Finding Rolam.

Zyda's fear came to fruition, for what was clear was that something dark and wobbly had happened to her brother. She subconsciously held onto a beaded locket that hung around her neck; inside it was a picture of Rolam and her. She squeezed it tightly, letting out a teary smile.

All she had to redeem was sorrow throughout. The locket was the only memento left about her brother. Rolam being a cold dude, rarely took photos. Zyda felt like sinking in quicksand, for her only world and family were snatched away from her. She was all alone. She stared at the dancing ocean waves in thought; she swore to find her brother at all costs.

"I'm sorry sis. I didn't intend to make you suffer. But after this discovery I promise to return, " his soft inner voice commiserated.

Rolam heard her sister's calls and only responded silently. After making his last wish, he closed his eyes and left death to take its path. The howling winds combined with the ocean waves pushed his body towards the shores. His clothes became dank, and his face ashen; he was unconscious.

It was already night; the full moon shone like a rising sun. The night was calm; a swell of mangrove trees rooted on the shores marked an exit to a dark forest of enormous oak trees. The forest reeked of mud, and from afar was a squelching group of knights surveying the forest holding magical lamps, majestically riding mystic horses emerged on the shores.

They detected extra company around the ocean areas. Once at the shores, they immediately split up into haphazard groups in search of the abnormal energy. Another group of juveniles, clad in long navy blue robes and strange boots, which were known to be magic elites, stood at the front, directing the groove of knights. Being guardians of the realm, they were always steady and alert.

A pastel blue short-haired boy with colorless hazel orbs, a sizeable black serpent clinging to a sword marvelously carved on his shoulder, quickly shouted, "Rayene! Quick! Over here!" his face expressionless, gently pulled a body from the ocean.

The boy called Rayene reached the spot in a second. On the site lay an unconscious, injured body of Rolam, whom they didn't know. Rayene knelt beside the body, felt its pulse, and slightly frowned when he noticed that it was low; he briskly but gently placed his index finger on the body's nostril. Suddenly, a glowing blue light accompanied by streams of water oozed out of his mouth as he coughed vigorously.

Nonetheless, Rolam did not regain his consciousness. Meticulously staring at the reactions, Rayene gave a stern response, "Hylie! Let's take him to the infirmary. His situation is hazardous."

The pastel blue-haired boy called Hylie nodded affirmatively and signaled two knights to carry Rolam back to the castle.

Rolam discovered a strange book titled "The history of the magic realm" written in the big, bold golden letter. He found it in a cellar that he didn't know existed.

He came across a lot of strange ancient things. The book contained an old tattered, roughly sketched map with an X mark on an unknown location.

The desire to venture into the spot immediately filled him. He took the map leaving the book behind. Unknown to him was that the book reopened itself, radiating a blinding white light that later filled the cellar atmosphere with black mist.

The mist transformed into a giant serpent with dark pitch eyes that glinted behind Rolam's backside. The serpent showed indicated the black aura of a pure serpent shadow, and he was not aware. The snake's appearance was brief, for the mystic creature vanished into the open book. The book closed itself with a resounding bang.

Rolam flickered his eyes open and came face to face with a grey ceiling. He figured that it was an unfamiliar environment. He turned his head and glanced through a decent-sized closed window. It was still night with a full moon threatening to disappear into the clouds. The walls, too, were painted a similar color to that of the ceiling. To be precise, the whole castle was painted grey, thus earning the name grey castle.

A soft click on the door shifted Rolam's momentary delirium back to reality. It was Rayene at the door; he held a tray that carried a couple of hot dishes emanating strange, seemingly sweet aromas.

" Hey, feeling much better," Rayene asked in a rather friendly tone.

"Um. H-" Rolam's statement was interrupted when he saw a tray appearing in front of him with Rayene leaning at the doorway as though it was casual. Indeed Rolam was astonished, but he contained his excitement.

"What is this place?" Rolam silently murmured, his eyes glancing at the tray of strange dishes.

As if reading his thoughts, Rayene softly chuckled. "Welcome to Grey Castle." He replied, smiling, lazily crossing his arms on his chest.

"Huh!" Rolam gasped from his daze.

But suddenly, a sharp pain pierced Rolam's shoulder. It was as intense as the blade couldn't be ignored. To that end, Rolam let out a painful yell, "Ouch!"

His features marring concern, Rayene dashed towards him with lightning speed, "What is the wrong boy?"

"My chest is- Ahhhh!! ...it.....is.... ahh! my chest!..... "

A mound of large protruding veins black as obsidian appeared on his chest as the breastbone bulged, ribs contracted to make him shriek more excruciatingly.

"Holy kamoly! " Rayene yelped with his eyes comically wide in shock and surprise at the same time. He automatically cast a moon spell on him, but it instead stimulated the pain rather than sent him to sleep.

Rolam's orbs darkened like the night. This showed he was entering the cultivation stage. His was at the fourth stage of cultivation which was paranormal. This discovery astonished Rayene; all the spells that he cast on him were absorbed, making him more shocked.

Stepping back in disbelief, Rayene exclaimed, " Impossible, don't tell me he's a Serpent!"

Rayene pelted out of the room, searching for his master.

The Serpent shadows were ranked the second strongest aura after the elementalism. They performed three elements that appeared in black mist. Serpent shadows are categorized into pure and lesser shadow serpents. Pure serpent shadows go through cultivation to sustain energy. The lessers cultivate to level one only, but they depend on the absorbed black magic from the serpent shadows. Lesser serpent shadows were initially mundanes who were human.