Ascension Of The Failed Mage

"What's this?" Ciara muttered while taking a closer look.

As she moved the chair backward, Ciara tilted her body downward and put her face closer to the somewhat crimson seal that she saw.

It resembled a magic circle, having certain runic language that was a little too small for Ciara to decipher.

Still, the circle had caught her interest. Ciara decided to investigate further while she waited for Richard's return.

Pushing the chair completely out of the way, Ciara knelt and drew even closer to the magic circle, while trying to examine the rune.

"Ah, it's no use. I can't see it clearly without magic."

Ciara decided to ease her burdens by chanting a simple Tier 1 magnification spell. This would make the entire thing much larger in her eyes, like a Convex lens.

"[Magnify]" She chanted.

Instantly, a white glow appeared from her location, pitting the spell into effect. However, at the same time, the unexpected happened.

The magic circle which lay dormant before suddenly emitted a strange surge of energy.

Red crackles of electricity sparked, and a crimson light dominated a few meters from it.

Unfortunately for Ciara, she was within range of the circle's effect, causing her to get affected by its power.

"Wha-what is...?!"

Before she finished her statement, Ciara felt like she was being pulled and all her senses became warped.

Her vision blurred, and it appeared everything was a mess for a moment. Suddenly, the red light glowed even brighter, enveloping her entirely.

All of this occurred within a second, and as the light ceased, the magic circle returned to its dormant state.

However, unlike how it was before... Ciara was nowhere to be found in the office!

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"U-Uh...?!"

Ciara's head buzzed. She was a little disoriented, not to mention nauseated due to the experience she just had.

"Where... am I?"

Looking around her, while her head was still fuzzy, Ciara could only see black rocks and nothing else. It was a miracle she could even see since the entire place was shrouded in darkness, save for the little ores that appeared to glow slightly around her.

The smell of the air around felt musty, and Ciara was cold due to the freezing temperature. She had no idea what was happening or where she was, but slowly, she regained her full composure.

'I was... at Richard's office just now, wasn't I?' She asked herself in a daze.

While she was still attempting to pull herself together, Ciara's suddenly caught something.

Or rather... Two things!

Her eyes bulged, but she quickly covered her mouth to keep herself from making any gasping sounds or gathering the attention of whatever she was seeing.

Two figures stood in the darkness, some distance from where she appeared. One of them wore an extremely dark robe that covered their entire body. Not even their face or arms could be seen in the large overall.

The second person was more exposed. She couldn't see their face properly, but something about the stature felt familiar.

"What's going on...?" She whispered, drawing her face closer to the apparitions she witnessed.

They seemed to be in discourse, but she couldn't quite make out what they said. From their appearances, the location, and the strangeness of the whole thing, Ciara was certain they weren't the good guys.

"Who are they? What are they talking about?"

Ciara had an idea of what to do. It was a risky venture, but so was just staying in the dark waiting for the suspicious men to conclude whatever business they had.

"I have to... let's do this!"

Ciara closed her eyes and focused on the circulation of her magic. She didn't want her spell to be made obvious by those present so she had to use a Technique Noir taught her to suppress the glow of activation.

Plus, with the need to use silent casting, Ciara needed her maximum focus.

'[Stealthy Casting]. [Super Hearing]. [Focus].'

By the time Ciara was done, she opened her eyes and felt much better. The foggy feeling in her head had dissipated entirely, and her attention rate had increased.

Plus, with the special technique she used, she avoided any glowing light. Had she not done that, she would have been exposed by her spells in such a dark place.

"... So you say, but are you certain they won't suspect a thing?" A deep voice suddenly shook Ciara, causing her skin to tremble.

Sweat poured from her skin as she took slow, deep breaths to avoid an outburst of panic. She didn't know why the mere sound of a person speaking would send such an intimidating aura to her, but Ciara was nearly petrified by the sound nonetheless.

Ciara's eyes caught the owner of the voice, and it was none other than the man shrouded in the dark coat.

"Oi oi, don't you trust me?" The voice of the second figure said in a whiny fashion that seemed to somewhat dim the pressure that Ciara had.

"You're right. I don't. You're sloppy, careless, playful... and most of all, you're weak!" The dark-robed man responded.

"Heyy, that's to you. I'm pretty sure I'm one of the strongest guys around. Heck, I could pass for a lecturer here easily, so won't you cut me some slack?" The second man answered.

"True. You are useful in some ways. Just don't let it get in your head. This isn't just some game. That girl, Ciara De Versacee... she must be retrieved..."

As soon as she heard this, Ciara's head pounded and her heart began to beat at a rapid rate.

'Me? What do they want with me?!' Her mind rang.

"I've got it covered. After all, she doesn't suspect anything. I thought after giving my report, you'd understand by now. To her, I'm nothing more than the sweet guy she loves and respects... her teacher and friend."

Ciara's body throbbed even more while her eyes widened.

'No... it can't be. It can't be. No way!'

Her mind raced, her heart ached, and her thoughts simply couldn't bear it—the unbelievable secret she had just heard!