The forest enveloped them like a cloak, its tangled branches weaving overhead, fragmenting the moonlight into pale, trembling shards.
Carmen led the way with determined steps, her black cloak blending into the shadows, making her nearly invisible.
Mirac followed a short distance behind, the dagger secured to his belt providing a reassuring weight, despite the thoughts still swirling in his mind.
After a few minutes of silent walking, the outline of the castle walls emerged through the trees.
As soon as they came into view, Mirac's "Instant Knowledge of Dimensions" ability informed him that the walls were approximately 10 meters high.
They were imposing, rising like an insurmountable barrier, their polished stones illuminated by the flickering glow of the guards' torches.
Atop the walls, the dark silhouettes of sentinels moved with methodical slowness, their rhythmic footsteps echoing in the cold night air.
The spears they carried reflected the wavering light of their own torches, and every so often, one of them would pause, peering into the darkness beyond the perimeter.
Carmen stopped abruptly, crouching behind a large, moss-covered fallen log.
Mirac knelt beside her, his heart racing as he observed the walls.
"How do we get past them?" he whispered, his voice reduced to a breath to avoid betraying their position. "The guards are everywhere, and climbing them without being seen is impossible."
"Don't worry," Carmen replied. "I already have a plan. That's why I chose this spot on the southern side of the walls. Not only are there fewer guards here compared to other areas, but the nearest watchtower is several dozen meters away. This detail will work in our favor later."
Keeping her voice low, Carmen added:
"Unfortunately, though, my plan is quite risky. It requires precision and, above all, trust. Trust in me, Mirac. Do you think you can grant me that?"
Mirac hesitated, the memory of his earlier words still weighing on his heart.
But then he nodded slowly.
"I've already told you that I'll give you a second chance, Carmen. Now it's your turn to prove to me that I didn't make the wrong choice!"
Carmen nodded in return, satisfied.
"Good! Here's what we'll do." She leaned closer to him, whispering the plan quickly and clearly. "We'll use fire as a diversion."
"Fire?" Mirac frowned, perplexed. "But isn't that dangerous? I mean, how can we start one without immediately drawing attention to ourselves?"
Carmen reached into her bag, rummaging for a moment before pulling out a small object wrapped in a dark cloth.
She unwrapped it carefully, revealing a smooth, opaque stone about the size of an egg, streaked with reddish veins that pulsed faintly, like dormant embers.
"With this," she said, holding it between her fingers. "It's a Flame Stone, a magical mineral. A small pulse of Mana or shattering its core will activate it. It's very similar to a firecracker, so its effects aren't large-scale, but if used correctly, it will unleash a blaze large enough to distract the guards. And most importantly, once the fire is extinguished, it will leave no trace of itself."
"I see…" Mirac examined the stone, a mix of curiosity and apprehension in his eyes. "And where do we use it?"
Carmen pointed to a section of the wall where a dry, tangled vine clung to the stone, just below the guards' walkway.
"There," she said, her finger aimed at the plant embedded in the wall. "When a guard passes by there, I'll throw the stone onto that dry vine. The fire will flare up, and they'll think a spark from the torch caused the blaze. At that point, the guards will rush to the watchtower to grab the water buckets, leaving a blind spot in their patrol. And that's exactly when we'll make our move to get past the walls. All we need to do is use Mana to strengthen our legs and jump onto the walls. One more jump, and we'll be on the other side."
Mirac nodded slowly, evaluating the plan.
"And if someone sees us?" he asked, still cautious.
"They won't see us," Carmen replied confidently. "Our black cloaks blend us into the darkness. Plus, the wind blowing tonight will cover any light noises we might make. It's a risky plan, I admit, but we have no other choice."
Mirac stared at her for a long moment, weighing her words.
Then, with a deep breath, he nodded.
"Alright. Let's do it!"
Carmen and Mirac crouched lower, their eyes fixed on the nearest guard, who was walking slowly along the rampart with a torch in hand.
The flame flickered with each step, casting dancing shadows on the stone and the vine below.
Carmen waited, holding her breath, until the guard stopped directly above the tangle of dry vines, peering into the darkness beyond the walls for a moment.
It was the perfect timing!
With a swift and decisive motion, she pulled the Flame Stone from the dark cloth that encased it.
Then, with extreme care—making sure not to shatter the magical core inside—she pressed the stone between her thumb and forefinger, applying just enough pressure to create a thin crack on its surface.
The sound was nearly imperceptible, a faint crackle muffled by the rustling wind.
Without wasting a moment, Carmen hurled the stone toward the vine with a precise and silent throw, aiming for a midpoint on the dry plant—not too close to the guard, to avoid him noticing the impact, but not too low either, so the fire would appear to have sparked from a stray ember of his torch.
The stone struck the tangle with a quick but soft impact, nearly silent, embedding itself among the dry branches and the rough surface of the wall.
The pre-existing crack widened instantly, shattering the stone without making any significant noise.
For a moment, nothing happened—the silence of the night broken only by the faint whistle of the wind.
Then, from the fissures of the broken stone, a spark ignited, followed by an eruption of flames that burst forth with ferocity, consuming the vine in seconds.
The fire spread rapidly along the plant, climbing the stone wall with a fierce crackle, illuminating the night with an orange glow.
The nearby guard jolted, caught off guard by the sudden burst of flames—so startled that he nearly dropped his own torch in shock.
"F-Fire! Fire!" he shouted, his voice shattering the silence of the night.
He turned frantically, waving his arms to summon reinforcements.
"Q-Quick! B-Bring water!"
The call triggered a wave of movement.
The other guards rushed along the rampart, their heavy footsteps echoing on the stone as they gathered around the site of the blaze.
The torches shifted toward the southern section, illuminating the spreading chaos like a ripple, drawing every sentinel away from a nearby stretch of wall, now completely deserted.
"How did this happen?" one guard asked, breathless, as he ran towards the fire.
"I don't know!" another replied, his voice strained.
"The vine suddenly caught fire," explained the guard who had witnessed it firsthand, his tone laced with panic and guilt. "I fear a spark from my torch fell onto the dry plant!"
"It doesn't matter now what caused it!" another sentinel exclaimed, taking charge. "We need to put out the fire before it spreads to the walls! Hurry, head to the tower and grab as many buckets of water as possible!"
Without hesitation, the guards raced towards the nearest watchtower, several dozen meters along the rampart.
It was exactly as Carmen had predicted: the time it would take to reach the tower and return with water would leave that stretch of wall unguarded long enough to ensure their escape unseen.
"Now!" Carmen whispered, springing to her feet with a fluid motion.
Mirac followed, his heart pounding in his chest as adrenaline surged through his veins.
Both focused, channeling the Mana flowing through their bodies and redirecting it to their lower limbs.
A warm, pulsing energy spread through their legs, strengthening their muscles and making them feel light, almost ethereal.
With a simultaneous leap, they launched themselves towards the wall, covering the distance in a single, agile motion.
Their feet touched the base of the stone, and without a moment's pause, they sprang upward in a second jump.
The air whistled around them as they ascended, the Mana amplifying their strength far beyond human limits.
They landed silently on the rampart, crouching to cushion the impact.
A few meters away, the fire continued to roar, its flames dancing against the night sky in a vivid red glow, while the guards shouted orders and ran towards the distant tower.
Carmen shot Mirac a quick, satisfied smile.
"Let's go down," she whispered, gesturing to the other side of the wall.
Below them stretched the southern forest, a sea of dense shadows promising shelter.
But in that split second, as his heart still raced and the noise of the chaos echoed behind them, Mirac was struck by a sudden and unsettling realization:
'Wait… now that I think about it, once I leave the castle, I won't have a way of finding out who tried to kill me by hiring Klark, or who saved me by delivering me that sword to face him!'
The thought hit him like a bolt of lightning, bringing with it a flood of doubts and unresolved questions.
For years, he and Carmen had chased those answers, scouring every corner of the castle, every clue that might lead them to the culprits.
They had spied on servants and nobles, analyzed every detail of their lives at the castle, but the truths behind the assassination attempt and the mysterious benefactor had remained shrouded in shadow.
'Tsz! It really sucks to think I'll never find out who they were! But…'
As the weight of that unfinished past pressed on his chest and threatened to hold him back, another realization took shape:
The castle, with its mysteries and dangers, belonged to a life he was leaving behind.
Now, his future lay ahead, in the forest stretching beyond the walls, alongside Carmen and the promise of greater answers.
With a deep breath, he pushed those thoughts aside, relegating them to a corner of his mind.
'I can't live in the present—or worse, the future—if I remain tied to the past,' he told himself firmly. 'Those were mysteries for the Prince. They were never mine: they never belonged to Mirac Strongold!'
He had made his decision!
And he could no longer afford to hesitate!
Not in this critical moment!
'There's no time to waste!'
Almost in perfect sync, Mirac and Carmen leaned over the edge, once again channeling Mana into their legs to cushion their fall.
With one final leap, they launched themselves into the void, landing gracefully on the soft forest floor several meters from the wall.
Their cloaks billowed briefly in the air, then settled as they crouched among the trees, blending into the darkness.
Carmen glanced back at the wall.
The fire was beginning to die down under the first splashes of water brought by the guards, who were hurriedly returning from the tower, but the chaos was still palpable.
Shouts and confused orders mingled with the crackling of the dying flames.
But most importantly, no one had noticed them.
"It worked," she said, her voice low but filled with satisfaction.
With a decisive nod, she pointed to the forest ahead.
"Now let's get out of here!" Carmen exclaimed.
Mirac nodded, his breath still rapid from the adrenaline.
"I never thought we'd pull it off," he murmured, a hint of relief in his voice.
He stood, adjusting the hood of his cloak, and followed Carmen as they ventured deeper into the trees.
The branches creaked softly under their steps, the wind rustling through the leaves, masking any residual sound.
The southern forest welcomed them like a silent embrace, its dense shadows enveloping them, hiding them from anyone who might search for them.
Each step took them further from the castle, its secrets, and the past Mirac had chosen to leave behind.
Carmen moved ahead of him, her black cloak swaying like a living shadow.
But they were not alone.
Atop a tall tree, several dozen meters away, a figure cloaked in dark garb watched them silently.
His eyes, hidden in the shadow of the hood, carefully followed every movement of the guards rushing to extinguish the flames on the vine, and every swift, silent step of the two fugitives moving away into the forest.
Their hands, gloved in black, gripped a branch for balance, while the light breeze brushed their face without revealing their features.
A subtle smile curled their lips, an expression that betrayed a mix of curiosity and certainty.
"We'll meet very soon, Vector…"
~ ~ ~
{ End of the First Volume: Royal Palace of the Strongolds }
{ A/N: Heyy guys, author's here!
We've reached the end of the first volume, and it seems like Mirac has decided to embark on a journey with no known destination. But did he make the right choice?! Who knows… 🤷
I'm really happy with the small and modest success my first series has achieved, with 148 followers currently! I never expected such a response, and I want to thank each one of you: for every minute you've spent reading the story, for every comment or review you've left! I am infinitely grateful for your support! ❤️
That said, I want to let you know a couple of things:
The first is that I'm very indecisive about one aspect of my story. The question I have for you is: do you prefer long or short chapters?!
Longer chapters (4,000-6,000 words) – I prefer detailed and immersive chapters, even if it means waiting longer between releases. (Fewer but longer chapters)
Mixed length (2,500-4,000 words) – A balance between long and short, depending on the pacing of the story.
Shorter chapters (1,500-2,500 words) – I like quick and concise chapters, even if that means less detail, as long as they come out more frequently. (More but shorter chapters)
Please let me know with a comment. Thank you! :))
Also, I want to let you know that "Math Is Magic" will take a 10-day break. I need some time to reorganize my thoughts, plan them out, and make sure the story remains exciting and engaging for you readers! (But also for me as the author ;))
I hope you enjoyed this first volume of "Math Is Magic," and I hope you'll continue to support the story as only you know how!
Thanks again for all your support!
So, see you guys on March 24th, with Chapter 55 :))
P.S. The real story begins now! }