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Now doing second edits for chapters I really find not good in my standards. It will take some time…since I am also doing future chapters.

Chapter cover: Lea, Jake and Crow holding their respective cards – Four of Clubs, Four of Hearts, Four of Spades. The wooden table between the three showed a chess game, two white pawns and a rook taken out while the black side only has pawns taken.

…

Date: 27/11/ X643

"Is she here?!" Kuan asked over the flapping of wings and the blow of the wind, risking bugs entering her mouth. It was almost four hours since they flew, and their legs were getting sore, their clothes and skin were wet with the rain clouds when they passed through. Even if they wanted to change; they couldn't.

Kuan's gryphon happily snapped a bug and she petted it.

Crow was silent, his unbuttoned coat and red scarf were dancing with the wind.

Instead of answering, he tugged his reins and they dived towards the ground. There – they could see a desert. It was beautiful – the sand looked as if they were diamonds when the moon shines on them. The shifting sand made it look as if it has waves like a real sea.

It caught their breaths; and Kuan almost pulled the reins back until Crow shouted and pointed at a lone figure that had suddenly stopped. "THERE!"

They dug their heels towards the gryphons' sensitive spot and they dived down, gradually reaching the lone traveler. The sudden gust of wind blew the hood of the lone traveler back, revealing their squad leader who has a grim expression on her face.

…

…

At the same time, the three boys discussed about the ideas where the twins may be hiding. Aozaki watched them as the discussion was coming to a close.

"Bounded field – that's the only explanation." Luminous concluded, looking thoughtful. Phantom nodded and glanced at Jake, who opened his mouth, and almost immediately close it shut once he found he couldn't argue with the logic.

"With so many people searching, what baffles me most is none of us could detect it." Phantom muttered, crossing his arms.

Aozaki cleared her throat. "Boys, it is not impossible; perhaps the bounded field was modified to prevent norm from entering – or to be more accurate," She paused, tapping her hand. "people with the intent to fight, or search for them."

Jake's eyes widened – Luminous's eyes narrowed.

"Impossible." Phantom voiced their thoughts out.

Aozaki glared at the thief, and bit her bottom lip to prevent saying foul words.

Jake said slowly. "It will be unstable...if it succeeds."

Phantom snapped his head to Jake; eyebrows raised, but wisely choose not to question his wisdom.

"Tracing," Luminous suggested.

Aozaki stopped tapping her hand, feeling incredulous.

Tracing a person? The alchemist and the bishop thought simultaneously.

"Are you serious? Okay, maybe by a long shot," Jake added hastily under Luminous's glare.

"Phantom is an expert in that field." The light mage gave the master thief a look.

There was a clash of wills in their brief eye contact. The purples narrowed by a fraction, while the red and blue looked on coolly – one in protest, another cold, or to be more accurate, blank.

Luminous isn't taking no for an answer.

Phantom relented. "Fine, one condition – why the Black Wings want your sister so much…"

Jake closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, opened his eyes and nodded without hesitation.

They deserve the answers. Phantom has controlled himself from asking sensitive questions about Lea around the person in question. Plus, if they want to have trusted allies, might as well share the information to sate their thirst of knowledge.

Aozaki clapped her hands once. "First, Phantom – keep your end of your deal." Then, she glanced over at Jake who was massaging his temple, muttering under his breath.

Phantom smirked. "A gentleman always keeps his word,"

Luminous scowled. It was plain obvious he didn't trust Phantom – whatever their history was, Jake can ask later.

Phantom traced his cane with his finger, his lips pursed. "May I have some chalk and crystals? I lack the tools I need-"

He was suddenly inundated by mana jewels and boxes of chalks. The two mages gave the alchemist a look. She shrugged innocently, but the small mischievous smirk betrayed her earlier action.

"He didn't specify how many."

Jake opened his mouth to speak one word in one of Mu Lung's dialects. "Fair."

"…two Phantoms?" Luminous sounded unsure, and his expression was one close to horror.

XXX

Phantom clapped his hand off the white chalk and stood up to admire his handiwork. "This is the first time I will do 'Tracing' in such a large scale," stated Phantom casually, and glanced at Jake with an annoyed look.

Jake nodded and smiled just to humor the thief, and sneakily kicked Luminous in the leg (earning a distrustful glare) as Luminous opened his mouth to prevent Phantom's mood to be soured.

"Oops," Jake muttered. Luminous's features were twisted with a single frown.

Aozaki chuckled quietly at a corner.

Phantom rubbed his gloved hands together before picking up his cane, which lay adjacent from the owner. Its ruby gleamed for a moment before the hollow spaces in it was filled with colorless mana.

The scrawled runes and the magic circle, the four cardinal points have three jewels each, for extra measure, flared to life the moment Phantom started his 'tracing'. For once in a long time, Phantom was quiet except for his deep breathing.

His purple pupils turned became smaller, with a hint of dark blue in them.

"Barriers…" muttered Phantom, eyes slightly narrowed. Luminous stared at the activated magic circle and saw the jewels gradually becoming empty of their resource.

"Brea' 'em." Aozaki let her accent slipped. The magic circle glowed brighter than before, until it was blinding white. Aozaki, Luminous and Jake averted their gaze from the magic circle.

Before Jake the magic circle glowed brighter, he saw an expression of surprise on Phantom. It was brief, and Jake almost dismissed it as his imagination.

Almost.

Fortunately for Jake's corneas, he has a pair of sunglasses in his pocket, but even if he put them on, the light was too bright – and it was close to an effect of whiteout. He couldn't see anything.

Then, it died down suddenly and Phantom was on the floor, panting heavily – and his skin, was paler than usual. He was perspiring…badly. His normally tidy sandy blonde hair was now plastered to his forehead.

That was enough to send Jake's healing sense tingling as he skirted around the magic circle just to reach Phantom. The circle glowed dimly, blue this time, but it flickered weakly – a sign it was barely sustaining itself with the almost emptied mana jewels.

"Lie down," Jake ordered. Phantom complied, still breathing heavily, eyes closed.

Jake removed the hat carefully and placed the object beside the owner.

"How are you feeling?"

Probably fine, thought Jake…unrealistically.

Phantom's eyes opened. "Horrible – imagine shaking your head hard in a concert, and have a concussion at worst."

"You attend concerts?!"

Phantom chuckled weakly.

"Did you manage to pinpoint their location?" Luminous asked, none too kindly. Behind the boys was Aozaki, making some gestures as she improvised the magic formula to do something else.

The master thief groaned. "Not now…"

Jake felt a pang of guilt which lasted one second. "Sorry, before you passed out – the information must be with us first."

Another groan. "I hate you guys. And don't kill me off too fast!" Jake gave him an apologetic look.

Luminous being serious and all, retorted. "Ditto."

Unexpectedly, it was Aozaki who told them. "Leafre, the forest of the ancients." Jake looked back and his jaw dropped at the sight. Luminous saw the image, and his expression looked grimmer than usual.

The image showed a massive blob of black – a curse?

Around it, the trees withered, leafless and their once healthy brown bark turned black. The grass which once grew became black soil instead of brown. For a moment, Jake thought he saw a person cloaked with brown earth screaming.

He rubbed his eyes with his hands and looked again where he saw the person in earth.

"There's nothing?" Jake muttered. Aozaki scoffed at his question.

"Look," said Aozaki as she pointed at the corner of the image.

The two mages stared hard, it was screaming mutely. It was gesturing at the cursed barrier, and then clawed its own throat, digging out more red dirt (Jake swore it was the color of blood). Though it has an expression one of human – it looked like a mask, right out of a horror movie.

"Gaea – also known to us alchemist and mages, the World."

"It saw us?" Disbelief colored Luminous's voice.

The shadows from his bangs cast a shadow over his eyes, giving him a dark look. "Yes…" Jake said before turning around and ran to his supplies, restrapping his staff and slung his bag over his shoulder.

An unspoken cue told Luminous to pack too. With a gesture, Luminous sighed once and packed Phantom's items too. The brown cloak was thrown over Phantom, who sat up, now looking healthier.

Jake checked Phantom's condition once.

Still slightly pale, breathing normal…exhausted from mana – with a good rest, Phantom will be good.

"Good to go." Concluded Jake. Phantom let out a weak cheer and placed his hat back onto his head.

Then, Jake faced Aozaki Yoko.

"Aozaki, please."

"Take the boys with you – if Lea was here, I wouldn't have kicked them out." Jake felt as if he was stabbed by icicles.

It was a fact Aozaki Yoko was no saint.

Jake gritted his teeth. "Very well," he bowed stiffly. "one request – sent us to Leafre."

Aozaki grinned before taking a cigg out. "As you wish." And she hummed.

Once the alchemist was out of hearing range, Luminous whispered, "The World interfered?"

It is a rare case for the World to manifest in physical realm – even rarer, favoring its guardians…or people.

"Those people must be important. It chooses us – to help them." Jake added as an afterthought.

Nobody could argue with that logic.

Aozaki puffed a smoke. "Ready?"

The boys exchanged a look – did they have a choice?

Jake let out a defeated sigh. "Yes."

The boys took one last look at the image before taking a piece of runestone, inscribed with the rune portal and they sent part of their mana into it.

The world suddenly didn't know the concept of space – and they sunk straight into the portal which was summoned beneath their feet.