The Nightmare Wizard
Chapter 86: Farewell (2)

Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Farewell (2)

William sat by the sea. The lapping of the waves seemed to draw his thoughts towards the horizon, where the sky began to tint orange. His body, still aching, remained motionless as his mind replayed the last few days over and over. Beside him, Lía rested on a makeshift wooden cot, wrapped in a thick white towel that barely managed to hide her soaked clothes. The air smelled of salt, ashes, and blood.

Gathering his strength, William asked Angel to show him the battle that had happened moments ago. A second later, the ethereal image of the battle appeared before his eyes. Multiple magical explosions shook the air, columns of fire ravaged entire ship decks, and bursts of mana pierced the hull like blades of pure energy. It was a terrifying spectacle; if he hadn’t been there himself, he wouldn’t have believed it. Also, seeing how the ship’s shield appeared just an instant before being reduced to dust by that fireball made his skin crawl.

"Shit..." he whispered, incredulous. "That would have killed us. We fell into the water at the exact right moment... If we had hit a wall, a railing, a mast... we’d be dead."

Lía suddenly stirred and sat up, as if waking from a bad dream. She looked around, confused, and was surprised to see William sitting beside her.

"William...? Are we alive?"

"Yes," he replied without looking at her, still engrossed in what he had seen. "Barely."

She swallowed, absorbing the response. Then she turned her face towards the sky, surprised that it was already dusk.

"What happened?"

William shifted his gaze to her and, after a second of hesitation, spoke in a serene tone:

"We were ambushed. Twelve mages. A carefully planned trap. Fortunately, we survived by a miracle, as the director arrived in time and stopped them...."

He gave no more details. There was no point in dwelling on the massacre or the decisions he had made. There would be time for that later.

The murmur of a group of people in the distance caught his attention. Firm voices were organizing the survivors. William stood up and extended his arm to help Lía.

"Come on. It looks like they’re gathering those who are left."

"Give me a second..." she murmured as she stood, adjusting the towel over her shoulders. "If someone offered me a hot bath and dry clothes, I think I’d marry him."

"First, we’d have to buy clothes. All our stuff is taking an eternal shower at the bottom of the sea," William replied with a tired smile.

They both walked in silence for a few seconds. Lía glanced at him, again and again, as if she needed to confirm he was still there. With each step, a certainty deepened in her chest: she hadn’t made many good decisions in her life, but being by William’s side was, without a doubt, the best of all. If she was alive, it was because of him. And if she had to stake her destiny, she would do it for him again and again.

As they approached the group, they heard a young man in a black robe with golden details shout in an energetic voice:

"Black Rock Academy aspirants, over here! Bloody Rose Academy aspirants, over there! Maintain order!"

"It’s here," William said, recognizing the name.

They both approached the apprentice who was guiding them.

"Welcome," the young mage said in an official tone. "Stand on this side. As soon as we finish settling the survivors, we’ll send you inside the academy."

William looked around him. Although the place seemed full, there were no more than a few hundred. Few, very few if he thought about the tens of thousands who had boarded the ship that distant morning. His chest tightened as he made the calculation. The sea had claimed almost everyone.

"Hey, monster!" a familiar voice shouted.

William turned his head. Dixon, Cedric, Theo, and Thom approached, bandaged from head to toe, looking more like mummies than warriors. Their steps were slow, but their smiles were wide. William let out a sincere laugh.

"Wow! You guys are tough to kill... you look like battle cockroaches."

"And you’re the king of cockroaches!" Dixon replied, bumping his bandaged fist against William’s.

Laughter resonated among them, attracting disapproving glances. Some muttered annoyed things: "how disrespectful," "there are dead people everywhere," "this is no time for jokes." But no one came closer to reprimand them. Everyone knew who William was. His fame was not a myth. He had proven it.

William looked down for a second and asked in a quieter voice:

"And the others? The boys?"

The four looked at each other. Cedric was the one who answered:

"They died... Only we remain."

William felt a hollow in his stomach. He closed his eyes for an instant, pressing his lips together, and let out a long, heavy sigh.

"And the girls?" Dixon asked, puzzled. "Weren’t they with you?"

William hesitated. Then he spoke, his voice firm but muted:

"Eldrin and Roderick... they raped and murdered them. Two Level 3 apprentices. It was... brutal. Kaela survived... barely. But during the attack, she flew off. I haven’t seen her again. I asked... but no one has seen her. Perhaps she too..."

He fell silent.

Sadness fell upon the group like a shroud. None knew what to say. Finally, they all sat on the ground, forming a circle amidst the chaos.

William took a deep breath. Then he raised his voice:

"We left that hell thinking we had survived the worst... but we were wrong. The worst was just beginning. There were seventeen of us. Now there are seven. But we are alive. And if we are alive, we can still move forward. Don’t let your guard down. What’s coming will be worse. But together... we can handle that and more."

His tone was that of someone who had understood the price of living two lives.

"We have to keep going... for them."

Everyone nodded. There were tears. There was rage. But also determination.

At that moment, William saw Captain Thenerev a few meters away, talking with Renno and some sailors.

"I’m going to say goodbye," he said, walking away from the group.

As he approached, the captain saw him and smiled, with that half-smile that didn’t hide his tiredness.

"Are you coming to cry on my shoulder, lad?"

"I came to say goodbye, Captain."

Thenerev let out a hoarse laugh.

"There’s no need for that between men. We’ll see each other soon. I was going to give you this earlier, but the battle delayed it."

He pulled out a small folded paper and handed it to him.

"When you receive your communication collar, enter these codes. That way you can contact me. If you need anything, whatever it is, call us. This ship will always have a place for one more brother... if you ever get tired of academies and castles."

Renno approached and hugged him tightly, almost crushing his ribs.

"We’re going to miss you, William. Don’t stop training. The next time we see each other... you’re going to be an even bigger monster."

"Renno’s right," Thenerev added. "A mage without mana is like a fish on a chopping board, so never neglect your body; it can save your ass more than once. Learn all you can. And live, damn it."

William looked at them, one by one. He wanted to say something... but he only nodded.