Everyone rushed to him. Kaelra reached out, with Seris and Mirelle protecting him.
After a moment, Felix opened his eyes. The royal coach, the queen, and the girl were gone. Only the three mages remained, their faces showing a mix of worry and relief.
"You awake, kid?" Kaelra asked, her voice softer than usual.
"You scared us," Seris added.
Mirelle knelt beside him. "I think you overdid it with your mana… but good job. We caught the bandits."
Kaelra narrowed her eyes. "Now we can ask them where their hideout is."
The bandits, half-beaten and cowering, tried to talk.
"One… stop! I'll tell you… just don't kill me…"
Kaelra smirked, fire flickering in her hands. "Talk fast. Where is your hideout?"
The bandit swallowed hard. "B… behind a waterfall… near the edge of the river…"
"Got it," Felix said firmly, standing up. He paused, looking toward the trees. "Before we move… what about the queen and her daughter?"
Mirelle shook her head. "They were in a hurry. They left early, heading away from here."
Felix nodded. "Okay… let's go. It's time to finish this mission."
The mountain air was thick with dust and smoke from their battle, but Felix's determination burned brighter than ever. The journey to the bandits' hideout—and the truth behind the waterfall—had just begun.
"Wait… isn't this where we started?" Felix asked, glancing at the waterfall.
Kaelra squinted. "You're right. It is."
"Then… let's go inside," Felix said, then paused. "But how? Behind the waterfall… how do we get in?"
He studied the cascade closely. Water thundered down, mist swirled around the rocks, and the sound was deafening. After a moment, he said:
"Earth Creation."
A chunk of rock rose from the base of the waterfall, splitting the flow. The water shifted, crashing harmlessly to the side. A narrow path behind the falling water became visible.
Kaelra raised an eyebrow. "Clever…"
"Now use ice magic," Felix instructed.
Mirelle nodded, concentrating. She whispered the incantation:
"FREEZE."
The roaring water stopped immediately, solidifying into a thick sheet of ice. The path behind it was now clear, the spray frozen in mid-air, sparkling in the sunlight.
Felix looked back at the girls. "Shall we go inside?"
Kaelra smirked, a rare smile on her lips. "Sharp mind for someone only five years old. Let's move—before they realize we're here."
The three mages and Felix carefully slipped behind the frozen waterfall, stepping into the shadowy opening beyond. The mist hung heavy, and the sound of frozen water echoed eerily around them. The mission was far from over.
The air inside was cold and damp. Sunlight filtered through ice shards, casting jagged patterns across the rocky cavern. Faint voices echoed deeper inside.
Felix crouched, scanning the shadows. "There's at least a dozen of them," he whispered.
Kaelra's fiery eyes sparkled. "Good. Let's see what they're made of."
Seris adjusted her stance. "Stay sharp. They might have traps."
Mirelle nodded, icy strands curling around her staff like snakes ready to strike.
Felix moved first, his boots finding grip on the jagged stone without a sound. Below them, the bandits' hideout pulsed like a wounded beast—fires flickered, shadows shifted, careless voices drifted through the dark. His crimson eyes took in every movement: patrol rotations, blind spots, the slight pause before a sentry turned. Nothing escaped him.
He suddenly stopped and raised a clenched fist. A thin tripwire glinted faintly across a narrow path, stretched at ankle height—simple, crude, deadly.
"Earth Creation," Felix murmured.
The ground responded. Stone pillars shot upward in silent obedience, lifting the wire cleanly off the path. The tension snapped, and the wire recoiled into the rock ceiling with a dull thud. No alarm. No sound. Another trap neutralized.
They advanced.
Near the frozen waterfall, two guards stamped against the cold, breath fogging in the air. One laughed softly, unaware that death— or mercy—was already measured.
Felix whispered, "Wind Gale."
The air howled and twisted. A compressed blast slammed into the men, throwing them backward. Their bodies hit the icy wall with bone-rattling force before collapsing into the snow. They groaned, dazed, eyes unfocused—but alive. Felix did not look back.
Kaelra stepped forward. Fire ignited in her palm—a small, controlled flame, barely more than a heartbeat of light. It revealed a trapdoor hidden beneath frost and debris, edges smoothed by frequent use. She extinguished the flame immediately.
Still no alarm. Still no screams. The path was clear.
Felix moved again, leading them forward as shadows enveloped their forms. One by one, they slipped past the outer defenses, descending deeper into the hideout—where the real danger waited, unaware that it had already been breached.
Inside, bandits noticed movement. One shouted, raising a sword.
"Attack!"
Felix darted forward, faster than the eye could follow. Two bandits lunged at him. He vanished behind one, the first barely able to parry.
"Earth Creation!" Felix shouted, summoning a spike of rock from the floor. The bandit stumbled as dust blinded him. A precise strike from Felix's sword—or so it seemed—left him incapacitated.
The second bandit swung wildly. Felix punched him in the chest.
"Wind Impact!"
The force sent him flying into a wall, knocked out cold.
Kaelra spun into the fray. "Flame Bind!"
Chains of fire erupted from the floor, latching onto two bandits and pinning them against the stone walls. They struggled, scorched but alive.
Mirelle's icy threads shot forward, wrapping another bandit's legs, freezing him mid-strike.
Seris weaved between foes, electricity arcing from her fingertips.
"Thunder Whisper!"
The remaining bandits convulsed as lightning struck, forcing them to their knees.
Felix's red eyes glowed. "Two down, four more. Let's finish this."
He vanished, reappearing behind one bandit. A quick kick sent him crashing into a stone pillar.
Kaelra hurled a controlled fireball, forcing another into the ice wall.
Mirelle froze the ground beneath two more, sending them sliding helplessly into a corner.
Seris struck lightning at the last, disarming him before he could react.
Felix grabbed a fallen sword, spinning into a low stance. Earth and Wind combined: dust blinded his foes while precision strikes incapacitated them. Every move flowed seamlessly—calculated and efficient.
"Wind Gale!" he shouted. The remaining bandits lost their footing, colliding with each other.
Kaelra snapped her fingers. Fire erupted beneath their knees, forcing them down.
Mirelle froze the floor behind them, cutting off their escape.
Seris delivered the final bolt of lightning to disarm the last bandit, who collapsed unconscious.
The hideout fell silent.
Felix landed lightly, his chest rising and falling, dust clinging to his white hair. His red eyes glowed faintly.
Kaelra smirked, brushing soot from her sleeve. "I have to admit… for a five-year-old, you're terrifying."
Seris laughed softly. "Terrifyingly precise."
Mirelle knelt, tracing frost patterns on the floor with her fingers. "…And smart. You anticipated everything."
Felix looked around. "Now… let's see where their leader went. There has to be more."
The girls shared a glance—this mission was far from over. Felix was not just a child. He was a force.
Deep in the shadows, the leader stood with twin swords ready. His eyes scanned the group: Felix first, then Kaelra, Mirelle, and Seris. A low, cruel laugh echoed.
"After I deal with that boy," he hissed, "I'll make all three of you regret standing in my way."
Felix's crimson eyes sharpened. "Before that," he shouted, "you have to get through me!"
The cavern shook as the leader's veteran swords clashed with Felix's blades. He moved like water, each step precise, every swing calculated. Wind magic wrapped around his feet, making him faster than any normal fighter. One sword lifted with strength magic while the other spun, slicing in a deadly arc. Sparks flew against stone.
The leader's eyes narrowed. He had faced dangerous warriors before—but none like this. His lips twisted in a grim smile. "A boy… and yet, he commands three mages like generals."
From the shadows, Kaelra's fiery chains shot out, wrapping around his legs. Flames hissed, scorching stone. Mirelle chanted as frost threads spread across the floor, slowing him down. Jagged lightning from Seris struck randomly, forcing him to split his focus.
Felix's twin blades danced. One blocked a downward swing while the other cut through rubble, sending the leader stumbling. He vanished, reappeared behind him, striking with both blades. Wind Impact sent him sprawling.
The cavern was chaos. Fire, ice, lightning, wind, dust, and sparks filled the air. Felix grinned, blades glowing with magic. "Time to finish this lesson," he said calmly.
The girls joined him, matching spells with every move. Fire, ice, lightning—each attack flowed together, making the leader defend on all sides. Sparks flew, ice cracked, and flames hissed. The cavern shook. His eyes widened—too late to realize: he wasn't facing just a kid. He was facing a twin-blade master, backed by three powerful mages.
"Hey, look—slaves!" one of the girls pointed.
Felix and the group helped the captives to their feet. Dust floated in the air, and smoke from burnt wood lingered.
"Let's go," Felix said, watching everyone. They moved through the forest paths, rescued people following. The girls' magic hummed faintly, ready if anything tried to attack again.
At the mage tower, stone spires rose like guardians. Lucien waited, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
"Back already?" he asked, a small smirk tugging at his lips as he surveyed Felix and the girls.
"We did it," Felix said, a little tired but proud. "Everyone's safe."
Lucien nodded slowly. "Good. Full report on the mission. Then… training continues." He glanced at Felix. "You've got potential. Don't let it go to waste."
Felix exchanged a grin with the girls. They were just getting started.