I Became the Sect Master’s Shadow

Chapter 004 - The Last Hope

The youngest of the group, Finn, the first student, looked up with wide eyes. “The Exilium Pill? But that’s just a legend, isn’t it? We’ve heard the stories....that it was created by alchemists long ago, but no one has ever found it.”

“There are whispers,” Arlen continued, his gaze hardening. “Whispers that it's real. We’ve spent months searching the records, but they’re incomplete. People who might know about it are too terrified to speak.”

Chief Arlen got up, went to the shelf, took the scroll down, and laid it on the table. There was a picture of the pill, with a prophecy inscribed, although it had faded over time.

"In the time when all hope has bled dry, when the plague consumes the hearts of men, one shall arise from the ashes to seek salvation. The cure shall lie in a pill, forged in secrecy, guarded by the mind of its maker. The world shall search far and wide, yet none shall find the formula, for it rests only in the brain of the one who created it. To save humanity, one must find the pill—its creation forever a mystery, its promise of life a fragile thread. There is but one, and it shall not be found again. The hour is near, and the time of reckoning will soon be at hand. Choose wisely, for the future of all rests upon the hands that claim it."

"But if it's true," Helena said, her tone crisp, "then why haven't we heard anything about it? Why isn't it common knowledge?"

"Because the Exilium Pill is lethal," Arlen said. "Its components are rare and hard to find. Some say it’s made from the blood of the plague itself, others claim it's made with things no one has ever dared to handle. But what we know for certain is that it's the only remedy. And it's our last hope."

The students glanced at each other. Enzo, the second student, spoke up hesitantly. "So, how do we even start looking for it? Where do we go? What if we don't find it?"

Arlen's eyes went soft as he faced them. "That is why I'm sending you two. You are young, clever. You can go where the rest of us cannot. This may be our only hope to end the plague."

Enzo clenched his fists in determination. "We will find it. We won't let the village die."

Finn, who had always seemed frail and unassuming, nodded heartily in agreement. "Right. We'll save the village. No matter how long it takes!"

A fleeting hint of a smile crossed Arlen's face for an instant. The room was quiet once again, the burden of their mission weighing heavy on their shoulders. The Exilium Pill—quite possibly the only cure remaining in a world that was fast losing time. With the city near the point of collapse, the search for the cure was their last hope to shift the balance.

"We depart at dawn," Arlen replied, his tone stern. "Get ready. Time's running out."

As the council members rose and dispersed, each one of them knew that the path ahead was uncertain, filled with danger and the very real possibility of failure. But it was a path they had no choice but to walk. The Exilium Pill—if it existed—was their last hope. And the fate of the village rested on their shoulders.

[Journey]

The first light of dawn slowly appeared on the horizon, a pale and weak glow that barely helped to lift the heavy darkness hanging over the village. The streets were eerily quiet, with no sign of the usual morning activity. Instead of the usual hustle and bustle, there was a strange and unsettling silence. The air smelled thick with smoke and decay, a constant reminder of the deadly plague that still controlled the village. The torches that had burned all night were now out, their ashes scattered by the chilly morning wind. The village had changed completely, now a ghost of what it once was—a place where life had once flourished, now empty and lifeless.

Finn and Enzo stood at the edge of the village, their packs resting on their shoulders, their faces filled with determination. They had spent the night getting ready for their journey—gathering supplies and studying the few maps and scrolls that gave them clues about where the Exilium Pill might be found. Now, they were preparing to head to Drakthorin City, the next important stop on their journey. The weight of their mission was heavy on their minds, but they didn’t let it show. The village was depending on them, and they knew they couldn’t fail.

Chief Arlen walked toward them, his face serious but steady. He carried a small, worn satchel, which he handed to Finn. Inside were a few important items: a compass, a vial of healing salve, and a small, carefully carved wooden box.

"This box," Arlen said, his voice calm and serious, "holds a single lock of hair from the alchemist who is said to have created the Exilium Pill. It's the only thing we have that connects us to him. Use it wisely. It might help you when nothing else will."

Finn nodded and carefully placed the box into his pack. "We won’t fail you, Chief."

Chief Arlen put a hand on each of their shoulders, his grip strong and reassuring. "Remember, the journey ahead will be dangerous. Trust each other, and trust your instincts. The Exilium Pill is our last hope, but finding it won’t be easy. Stay alert, and may the stars guide you."

The gates of the village creaked open slowly, revealing the empty road that lay ahead. A narrow dirt path wound its way through the rolling hills, bordered by the twisted, lifeless remains of trees that had once offered shade and shelter but now stood like silent guardians in the desolate landscape. The air was heavy with the smell of decay, the stench of the plague still hanging in the atmosphere like a constant, invisible danger. There were no birds singing, no animals rustling through the underbrush—everything was still, silenced by the unyielding grip of the disease.

Finn and Enzo turned and began their journey down the winding path that led out of the village. The cobblestones beneath their feet were slick with dew, and the cold air made their breath visible in the morning light. They walked quietly, each lost in their own thoughts, until the village faded into the distance, becoming just a faint silhouette against the rising sun.

The first part of their journey took them through dense forests, where the trees grew so close together that only a small amount of sunlight managed to break through the thick canopy. The underbrush was thick and tangled, making it difficult for them to move quickly. The forest was alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and distant animal calls, but there was an uneasy feeling in the air, as if the trees themselves were watching their every move.

Enzo was the first to speak, breaking the silence. "Do you really think we'll find it? The Exilium Pill, I mean."

Finn glanced at him, his face thoughtful. "I don’t know. But we have to try. If there's even a chance it exists, we can't just walk away from it."

Enzo nodded, but his eyes showed doubt. "It’s just... the stories make it sound so impossible. A cure that can stop the plague in its tracks? It sounds like something out of a fairy tale."

"Maybe it is," Finn agreed. "But if there's one thing I've learned, it's that sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. We just have to keep going, no matter how impossible it seems."