These were space stones.

When mana, aura, or mental energy flowed into them, they would release a "space wave."

Any other space stone within five thousand meters (16,404 feet) could detect it.

A space mage like me could read the space waves our stone sense and locate the other stones.

It would be useful once we entered the Cursed Spirit's domain since we'd likely be separated on arrival.

I put the stones into my inventory rune and prepared the next set of materials, and began chanting.

"Rathen suul o'vara, kethir nalun.

"Vaal'thir em suun, koren thae var.

"Zuerin tael — nax! — thal kirev.

"Sera, Veil'nu, Hara'thun."

A faint red light appeared, and a potion slowly formed in the air.

"Shadow, put it in a vial," I said.

My shadow detached from the ground, grabbed a glass vial, and caught the falling potion midair before it touched the floor.

Yuna tilted her head. "What's this potion, Lord of Shadows?"

"Heart-Burst Poison."

"…Poison?"

"Yes. It makes the heart beat so fast that it can break. Usually it's used for assassination, but it can also be used medically. If someone recently died because their heart stopped, this can restart it."

"O-Oh. So you want to use it as a medicine?" she asked carefully.

I didn't answer.

I hoped I wouldn't need this during our mission, but I still made this as a precaution. It was habit to be always prepared for all scenarios that could happen in future.

My shadow handed me the vial, and I stored it inside my inventory rune.

After finishing up, I activated a warp point to the Abandoned RAF Fauld Site near Burton-upon-Trent.

It was the closest warp point to my destination.

From there, I opened a series of small portals until I reached Castle Donington, Leicestershire.

Night had already settled.

A few people gave me strange looks as I walked down the road in my dark clothes, but I ignored them.

I stopped at a red phone booth, pulled out a coin, and inserted it into the slot.

Then I dialed the number Mira had given me.

…

Mira's POV

Everyone was resting in the small flat they had rented.

Mira's phone suddenly rang.

The number was unfamiliar, but she picked it up anyway.

"It's me, Alan," the voice said. "I'm currently at the phone booth near Castle Donington, Leicestershire."

"Did you have any trouble getting here?" Mira asked.

"No. Everything went smoothly," he replied.

"Alright. Wait there for a few minutes. We'll come to pick you up."

She hung up and looked around the room.

Selene and Lars were in the kitchen, cooking dinner.

Zephan sat in the living room, going through missing person reports.

Calliope was half-asleep on the couch, the TV flickering in front of her.

Ellyn and Denny were already out in Sheffield, scouting Street 51.

Selene poked her head out of the kitchen. "Who was it?"

"It was Alan. He's here. I'll go pick him up," Mira said.

Selene dried her hands with a towel. "Wait, I'll go instead. You stay here."

Mira hesitated but then nodded.

Things between her and Alan hadn't ended on the best terms last time.

It was probably better this way.

Selene washed her hands again, tied her hair back, and picked up her coat.

"I'll be back soon," she said, opening the door.

Then she stepped out into the night.

A few moments later, Lars came out of the kitchen wearing an apron.

He carried a large tray filled with plates of food.

"Everyone, dinner is ready!" he announced cheerfully.

Normally, everyone should've been asleep by now, but they had stayed up waiting for Alan.

While waiting, they got hungry, and Lars had offered to cook.

That led to this unexpected midnight dinner.

The food on the tray looked interesting.

It was small ball-shaped dishes, golden brown with bits of herbs and spices stuck to them.

A spicy smell filled the room, strong enough to make eyes water.

Zephan raised an eyebrow.

'This is from Northern Europe region.'

He didn't say anything else, but the thought crossed his mind.

If Lars was from that region, why was he here instead of going to the Asgardians for his Cursed Spirit hunter license?

Lars placed the plates on the table, smiling proudly.

"These are a specialty where I come from. Exorcists there call them Stamina Balls. They give quick energy and taste great too."

"Oh really? Since you're praising it so much, I call first dibs!" Mira grinned.

Before she could grab one, Zephan moved faster and snatched a plate.

She glared at him.

He smirked. "Whoever moves fastest gets the first dib."

Then he popped one into his mouth with a grin.

Lars chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Mira. There's plenty more."

But Mira didn't stop glaring at Zephan, who suddenly coughed.

His face turned red, and he waved his hand for water.

He took a big gulp, then looks at his plate for a few moments before looking at Mira.

"What?" she asked.

"It's good," he said, smiling pleasantly. "You should try it."

Something about the way he said it made Mira suspicious.

Zephan even nudged Calliope.

"Go on, you should eat too. It's really good."

Calliope blinked sleepily and reached for one.

Mira hesitated but finally picked up a plate under Lars's excited gaze.

The moment they took a bite, the heat hit them.

The flavor was good at first, but then the spice exploded, burning their mouths and throats.

Mira instantly understood why Zephan had been smiling.

She grabbed a glass of water and chugged it down while waving her hand for another.

Calliope did the same, eyes wide and watery.

After two glasses, Mira could finally breathe again.

"So?" Lars asked, smiling brightly. "How is it?"

Mira opened her mouth to speak, but Calliope blurted, "I-It's good!"

Mira stared at her.

Good?

This thing?

You are trembling while saying it's good!

Calliope looked ready to cry from the spiciness.

Mira wanted to say the truth, but when she saw Lars's hopeful smile, even she decided to stay silent.

"It's… good," she said with a forced smile.

Zephan stood up. "I'm full. I'll eat the rest while I work."

He took his plate and left the room.

Mira had a strong feeling he was going to throw it away the moment he got the chance.

Unfortunately, Mira and Calliope still had to eat in front of Lars, who was happily chewing and nodding to himself.

"This is really good," Lars said.

Mira stared at her plate, terrified of eating another piece.

Calliope swallowed her tears and kept eating out of politeness.

Just then, the door opened, and Alan and Selene walked in.

"You're here!" Mira stood up immediately, using the chance to escape. "Why were you so late? Come here, eat with us."

She hurriedly brought Selene and Alan to the table.

Alan nodded in greeting, while Selene looked at the food curiously.

"Mira, you can eat from my plate," Mira offered quickly.

Selene frowned slightly. "Since when do you share your food?"

"Uh, I'm full already," Mira said, laughing awkwardly.

Selene narrowed her eyes.

This glutton was sharing food?

"Just eat it!" Mira said.

Selene finally nodded and took a bite. "It's good. Are you sure you don't want more?"

"U-uh? I'm good. I'm full already," answered Mira with a stutter.

She had been expecting Selene to react too, but Selene was eating normally as if the food actually tasted good to her.

Then, everyone looked at Alan.

"You should try it. It's quite good," Selene said.

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