I needed to figure out Quail's warning, and find out the "grave danger" she mentioned. At that moment, it seemed that going to the Library was the obvious choice.

Leaving my dog to nap in the comfort of my sofa, I headed out. As I walked, I felt the gazes of the people. Feeling self-conscious, I quickened my pace.

The looks they gave me was a curious mixture of admiration and suspicion. Unintentionally, I caught the conversation of a pair of villagers.

"Did you hear? Some people claim that Frost is not normal..."

I refused to confront them. Despite my unsettled thoughts, I did my best to ignore the people and managed to get into the Library.

Swoop was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a male wearing a dark brown jacket and blue pants was at the station where Swoop usually sit.

"Excuse me..." I began awkwardly.

He looked up from reading a book, giving me a questioning look. "Yes?"

"May I know where I can find Swoop?"

He stood up, closing the book. "I'll lead you to him," he said, his voice tense.

We headed to the basement, where Swoop was arranging some books with help from someone who was unfamiliar to me.

Sensing my presence, Swoop stopped and turned to us. "Thank you, Trance."

Trance nodded, acknowledging his thanks. I turned to him, giving my thanks as well. As our eyes met, I felt myself being shoved into a vision.

It was so brief that I only caught a glimpse of purple flames and the sound of crumbling rocks.

When I snapped back to reality, Trance was staring at me, looking rather concerned. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I replied hastily.

I turned to Swoop, who was waiting for me. "I want to ask you about something."

"I see," Swoop mused.

Trance and the other person started to leave, but Swoop stopped them. "It's okay. You don't have to leave."

"This reminds me. I have yet to introduce you to my sons," he continued. "This is Flight, and beside him is his brother, Trance."

I nodded, understanding. "Nice to meet both of you."

"It's an honour to meet you in person," Flight responded.

Trance nodded in agreement.

"Now that the introduction is over," Swoop said, "what would you like to ask me?"

"Quail came to me in a dream last night," I said, sitting down. "She didn't really say much, but she mentioned that a "grave danger". I was wondering if you knew what she meant by it."

Swoop frowned. "Apologies, but I can't help you with the information that you gave. There are too many possibilities."

"Oh." I tried not to sound disappointed.

"There's something else you want to ask me, isn't there? But you seem to be hiding it."

I was surprised. "How..."

"Do you mind sharing?"

If I keep it to myself, it's not going to help me, but...

"No, I don't mind," I said, pushing my doubts away forcefully. "Quail also warned me that darkness never sleeps."

"Go on."

"Someone else told me too. I think he's a mage."

"A mage?" Swoop sounded rather surprised and confused. "Are you sure? The last mage died hundreds of years ago."

My eyes widened. Then... who was that person? Is he really a mage or...?

"Darkness refers to many things," Swoop explained. "It could be the night, evildoers, or..."

He sighed. "Be careful. From what Quail said, dark times are coming. Sooner than I expected. There's nothing else we can do, except to prepare. Prepare for what? I'm not sure."

Flight and Trance remained silent throughout our conversation, having thoughts of their own.

"I'm sorry that I was not of help," Swoop said, with a barely restrained cough. "Time is running out for me... the future lies on the younger generation now." His gaze turned to his sons.

"It's okay... I'll figure it out one day," I reassured him. "I am going to head off now."

Swoop nodded gravely. "Good luck, Frost."

~~~~

When I went out of the Library, I noticed that many people were crowded around a group of travellers. Out of curiosity, I tried to listen to what the travellers were saying.

"It only happened yesterday. We were exploring an enormous cave system, struggling to see in the darkness as we fought off mobs. That's when we found it," one of the travellers said, pausing dramatically.

His voice dropped to a low octave. "The End portal."

There was a collective gasp from the people who were listening.

"The End portal was completed, allowing access to the End dimension. One of our friends went in, merely out of curiosity, and never returned."

I widened my eyes. The End dimension was not a place for newcomers. Legends claim that a powerful creature, the Enderdragon, resided there, its purple breath so strong that it could shatter iron.

If the End portal is open... then-

A low, menacing growl was heard, causing everyone to freeze in shock and terror.

Like a dark cloud, a winged creature surged forward with its powerful wings, casting a shadow onto the Kingdom.

"It's here..."