In the grand hall of the United Nations palace, "Lord Marcus, what should we do with the body of Merlin, that brat?" The speaker was a towering, burly man, his unkempt black hair falling in wild disarray. He was carrying Merlin's lifeless form, retrieved from the medical chambers of the Arus Empire. "Don't worry about it, Arno. We'll leave him to Lord Cole; he has his ways, heh heh heh." The man now speaking was Marcus, whose stature was far less imposing than that of the tall man beside him. Marcus was older, his back slightly hunched, his gait unsteady, often swaying from side to side as he walked. ... Another flash of white light streaked through the air, and Lisa, Will, and Jin appeared once more, this time in a place that appeared ancient yet dignified. It resembled a timeworn study, filled with towering piles of books, clearly a library that had stood for at least a century. The three of them had emerged from the fireplace within this very room. "Where are we?" Will asked, rubbing his forehead, looking disoriented from the teleportation magic, clearly uncomfortable. "We're in the United Nations," Lisa replied earnestly. "What?" Both Will and Jin exclaimed in astonishment in unison. "Lisa, we said we were going to sabotage the Shadow Council, but you didn't have to bring us right into the heart of the United Nations, did you?" Will quickly walked to Lisa's side, whispering with visible nervousness. "Pfft." Lisa couldn't help but laugh at Will's anxious expression. "What's wrong?" Will asked in confusion. "It is the United Nations, but not the Shadow Council we're here to topple," Lisa explained. "I don't quite understand," Will said, "If it's the United Nations, isn't it the Shadow Council?" "Ahem," Lisa cleared her throat. "The United Nations you're thinking of was overtaken by the Shadow Council, but the one I mean is the original, untainted United Nations." "Wasn't the United Nations already overtaken? So where exactly are we?" Will asked, perplexed. Sigh, "It's a long story, and I can't explain it all now. Let's talk about it later, but for now, follow me." Lisa sighed and led Will and Jin out of the old study. Once they stepped out of the study, they found themselves in a narrow corridor, just as ancient as the room they'd left. The white stone pillars were streaked with black mildew, and beyond the corridor, the vast expanse of the sea stretched out, adding to the grandeur of the scene. "Wow, where are we?" Will exclaimed, thrilled as he had never seen the sea before. He leaned over the corridor's railing to get a better look, but as he glanced down, a wave of terror washed over him. What lay below was a sheer cliff and jagged rocks. "Ah! Where is this?!" Will shouted, clutching the railing in panic. "Be careful," Lisa warned, her voice calm but firm. "If you fall from here, it will be troublesome." "Are we inside a mountain?" Jin asked. "Yes, very few people know of this place. It was originally built as a refuge to prevent war," Lisa explained. "Will enemies be able to reach us here?" Jin asked further. "I don't know. The likelihood is small, though," Lisa said with a bitter smile as she walked. "Alright, we're here," Lisa said, stopping in front of a simple door at the end of the corridor. The door was covered with a thick layer of dust and lacked a handle. "Mister Harkin loves to tell lies," Lisa muttered quietly to the door. Seconds later, the door began to tremble and slowly opened on its own. "Good heavens, even the door has magic," Will marveled, his eyes wide in astonishment. "Let's go. This is the hall of the refuge," Lisa said, stepping forward. "Wow! It's so tall!" Will exclaimed, following Lisa inside. The hall was not particularly large, but it soared in height, and the upper walls were lined with openings that resembled doors or windows. "What are those?" Jin asked, craning his neck to look up. "Those are the living spaces for those of us who enter the refuge," Lisa explained. "How do you get down from there?" Jin continued, curious. "We're mages, so we use magic, of course. Each of us has a different method," Lisa replied. Just then, a short mage appeared at one of the rooms high above. He waved his staff lightly, and a cloud of mist took shape as a feather. The mage stepped onto it and floated gently down. "Wow!" Will gasped, his eyes wide in wonder. His exclamation was so loud that an elderly man with a full head of white hair, who had been sitting in the hall, turned around and looked at them curiously. "Ah, little Lisa's back!" the elderly man exclaimed with a smile, his face lighting up like a father seeing his child. He spread his arms and quickly made his way toward Lisa. The old man was tall and his arms long. "Mister Harkin," Lisa said with a joyful expression, rushing to him. Lisa threw herself into Harkin's arms, and he gently patted her head. "Is this old man her father?" Will whispered to Jin. "Hmm, not likely. Maybe her grandfather," Jin replied softly. "Where has little Lisa been these past few days?" Harkin asked tenderly, still stroking Lisa's hair. "I went to investigate the Magic Addiction Stones," Lisa responded. "My goodness, that was dangerous! You didn't run into that madman Merlin, did you?" Harkin asked with concern. "Uh... well, my two friends and I killed Merlin," Lisa said, a bit embarrassed. "My heavens, that was too dangerous! Didn't you know Merlin is a madman?" Harkin exclaimed, rushing toward Will and Jin. Seeing the massive figure approach them, Will and Jin instinctively took two steps back in fright. Harkin, reaching them, quickly enveloped both in a tight embrace. "I... I can't breathe!" Will gasped, struggling. Jin, on the other hand, wore an awkward expression—he'd never been hugged like this before. "Harkin, you're suffocating them!" Lisa exclaimed, hurrying to grab Harkin's arm. Realizing his error, Harkin quickly released them, apologizing. "Oh! My apologies, I must've gotten a bit too excited." "It's fine, it's fine," Will coughed, still trying to catch his breath. "My goodness, you're both terrifying! One is an ancient sage, the other a red dragon," Harkin said, his voice filled with concern. "Ancient sage? Red dragon?" Lisa asked, confused, looking at Will and Jin. "Are you the red dragon?" Will asked, pointing at Jin. "Then the ancient sage is you?" Jin asked, pointing at Will. "What is Harkin talking about?" Lisa asked, perplexed. "It's the qi, their qi," Harkin said, his face stricken with fear. "Qi? But we don't have any qi right now," Will said. "No, no, no, the qi is always there. Even if you don't display it, it can still be seen," Harkin explained. "Can it? I don't see anything," Will remarked. "Ah, your abilities aren't strong enough yet. When you're like me, you'll see it. Everyone has their own unique qi," Harkin said. "Like you?" Will thought of himself acting crazy like Harkin, and shuddered involuntarily. "Alright, I have some matters to attend to. Little Lisa, take your friends and let them rest for now," Harkin said, his expression changing as he hurried off. "Lisa, what's wrong with him?" Will asked, puzzled. "It's nothing. Let's go, I'll show you where you'll be staying," Lisa said, leading them to the side of the hall.
