24 Sanctuary of the Sage

Sera's eyes flutter slowly to the bright light surrounding her. 'Am I…dead?', she asked herself. But as she was about to let her rest into rest, her fears came back as she heard voices.

"I'm almost finished scanning her. I- don't have a clear explanation why her body is in perfect shape now. Just yesterday, she was bleedi—

"Does it matter? If it's anything, it makes our work even faster. We don't have to worry about holding back anymore."

"But, aren't you curious? There could be something at work here. I mean, this—

"Agaven! I am not going to stand here and discuss this with you. We don't know how much longer the cryo-capsule can keep working. We need to do this. Now."

Once again, Sera's cries echoed through the Laboratory as the Stedores mercilessly continued on their work.

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Thud! Sera felt the cold floor of Lerica's room as it made contact to her skin. She didn't feel any discomfort; she was used to this place already. She just felt numb. She didn't even bother to get up anymore. She was soaked in her own blood and her limbs were bent into horrifying angles. 'Why am I still here. Why am I not dead yet. I'm tired'. She didn't bother to fight any longer. She just let the darkness engulf her as her consciousness slowly fades into the night.

Blink. Blink. 'Oof,' grunted Aurice, as she tried to get up. 'What is wrong with this body?'

Muttering a chant once more, she summons the healing sphere and brings her body back to a fully healed state. It didn't even take half an hour.

Aurice smiled. 'Yup. Just a little trick I learned.' she thought, chuckling to herself. She thought back at what happened last night.

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Aurice had gotten the most out of her curiousity. After reciting a bunch of old runes, she was flashed out from the dark room and into a huge golden library filled with thousands of books, scrolls, and scriptures. Aurice, being the scholar she is, immediately opened the book closest to her. She expected it to be dusty, but instead the paper looked as if it had been freshly printed. Thinking there might be a caretaker, she called out.

"Hello? Anyone there?" The echoes of her voice, resounding from the halls of the library, were the only response. She already wanted to read the book, however, and as she flipped over the cover, her eyes opened wide in excitement. The book contained spells, mantras, magic seals, and runes from an ancient civilization of magic users. She finished the book in almost an instant and moved on to the next. This one had a title on the cover, written in ancient runic language. It read 'Arcana Historia'. "The history of magic", Aurice slowly muttered.

Magic was already practiced in ancient times, as Aurice began to learn. They were persecuted as devil worshippers and anti-religious, and were forced to go into hiding. However, a person know as the Sage, reunited the scattered refugees and the secret society of magicians was created. All throughout their lives, they devoted themselves to the study of magic, never wanting to take part of the world that despised them and rid them of their freedom. As such, secret places such as this, The Sanctuary of the Sage, were created all over the world offering safety and a home to those willing to join the cause. When a great war broke out in the outside world, the society of magicians decided to leave this world for good. They were never seen ever since.

"So it was only through the activation of the ancient cube was magic introduced to the world again.", Auirce's head was already pumping with exhilaration. She just read two scriptures and she felt as if she already know all the knowledge in the world. She might even be the first ever person the reach this place, and it pleased her more than it should have. Reading book after book, scroll after scroll, scripture after scripture, she began to feel tired. She wanted to read more but sleep was already catching up to her. She let out a groan, a little annoyed, but immediately laughed at herself. "Well, there's always tomorrow to look forward to."

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Now, as she wakes the second time, not only was her body wounded and bruised, she was in the dark room and not in the library where she slept. She was about to chant the runes once again to teleport herself the the Sanctuary, but she couldn't get a thought off her mind. Something was definitely at work here. And she needs to know what it was.

Aurice walked up to the bedroom door once again and tried to open it. 'Well, if it's locked, those outside might not want me to be snooping around. Too bad I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well.'

Aurice began casting a cloaking spell, making her invisible and undetectable by wards, physical or magical. 'Another trick I learned from the best', a smile curving up her lips. She passed through the door with another spell and began her search for answers.

She was in a large house, and with the presence of faint magical auras in the place, she already know her captors were magicians. But why did they keep her trapped in that room. And why was she always waking up wounded. Aurice scanned the house for more magical activities and sensed a room below full of concentrations of different magic residues flowing around the area. 'Ooh, secret basement. Why am I not even surprised.' Aurice thought with a little bit of sarcasm.

Shaking her head a bit, she chided herself, 'Focus, Aurice. Focus.', and she slowly descended the steps going to her destination.