The Liberation of the Mages Heart

The Omen

As Ruth adorned himself with a cloak, he watched Bell dressing, a warm smile playing on his lips.

"Why are you smiling? Do I have something on my face?" Bell inquired, nervously touching her cheeks.

Approaching her with a chuckle, he gave her a tender peck on the lips. "I'm happy, is all."

She reciprocated the smile, but then her gaze dropped, a subtle wave of emotion washing over her. The night had been an intimate tapestry of shared pleasures and connection.

Her love for him had blossomed into something profound, catapulting her into ethereal realms. It was the most enchanting experience of her life. Seeing his joyful smile kindled a spark of hope that he might break the spell and reciprocate her love.

"Are you going to... lift the spell?" she asked, her voice tinged with hesitation.

"That's not possible," he replied, his brow furrowing. "This spell can't be lifted as far as I know."

"Are you sure?" Disappointment seeped into her voice as she looked down, biting her bottom lip.

Ruth gazed at her, a stirring within him. Before him stood the deadliest woman of Wedon, vulnerable and uneasy. He found her adorable, an overwhelming urge to protect her from the harshness of the world flooding over him.

It pained him yet felt oddly comforting. Could she endure knowing he couldn't fully reciprocate her love? Would he discover a way to shatter the seemingly unbreakable spell?

"I'd need access to Nornuri," he explained, stepping closer and enveloping her in an embrace. "To find a way to break the spell. But I am banned for a lifetime."

Drawing her closer, he murmured, "We'll figure something out." The uncertainty hung heavy in the air, and he wasn't sure if the shielding spell could be lifted or how its unyielding grip could be broken.

***

In the unforgiving embrace of a barren, frozen landscape, Ruth and Bell found themselves at the northernmost point of Anatol, nestled deep within the snowy mountains, far removed from the safety of Calpyse Castle.

"Something is not right..." Ruth's frown deepened as he gestured toward the glacial expanse ahead.

Cautiously ascending the glacier, their breath materialized into frosty clouds in the frigid air. As they reached a precarious ledge, Ruth's magical senses tingled, signaling an unusual presence. The ice cracked beneath their boots, unveiling an eerie sight: revenants, spectral figures emerging from the frozen depths.

Ruth's keen eyes narrowed with concern. "These revenants weren't spawned by natural causes," he observed, discerning the dark aura enveloping them. "Dark mages must have called them forth."

Bell tightened her grip on her weapon, her gaze focused on the advancing revenants. "Then we must put an end to this dark influence," she declared, poised for combat.

Ruth chanted an incantation, his hands emanating with the radiant glow of purification magic. A wave of ethereal energy surged forth, striking the revenants with a force that seemed to pierce their very essence. The creatures recoiled, their dark presence dissipating like morning mist.

Ruth's magical senses tingled again. A hidden cavern, concealed within the icy depths, revealed itself. It beckoned like the mouth of a great beast, hungry for secrets.

With cautious steps, they entered the cavern, its walls adorned with frost-covered runes that whispered tales of ancient spells. Deeper into the darkness, they discovered an altar surrounded by arcane symbols, pulsating with an unholy energy.