After breakfast, we packed up and made our way back onto the open road. The sun rose slowly, casting a blue tone across the world. We had the same formation as yesterday, with Abigail in the middle.
However, Lana stood next to me this time, close to her sister, and I was on edge.
"Right over the mountain trail is the Cero Village."
The goddess said to the group.
"Once we arrive, the first thing is to get all the information we can. Stay vigilant, and don't go off alone."
The group chanted back words of acceptance as we made our way up the mountain path. There was a wide opening that led to a village. The housing wasn't like in the Radiant City. Everything was made of wood and seemed to be beaten down by the elements.
"What the?"
Jade ran in front.
We all rushed after her and followed her deeper into the collection of housings. People were on the ground. There had to be around thirty or so of them sprawled about the village. Windows were broken and houses were collapsed. Men, women, and children were in horrible positions, sprawled out about the village.
Whoever did this have no bias to who their victims were.
"Everyone, get to aiding the survivors!"
Abigail commanded.
But I heard a voice, and it revealed the truth to me.
"Be wary, Master."
The voice etched into my heart.
"Don't touch them!"
I ordered.
But a Baron member ignored my command and approached them. Annoyed, I used my shadow-walking to dance through the shades cast by the buildings.
When I appeared before her, I put my hand out, pushing her away from a victim on the ground.
"I said, stop!"
The nurse huffed at me.
"Why, Feodora!"
The nurse scoffed at me even though I may have just saved her life.
"Vampirism! These people suffer from spectrum sickness due to the curse of vampirism!"
I yelled to the group.
Jade ran up to me and stood beside me.
"What do you mean, Feodora? Explain to everyone what's going on."
The knight ordered.
"Feodora, do you know what's happening?"
Abigail asked.
I went over and touched the body of the woman nearby. Just as I assumed, I wasn't affected by what was happening because my resistance to the dark spectrum was higher than everyone here.
"I believe so."
I said to Abigail.
"Sorry, I'm going to have to remove your clothing."
I apologized to the woman who was affected. Over her body was that symbol, vampirism. I felt it coming into the village, but that confirmed it. My body was more in-tune with the curse.
This was the meaning behind the night terror I saw last night.
"What the hell?!"
Jade looked at it, then looked at me.
"It's a symbol of the dark arts. Do you know what this means, Feodora?"
I nodded.
"Yes, I know this symbol and its meaning, Jade."
Jade gathered everyone around to hear what I had to say. All the attention was getting to me. I sighed deeply and did my best to explain.
"Vampirism channels spectrum for the user to use at a later time. It will pull the life out of a person for your desire. The circle represents entrapment. The dot represents the one entrapped by the user."
I explained, pointing at the symbol on her body.
"If any of you touch a body here, that symbol will attach to you, and you'll become another victim of the dark vessel doing this."
I could see a few Barons' back up for a good reason.
"What about you, Feodora?"
Jade asked.
"I should be fine with my resistance to darkness. This symbol has no control over me."
Abigail pondered.
"Do you think you can break these seals, Feodora?"
Breaking the symbols of another dark vessel. That was the ability that Maxwell was afraid to embrace within me. It was time to make whoever did this tremble in fear.
"I think I can, Abigail. But I want you all to back up, just in case."
Lana and the others did as I asked. Even Jade was a good way away from me. I touched the woman's body where the symbol was.
"I can feel that the dark vessel who did this is still around."
I closed my eyes.
"Breaking these symbols might alert them but keeping them on any longer might kill these people."
My eyes turned that horrid purple, and my hands pushed spectrum into the symbol. It briefly battled my cancelation spell, but I cracked the symbol just as I did in the past. It burned away and the woman's breathing relaxed.
"The vampirism symbols can be broken."
I shouted.
"Great work! I knew you could do it."
Jade smiled, although I felt as though she was teasing me.
The knight turned to the group.
"Feodora and I will go around, find the people of Cero Village, and break their symbols. The rest of you help get them to a shelter and cure their spectrum sickness."
Like the leader she was, Jade commanded.
Everyone, Abigail included, did as they were told. As we walked around, we found people of all ages. Children to the elderly, and nobody who was being used by vampirism was spared.
"I'm putting down a light signature to show everyone that this person is okay to touch."
Jade explained as she put down a light spell.
A warm aura lit up next to the victim, a smart way to ensure that nobody gets caught by the vampirism spell. Once we gathered all the people, we all came together for another briefing.
"We need a group to stay behind and treat these victims."
Jade ordered, and a few members volunteered to stay behind, splitting our numbers by quite a few.
Abigail turned to me and questioned me further.
"Do you think the people who did this are still around?"
I nodded.
"Yes, the one who did this has to be around to keep the vampirism spell going."
I explained.
"Are you telling me the culprit is still in the Cero Village, Feodora? Even after all this time?"
The "goddess" put her finger to her chin.
"This is horrible."
Lana said.
"With everything prepared here it's time we look for the missing Baron and find the person doing all this."
Jade said.
I nodded in agreement.
"Feodora, would it be possible for you to do something like this alone?"
Abigail asked a good question.
"Yes it would be. Easily, actually."
I confessed.
With my hand on my hip, I explained further.
"This spectrum is fairly weak. It's not producing much darkness. The symbol itself is what's really doing all the hard work."
I bent down to the child and showed everyone her belly, where her symbol was.
"Before I broke it, the symbol was draining her spectrum. All the culprit did was feed one symbol the ability to do that. All the others are essentially replicating that same spell amongst themselves."
Jade crossed her arms.
"Do you know where they are feeding the spectrum?"
The knight asked.
"It's like what happened in the abandoned ruin. The symbol was feeding another source, which turned out to be a beast, Jade."
I explained as I covered the small girl's stomach. I stood up and faced the three of them.
"All of the spectrum is being fed underneath us, deep underground."
I concluded.
Abigail nodded as she stepped to the side.
"There are underground ruins in Cero. It's where they worship their deity, Annaba. If someone is drawing spectrum in there, then there has to be something more ominous going on here."
The "goddess" explained.
Jade put her hand on her hips.
"If I go by my previous investigation, it's likely the culprit is feeding this spectrum to a beast. And if it's been going on for this long, there's likely something massive underneath us, and we have to be prepared to take it out."
She turned to the group of Barons.
"We are going to have a fight ahead of us. It's likely your people are being held captive below. I won't say this will be easy, so prepare for battle!"
Like the warrior she was, Jade brought out her sword.
"Everyone, follow my lead, and I'll lead us to victory!"
The knight cried.
Everyone cheered along with her, I was getting into it again. Jade Opal was a leader in every sense of the word.
Abigail stepped in.
"Alright, five of you will stay and aid the Cero Village people. I need seven of you with me. Jade, Feodora, and Lana are coming with me to find the culprits who did this. We will find our friends and family and take them back!"
"Be safe!"
Members cried out, cheering on their beloved goddess.
We followed Abigail at her command as she led us to the worship grounds. We ventured into the nearby forest. One of the followers took the lead and led the way as we made our way through a thick jungle. When we reached a clearing, we approached a large monument that towered up to the heavens.
"Is this what we're looking for?"
I questioned.
Abigail nodded.
"Yes, this is the temple of Annaba. When we step inside, a pathway will lead us underground. Let's be cautious as we proceed from here on out."
Abigail ordered.
We approached and made our way inside. It was dark, and Jade and a few other barons had to make themselves a light using the fire spectrum. Before we disappeared into the walls of the Annaba Ruins, I turned around and looked outside.
"Huh?"
I caught eyes with her. The woman that attempted to slice off my neck.
She stood under a large tree that cast its shadow on the earth. With short orange hair and a black uniform that reminded me of a soldier, the devil smiled, taunting me. Those cold purple eyes that became one with the darkness cut into my skin.
The user of the destructive versions of shadow crafts just like me.
"Who are you?"
I murmured as I attempted to run after her, but she vanished into the shadows.
She was shadow-walking, and I melted to do the same but stopped. The large door of the ruins we stepped through made a clicking noise, and the contraption caused the door to slam in front of me.