Dark Magus Returns

"Wait!" Alba exclaimed, her voice cutting through the tense air.

The members of the Crimson Crane, a nomadic group known for their resilience and cunning, were poised to defend their leader, Alba. Their loyalty was unwavering, especially after the recent assault that had almost taken her down. Yet, at her command, they halted, their weapons still drawn but their movements frozen.

"Don't you remember, the two of us met before?" Alba asked the woman standing opposite her.

As the adversaries stood closer together, Alba's memory sharpened. She recalled the woman's distinct temperament from a previous encounter. It was during a visit to the Lethal Bite Clan with Rayna in an effort to locate Raze. This woman had been at Raze's side then, and here she was again, seemingly aligned with him.

"Of course, I remember who you are and know who all of you are," Anna replied with a cold, dismissive tone. "You are members of the Crimson Crane, a wandering group that is infamous merely because you are wanderers. If you weren't wanderers and part of a regular clan, then you wouldn't even be a name worth remembering."

"What did you say!" Lily exclaimed, her eyes narrowing and her grip tightening on her spear. She was visibly agitated, her body tense and ready to strike at any moment.

Alba's query to the woman wasn't just about recognition; it was driven by curiosity and concern about why she had been in Raze's company all this time. The underlying dynamics of their relationship were unclear, and the recent confrontation had only deepened the mystery, especially since Alba hadn't felt any Qi during the attack.

"You know that Raze is a member of the Crimson Crane, that he is part of our group," Alba continued, her tone even but firm. "And you are with him all the time. It's curious to know why you are with him?"

Anna's connection to Raze was deeper than Alba had known. Unbeknownst to Anna, Raze was also known as the Dark Magus within the Crimson Crane, a fact that had eluded her despite their association.

Anna struggled with the revelations about Raze. He was a man who seemed to lead multiple lives, existing in different areas and factions, which now included being a part of Alter, a mysterious and powerful organization.

"Raze is a colleague of mine. He told me to gather crystals from the portal, which I have done, so I'm here to give them to him," Anna finally answered, providing a piece of the puzzle yet leaving much unsaid.

Anna sensed the imminent threat from Lily and the rest of the group. Although she was capable of defending herself against a few middle-stage warriors, facing the entire group was a different challenge, and she chose to restrain her aggressive posture.

"Now it makes sense, she was in the other dimension!" Reno exclaimed, snapping his fingers as a realization hit him. "That's why she didn't get the message."

The air was thick with tension and unsaid words. Alba and Anna locked eyes, each searching for truth in the depths of the other's gaze.

"You know that's not what I meant. What's the relationship between you and Raze?" Alba pressed further. "If we're working together, don't you think it should be something we both know?"

Anna hesitated, caught off-guard by the direct question. Discussing her ties to Raze and Alter was not something she was permitted to do, and the lack of a coordinated story between her and Raze made her even more cautious.

The sudden arrival of Fixteen disrupted the standoff. Accompanied by Rayna, his presence added a new layer to the dynamic. Fixteen looked from one face to another, sensing the charged atmosphere.

"What are you all doing out here?" he inquired, his tone a mix of curiosity and admonition. "You all should know that Raze told everyone not to disturb him, and I guess that includes having large conversations just outside his door."

Rayna chimed in, her voice firm yet conciliatory. "All of you should do what you can to help the city. For now, I have decided that I will stay on standby in front of the building, to make sure no one enters or causes a disturbance."

With Rayna's words, the group felt a silent order. Being Raze's wife, her directives carried weight, almost as if she spoke with the authority of a queen.

The group reluctantly began to disperse, their curiosity unsated and their concerns about Anna and Raze's relationship lingering in the air. They glanced back at the door, each one pondering the secrets it concealed behind its silent façade.

-----

Inside, Raze had made a number of preparations. For one, he had been making better Mana restoring pills out of higher-tier crystals.

The Dark Spirit form used up a lot of Mana, and he needed it if he was to go exploring around in Alterian as well.

Last time, it was a close call with everything that happened, and Raze didn't want to go through the pain again.

Still, he had also prepared one Cursed Mana restoring pill, just in case, and didn't even want to place a second one in the formation.

The large headache that he had experienced was causing his hand to shake even while putting the thing down, and in the end, he decided against it.

'It's okay, if my spirit form dissipates it should be fine. I'll let Alterian deal with the mystery instead of having that effect on me again,' Raze thought.

'Besides, I don't plan on entering such dangerous places where I will get into a fight again.'

There were a lot of crystals, Qi pills, and magic circles drawn all over the place, and Raze was pleased that he had knocked down the walls to create such a space.

'I've done this in the cave multiple times before, but now that I'm here I need to start creating safe places in my own territory.' Raze took a deep breath as he sat cross-legged on the floor.

'Let's start the meeting of the Dark Guild.'

The light lit up from underneath, and Raze was returning to Alterian.