Then darkness fell.
Nero woke up to a bone-chilling cold, his breath ragged, his body chained. The man's voice pierced the silence, bringing him back from the vortex of painful memories:
— "I told you to stop. You won't be free. These chains are stronger than anything you've ever seen."
Nero raised his head, his eyes tearful, his voice broken:
— "Who are you? Why did you kill Dan? What do you want from me?!"
— "You're not in a position to ask... but, since you won't live much longer, let me give you some of the truth."
As soon as he heard that, panic crept into Nero's eyes again. He shuddered.
— "What do you mean?! Why won't I live much longer?! What... what do you want?!"
His sobs mingled with his screams, his voice echoing through the gloomy cavern. The man approached him, leaning down so his face was close.
"Do you want me to show you my empty eyes again?"
Nero remembered those eyes... the emptiness he'd seen in them when Dan's life was taken away right in front of him. He froze, barely breathing, his mouth open as if he were drowning.
The man said stiffly, "We're in the Magical Society now, one of our headquarters. And no, don't bother... you don't know anything. This world you know is just a shell, and we live beneath it."
Nero just stared, not understanding. Fear gnawed at his thoughts.
"You possess some of the qualities we need. There are others like you... but you were the easiest. And now, we're going to melt you down."
Nero's body shook violently. His veins felt like they were screaming. He pressed against the wall, finally understanding: there was no way out, no escape.
The man continued, with contempt:
"Thanks to you, we will open a door untouched by human feet. Be proud, you loser, you will be the key to something great."
At that moment, more bodies emerged from the darkness, wearing the same robes. They stood in designated spots within the cavern, as if a ritual were beginning. The man joined them, and they chanted in unison:
"We have no names. We serve our master without question. Our goal... to create the key."
They repeated the phrase over and over, until one of them emerged from the line carrying a luminous piece of glass, azure in color, that glowed as if it were pulsating. Without warning, he thrust it forcefully into Nero's chest.
A scream rippled through the cavern.
The sensation was indescribable. A fire ignited in his chest, spreading rapidly through his body. His body began to slacken, his strength fading, until he collapsed like a hanging corpse. The mages watched with unblinking eyes, filled with desire and anticipation.
A dark purple light began to wrap around Nero. The movement of the light was fast and chaotic. As time passed, everyone relaxed, as if the ritual had worked... except for one.
He said in a shaky voice, doubting what he was seeing:
— "Isn't the glow supposed to be... crimson? Why is it purple?"
A heavy silence. Everyone looked again. Doubt crept in, and they realized something strange was happening.
Deep in Nero's mind, he watched his life replay. Childhood. Family. Dan.
But with each memory, he saw his shadow slowly separate from him... until it disappeared.
— "What's happening? Why is my shadow moving away from me? Am I dead?"
He was just a bystander, helpless.
— "They say a person sees their life before they die, but I don't understand... Why is my shadow abandoning me?"
Nero laughed bitterly, as if his heart had broken.
Outside, tension began to spread among the mages. The purple glow grew more ferocious, and terrifying black lines appeared in it. Nero's body shook violently, then...
Everything stopped.
Nero's shadow was reflected on the cavern wall, but it began to grow... and expand. The body, however, slackened completely, hanging motionless.
The mages tried to move, but it was too late.
The shadow emerged from the wall with unseen speed, standing confidently, its form identical to Nero's, but its eyes were a deep violet, and a chaotic, black aura swirled around it.
It raised its hands and said in a voice like thunder:
"Who took me out?"
No one dared to reply.
"Don't be afraid... I just want to thank whoever took me out."
The shadow laughed, as if enjoying itself.
"So? Ignoring me? That's... disrespectful."
He turned to Nero's limp body; something didn't feel right.
The chains began to melt.
The wall behind him cracked.
Suddenly, Nero screamed in an inhuman voice. Tears streamed from his eyes... blood. He laughed wildly.
He lunged at one of the mages—the assassin who had killed Dan—and blew his head off with his bare hand. Then he pointed at the candles, which ignited with a fierce black flame, chasing everyone away.
He moved his hand, and the chains sprang out like living creatures, attacking the remaining mages.
Some burned, some were torn apart.
The Shadow... stood in shock, watching the bloody scene. He didn't intervene.
When it was all over, the blood that had flowed from Nero's eyes flowed back inside, reversing its direction.
Then...
A wave of magic exploded from his body, destroying the entire cavern, turning it into rubble. The wave extended to the horizon.
At that moment, in various parts of the world, dark purple columns appeared, wrapped around them in a chaotic, powerful atom of magic. The ground began to shake violently.
Pillars of distorted magic rose high into the sky, interconnecting as if to draw a web over the world.
Elsewhere, within the magical community, the atmosphere felt similar to that of the natural world. The laws of physics in both realms began to malfunction. Everything was reversed: the sky took on strange colors, rivers ran against the current, volcanoes froze, and rivers erupted. The entire world seemed to be engulfed in terrifying chaos.
Only a lavish council of ten, adorned with the trappings of luxury and power, remained unshakable amid the storm. Despite the apparent tension, their faces held an unshakable poise. Magical explosions ignited around them at lightning speed, yet no one moved.
But, in a single moment... they all stood up at once.
A look of terror crossed their otherwise serene features—a terror that didn't mesh with faces so long characterized by impassiveness and dignity.
The mirror of truth... shattered.