Inside the Academy
The once serene halls of the academy had become a war zone.
Smoke billowed from the northern and eastern walls where explosions had torn through the protective barriers. Shadows surged in like an endless tide, shrieking as they devoured everything in sight.
Screams echoed through corridors once filled with laughter. Students fled in terror, some clinging to each other, others too frozen to move. Cries of pain mixed with the clash of spells and steel.
"Help! Please!" a young girl screamed, dragging her bleeding friend along the marble floor—already slick with blood, some fresh, some drying.
In the heart of the chaos, Professor Elsa stood tall. Her sharp eyes scanned the mayhem. She raised her hand, conjuring a powerful gust of wind that formed a barrier, shielding students from a collapsing ceiling.
"Move! Now!" she shouted. "Follow the green mana trail—it'll lead you to the evacuation zone!"
Healers crouched beside the wounded, hands glowing with pale magic. Some students cried. Others sat blankly in shock. A few… didn't move at all.
Then—
CRASH!
A blast of darkness shattered the stained-glass windows above. Another explosion thundered from the east, making the ground quake.
"Where's the Headmaster?!" a professor shouted, his spell barely repelling a charging shadow beast.
"He's outside! We're on our own!" another yelled.
Professors began forming defensive circles around the youngest students. Their expressions were grim. This was no skirmish—it was survival.
——————————————–––
Southern Courtyard
Two senior students—Marcus and Eric—stood back to back, covered in sweat and dust.
"I've got thirteen kills," Marcus grinned, his sword blazing with condensed mana. "You?"
Eric fired a crackling bolt of lightning. "Fifteen. Try to keep up, flame boy."
"Liar," Marcus scoffed, cleaving through a shadow beast. "I've been counting."
Their rivalry burned as hot as their weapons—Marcus's firelit blade danced in arcs of heat, while Eric's strikes buzzed with electricity. Together, they carved a path of light through the encroaching dark.
"Just don't die on me," Eric muttered.
"You wish, thunderhead," Marcus replied, and they pressed forward, a beacon of resistance in the storm.
——————————————–––
Western Garden
Scarlett moved like a wraith, twin daggers wreathed in shadows. Each step, each strike, was precise—lethal.
Beside her stood Lyra, her jet-black hair billowing, lance glowing with cold, deadly light. Ice crackled from her weapon, freezing enemies mid-lunge.
"I thought we'd get a break after training," Scarlett said between breaths.
Lyra's lips curled into a smirk. "This is the break. At least we're not in class."
Scarlett let out a low chuckle. "Can't argue with that."
Since their battle during the VR island survival test, a strange camaraderie had blossomed between them. Lyra had grown accustomed to Scarlett's fire. Perhaps even respected it.
A monstrous shadow lunged at them. Lyra's lance whipped forward, impaling the creature midair. A burst of frost spread from the wound, freezing it from the inside out.
Scarlett raised a brow. "Show-off."
Lyra winked. "You love it."
Back to back, shadow and ice danced across the battlefield—unstoppable.
——————————————–––
Training Grounds
Far from the frontlines, Layla sat alone—knees hugged to her chest, face shadowed.
Her heart ached. Her regrets lingered.
But then—
BOOM! BOOM!
The ground shook. Flames erupted in the distance. Smoke filled the sky.
Her amber eyes snapped open. The playful gleam vanished.
"What the hell…?"
Dark, cursed energy coiled around her like a serpent. A twisted black-green flame erupted from her hands.
"I'm really pissed right now," she muttered, rising.
Her voice was low. Sharp. Broken.
"Don't blame me for being rude…"
With a snarl, she vanished into the chaos, cursed fire trailing in her wake.
——————————————–––
Noah (POV)
The carriage jolted as another explosion rattled the horizon.
I sat with several professors, my thoughts drifting until—
It appeared.
[ Emergency Quest: Protect the Academy from (???) Shadows ]
[ Penalty: ??? ]
[ Reward: Safety of your loved one, ??? ]
I stared, a pit forming in my gut.
"What…?"
The message was vague—but the urgency was overwhelming.
'Safety of your loved one'? Who was in danger? Scarlett ?
Then—
BOOM! BOOM!
The professors turned pale as distant flames lit up the sky.
"The academy—!" someone gasped.
I didn't wait.
"Warp Step!"
'please be safe Scarlett ' i thought while my body disappear from there
I reappeared near the eastern wall. The scene was pure destruction.
Shadows clawed through broken defenses. Students screamed. The air burned.
"Get back!" I shouted.
I unsheathed my sword, mana flaring. Phantom Edge erupted, slicing through three shadows in a single sweep. Their black blood sizzled.
One lunged at me .
I raised my palm.
"Azure Blue Flame" a brilliant blue fire erupted, on my hand then :
"Devour."
Started consuming the beast midair. It didn't just burn—it fed on the darkness. Their essence flowed into me, power crackling under my skin.
The Divine Dragon's blessing surged.
My sword blazed. My steps echoed.
"You want a war?" I whispered, voice cold. "You've got one."
________________________________
Arthur (POV)
From atop a shattered tower, I watched the chaos unfold below.
Students screamed. Shadows feasted. Fire and blood painted the academy.
And I smiled.
"This is what happens when light grows complacent," I muttered. "Darkness thrives in its shadow."
My eyes found Scarlett—dancing with blades. Strong. Resilient.
But she'd break.
They all would.
Then—
A pulse of divine energy made my spine stiffen.
"Arthur."
The voice was soft—but it carried like thunder.
I turned.
Olivia Lanze stood behind me, her platinum hair glowing in the sun's dying light. Emerald eyes burned with sorrow and power.
"Olivia," I said, the smile fading just slightly.
"You were kind," she whispered, stepping forward. "You had a good heart. What happened?"
I chuckled bitterly. "The truth happened. Kindness is weakness. Power… is freedom. And now I'm free."
"Free?" Her voice trembled. "You're enslaved by darkness."
"No," I said coldly. "I chose this."
"You let the Shadow monsters into our home. Into our academy. People are dying, Arthur."
"They were always going to die. I've simply accelerated fate."
A flicker of sorrow passed through her gaze.
"I didn't want this," she whispered. "I wanted to save you."
"You're too late," I said. "You should've spoken sooner."
Silence hung heavy between us.
Below, shadows ravaged.
Above, two former allies stood on opposite ends of fate.
"I will stop you," Olivia said, staff glowing with radiant light.
"Try," I replied, my voice dark and calm. "Let's see if your light can pierce my abyss."
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