The Thorned Watchers'

The shadows of the evening were lengthening when Three returned. His face was drawn, the weight of his investigation evident in his gaze.

"Master," Three began, his voice reverberating through the silent room, "I have news."

"Speak, Three," Finis said. His heart was pounding in his chest, his pulse quickening at the prospect of information about One.

"The place where One was last seen, it...it was in disarray, as if a struggle had occurred," Three reported, his voice steady despite the gravity of his words. "I found this at the scene," he continued, pulling out a small object from his cloak and placing it on the table before them.

Finis reached out, his hand closing around the object. It was a small amulet, one that One always wore. He recognized it instantly. This wasn't good. One would never have left his amulet willingly. A deep sense of dread descended upon him, his stomach knotting in response. But he could not, would not, allow his fear to consume him. Not yet. Not while there was still hope.

"Did you find anything else, Three?" he asked, his voice strained.

"No, Master," Three answered, his gaze steady on Finis. "But I have news on Two. He has woken."

A momentary relief washed over Finis. At least there was some good news. He needed to see Two. He needed to know if Two had any information about One.

"Take me to him, Three," Finis commanded, rising from his seat. His muscles protested, the strain of his rapid ascent through the magical orders making its presence known. But he dismissed the discomfort, his concern for One far outweighing his physical pain.

Three led him down the silent corridors to the infirmary. As they walked, Finis felt a strange quietness envelop him, a stillness that seemed to permeate the ancient walls. He had no idea what lay ahead, what secrets were yet to be uncovered, or what dangers they were yet to face. All he knew was that he had to find One. He had to ensure his friend's safety.

As he stepped into the infirmary, the sight of Two lying on the bed sent a pang of concern through him. The usually vibrant shadow seemed pale and weak. But his eyes were open, a flicker of his usual spirit dancing in their depths.

"Two," Finis greeted him, moving to sit beside his bed. "How are you feeling?"

Two managed a weak smile. "Better now, Master," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Finis felt a lump in his throat. He needed to know what happened, but he didn't want to push Two. His friend's health was important. But time was ticking away, and with each passing moment, One was out there, alone and possibly in danger. He had to ask.

"Two, can you tell me what happened?" he asked gently, his eyes never leaving his friend's face.

Two's gaze flickered, a shadow of unease crossing his features. But he nodded, taking a deep breath before he began his tale.

As Finis listened to Two's narrative, the shadows in the room deepened, as if tuning into their shared tension. His ancient mind, a colossal engine honed by the ages, was already running through scenarios, potential countermeasures. His gaze, dark and sharp, never left Two's face.

"I stumbled upon a group while I was investigating," Two began, his voice shaky but determined. "They were unusual, secretive... different."

Different was a dangerous word in their world, and it made Finis's senses snap to alertness. He watched Two closely, waiting for him to continue.

"They wore robes, their faces shrouded, speaking in low hushed tones," Two continued. "I tried to blend into the shadows, to listen, to understand what they were doing. But they...they saw me, Master."

A chill ran down Finis's spine, a shadow of dread nipping at the fringes of his thoughts. But he kept his emotions hidden, focusing on Two.

"They attacked me. They were strong, stronger than any normal human should be. It was as if they... they had some power, some strange magic I hadn't seen before," Two explained, his voice growing weaker with each word. "And One...One was trying to fight them off, but they overpowered him. I watched as they...they took him away."

Finis remained silent, the weight of Two's words pressing down on him. He felt a surge of anger boil within him, mingling with worry. One was in danger, and he was here, powerless to help.

"Where did they take him, Two?" Finis asked, his voice dangerously calm.

"I... I don't know, Master," Two replied, his eyes glistening with guilt. "They disappeared...into the darkness."

"Into the darkness..." Finis mused aloud, his gaze distant. He knew what he had to do. He had to find One, bring him back safe. He also had to discover the identity of this group and the source of their strange power.

"You've done well, Two," Finis finally said, forcing a reassuring smile onto his face. "Now rest. I will find One."

Just as Finis was about to depart, Two's voice once again broke the heavy silence that hung in the room. "Master," he called weakly, "there was something else."

Finis turned around, curiosity lacing his aged features. "What is it, Two?"

"They... they all wore the same necklace. A strange symbol," Two hesitated, closing his eyes as if trying to remember. "It looked like... an eye, encircled by thorns."

The ancient one's heart tightened at the description. An eye, encircled by thorns. An emblem he was all too familiar with, an insignia that carried with it a litany of old memories, each more ominous than the last.

Suddenly, the shadows seemed a bit denser, a touch colder, as if echoing the dread that gripped Finis's heart. He felt their silent presence beside him, their unfathomable depths concealing secrets and truths of their own. But for all their mystery, they were his allies, his silent guides in the unending chessboard of life. Now, they bore silent witness to his internal struggle, his mind wrestling with the implications of this new revelation.

With a deep breath, Finis nodded at Two. "Noted."

As he walked away, his mind raced, and a single name throbbed within his thoughts - a name he had not thought of in centuries, a name linked to the eye encircled by thorns. But the mere prospect seemed impossible, for the entity that bore this emblem belonged to the shadows of the past, buried deep within the annals of forgotten history.

But as he wandered into the night, the shadows trailing in his wake, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. The symbol, the mysterious group, One's abduction - all seemed to be pieces of a sinister puzzle. And he, Finis, the ancient chess player, had been thrown into the centre of this deadly game.

But he would not falter. He would not falter, for he was the mountain against which the fiercest winds of fate could not prevail. He had been betrayed, deceived, but he had endured. He had stood tall amidst the ravages of time, his faith in his allies unwavering, his thirst for retribution undying.

Yes, he would find One. He would uncover the truth behind this symbol. And if this emblem did belong to whom he thought it did, if this was a war they wanted, then a war they would get. He, Finis, the ancient one, would ensure that his vengeance would be a debt paid in full.

And so, under the cold gaze of the moon, Finis set out, a silent oath resounding in his heart, a promise that echoed into the silent night. A storm was coming, and he would meet it head on, for the shadows were his allies, and he was their master.

His game had begun, and he would not stop until he had checkmated his unseen enemy. He was Finis, the undying, the unyielding, the unstoppable. And he would not be defeated.

In the gloaming of his personal study, Finis ruminated, parsing through the cryptic words Anzur's journal resurfaced from the sea of past. His fingertips traced the indecipherable glyphs, as if seeking forgotten meanings, a secret perhaps concealed in their arcane curves.

Suddenly, the veil of shadows at the corner of the room quivered, as if responding to a silent summon. Three materialized from the murk, the darkness peeling off his form as he moved towards Finis.

"Master," Three began, a visible ripple of urgency playing in his spectral voice. "I'm at your command."

This bit of information seemed to slice through Finis's aloof demeanor. His eyes finally broke contact with the journal, sweeping over to Two. The ensign of The Thorned Watchers was unmistakable; a crude symbol carved onto a trinket that had been left on Two.

"Yes," Finis murmured, his fingers closing around the odd symbol, "I remember them...from long ago."

"I was there," Finis started, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smirk, "the time the kingdoms shattered like glass and I fought against them. They called themselves 'The Thorned Watchers'."

His eyes, lost in the abyss of time, flickered with a darkness that seemed more potent than the shadows encasing the room. The ageless being relived memories cloaked in dust and obscurity. His voice, steady as ever, echoed through the stone-cold walls of the study, painting a vivid picture of forgotten battles and clandestine encounters.

"I remember their leader...a man of terrifying presence, and a cryptic phrase he muttered before we parted ways," he continued, his tone eerily reminiscent of a seer recounting prophetic dreams. "He spoke of power, a power that slumbers in the heart of the world, shrouded by an insurmountable danger."

His memory spun an image of the past, echoing through the chambers of time. "Only the purest of magic can stir the slumbering beast, he had claimed."

In the soft glow of the candles, Finis' face hardened. The old words carried a portentous weight. The room bristled with energy, the shadows eagerly waiting for their next command. He beckoned Three closer.

"We must find this place of forbidden power. Gather every record, every rumor, every tale of the places not dared to be tread. We must find One before it's too late."

Beneath the towering arches of the vast library, Three poured over ancient tomes, maps, and scrolls, his fingers skimming over the musty, timeworn pages with a frenzied urgency. He meticulously compiled a list of places that fit Finis' criteria. Dangerous terrains, mystical anomalies, places shrouded in lore and mystery.

"Their leader," Finis began, "I remember our meeting. He spoke of power hidden within a dangerous heart of the world, a power only awoken by the purest of magic. We must tread carefully, for we are stepping into territory that even I, in my long years, have seldom trod."

His words sent an eerie silence across the room. The shadows seemed to shudder with the intensity of his revelation, their edges fluttering like nervous moths around a flame.

With an uncharacteristic sense of urgency, Finis called upon Three, his voice echoing in the silent room. "Three, I need the list. Now."

Three returned posthaste, his hands trembling with a list of places etched in a hastily scrawled script. Each location was a nameless nightmare, a danger lurking in the world's forgotten crevices. Many were places where even the bravest dared not tread.

Finis studied the list, his eyes narrowing as he contemplated the prospects. It was a grim catalog of danger zones, but the challenge didn't sway him. He was resolved in his pursuit of justice, driven by an unwavering conviction.

"I remember," Finis muttered under his breath, his eyes fixed on the parchment. The echo of the past had guided him towards a possible lead. "The leader of the group with the symbol, he had mentioned the 'power of purity in the most dangerous of hearts'. These places, where magic in its purest form is a necessity, might just be our answer."

In his mind's eye, Finis saw the leader again. His cryptic words echoed ominously, "Power lies in places where the weak fear to tread. The purer the heart, the more dangerous the journey."

His heart pounded with a new realization. The phrase was not a metaphor, but a literal pointer. The key to the whereabouts of the mysterious group, and possibly One, could be in these uncharted, perilous areas.

"Look for the most treacherous place on this list," Finis commanded Three. "A place where one would need the purest form of magic to survive. That's where we'll find them."

The shadows seemed to quiver in anticipation, the suspense of the impending search tangible in the room's heavy silence. Time felt distorted, like a nightmarish dream where every second trickled with agonizing slowness. But in this quest, Finis had no room for delay. He was the embodiment of relentless determination, his resolve unyielding as the ancient stone upon which the academy stood.

In this maze of treachery and mystery, he had found his path. And he was prepared to tread it, regardless of the danger that lay in wait.