They stood near the sapling of the Tree of Life in the heart of the town, the warm glow of its energy doing little to ease the tension in the air. Lucian and Elena stood with them, their expressions taut with worry and exhaustion after the failed pursuit.

  “You two have been absent for days,” Rika said, her sharp eyes shifting between Lucian and Elena. “Were you investigating something too?”

  Lucian nodded, but his gaze remained averted. “Yes,” he admitted quietly. “It’s… a personal matter.”

  Kenneth’s brow furrowed, his mind flashing back to the little girl he’d seen with Lucian the other day. The memory of her bright, innocent smile made his chest tighten. “Lucy?” he asked softly, concerned clearly in his tone.

  Lucian’s head snapped up, surprised by the question. After a brief pause, he gave a reluctant nod. “She went missing a few days ago. Elena and I have been searching for her ever since.”

  Kenneth’s fists clenched at his sides, his stomach sinking. “Any signs of where she might be?”

  Elena shook her head, her frustration evident. “None. No one’s seen her. But that woman from earlier—the one with the child? She’s the one who took Lucy.”

  Lucian’s jaw tightened as he added, “I remember sensing faint magic just before she disappeared. It was her.”

  Kenneth exchanged a tense glance with Rika, their shared frustration mounting. “So, you’re after her too,” Kenneth said grimly.

  Joash, who had been listening silently, spoke up. “We’ve been investigating the disappearances of children connected to noble families. Every clue we’ve found leads back to her.”

  Lucian and Elena exchanged a look, their worry deepening at the confirmation.

  “She managed to take another one today,” Aine said, her voice trembling slightly. “What if we’re too late for the others?”

  Rika’s frustration boiled over as she crossed her arms tightly. “We don’t even know who she’ll target next. We’re always one step behind her.”

  Kenneth turned back toward the sapling, its soft glow reflecting in his eyes as his thoughts raced. “She’s methodical. Every move she makes is calculated. If we can figure out her pattern, we might be able to predict her next target.”

  Ash straightened, an idea dawning on him. “What if we use someone as bait?”

  The group froze at his suggestion, the weight of it hanging in the air.

  Kenneth’s expression turned serious. “It could work, but I won’t involve real children. It’s too dangerous.”

  Aine’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Wait—I think I have an idea. My family has a potion that can temporarily revert an adult to the age and magic level they had as a child.”

  Kenneth blinked, caught off guard. “A potion like that actually exists?”

  “Yes,” Aine confirmed, though her tone carried a note of caution. “But there’s a catch. It reverts your pnevma and magic level to exactly what it was at that age. If you’d already awakened your elemental magic by then, it won’t work as bait.”

  Ash frowned thoughtfully. “Most of us awakened our magic pretty young. That probably rules most of us out.”

  Joash shifted uncomfortably, his hands tightening into fists at his sides. “I… I don’t think I’m the right person for this,” he admitted, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “My pnevma isn’t strong enough to draw her attention. But…” He hesitated before glancing toward Kenneth. “Kenneth… you might be exactly what she’s looking for.”

  All eyes turned to Kenneth. He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on him. The thought of deliberately making himself vulnerable to such a dangerous foe was terrifying, but the idea of another child being taken was worse.

  Finally, he broke the silence, his voice calm but firm. “I’ll do it.”

  The group stared at him, the air thick with tension.

  Rika stepped closer, her brows furrowed in concern. She rested a hand lightly on his shoulder, her tone quiet but serious. “Are you sure? This isn’t just about risk, Kenneth—it’s about putting yourself right in her line of fire.”

  Kenneth nodded, his expression steady even as a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face. “I know what it means, but we don’t have another option. If it stops her from taking another child, then it’s worth it.”

  The room fell into heavy silence as the group processed his decision.

  Rika folded her arms, her sharp gaze moving between Kenneth and the others. “If we’re doing this, we need a way to track him constantly,” she said firmly. “We can use an enchantment—something subtle that will let us locate him, even if she tries to erase his memories or knock him out.”

  Aine shifted uneasily, glancing at Kenneth. “That’s a good start, but we need more than that. What if something goes wrong? If she’s as powerful as she seems, we’ll need a team close by, ready to act fast.”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Ash nodded, leaning forward with a serious expression. “We could set up a perimeter where we expect her to show up. Everyone stays hidden but ready. That way, if anything feels off, we’ll be close enough to step in immediately.”

  Kenneth forced a faint smile, trying to ease the tension in the room. “I appreciate the backup—really. But if I’m going in as bait, it has to look real. If she senses any of you nearby, she’ll bolt, and we’ll lose our chance.”

  Rika’s lips pressed into a thin line as she looked back at Kenneth, her concern clear. “Just… be careful, okay? You might think you’re doing this for everyone’s sake, but that doesn’t make it any less dangerous.”

  Kenneth met her gaze, his voice quieter but firm. “I know. And I’ll be careful.” His eyes softened as he glanced at the others. “Thank you—all of you. I know the risks, but this is a chance to finally stop her.”

  The weight of his words hung in the air, but the group exchanged determined glances, their resolve hardening.

  “We’ll make it work,” Rika said, her voice steady despite the worry lingering in her expression. “You’re not doing this alone, Kenneth. We’ll be ready.”

  “Agreed,” Ash said. “We’ll stay close, but we’ll make sure she doesn’t sense us.”

  Aine gave a small nod, her unease fading into quiet determination. “And I’ll handle the potion. You’ll only have one shot at this, so we’ll make sure everything’s perfect.”

  Kenneth’s smile grew just a little, his gratitude clear. “Then let’s get started.”

  As the group began finalizing their plan, the tension in the room gave way to a shared focus, each of them prepared to do whatever it took to bring the woman’s twisted game to an end.

  ＊＊＊

  It was time to set their plan into motion. Kenneth took a steadying breath and drank the potion. Almost immediately, a strange sensation rippled through his body, like an invisible wave pulling him backward in time.

  His surroundings shifted as his form shrank—his shirt now hung loosely on his smaller frame, and the world around him loomed larger than before.

  As he adjusted to the change, a strange stillness settled over him. The familiar hum of fire magic within him was gone, replaced by only the faintest sense of pnevma. Vulnerability crept into his chest, unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

  So I really wasn’t mortal to begin with, Kenneth thought, his gaze dropping to his now-small hands. For the first time in a long while, he felt exposed—like the child he now appeared to be.

  After changing into a child’s outfit, Kenneth stepped outside where his friends waited. Their expressions were a mix of encouragement and worry, the tension in the air thick enough to feel.

  To his surprise, Headmaster Nero was there as well, standing slightly apart from the group. As Kenneth approached, Nero knelt down, meeting Kenneth’s new height with a focused, intent gaze.

  “I’ve heard about the plan,” Nero said quietly, his voice steady. He reached for Kenneth’s wrist and removed his bracelet, replacing it with a sleek silver one engraved with faint, intricate markings. “This enchantment will track your location. No matter what happens, we’ll know where you are.”

  Kenneth nodded, swallowing down the flicker of nerves twisting in his stomach. “I understand, Headmaster.”

  Rika knelt beside him, her usual spark subdued. She adjusted the bracelet slightly, her hands steady but her expression deeply serious. “We’ll be ready the moment we get the signal. Please be careful, Kenneth. Don’t take any risks you don’t have to.”

  Kenneth managed a small, reassuring smile, even though his heart was racing. “I will. Thank you.”

  He glanced at his friends one last time, their worried eyes following him as he turned and walked toward the square. The weight of their trust in him settled over his shoulders, heavier than anything he’d ever carried.

  Finding a bench in the open square, Kenneth sat down, his small frame dwarfed by the bustling world around him. His eyes scanned the crowd, sharp despite his childlike appearance, searching for any sign of her.

  Each moment stretched endlessly, the quiet hum of the town filling his ears. He forced himself to stay calm, to fight back the vulnerability that crept in from the absence of his fire magic. This has to work. It’s the only way.

  Then he saw her.

  A strikingly beautiful woman glided through the crowd with an elegance that seemed almost unnatural. Her movements were fluid, her serene smile disarming. But it was her eyes that caught Kenneth’s attention—gleaming with an intensity that set every instinct on edge.

  She stopped in front of him, her smile widening as she regarded him. “What a lovely pnevma you have,” she murmured, her voice smooth and soft, like silk brushing against his mind.

  Kenneth’s muscles tensed instinctively. He tried to stand, to move, but her piercing gaze rooted him to the spot. Her presence pressed against him, suffocating and inescapable.

  She knelt down, her tone shifting into something almost unbearably sweet, yet deeply unsettling. “Hello, little one,” she cooed, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair from his face. “Mother’s here now.”

  Her words wrapped around him like a heavy fog, seeping into his mind. He struggled to resist, to keep his thoughts his own, but her voice echoed relentlessly in his head, pulling him deeper into its grasp.

  His vision blurred, the edges of the world fading as her smile grew sharper, more predatory. His will crumbled, slipping away like sand through his fingers.

  The last thing he saw was her face, serene yet terrifying, before his thoughts dissolved completely, leaving behind only a hollow sense of obedience.

  ＊＊＊

  From their hiding spot, the group watched in heavy silence as the woman approached Kenneth. Her movements were disturbingly graceful, her warm smile a mask hiding something far darker. The tension among them was palpable, each of them holding their breath as the scene unfolded.

  Ash’s fists clenched tightly, his knuckles pale. “This is going too far,” he muttered under his breath, his voice trembling with frustration. “We should’ve stopped this already.”

  Rika placed a steadying hand on his shoulder, her tone low but firm. “We can’t act now,” she whispered. “If we blow our cover, everything falls apart.”

  The woman knelt in front of Kenneth, her hand reaching out with an unsettling tenderness. Her aura was thick and oppressive, the kind of malice that made the air feel heavier. None of them could look away, their bodies taut as they fought the urge to intervene too soon.

  The group exchanged quick glances, their unease reflected in each other’s eyes. Aine shifted slightly, her usual energy replaced by grim focus. Ash kept his gaze locked on the scene, his tension growing with every second that passed.

  They all felt it—the suffocating fear of watching their friend put himself in harm’s way. The stakes couldn’t have been higher, and yet they had to wait. Acting too soon would ruin everything.

  Tension coiled in the group like a spring ready to snap. They didn’t need words to communicate their shared resolve. When the moment came, they would act—swiftly and decisively.

  No matter the cost, they would bring Kenneth back.