MLIII C2, P2- "Trouble Around The Corner"

"Trouble Around The Corner" is the second Part of "Miracula Luxia III" 's second Chapter.
It was released on 28.11.2021.
== Plot ==
Adam and his trusty allies leave the safety of Canonia and explore its outskirts, hoping that they can prevent unneccessary destruction and prevent Steele from unleashing destruction upon the entire kingdom.
Unfortunately, the villain is already a few steps ahead of them. He has fled into his hidden outpost and left a few hostiles to wait for them. And, once they arrive... well, let's just say that things will get pretty bad for them.
Hunted by the same people that they are trying to hunt down themselves, our four heroes have to avoid them and discover the truth behind the mysterious attacks. Whether they will find Steele or not remains to be seen.
Once again, it is time for Adam to prove himself as an trustworthy adventurer, ever-faithful companion and an exemplary hero. Will he succeed?
== Story ==
As his allies approach the docks to the west, Adam stops and thinks about how he was forced to leave his entire family behind to save himself from a fate worse than anything that could ever happen to him.
"Was it wise for me to do such a thing?"- He wonders to himself- "Mom and dad were so confused, so heartbroken. My sister's disappearance left them rather... fragile. They needed my help, and yet, they also refused it. They sent me to travel here with Miss Emela and said that it is "for my own good"... "
He sighs.
"I wonder when I can see them again."
Emela notices that Adam is not with them and runs back.
She sees him sitting on a fallen log and sits next to him.
"You miss them. Don't you, dear?"
Adam looks up.
"You mean... "
Emela nods.
"Exactly."- She responds- "The guilt must be dragging you down. It's like a huge rock... and you're chained to it. Unable to run away or shrug it off."
She sighs.
"It's tough, I know."- She says- "Fear of losing the people dearest to you can really drive you mad."
Adam shrugs.
"What can we do, then?"- He asks her- "Even if I could go back there, it is too far away. I want to see them, but... "
Emela places her hand on his shoulder.
"Believe me, my dear. Nothing is impossible."- She says- "As long as you believe in your goal, there's always a way to make it happen."
Adam nods.
"But... the obstacles... "
Emela sighs.
"It's true. There are many of them."- She says- "But you're not just an ordinary hero! You're Adam Kaos- the son of a legendary hero who is as capable as his own father! Maybe even more than that! Even when you're surrounded and exhausted, you've never given up. And I'm sure that it will be the same every time."
Adam shakes his head.
"I will never be like my father, no matter how hard I try."- He admits- "He has always been the hero whom everyone has admired. Even now, his name carries a lot of weight. I am free to go anywhere only because he has allowed it."
Emela turns around and sighs.
"Poor boy. It seems like he's stuck in a dilemma within his own family. His mind's unable to properly think about anything else."- She says to herself- "Still, there must be a way to make him see that there's more than just one hero among them. I can't just give up on him... "
Emela has been taking care of Adam for over a year. Ever since the Sucia incident's tragic ending, she has trained him both in body and mind, in the hopes that he can forget the horrible things that happened in there... and the fact that his parents may not return from their adventure. It is the best that she can do, but it does not always work. Especially after Adam received a letter from his father one month ago...
"Look. I know that it's hard for you, but don't be sad. We'll find them soon. I'll make sure of it."- She says to him- "In the meantime, let's work on finding Steele and his buddies. Okay?"
Adam stands up and nods.
"Of course."- He responds- "Our friends need us. Let us help them."
And so, they join their worried friends. Emela explains what they were talking about.
"Are you feeling better now, Adam?"- Elwyen asks her friend- "If there's something that you need from us, don't be afraid to ask. We're here to help."
Mardek looks at the lake behind them and sighs.
"Well. I hate to interrupt you, but there's something going on."- He says- "And we need the help of a trained professional."
Adam shrugs.
"Whatever."- He says- "What is the problem?"
Mardek continues to stare at the lake.
"Well. For starters, there's something down there that's worrying us."- He starts to explain- "This is Lake Qur- the lake that Canonians often use to gather water. Used to be a peaceful place for many years, but I can sense that something has settled in there. And it's not human."
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"What could it be?"- He wonders- "Maybe one of the bandits managed to summon something... sinister?"
Mardek shrugs.
"Well. Who knows?"- He says- "Still, one thing's clear to us. If there's malice in there, then there's gotta be monsters."
He takes a step forward.
"Well. I hate to say it, but we can't ignore them anymore. We have to take care of them."- He says- "So. what now?"
Adam takes a look at the lake and tries to see what is at the bottom of it. 
No luck.
"I will go in there and see what I can do."- He says- "You should stay here and make sure that nobody follows me down there."
Mardek and Elwyen stare at each other for a few seconds. They clearly do not want to let Adam go into the lake all by himself, but they have no choice.
Meanwhile, Emela approaches her pupil and reminds him of the proper way to use the spell that will let him breathe underwater.
"Remember. In order to make it last for longer that it should, you must concentrate solely on the task to cast it properly."- She says to him- "Don't be lenient! I want you to be ready for anything that attacks you down there!"
Adam nods.
"Of course, miss Emela. I promise that I will do my best."- He says- "No stone shall be left unturned!"
Emela smiles and places her hand on his shoulder.
"I have nothing else to say."- She says- "Good luck and remember. Wherever there's a light, there's also hope. And that hope shall be your guiding key, your pillar of wisdom in the world of darkness. Don't forget it."
Adam nods.
"Hope is my greatest weapon, especially in times like those."- He says- "I am not going to let it go, no matter what happens next."
He takes a deep breath and casts the spell. Carefully.
In a few moments, he starts to shine faintly. His eyes begin to glow white.
"I am ready."- He says and jumps into the lake.
Everyone watches as the young hero descends into the depths below.
"Is he going to be fine?"- Elwyen asks Emela.
The Water Guardian nods.
"Certainly."- She responds- "But that doesn't mean that he doesn't need our help."
She notices that someone is trying to sneak up on them. She draws her weapon and turns around.
A small pack of bandits attacks them.
"What are they doing here?"- Elwyen wonders- "Weren't they supposed to be... "
Emela shakes her head.
"It doesn't matter."- She says- "They're going after Adam. We must stop them."
As Emela and her allies take their positions, she looks back.
"Remember, everyone. Stay calm."- She says to them- "Those vagabonds might be strong, but they aren't undefeatable."
Having said that, she turns back and charges. Her allies do the same.
Meanwhile, Adam explores the area under the lake, wondering what he can find down there.
"It all makes sense now. All of the visions that I had before... they connect to a single person."- He says to himself- "But why? Why does it have to be me?"
At this time, he notices a small, shiny pebble on the ground. He picks it up and hears something coming from above.
Back on the surface, Emela, Mardek and Elwyen are still fighting Steele's bandits. A passage next to them opens, revealing a long pathway towards the Unknown.
"He did it!"- Emela says.
At the same time, the surviving bandits panic.
"No way!"- One of them says- "How did he do it?!"
Their plan thwarted, they decide that it is better to regroup. They swiftly dart away from their opponents and try to run away.
"I don't think so!"- Emela yells and casts another water spell.
Suddenly, a huge wall of water blocks their way and allows Mardek to shoot them all down.
"Well. I reckon that this is truly a job well done."- He says- "Good job, my friends."
Emela sighs.
"I'm afraid that this fight's not over."- She says- "Until their leader is dead, we won't sleep well at night."
Mardek shrugs.
"Well. When was the last time when we slept well?"- He asks her- "It's always been hard for us."
Emela sighs again. Loudly.
"I guess that you're right, my dear Mardek."- She responds- "There's always trouble around the corner."
She turns around and looks down.
"Come on, Adam."- She says to herself- "Those people still need you. Please, don't let them down."
At the bottom of the lake, Adam realizes that his breath is starting to run out.
"I need to hurry."- He says to himself- "If I run out of time, then I... I... "
He shakes his head.
"It is best not to think about it."
He starts to swim ashore, but soon notices that he is slowing down.
"What is-- "
Suddenly, a powerful, magical force starts to pull him away. Soon, he is back where he started.
He tries again. It leads to the same result.
"Something is wrong."- Adam admits- "Very wrong."
As he tries to make sense of this new threat, his mind is clouded by a mysterious force. 
Fortunately, this dark, sinister magic does not affect him at all.
After shrugging it off, he turns around and sees a small, frail woman approaching him.
He has heard legends about her. In fact, everybody in the Kingdom of Goznor has.
This witch has been living in the lake for centuries... until Mardek and his allies defeated her a few years ago. However, it was rumored that she has returned and that she is close to wrecking havoc to the surrounding countryside... and, perhaps, the whole world. 
Her mastery of magic is absolute. Her ability to cloud the minds of both peasants and kings is feared by everyone. 
And her eyes. Her bright blue and mesmerizing eyes, calm as the sea itself...
Either way, it is best to take care of this dangerous creature before it can do anything.
Adam draws his weapon and charges. However, his movement is hindered by the water and he is forced to move slower than he usually does.
This gives the witch a chance to swim back and attempt to cloud his mind again.
Adam tries to say something, but soon realizes that it will be a bad idea. Doing such a thing will inevitably fill his entire mouth with water, drowning him in a matter of just a few seconds.
He shakes his head and launches himself forward, unaffected by the creature's magic.
Soon, he gets close enough to make his move. He swings his weapon at her, confident that he will score a hit.
However, the witch soon proves him wrong. As soon as the blade gets close to her, she teleports and appears behind him.
She hurls an icy lance at him, intending to take him by surprise. However, this proves to be futile as Adam manages to envelop himself in a magical shield, deflecting the incoming blow.
The witch growls and charges. She grabs him by the neck and throws him into a nearby rock, forcing him to hit his head against it.
Adam does his best to hide the pain. Even a single moment of fear can become his greatest weakness.
Instead of backing down, he continues to fight, knowing that everyone depends on him and that this is not the right time to be afraid.
He tries to find a weakness... and finds it. Soon, he plunges his sword into her back and through her wicked heart.
The witch shrieks in pain and backs away. She tries to curse him, but dies before she can do so.
Soon, the fragments which made her into what she used to be moments ago fade away into nothingness.
Adam is surprised by this. The fact that his opponent was not what he expected it to be both amuses... and shocks him.
"How can this be?"- He wonders to himself- "Was this really... her?"
He shakes his head.
"It does not matter."- He says- "She may have been a fragment of a long-lost memory, but she was still very dangerous. She had to be taken care of... and I am glad that I was the one who did the impossible."
Suddenly, he feels something that he never noticed before. The water all around him starts to clear.
The color changes almost immediately. From dark blue, it soon reverts back to light blue, giving our hero a feeling of peace. Of hope.
"This is what I have always wanted to see."- He adds- "I did it. I am glad."
He looks up and notices that his allies are looking for him.
Now that the lake is free of monsters, he quickly swims ashore and joins them.
As they are about to question him, he notices a small wound on his arm. It turns out that the witch has managed to scratch him during the struggle, unbeknownst to him.
Shaking his head, he rolls his sleeve down, not wanting the others to see it.
"Well."- Mardek says- "Did you find anything in there?"
Adam nods.
"Indeed, I did."- He responds- "Down there, I found a rock. I picked it up and heard something... strange happening up here."
Emela shrugs.
"A lot of things happened."- She says- "What are you talking about?"
Adam sighs.
"First off, I think that I heard fighting happening over here."- He says- "Did our enemies find you?"
Mardek nods.
"Well, they did."- He responds- "Some bandits tried to go after you. We stopped them and made sure that they won't go anywhere else. They fell down like a bunch of trees."
Emela nods.
"We assume that they were just spies, but we fear that there will be more of them."- She says- "They know our location. We must find a way to avoid them."
Adam nods and points at the cave entrance ahead.
"I think that the cave over there would be perfect."- He says- "At least for now, that is."
Mardek grins.
"Well, yeah!"- He responds- "There's no better place to hide than a cold, damp cave. That's for sure!'
Elwyen sighs. The idea of going into a cave again is not welcome to her.
"Yeah, sure."- She says- "Surely, nothing is gonna go wrong. Absolutely nothing."
She looks at Adam. Hope shines within her bright blue eyes.
"R-right?"
Adam nods.
"Of course!"- He responds- "As long as we are together, nothing is going to break us down!"
He stares at the cavern, eager to begin his exploration.
"So."- He says- "Shall we?"
Everyone nods.
"Right behind you, my dear."- Emela says- "The Water Guardian is ready to protect what is dear to her!"
Mardek and Elwyen smile.
"Well."- Mardek says- "So are we!"
Adam smiles.
"Then it is clear what we should do next."- He says- "Let us proceed."
As his allies approach the entrance, he rolls his sleeve back up and looks at the fresh wound. He touches it, expecting that his hand will jolt back in a second.
However, it does not happen. For some reason, he does not feel any pain whatsoever. It just feels pretty... numb. Almost as if it is not actually there.
At the same time, his entire body gets weaker. He falls to his knees and struggles to regain his balance.
"What is happening?"- Adam wonders- "Did something happen to me down there. Something that I am not... aware of?"
A few moments later, he shakes his head.
"No. It is probably just some minor fatigue."- He shrugs it off- "Yes. This is it. It is nothing unusual. I am sure of it."
Once again, he hides the wound and joins his allies near the cave entrance.
"It looks scary."- Elwyen says- "Perhaps we should... "
Mardek shakes his head.
"Well, Ellie. I didn't know that you would be the one to back down from something like this."- He says to her- "You've always been looking for adventure. Why do you shy away from this one?"
Elwyen takes a step forward.
"Of course not!"- She says, her faith restored- "Let's do this!"
She runs into the cave, joined by Mardek soon after.
Emela looks at Adam.
"Whenever you're ready, dear."- She says to him.
Adam nods.
"Wasting time would be a bad idea right now."- He says and steps into the cave himself- "In we go."
As Emela joins her friends, Adam looks back and stares at the lake.
"Mom. Dad. Sister."- He says quietly- "If you are still out there, if you can still hear me, please, stay safe. Keep fighting the evil out there. I will join you soon."
He turns back and heads further into the cave.
"That... is a promise."