The sky of Aetheria Academy had always looked different from any sky Raizel had ever seen—both in this life and his past. The predominance of purple and dark blue mixed with flashes of magical energy created a scene that seemed to come from a nightmare and beauty all rolled into one.
But Raizel knew that beauty always hid danger.
Three days had passed since his arrival, and he had found no less than seven different tracking spells implanted on him—most from the Lumiere faction, two from the Academy Council, and one… one whose source he could not identify. It was the latter that bothered him the most.
"We are always being watched, Ven," Raizel whispered to his little familiar—a shadowy crow perched on his shoulder. "But the one watching, is also being watched."
Ven only made a soft 'crack' sound, his red eyes gleaming in the darkness of the east tower's corridor. The clock struck three in the morning, the ideal time to explore the Academy without interruption.
Most of the students were asleep, the teachers had returned to their residences, and only a few guards patrolled in a pattern that Raizel had memorized by heart.
"Lumiere was too careless with his tracking magic," Raizel muttered, his fingers dancing in the air as he manipulated thin but powerful threads of dark magic. "A prince should be more subtle. Father was right about him… too confident, too ambitious."
And too dangerous to let live—
The thought came in a voice that sounded like Valthorr's, and Raizel frowned. This had been happening more and more often lately—dark thoughts that weren't entirely his own. Was this the influence of Valthorr's blood that flowed through his veins, or something more sinister?
In his old life, Raizel had been a cybersecurity analyst, accustomed to data manipulation and mind games. But in this world, the games he played were far more dangerous, with lives and souls at stake.
Raizel stopped in front of an old, nondescript door. The Eastern Forbidden Library—one of the five secret libraries hidden within Aetheria Academy. Most students didn't even know it existed, but as Valthorr's son, Raizel had information that no one else did.
With a smooth motion, he removed Lumiere's tracking magic and replaced it with a magical illusion that would show that he was still in his room. After making sure the corridor was clear, Raizel placed his hand on the door and whispered words in the ancient language his father had taught him.
"Veil of the Void, part for your kin."
The door didn't move, but Raizel felt a shift in the air—as if reality itself had shifted slightly. He stepped forward, and instead of hitting solid wood, his body passed through the door as if through a thin mist.
Inside, the darkness was almost complete.
Only a few small magic crystals on the ceiling emitted a faint bluish glow, illuminating the tall shelves filled with ancient books and scrolls that were forbidden to most of the Academy's inhabitants.
"Let's see what they're hiding about the Elysium Thorn," Raizel murmured.
The silver-haired girl had not left his thoughts since their first meeting. From her posture and the way she moved, Raizel could tell at once that she was a trained assassin—perhaps on the level of his father's shadow assassins. But there was no intelligence report on her, and that was… concerning.
Information is the most valuable currency in this world, and Valthorr always makes sure his spy network is the best. If the girl is not on the report, then she is either a top-level threat… or a potentially valuable asset.
Raizel traced the shelves with his pale fingers, reading the titles in various ancient languages until he stopped at a black-covered book with no title. Only a small symbol of a rose with thorns was engraved on the spine. The symbol of the Assassins Guildmaster from the Second Wizarding War.
A slight smirk appeared on his face as he pulled the book out.
"Looking for something about me, Lord Valthorr Junior?"
The cold, feminine voice froze Raizel in place. There was no aura of magic, no sound of footsteps, no other sign of presence—yet the silver-haired girl stood just a few steps behind him, her violet eyes gleaming in the darkness.
"I prefer to be called Raizel," he answered calmly, though his heart was beating rapidly. The girl's ability to slip away undetected, even by Ven, indicated a very high level of threat. "And you are right. I am curious about the person who has been watching me since day one… especially when that person does not appear in the best intelligence reports on the continent."
The girl tilted her head slightly, her expression remaining impassive even as something flickered in her eyes—perhaps interest, perhaps wariness.
"Information is a weapon," he said. "And some weapons are too dangerous to be recorded in any book."
"Including you, Elyssia? Or do you prefer to be called Elysium Thorn?"
For a split second, the girl's eyes widened—the only sign of surprise she showed—before returning to her cold expression.
"You know my name. Interesting." Elyssia stepped forward, her body movements like flowing water, graceful yet deadly. "But the important question is: what will you do with that information, son of Valthorr?"
Raizel closed the book in his hand and stared directly into those purple eyes. "That depends. Are you here to kill me, or is there some other motive?"
"If I wanted you dead," Elyssia replied in a voice like cracking ice, "you would have never woken up since the first night."
"So do you," Raizel replied with a faint smile. Ven, his familiar, had now transformed into a shadow that coiled around Elyssia's neck like a necklace—something the girl clearly did not notice. One command from Raizel, and the shadow could harden into a dagger that would sever his main artery.
The tension between them felt like static electricity, Raizel's dark magic quivering in the air, meeting the cold aura radiating from Elyssia. They were both trained assassins since childhood, experts in power plays and manipulation.
But then, to her surprise, the corners of Elyssia's lips lifted into a thin smile.
"You're not what I expected," she said. "Not as stupid as your father."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It's a fact." Elyssia pointed to the book in Raizel's hand. "That book won't give you the answers you seek. Records of the Elysium Thorn have been erased from official history for the past decade."
Raizel considered his words before asking, "By whom?"
"By the same person who sent me to watch you." Elyssia's eyes flashed dangerously. "The one who wants to see Valthorr and his entire bloodline dead… including you."
"And his name?"
"It's not time for you to know." Elyssia turned, preparing to leave. "But you are in more danger than you realize, Raizel. There are nine tracking spells on you, not the seven you discovered."
Raizel froze. If that was true, then…
"Darius is not the only one targeting you," Elyssia continued. "And the first attack will come no more than three days from now."
"Why are you telling me this?" Raizel asked, suspicion lacing his voice. "What is in it for you?"
Elyssia paused in the doorway of the library, her figure half swallowed by darkness.
"Because I wanted to see if you were smart enough to survive," she replied. "And because your death at the hands of another would… disrupt my plans."
With those words, she disappeared into the darkness of the corridor, leaving Raizel with more questions than answers.
Raizel called Ven back to his shoulder and stared at the book in his hands. It might not contain information about Elyssia, but it might hold clues about the organization that sheltered her.
"Three days," he muttered. "Then we need to speed up our plans."
He tucked the book into his black robe and prepared to leave the library when something caught his eye—a small mark carved into the corner of a bookshelf.
The symbol of a rose with thorns, just like in the book… except with the addition of a circle with nine dots around it.
Nine tracking spells. Nine dots.
"Perhaps," Raizel whispered to himself, "Lady Elysium Thorn wasn't entirely lying."
With that thought, he left the library, his silhouette blending into the darkness of the corridor as dawn began to break over the eastern horizon of Aetheria Academy.
The Advanced Elemental Manipulation class was one of the most prestigious classes in Aetheria Academy, and also one of the most dangerous. Only twenty selected students were allowed to attend, all from the highest noble families with exceptional magical talent.
And of course, Darius Lumiere sat in the front row with his characteristic haughty attitude.
"Ah, Lord Valthorr," Professor Morvath greeted as Raizel entered the room. The old man with the long, silvery beard was one of the few teachers who treated all students with equal respect, regardless of their origins. "On time as usual. Please take a seat."
Raizel nodded politely and chose a seat on the right side of the room, a position that gave him a full view of all the other students while still maintaining a safe distance. Years of living as the son of a tyrant had taught him never to sit anywhere that didn't have at least two escape routes.
"How was your night, Valthorr?" Darius whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Sleeping well? Or busy hiding under the covers from the monsters your father created?"
Several students giggled, especially those from families affiliated with the Solaris Empire.
Raizel merely smiled thinly. "I slept like a baby, Prince Lumiere. I'm worried about you, though—your spies seem ineffective in reporting my activities last night. Perhaps you need to invest more in their training?"
Darius' face flushed slightly. Of course he had been informed by his spy that the tracking magic he had implanted on Raizel showed that their target had not left the room all night.
"Alright, everyone," Professor Morvath began, ending the exchange of words. "Today we will be discussing the theory and practice of Elemental Conversion—the ability to transform one magical element into another."
With a wave of his hand, a complex diagram appeared in the air, showing the flow of energy between the six primary elements.
"As you know, conversion between adjacent elements is relatively easy—Water to Ice, Fire to Lightning. But conversion between opposing elements is nearly impossible without a catalyst."
Professor Morvath looked around the room. "Who can tell me which elements are the most difficult to convert?"
Darius immediately raised his hand. "Light and Darkness, Professor. Both are primordial elements that are fundamentally opposed."
"Yes, Prince Lumiere," the Professor nodded. "And that is why today we will be attempting something that has never been done before in this class."
With a dramatic gesture, he pulled two crystals from his pocket—one glowing with pure golden light, the other seemingly absorbing all light around it.
"The Pure Light Crystal from the Solar Temple, and the Void Crystal from Valthorr's Abyss," he explained. "With this, we will attempt a conversion experiment that only a handful of Archmages in history have succeeded in."
The students' eyes widened. Such an experiment was extremely dangerous—failure could mean an energy explosion that would destroy the entire tower.
"We will need two students for this demonstration," Professor Morvath continued. "One with the highest Light affinity, and one with the highest Dark affinity." His eyes shifted between Darius and Raizel. "Prince Lumiere, Lord Valthorr, would you care to assist?"
Before either of them could answer, the classroom door opened and Elyssia stepped in, her cold aura instantly changing the atmosphere of the room.
"I apologize for being late, Professor," she said in a flat voice.
Professor Morvath looked surprised. "Miss… Elyssia. I didn't realize you had been added to my class roster."
"A sudden change at the request of Headmistress Evelyn," Elyssia replied, handing over an official letter bearing the Headmistress' seal.
Raizel watched intently. This was clearly no coincidence. Elyssia had purposely placed herself in the same class as him—the question was, to protect or to supervise?
"Very well," Professor Morvath nodded after reading the letter. "You may join us. We are just about to begin the demonstration of the elemental conversion between Light and Darkness."
"Actually," Elyssia said, her eyes meeting Raizel's for a split second, "I have an affinity for Blood magic—perhaps it could help act as a stabilizing catalyst for such a dangerous conversion?"
The room fell silent. Blood magic was a forbidden branch of magic used only by the Assassins Guildmaster and a few ancient families. To openly admit such an ability was something that had not happened in Aetheria Academy for centuries.
Professor Morvath hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. "If the Headmaster has allowed you to join this class, I believe he also knows of your… affinity. Very well, we will use a triangulation approach. Lord Valthorr, Prince Lumiere, and Lady Elyssia."
Raizel rose from his seat, his eyes never leaving Elyssia. What was the girl's game? Openly revealing her Blood magic abilities was a highly risky move in a world where users of such magic were often hunted down and executed.
As the three of them gathered at the front of the classroom, Darius whispered softly, "What an interesting collection you have amassed, Valthorr. A Blood magic user? Your father would be proud."
"I belong to no one, Prince," Elyssia interrupted in a voice colder than ice. "And if you value those elegant fingers of yours, I suggest you keep a respectful distance."
Darius seemed taken aback by Elyssia's boldness, but before he could reply, Professor Morvath began the experiment.
"Prince Lumiere, please hold the Crystal of Light. Lord Valthorr, the Crystal of Void. Lady Elyssia will create a Blood magic circle to stabilize the conversion."
Reluctantly, Darius and Raizel took up positions facing each other, each holding their own crystal. Elyssia stood between them, biting her own thumb until a drop of blood was drawn, then creating a complex circle in the air with the blood floating.
"On the count of three," the Professor instructed, "flow your energy into your respective crystals. Our goal is to create a Crystal of Harmony—a crystal that contains the perfect balance of Light and Darkness."
Raizel realized that this was the perfect opportunity for Darius to "accidentally" release a surge of energy that could kill him. But with Elyssia between them, any attack on him would also put her in danger—and there was something about the way Darius looked at her that made Raizel certain that the prince did not want her to be harmed.
Fascinating, Raizel thought. Even a Lumiere could be captivated by deadly beauty.
"One… two… three!"
Darius' golden energy flowed into his crystal along with Raizel's dense dark energy. The two streams of energy met in Elyssia's blood circle, creating a vortex of energy that spun faster and faster.
Raizel felt resistance from Darius' energy—the prince was intentionally channeling more power to dominate the conversion. If successful, the resulting crystal would lean more toward the Light than balanced, giving the Lumiere faction a symbolic victory.
With a faint smile, Raizel increased his energy flow as well.
"Careful, both of you," Professor Morvath warned distantly. "Balance is key!"
But neither Raizel nor Darius let up on their power. This was no longer an academic experiment—this was a battle of strength and will, a micro-representation of the centuries-old conflict between the Empire of Light and the Lordship of Darkness.
Elyssia's blood circle began to tremble, a sign that the stability of the conversion was under threat. The girl frowned in concentration, injecting more energy into the circle to maintain its balance.
"Enough," Elyssia whispered to the two of them. "You will blow up the entire tower."
But the two of them ignored her, their energy growing until the air around them vibrated with a suffocating magical pressure. Several students in the front row began to back away in fear.
And then, Raizel felt something strange—his dark energy suddenly felt… different. Thicker, stronger, but also wilder and more uncontrollable. Like something else had taken over its flow.
"Let your rage flow, my son…"
Valthorr's voice echoed in his mind, and for a split second, Raizel lost control. Pure darkness erupted from his crystal, swallowing up Darius' light energy and threatening to sweep across the room.
"No!" Raizel shouted, trying to regain control of his power.
Just when disaster seemed inevitable, Elyssia placed her hand on Raizel's hand holding the crystal. Blood from her wounded finger dripped onto the Void crystal, and something amazing happened.
The wild darkness began to regain control, swirling in a more orderly pattern, as if tamed by Elyssia's blood. Even more astonishing, the darkness was no longer pitch black, but a beautiful deep purple—the same color as Elyssia's eyes.
In the blink of an eye, the dark and light energies swirling in the circle of blood suddenly merged, sucking up the two original crystals and forming a new crystal that floated in the center—a crystal that was neither completely light nor completely dark, but shimmered with the changing colors of the rainbow.
"Incredible," Professor Morvath whispered, his eyes wide. "A perfect Harmony Crystal!"
The entire class erupted in applause and cries of admiration, but Raizel could only stare at his hand, still held by Elyssia, and the girl's blood that remained on the crystal.
Something very strange had just happened. The darkness within him, the darkness inherited from Valthorr, had reacted to Elyssia's blood in a way that no magical theory could explain.
And from the expression on Elyssia's face, Raizel knew she felt it too.
"What did you do to me?" Raizel whispered, low enough for only Elyssia to hear.
Elyssia withdrew her hand, her eyes meeting Raizel's in a gaze filled with something undecipherable—perhaps fear, perhaps awe.
"It was not me," she replied. "This is something more ancient than either of us."
Before Raizel could ask further, Professor Morvath carefully took the Harmony Crystal.
"This is an incredible achievement! A complete conversion the likes of which we have not witnessed in this Academy for over a century."
Darius stood rigid, his eyes narrowing between Raizel and Elyssia. He was clearly defeated and humiliated—not by Raizel's dark power, but by Elyssia's unexpected intervention.
"Blood Magic," Darius muttered in disgust. "A forbidden branch of magic used only by assassins and necromancers. Users such as you should not be allowed in this Academy."
Elyssia merely smiled coldly. "And yet, Prince, without my intervention, half this Academy would have been razed to the ground—thanks to the stubbornness of the two of you."
"Enough," Professor Morvath interrupted. "All forms of magic are respected in this Academy as long as they are used responsibly. And today, Lady Elyssia has demonstrated remarkable control."
The Professor held the Harmony Crystal aloft. "I will keep this crystal for further study. In the meantime, you three…" he looked at Darius, Raizel, and Elyssia in turn, "may wish to reflect on the lessons of balance and cooperation we have learned today. Class dismissed."
As the students began to file out of the room with excited whispers about what they had just witnessed, Raizel caught Darius's hateful gaze.
"This is not over yet, Valthorr," the prince whispered before leaving, followed by his retainers.
Raizel remained where he was, his eyes fixed on Elyssia, who was wiping the remaining blood from her fingers.
"Balance and cooperation," Raizel murmured, quoting the Professor. "I think we need to talk further, Lady Elyssia."
The silver-haired girl simply nodded curtly.
"Midnight. East Astronomy Tower. Come alone."
With that, she walked away, leaving Raizel with the sense that new alliances and threats were forming in Aetheria Academy—and he was right at the center of it.
Ven, who had been hiding in the shadows during class, returned to Raizel's shoulder and whispered in a voice like the wind through dry leaves.
"Her blood… is different," the familiar whispered. "Ancient power. Dangerous."
"Yes," Raizel replied, staring at the door through which Elyssia had disappeared. "And perhaps, just what we need."
Outside the window, the sky began to cloud over, as if nature itself sensed the shift in the balance of power.