A while earlier,

While the magical battle unfolded in the marketplace, drawing the attention of every combatant and spectator, a shadow was moving through the city’s winding streets.

Shaewyra, the Dark Arcanist who had slipped away unnoticed during Jaegar’s explosive display of power, moved with smooth precision through the alleys that connected the commercial district to the older, more mysterious quarters of the city.

Shaewyra was a different man or woman; he had two appearances, two psychs, one was a woman and the other was a man. Both genders live in a single body. The last time, during the meeting, he was a woman, now he was a man.

His target was singular and critical: Melusina.

The young girl had fled the marketplace after Jaegar warned her. Jaegar told her to move towards the inn where Bruna was present.

She moved swiftly through the narrow passages, her robes billowing behind her.

Seeing the people who came for her, Melusina had to trust Jaegar and could only hope that she could escape with her life.

But Shaewyra had anticipated this.

He was already aware of the city’s layout, and after a quick sense of his surroundings, he could tell where she was headed.

He didn’t follow Melusina directly; instead, he moved parallel to her path, using his knowledge of the city’s architecture to position himself ahead of her destination.

Melusina was about to reach the inn that Jaegar told her about, but suddenly she stopped as if she sensed something in the air.

"Where are you running off to, little one?" Shaewyra’s voice emerged from the shadows, cultured and calm despite the magnitude of what he was about to attempt.

Melusina spun toward the voice, her hands already weaving defensive patterns. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Shaewyra stepped into the dim light cast by the street’s light. His appearance was that of a scholarly gentleman—well-dressed, articulate, with the bearing of someone accustomed to academic discourse rather than physical confrontation.

Only his eyes betrayed the dangerous depths of his arcane knowledge, gleaming with intelligence that had delved into forbidden territories.

"I am merely a facilitator," he replied, removing a crystalline device from within his robes.

The artifact pulsed with contained energy, its faceted surface reflecting light in patterns that hurt to look at directly.

"And what I want is your cooperation in a matter of cosmic significance."

The device activated with a sound like breaking glass played in reverse.

Waves of paralytic magic emanated from its core, washing over Melusina before she could complete her defensive spells. Her body locked in place, muscles refusing to obey her commands, though her mind remained frustratingly clear and aware.

"The Binding Crystal of Therausian," Shaewyra explained conversationally as he approached his immobilized target.

"A relic from the Third Age, designed specifically to subdue strong magical practitioners without damaging their essential arcane capabilities. Quite useful for situations requiring... precision."

As Melusina was influenced by chaos, he didn’t want to take a risk, so he used the artifact. If chaos were to be unleashed, it would take time, and those fighting in the marketplacewould be annoyed. So he was wrapping it up as swiftly as possible.

Melusina struggled against the paralysis, her magical core burning with frustrated energy that had nowhere to go. "What are... you," she managed to whisper through locked jaw muscles.

"Oh, nothing, dear. We just need something from you," Shaewyra replied with a smile that contained no warmth.

"And with the final piece falling in place, everything will be sorted out. Every move, every countermove, every desperate attempt at rescue—all of it serves the greater purpose."

He produced a second artifact—a transportation amulet that flickered with arcane energy. "Now then, we have an appointment to keep. Someone very important is eager to meet you."

The teleportation activated, whisking both figures away from Serpent’s Gate and leaving only the lingering scent of burned gas to mark their passage.

-

The destination was the citadel, where the rest of the serpents were present.

Norimar had left his arcane sigil inside the Citadel, which made it easy for them to find the Citadel.

In one of the chambers inside the Citadel, Norimar gently placed the critically injured Elsbeth onto a bed inscribed with healing runes. Her body was still wracked with chaotic backlash, blood seeping from wounds that existed on both physical and magical levels.

Angelina’s near-execution had left her hovering at the edge of death.

"She’ll live," Norimar muttered, his hands glowing with restorative energy as he worked to stabilize her condition. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"But it was close. Too close."

From the shadows of the chamber, Angus Gadfraye emerged.

His expression showed genuine concern as he observed Elsbeth’s condition. "The old witch nearly claimed her," he said quietly. "Angelina’s protective instincts regarding her grandson run deeper than I anticipated."

"What do we do about her then?" Norimar asked while continuing his healing work.

"My son, he will come to us," Angus said, staring at Elsbeth.

Elsbeth’s eyes fluttered open, consciousness returning slowly.

"Angus," she whispered weakly.

"That woman... She hasn’t lost her touch yet."

"Yes, indeed. And she is starting to get on my nerves too."

He paused, studying the severe injuries that marked her body. "But this changes our timeline. Angelina now knows we’re targeting the children of chaos. She’ll be prepared for future operations."

Norimar completed his initial healing work, stepping back as the runes began to glow more steadily.

"She’ll recover, but full healing will take time. What are your orders?"

Angus was quiet for a long moment, recalculating strategies in his mind.

"I am stepping out for a moment. You take care of the last child of chaos and continue with the extraction."

"And Jaegar?" Norimar asked.

"He remains the crucial element," Angus replied, his voice carrying the weight of absolute certainty.

"Everything else can be adapted, but my son’s role cannot be changed. He is the bridge between chaos and consciousness that chaos entity requires."

As he prepared to depart, Angus looked down at the recovering Elsbeth. "Rest and heal."

Angus Gadfraye—though that name carried only a fraction of his true identity.

His appearance was deceptively ordinary: a man in his apparent middle years, with prematurely grey hair and the scholarly bearing of someone accustomed to intellectual pursuits.

But his eyes held depths that spoke of years rather than decades, and the air around him shimmered with barely contained magical force.

"Ah, Shaewyra," Angus said, his voice carrying harmonics that resonated in frequencies beyond normal human hearing.

"Right on schedule. And you’ve brought the child."

He gestured, and Melusina found herself gently lowered to a chair that had materialized from the stone floor.

The paralysis remained, but her positioning allowed her to observe the conversation that would reveal the true scope of the danger she had become entangled in.

Angus and Shaewyra talked about the confrontation in the market place and about Angelina, the witch council

Melusina listened to this exchange with growing horror.

The entire battle—the marketplace destruction, the magical duels, the apparent random unrest—had all been orchestrated.

Every participant had been manipulated, their actions predicted, and their responses calculated to serve some larger, more terrible purpose.

And just like that, Angus left the place.