The Royal Magistrate Academy.

Chapter 15.

As they gathered around the colossal jeweled sarcophagus, a sense of anticipation hung in the air. Each of them marveled at the gleaming gems that adorned its surface, their eyes dancing with excitement. But it was none other than Lambert, whose keen perception caught a glimmer of something else - an invisible enchantment shimmering around the edges of the sarcophagus.

Intrigued and guided by his instincts, Lambert stepped closer, his heart pounding in his chest. With careful eyes, he observed as the enchantment revealed patterns and symbols unknown to him. It seemed to be a magical lock, guarding whatever secrets lay within the ancient sarcophagus.

Unable to resist the temptation, Lambert reached out hesitantly, his fingers trembling as his hand made contact with the invisible barrier. To his astonishment, the enchantment responded to his touch, granting him access to the long-protected treasure within.

As the sarcophagus slowly creaked open, an unearthly fog billowed out, obscuring their vision momentarily. Blinking through the haze, they saw a figure emerge, covered head to toe in centuries' worth of muck and grime. It was a person, seemingly frozen in time, whose features were obscured by the layers of history.

Gasps of awe and astonishment escaped their lips as they realized they had stumbled upon a relic of the past, a living testament to a forgotten era. The person, barely conscious, blinked their eyes open, their gaze slowly adjusting to the present.

As the group helped the person emerge from the sarcophagus, they could see the flicker of life returning to their eyes. It was as if they had been trapped in a timeless slumber, awaiting the moment when they would be awakened from their hibernation.

The person, now revealed to be a woman, looked around in bewilderment, her voice barely above a whisper. "Fucking hell.....thanks ginger, you sure took your sweet ass time getting here?" she beamed, her voice carrying a hint of familiarity with Lambert.

It took Lambert a moment to realize that the person standing before him was the one who had reached out to him. "Wait... you're the one we've been searching for?" Lambert exclaimed, a rush of emotions surging through him - relief, excitement, and another powerful emotion that burned brightly. By rescuing this person, he was one step closer to uncovering the truth.

"Hey there, little avocado, you're nailing it," she said with a sardonic grin, ruffling her wildly unkempt hair.

"Seriously, a little gratitude and basic decency wouldn't hurt. We practically put our lives on the line for you," Lambert argued, his frustration seeping through his words.

"Oh, please, Mr. Perfect! Pardon my disheveled hair, I haven't bothered to comb it in like forever. And my outfit? Might be fashion-forward; it's covered in rat droppings. Can't let that come in the way of showing gratitude, can I, kind sir?" The stranger retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm and annoyance.

"Come on, Leviathan, not cool. Aren't you supposed to be the noble one?" Dorian whispered to Lambert, shaking his head at his friend's behavior.

"Whose team are you on anyway?" Lambert shot back, shooting a glare at Dorian.

"Obviously, I'm on her side. Just look at her. It's tragic how she's neglected herself. Her hair is probably crying out for help because she hasn't shown it any love... I'm sorry, it's just really getting to me emotionally," Naomi said, tears welling up in her eyes. Elizabeth comforted her while shooting Lambert a disapproving look.

As tension filled the air, the students, all mages and magical knights-in-training, stood before the stranger they had been searching for. This mysterious individual held the key to unlocking the answers they sought, and they needed to convince her to share those secrets, and maybe she could shed some light on how they would transport back to the safety of their academy grounds.