Chapter 5: Whispers of the Dark
1115 Words
Chapter 5: Whispers of the Dark
M O R G A N N A
“What was that?” Diomedes asked, his voice laced with curiosity.
“That was a silver worm! How did you get that?” Asthrid asked in shock and amazement.
“I stumbled upon them when I ran into some trouble,” Yexa replied casually.
“Are you aware that the silver worm comes directly from Diablo’s lair? Have you encountered a demon?” Geof asked, his brows furrowed.
“Sort of,” she shrugged.
“How could you—” I paused as Zane quickly stopped me.
“Enough, Morgana! You should apologize and thank her for saving your life,” Zane said firmly.
“Don’t bother. I know you’ll only make a fool of yourself,” Yexa said. “Now, can we continue our mission? Time is running out.”
I fell silent, knowing I had no choice but to comply. I also felt the weight of Zane’s disapproving glare behind her. His expression was filled with frustration over her recklessness. I never expected Yexa to possess such a deadly creature. The silver worm belonged to the devil himself—the king of darkness. According to ancient wizards, only those with immense power could even approach the gates of hell. Just standing before them required incredible strength to avoid being pulled into another dimension filled with nightmarish creatures.
Worse, anyone who managed to enter would have to battle the legendary three-headed serpent—a beast no one had ever survived against.
“Morgana, focus!”
I snapped from my thoughts and turned to see a radiant light emanating from Yexa’s hand as she placed it on my shoulder. It seemed like an ordinary touch, but I realized something was wrong within moments. Yexa frowned deeply before turning to me.
“I told you to deactivate all but one of your abilities. Was that so difficult to understand?”
I frowned, and about to protest, but my eyes widened in shock as a green diamond appeared in Yexa’s left palm. It floated above her hand, glowing with an eerie brilliance.
“The Diamond of Nature?! How did that come to you?” Asthrid turned to me, suspicion evident in her gaze.
“Whoa! Can you even replicate powerful diamonds?” Diomedes asked in amazement, barely blinking at the floating gem.
“Morgana, tell us the truth. Where did you get that?” Zane demanded.
“Give me back my power!” I growled instead of answering.
“I didn’t take anything from you. I warned you to deactivate your other powers. It’s not my fault if you refuse to follow orders,” Yexa said with a shrug, closing her palm and making the diamond disappear.
“You—”
“Enough!” Zane cut in. “What abilities did you copy from her?”
“The disguise ability and the power of nature,” Yexa replied.
“Can you return the second one? We don’t need it,” Zane said.
“Yes, I can. But Morgana could also merge both diamonds, granting her greater power and new abilities. Let me think about it first,” Yexa responded before turning away.
I clenched her fists, glaring at Yexa’s retreating figure. How did she manage to copy the Diamond of Nature? I had used it before, but no one had ever noticed the kind of power I wielded.
“Let’s start our mission,” Yexa announced, unfazed by my glare. I know she hadn’t accidentally copied the power—a voice inside told me about it.
----
Y E X A
Cloud Island. We entered quickly, posing as thrill-seeking adventurers thanks to Morgana and my modified disguise abilities. However, I alone remained undisguised. Using the Diamond of Nature, I masked my aura so effectively that even the black wizards at the island’s entrance failed to detect me. The wizards appeared welcoming, treating tourists with warmth, their deception nearly flawless.
“So, where should we go first?” Diomedes asked as they settled into their luxury suite.
I scanned the area. Something felt off. I could sense unseen eyes watching them from the shadows.
“They say the waves are perfect for surfing. Who wants to come?” Morgana asked excitedly.
Because of their disguise, most of their memories were temporarily sealed. Their primary mission was to capture the Queen of Black Magic, but my team was clueless.
My team agreed to surf after eating. Excitement lit their faces, but I couldn’t shake off the eerie feeling creeping up my spine.
“Welcome to Cloud Island, Ma’am, Sir. May I have your hotel number, please?” a waitress greeted us warmly as we entered a restaurant.
My brows knitted together as I sensed a dense concentration of dark magic within the establishment. Looking around, I saw people eating and laughing, oblivious to the sinister energy lurking around them. Something was wrong.
“I love soup! Would you mind if I took some to my hotel room?” a foreigner asked the waitress.
“Of course, Sir. May I have your hotel number and name?” she responded sweetly.
“My name? Oh! It’s Mystique,” the man replied.
I noticed the strange flicker in the waitress’s eyes and the subtle smirk that ghosted her lips.
“Guys, wait!” I abruptly stopped my companions as they were about to enter.
“What is it?” Geof asked, confused.
“Can we go surfing first? We can eat afterward,” I suggested.
‘Do NOT eat anything!’ I commanded telepathically, but it was useless as their abilities are sealed. I cursed.
“Dude, that was amazing! Can I take some spaghetti back to my hotel?” another guest asked the usherette.
“Of course, Sir. Please provide your name and hotel number,” the waitress replied again.
“My name is Mystique!”
That was it. The restaurant’s strange energy, the repeated names, and the suspicious behavior of the patrons confirmed my suspicions. Something unnatural was happening inside. I needed to investigate alone.
“I’ll go inside and order the food. I’ll bring it to the beach so we can eat there,” I said with a smile.
“Good idea! I’ll go with you,” Zane offered.
“No, I can handle it alone,” she declined.
‘Just go. Make sure they don’t eat anything! I tried to project the thought into his mind.
Zane hesitated, his expression momentarily stunned before nodding. He led the others away from the restaurant.
‘Be careful, everyone...” Yexa thought, watching them disappear into the distance before turning to face the eerie restaurant once more.
- Writer
