Evolution begins with an ant colony

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in as Thorne hung suspended, held by shadows and stripped of his power.

Thorne spat at Akun, but a shadow barrier blocked it, leaving Thorne defeated and defiant. "Do it, then. Kill me."

Akun considered him for a moment, then leaned in close. "Your death would be too merciful. I want you to live with the knowledge that you failed, that your goddess is a liar and a traitor."

With a wave of his hand, the shadows released Thorne, dropping him to the ground. Thorne gasped for breath, glaring up at Akun. "This isn't over," he growled. Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire

Akun turned, gazing at him fim the corner of his eyes. "It never is. Now, run back to your goddess and give her a message: I'm coming. But I'm busy at the moment, so she shouldn't rush me. I'll make sure to ease the weight of her head from her shoulders soon enough."

Thorne scrambled to his feet, casting one last look of hatred at Akun before fleeing into the night. Akun watched him go, the shadows receding over him as he did.

Akun then let out a sigh, brushing the dust from his cloak. "Now all that's left is to find out where the hell I am," he said to himself, looking around the unfamiliar surroundings for any clues.

…

Genreia folded her arms, her gaze fixed on the spot where Akun had stood before his sudden disappearance. Her expression was a mix of concentration and concern as she tried to make sense of the situation.

"I can sense residual mana patterns," Genreia said, breaking the silence. "It feels like he was teleported."

Azara's eyes widened in panic. "Teleported? Teleported to where?"

Hestria quickly placed a calming hand on Azara's shoulder. "Azara, breathe. We need to stay calm and think this through."

Tatillia, who had been listening quietly, shook her head in disbelief. "I find that hard to believe. Master is incredibly strong. Magic nullification should be easy for him. Remember what he did back at the arena during the tournament?"

Genreia nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Indeed, but this magic has traces of holy power. Perhaps a god was involved, or at least their followers. Master is one step away from godhood himself. It's possible that a god sees him as a threat."

Azara's face paled further. "Are you saying we might never see him again? That... he could be gone? Forever?"

Genreia softened her tone, trying to reassure her. "I never said that. Look, Lady Azara, I understand you're worried. We all are. But panicking won't help us solve this problem. What I mentioned are merely speculations. If we want to confirm anything, I'll need time to properly analyze these mana patterns. While I do that, you three can continue searching for him in the streets."

Hestria let out a sigh, nodding in agreement. "Understood. We'll keep looking. Let's not lose hope yet."

With that, Tatillia, Hestria, and Azara turned and continued their search across the streets, determination etched on their faces. Genreia watched them leave, letting out a sigh as she turned her gaze to the ground. She murmured softly, "I hope you are alright, my lord."

...

As Hestria, Tatillia, and Azara made their way down an alleyway, Hestria noticed Azara chanting in a strange language. The words were unfamiliar, carrying an otherworldly cadence that piqued her curiosity.

Hestria was about to ask what Azara was doing when Tatillia gently pulled her aside, whispering, "Hush."

Confused, Hestria whispered back, "What is it?"

Tatillia explained, "Azara is casting a spell to increase our luck. It's a specialty of shamans."

Hestria's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Wait, there's really a spell for something like luck?"

Tatillia chuckled softly. "You'd be surprised at the sorts of spells shamans pride themselves on. Luck, fortune, even finding lost things. It's all part of their mystical repertoire."

Hestria nodded, intrigued. The world of magic was vast and varied, and she realized there was still so much she didn't know about the different kinds of magic users and their abilities. The thought gave her a bit of hope; perhaps this spell would help them find Akun faster.

Azara finished the chanting, and a strange golden light momentarily surrounded them before vanishing. She opened her eyes and said, "That should do it."

Hestria, looking around, commented, "I don't feel any different."

Tatillia pulled out a coin and handed it to her with a playful smile. "Flip this. It'll land on whatever you want it to."

Skeptical, Hestria said, "Alright, heads then." She flipped the coin into the air, watching as it spun and then landed back in her palm, showing heads.

"It really works?" Hestria asked, her eyes wide with amazement.

Tatillia grinned. "See? Told you."

Still not entirely convinced, Hestria said, "No, it could have been chance. Just to be sure, I'll try again." She was about to flip the coin once more when Azara called out to both of them.

"Ummm, Hestria, Tatilia…"

"What is it?" they both asked, momentarily stopping the coin toss to look at her.

"Look." Azara pointed down the alley, her voice filled with urgency.

Tatillia and Hestria turned to see what she was pointing at. There, at the end of the alleyway, a swirling purple portal had appeared. Its purple glow cast an otherworldly light on the surrounding walls, and the air around it seemed to shimmer with magical energy.

The sight sent a shiver down Hestria's spine, and the three women exchanged wary glances, wondering what lay on the other side of that ominous gateway.

Before they could question what the portal was, a hooded figure stepped out from it, the portal closing silently behind them. The alley seemed to grow colder, the air thickening with unspoken tension.

The three of them instantly tensed up, their senses on high alert. Hestria reached for her sword, her hand gripping the hilt as she instantly pulled it with ease.

Magic circles had already appeared on Azara's fingertips, glowing brightly, prepared for any threat.

Tatillia narrowed her eyes, her stance calm but ready. Golden mana slowly emanated from her body, a small but powerful presence that indicated her readiness to act.

She fixed her gaze on the hooded figure and spoke in a measured tone, "Who are you?"