. Damn. This kid has a good grip. Is she the same person who was crying in front of me? I miss that version of her.

We slipped into the corridors of the stronghold. There were so many twists and turns. It seemed like an RPG game. We had to evade guards, and sometimes, Alina utilized her mana to induce sleep, ensuring our stealthy progress.

Alina had a strong familiarity with this place and led the way with a clear sense. As our journey through the maze of corridors continued, we finally reached Regulus' office.

Alina halted, signaling that we had reached our destination. At the end of the corridor, we saw the office guarded by a single guard, and he yawned.

Alina showed a weird symbol, denoting Formation 3. It was one of the formations she had written down during the night of the Royal Banquet.

On her command, she suddenly teleported me behind the half-asleep guard. I took my wooden sword and knocked him out, using the basic skills taught by Sir Gareth. It was my time to shine.

I became proud of myself. I thought as Alina opened the locked door using magic.

I said to her proudly, "Look, I defeated him."

Alina pulled me into the office without uttering a word and closed the door behind us. She finally replied with a thumbs up, "Good."

I became happy.

We switched to our serious mode and explored the office. We scoured every inch of the office, but our search yielded no findings. Suddenly, my eyes set on a locked drawer. I asked Alina, "Can you open it?"

She opened the drawer, and we found out that it contained all the evidence of the wrongdoings of Alina's uncle, Regulus. Alina gleamed, "Yes, we found the evidence. Now it is time to leave."

Before we could do anything, there was a sudden gust of wind. A masked man stood before us, smirking, "Where do you think you're headed?"

My eyes went toward his whole body, and I saw a symbol on his hand; it was the crimson hand. I accidentally muttered, "The Crimson Hand."

The man started laughing. "So, you know me. I was assigned to guard this place. It was amusing seeing kids running around."

"So, you were observing us," Alina angrily said.

Suddenly, the man drew his sword and swung at me. The protective charm activated, but the shield broke, and I flew backward, hitting the table. Alina rushed to me; she had a weird rune on her hand.

Then Alina used her mana and created ice spikes, but the man escaped them.

The masked man made another attempt to attack, yet I skillfully dodged his oncoming strike. Sensing an opportunity, Alina unleashed another wave of ice spikes. The office became cold. The man laughed again as he escaped the ice. "You kids are pretty good."

He is pretty dangerous.

He was trying to taunt us, so I signaled Alina to do Formation 5. She drew a rune on my wooden sword. On enhancing the sword, I charged at the masked man. He also drew his sword. We had a duel with him.

The man wearing a mask was unexpectedly skilled. He was able to dodge and counter my attacks with ease. We soon realized we were up against a talented opponent despite our best efforts to work together.

Amidst our duel, I was pushed back; the masked man's moves were clean and perfect, while I was just a beginner. Alina, determined to support me, continued to channel her magic. However, I could feel the strain on her body.

My wooden sword began to show signs of damage as the duel intensified. Though it had been imbued with enhanced magical power, the training sword was reaching its breaking point. Suddenly, my weapon shattered, leaving me briefly vulnerable without any defense. He suddenly struck his sharp sword toward my face, slicing a bit of skin. I felt blood coming out.

As the masked man's sharp sword neared my face, drawing blood, I thought I was about to die. Suddenly, I felt a surge of magical energy within me.

In an instant, my consciousness separated from my physical form. I watched from the ethereal plane as my body stood defenseless. The masked man, taken aback by my sudden disappearance, hesitated momentarily. Alina, realizing the situation, focused her magic on creating a protective barrier around my physical body.

From the Astral realm, I could see the masked man scanning the area, trying to comprehend the mysterious turn of events. Seizing the opportunity, I moved swiftly, my astral form now free from the constraints of physical limitations. I could feel the raw mana coursing through me.

With this ability, I can destroy him. I thought, snickering to myself.

I reappeared behind the masked man, my astral projection now wielding a shimmering sword. With my newfound power, I launched a surprise attack, catching the masked man off guard.

Despite his initial skill, the masked man struggled to adapt to this unexpected shift in the battle. Alina, her protective barrier still intact, watched with wide eyes as my astral projection and the masked man were engaged in combat.

As the duel unfolded, I began to understand my astral projection magic. I could manipulate the environment, creating illusions and disorienting the masked man.

I must be talented. This power is too overpowered. I thought as I looked at the things I could manifest.

I went close to the masked man and touched his forehead. I could see all the memories he had experienced in his life. The masked man had quite a tough life as an assassin; I couldn't help but pity him. He was standing in the way of my goal, so I must defeat him.

I summoned all the mana surrounding me and created an illusion. The astral plane turned dark, and the masked man's worst nightmares came to life. The shadows twisted around him as his deepest fears took on monstrous forms. The darkness intensified as the masked man faced the ghosts of his past, his struggles becoming real in the surreal landscape of the Astral realm.

I finally defeated the masked man using mind games to launch a series of strikes.

The masked man dropped to his knees, unable to continue, and was finally broken by my unexpected power. Suddenly, I felt a series of pains flowing through my body. My body became tired, and I fell into a deep slumber.

I opened my eyes slowly, and I got up from bed. Suddenly, Alina came to me and hugged me. "You are awake!"

I replied to her back while hugging her, "I am fine. What about you?"

"I am fine." She said it hesitantly.

My head was still injured, and I found bruises on my hand. I asked, "What happened to the masked man?"

Alina replied excitedly, "My dad captured him."

"Oh," I replied. "There was something I have been meaning to ask. Do you have mood swings?"

Alina replied that she looked uncomfortable. "Yes, I have a lot."

That explains the sudden movements she makes. Never mind, I have to ask her if we succeeded. I thought.

I asked Alina curiously, "Did we succeed?"

And she said happily, "Yes. My dad is going to submit all the evidence against Regulus."

Yes finally. One problem solved. Three more to go.

Suddenly, she grabbed my hand and asked, "How did you manage to perform astral projection?"

I was surprised by this sudden question: "I am not sure. I just suddenly manifested it. Why?"

She seriously said, "You see, astral magicians are rare. The last magician appeared a few centuries ago."

Then, I replied sarcastically, "Then, I must be a genius."

"Be careful with astral projection," Alina warned. "It might be perceived as a threat by some, so we must be cautious."

I seriously replied, "Don't worry, I will be fine. Let's go to your dad."