The walls surrounding the Wind Empire were built in three layers. Two of these layers were reinforced with magical protection, making it nearly impossible for invaders, beasts, or monsters to breach. 

However, the oldest layer, built long ago, had lost its magical properties and now served as a tourist attraction. The crowds were so dense that if one got separated from their group, it would be difficult to find them again.

“…Am I really supposed to find a shaman in a place like this?”

Anella let out a deep sigh.

The scenery was pleasant and the view impressive, but the sheer number of people was overwhelming to the point of making her anxious. As a Black Magus, she preferred to stay away from crowds, so wandering around tourist spots seemed counterintuitive.

‘I guess I’ll find her if I keep looking…’

According to the talisman vendor, the shaman girl didn’t appear every day. She would show up occasionally, as if going for a stroll. Some people in the crowd had been searching daily just for a chance to see her, but most had failed.

Anella didn’t expect much. Many who searched for days never found her, so the chances of Anella coincidentally meeting the shaman girl on her first day seemed slim.

**Thud!**

Lost in thought while walking along the castle path, Anella felt someone bump into her shoulder.

The force of the bump pushed her slightly back, which was unusual.

If their shoulders had collided, it meant the other person was as small as Anella. But she was a physically adept Black Magus; even without releasing her dark magic, she had strength beyond that of most humans.

Something felt off.

Before she could fully comprehend the situation, a chill ran down her spine. Anella’s expression hardened as she tried to step back. The person who had bumped into her slowly lifted their head, revealing a wide-brimmed hat and a mask beneath.

A white cat mask.

Even without knowing the details, she instinctively understood. This was the mask described by the talisman vendor.

**The Shaman Girl.**

But why did she feel more fear than relief?

“Oh my?” 

A smile spread across the girl’s lips as she looked at Anella. Moving gracefully, like a cat, she approached Anella and tilted her chin upward, forcing Anella’s gaze to her red lips.

Lips as crimson as fresh blood.

“Cute little Black Magus. What brings you here? Were you looking for me?”

What should she say? Anella tried to shake her head, but the girl’s smile only grew wider.

“Lying is no use—I can see it all over your face.”

“Why, why…”

“Are you asking why I’m here?” 

Anella nodded, struggling to contain her trembling.

**The Witch King.**

A being so powerful that even the Green Tower Master, a 9th-class mage, was said to be manipulated at her whim. A being feared as the greatest foe of all mages, and the ruler of all witches. Why was such an entity masquerading as a mere shaman in the Wind Empire?

“Why, you ask? Because it’s fun.”

Impossible.

According to what Anella knew, the Witch King’s true body had been sealed long ago, making it difficult for her to act directly. This form had to be a doppelgänger.

But using a doppelgänger just for fun?

It didn’t make sense.

“Oh, right. That was a lie. Truth is, I was led here by ‘fate.’ A tiny fate so insignificant that no one paid attention to it. But I was interested. A certain boy was destined to come here.”

“A… boy?”

“Yes. A very special boy who’s escaped fate’s grasp. I needed to ensure he would reach this place. So I introduced a small variable. Something like a Persona Gate—something you all enjoy so much.”

“A Persona Gate…?”

“Yes. It’s harder to create than I expected.”

Anella’s eyes widened as she stared at the girl, whose sly smile remained unmoved.

**‘She created a Persona Gate…?’**

Impossible.

Only a special type of Black Magus with a direct contract with the otherworld could open such a gate under strict conditions. Even witches, though similar to Black Magi, had no direct ties to the otherworld, making it impossible for them to open a Persona Gate.

Or at least, that’s how it was supposed to be.

“Nothing is impossible in this world. Even Elteman Eltewin, a mage with a magical disability, became Stella’s headmaster. Fate is hilarious, isn’t it? People strut around, acting like they’ve accomplished something, when they’re just following a path already laid out for them.”

**Slap!**

Anella slapped the witch’s hand away and quickly stepped back, gathering dark magic in both hands.

Her heart pounded wildly.

Looking away for even a moment felt like it could cost her her life, but Anella couldn’t keep her gaze solely on the witch.

**‘What is this…?’**

The once-crowded street was now completely deserted.

The sky had turned pitch-black, and the clouds seemed frozen in place.

**“You’ve got something interesting.”**

“Ah…!”

In the witch’s hand was Anella’s worn, torn talisman. She frantically checked her pockets, but found nothing.

**‘When did she…?’**

The witch flipped the talisman over, inspecting it as she rubbed her chin.

“Who gave this to you?”

“I… I think I know.” The witch’s eyes glinted with recognition as she caught a familiar scent from the talisman.

Was there anything this witch didn’t know? Anella felt as though her very essence had been exposed, but she gritted her teeth and held on.

“Why are you carrying this? Did he give it to you because he wanted you to evolve? Or is it forbidden love between a mage and a Black Magus? Oh my, how romantic.”

“Or maybe… you just want to be human?”

Anella flinched, and the witch burst into laughter.

“Ahaha! That’s rich. Do you really think that’s possible?”

“…Baek Yu-seol said it was.”

“Did he now? But what should I do with this? This talisman… it’s nothing but a scrap of paper now. It might have been magnificent not long ago, a perfect creation that even I couldn’t replicate. But now, it’s useless. Just trash. And you’re pathetic for relying on it. Do you get it?”

“Tha-that’s…”

Baek Yu-seol wouldn’t have given her something worthless. Anella wanted to believe that. But could the witch be lying?

Who could she trust?

“I see from your expression that you really didn’t know. But there’s a way.”

The witch blew on the talisman, and it glowed with a white light as mysterious characters emerged.

“Now, prove your flimsy belief.”

The talisman fluttered, brushing Anella’s cheek before flying off into the city.

“No, stop…!”

She reached out in vain, but the talisman had already disappeared into the distance.

Refusing to give up, Anella leapt from the wall, using her dark magic to sprint after it with all her strength. Behind her, the witch watched with an amused smirk.

**‘A Black Magus turning human…’**

There had never been a case like that. Black Magi were beings corrupted by the otherworld, with no known way to purify them.

Yet Baek Yu-seol was determined to try, using Anella as proof.

An experiment? No, a certainty.

**‘That’s… an ancient relic.’**

The fact that he entrusted such a valuable item to Anella showed his conviction.

Black Magi couldn’t become human again—that was written in fate.

But if Baek Yu-seol intended to defy that…

**‘This will be entertaining to watch.’**

* * *

**[Entering Persona Gate: “Shadow Over the Wind”]**

**[Confirmed as a 3-risk Persona Gate.]**

The moment I stepped into the gate, my binocular glasses rapidly analyzed the surroundings and provided a briefing.

I cautiously surveyed the area, capturing every detail through the lenses to preserve evidence.

This Persona Gate was unfamiliar, even from my experience with the original game, so thorough analysis was essential.

A 3-risk Persona Gate wasn’t particularly dangerous, especially with Hong Bi-yeon and Bandiyun, who were 4th-class mages, and my own abilities comparable to theirs. Still, one could never predict what might happen, so I had to stay vigilant.

“Stay alert, everyone,” Bandiyun said, holding her long staff as she advanced carefully.

“…It’s normal,” one of the students muttered.

Indeed, the surroundings were eerily ordinary for a gate.

It mirrored the Wind Empire’s landscape we’d seen just before entering.

“Is this… the Wind Empire?” 

The streets, the buildings, even the roads were identical. The only difference was the pitch-black sky and the eerie silence—the absence of people in what should have been bustling streets was unsettling.

“Analyze the situation on your own. We won’t interfere,” Bandiyun said.

This was a training exercise for first-year students. Bandiyun and Ryuderyk, as second-year students, were only there to provide minimal assistance; the first-years had to handle the rest.

“I’ll map the boundary calculations,” one student said.

“Great. I’ll trace the route and figure out the storyline,” another replied.

Phenomenon analysis in a Persona Gate was challenging, so cooperation was essential.

“Uh, Princess? What will you do?” one student hesitated.

“I’ll do it alone.”

…

Of course, there were always exceptions.

“Hey, we’re supposed to work as a team, so why not join in?” I said, trying to coax her into cooperating. Hong Bi-yeon’s expression soured at my suggestion, as if the idea of working with lesser beings offended her.

“Just this once.”

“Huh? Oh, alright.”

Her compliance surprised me.

‘Well, then…’

With my binocular glasses, I could find every detail in this gate, even down to the location of the bathrooms. But since this was training, I decided to match pace with the other students.

I wasn’t one to stand out unnecessarily.

As I focused on assisting where needed, collaborating on the phenomenon analysis, a small message flashed at the bottom of my binocular glasses.

**[Partial recharge of the ‘Spectral Wraith Talisman’ detected.]**

“…Huh?”

What was this all of a sudden?

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” 

“No, nothing. And your equation is upside down.”

“Oh? Thanks.”

I deflected the curious student’s attention and focused on my glasses.

‘What’s going on?’

The Spectral Wraith Talisman had already expended its power but was known as an item with potential for regeneration.

Even though it had been damaged while saving Flame, it was still a relic-level item.

I had split it and given half to Anella. Though it had lost its power, it retained its ability to store belief. I’d thought it might activate when Anella, who aimed to become human, carried it.

‘But it recharged suddenly?’

Faster than anticipated.

No, I’d assumed the talisman would serve only as an auxiliary tool for her transformation. Restoring it with current technology seemed impossible.

‘Why did it recharge?’

**[Cause undetermined.]**

More puzzling was another detail.

This gate was sealed off from the outside world. No matter how advanced my binocular glasses were, they shouldn’t be able to detect changes in another realm.

‘How did it register the talisman’s recharge? Are you saying interdimensional communication is now possible?’

**[Interdimensional communication is not possible.]**

‘Then?’

**[The presence of the Spectral Wraith Talisman has been detected within this location.]**

*…What? Here?*

I was stunned.

The talisman I’d given to Anella had been detected inside the Persona Gate, and it was recharging.

‘What on earth is happening…?’

Somewhere, something I didn’t understand was unfolding.