“Get back!”

I shoved Olga back into our dormitory through the doorway as a massive explosion of green and purple flames rocked the school corridors. Olga yelped as she landed on her backside. Unfortunately for me, the door was slammed shut by the force of the explosion before I could enter. And I soon found myself flung forward against it. The door was, unfortunately, a lot harder than me

I felt… more than a few bones break and crack in the collision, the breath driven from my lungs in a single, painful crash.

SWOOSH!

A wave of heat and magic pulsed through the air.

The world blurred.

Shadows and phantoms danced in the fog of my eyes, followed flashes and sparks of light.

Several of my bones were broken. My spine, most of all, was probably fractured. My right shoulder was dislocated and my right arm was similarly broken. Actually, it would’ve been far easier to simply shift my focus to all the parts of me that weren’t broken or otherwise injured, like my left arm and shoulder, both of which seemed to survive relatively unscathed.

Grunting, I reached into my coat and grabbed my wand, which I then aimed at myself. I took a deep breath and forced myself to steady, ignoring all the sounds of chaos that seemed to reign around me. People were screaming. The smell of copper and iron filled the air. I was certain it was blood. “Shi Zikia….”

The pain lifted slowly as I felt, at first, the shifting of my bones and the knitting of my flesh beneath the skin. It was… weird, but it was ultimately nothing compared to regrowing and cutting my left hand for what felt like a thousand times. The process took several seconds to complete. When it was done, however, the pain was gone. And I knew that, through magic, I had just undone many injuries that would’ve threatened my life if I hadn’t known that one spell.

I pushed myself up just as the fog in my eyes lifted.

There were numerous other students all across the corridor. They were far away from me, but were closer to the source of the explosion. And yet, only very few were harmed. The rest had covered themselves in a variety of shimmering shields of differing colors; some hid behind bubbles of fire, while others crouched beneath a wall of ice, and the rest were shielded by things I could not describe or understand.

I breathed in and turned, opening the door behind me to let Olga out. Her blonde her was a mess as she stepped out, shuddering as she reached out and laid a gentle hand on my chest. I felt her palm against my skin. Brows furrowed, I glanced down and realized, to my horror, that the explosion had blown open a hole on my torso. It was fixed now, but the reality that I had been seconds away from dying was… strange. Olga’s blue eyes narrowed, “Are you alright?”

I nodded and placed my hand over her hand. Her skin was strangely cold, “Yeah, but I think I almost died from that. What about you; are you hurt anywhere?”

Olga shook her head. “I am unharmed.”

My eyes drifted back to the open corridor, where the students had begun undoing their shields. “What do you think happened?”

Olga pulled her hand back and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

I turned and walked towards the corridor anyway. It was probably dangerous, but I wasn’t helpless anymore; I knew spells now. I could defend myself if the need arose.

Still, I approached as slowly and as cautiously as I could, keeping my footsteps light and quiet as I walked forward. There were other students around us; those who were injured lingered on the floor, groaning and moaning in pain. My eyebrows furrowed; did they not know any spells to fix themselves? Most of them were probably our seniors, too.

Olga followed behind me; she was quieter than me, I noted. Her footsteps were lighter, too.

The smoke from the green and purple flames dispersed, revealing two students at the center, a girl and a boy, both of them wreathed in fire, aiming weapons at each other’s throats. The girl, who bore a straight sword, was covered in what I could only describe as cloak of green flames that, at a closer glance, looked more akin to smoke than flame. The boy, meanwhile, wore some sort of armor that was made up entirely of purple flames, which included the wicked curved blade he aimed at the girl’s throat. Neither of them, I noted, had the burning crimson eyes that I found typical among Dark Mages.

I stopped and so did Olga. There was no way I was getting involved in this, but I wouldn’t deny that I was curious. As with the incident that involved the girl and the giant dog from hell, several students immediately gathered around the two, despite the clear and present danger. Everyone ignored the injured students on the floor; no one seemed to care about them. And I was not about to out myself by acting any differently; a part of me, of course, wanted to help them with the spell I’d learned from Lady Victoria, but another part of me was afraid to even try. What if, in saving others, I’d doom myself? The Dark Mages were merciless and pitiless; acting any differently might just get me killed. So, I ignored them.

Olga and I lingered behind the student lines, watching and waiting for something – anything – to happen that might explain the explosion from earlier. For a moment, I wondered where my fellow Neophytes were, but I figured they still probably hadn’t learned their lesson from last time and were trying, and failing, to hunker down in their rooms.

“House Khem does not tolerate deserters, wench!” The boy spat. The purple flames over his curved sword seemed to roar with his declaration. His tattered robes were wrought with cuts and tears, and he was bleeding profusely from a massive gash on his chest. If it was hurting him, then he was doing a fine job of not showing it. “You will face the House Master’s justice or forfeit your life immediately!”

The girl across him merely chuckled. She too was covered in cuts and wounds, and her black robe was in similar state, full of tears and gashes, whereupon her blood dripped. The green flames that bathed her form roared its challenge; her chuckle fell into a grin. Her face was marred with soot and ash. “House Khem can go fuck itself in the ass with a cactus – your House Master, especially! House Ishtar is my home; so run back to your boyfriends and maybe I won’t decide to peel the skin off your face, worm!”

“YOU TREACHEROUS WHORE!”

“YOU SPINELESS MAGGOT!”

They both lunged towards each other. Time seemed to slow down. I wasn’t sure what they were thinking, but – with how their blades were positioned – both of them would likely end up dead. But, somehow, at the very last moment, they swerved their heads around right as their blades would’ve sliced open both of their necks. Soon, their bodies and their swords moved like blurs in the wind, appearing more akin to a hazy mess of green and purple colors and flames, followed by the sounds of clashing steel. Their forms disappeared within the blur, becoming naught but bladed phantoms.

I turned to Olga. She was looking at them with narrowed eyes; it might’ve been the trick of the light, but I could’ve sworn that – somehow – she was able to track their movements.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The blur of blades and colored flames flickered out as the two of them briefly separated, hands held out towards each other.

I felt the surge of magic that pulsed underneath their skin, beneath their muscles and bones; it was… weak, like droplets as opposed to the seemingly endless ocean that was Lady Victoria’s.

“Smaragdus Sagitta!”

“Ius Asate!”

From the girl’s outstretched hand surged forth a shimmering, almost crystalline, spear, wreathed in green flames. The boy, meanwhile, unleashed a dark purple blast that quickly swallowed the girl’s projectile in a black haze of warring magics; a most horrifying sound came from the clash of their spells, like the grinding and breaking of ice, and the yawning and groaning of twisted metal.

And then, they charged, roaring, blades held aloft.

My eyes widened when I noted a brief shimmer between them, light and time and space seemingly breaking and ripping itself apart in the vague outline of a tall man. My eyes stung. And it was the pain that made me recognize the figure immediately.

Lord Kyroth appeared between them, his arms held outwards as he stopped both of their blades by firmly holding them between his fingers.

The pain of just looking at him was not nearly as bad as it had been the last time, but it still hurt. Olga, I noted, was massaging her forehead and her temples, even as she forced herself to look. All around us, the students bowed their heads. The two, who’d been previously fighting, immediately dropped their weapons and bowed. “Lord Kyroth….”

Almost on reflex, I lowered my head. And so did Olga.

“Tsk,” Lord Kyroth sighed as he snapped his fingers and turned the two swords into dust. The green and purple flames that burned across their forms were extinguished alongside their blades. Lord Kyroth huffed. And the world seemed to hold its breath. I was certain the boy was shaking. Lord Kyroth shook his head. “Killing each other is fine; I don’t quite care about that. In fact, like any other self-respecting Dark Mage, I encourage it. However, House Disputes are to be kept outside of Neutral Zones and this area of the Shadow Academy, I’m afraid, is a Neutral Zone.”

Lord Kyroth glanced at me when he said that last part, the barest hint of a smile on his face as he gave me a passing nod. The other students, those that cared enough to watch the… duel, seemed to agree as nods and murmurs were thrown about; if that was the case, then why didn’t they do anything?

“This area is a safe haven for Neophytes,” He continued. His crimson eyes blazed like twin stars in the night sky, even as the rest of his body seemed to flicker in and out of reality and gave everyone headaches just for looking. “Direct combat is strictly prohibited; do I make myself clear, Acolytes?”

The two bowed even lower and somehow spoke in unison, “We understand perfectly, Lord Kyroth.”

“Go and clean up the Crucible,” Lord Kyroth commanded with a slight turn of his head to the left. I raised an eyebrow, thinking that I should probably start exploring this academy when I had the chance. Staying cooped up in my room for hours isn’t doing me any favors. What is the Crucible, anyway? “If it’s not spotless and shining when I check on it, I’m flaying open your backs and pouring salt on your bare flesh; am I understood, Acolytes?”

The two students stiffened, but otherwise kept their heads bowed. Once more, they spoke in unison, despite their previous quarrel. “We understand, Lord Kyroth.”

“Good,” Lord Kyroth leaned back and made a shooing gesture. “Now, start cleaning.”

The two trotted away.

The gathered students quickly dispersed, of course, leaving only the injured ones still on the floor. Someone would probably deal with them later – maybe.

Lord Kyroth took a step towards us.

Olga’s breath hitched and she took an almost absent step backwards. Was she afraid of him?

Lord Kyroth raised an eyebrow, but otherwise ignored Olga’s reaction.

As he stopped, I lowered my head and bowed, and hoped Olga was doing the same thing. Lord Kyroth chuckled, “Hello, little Neophyte; I see you’ve adapted well enough. What occurred earlier… put it out of your mind, for now; house politics shouldn’t concern you just yet, Neophyte.”

“How goes your apprenticeship with Lady Victoria?”

“It has been… difficult,” I admitted. It was the truth and, really, I saw no point in lying. Lady Victoria was a cruel teacher – very cruel, in fact – but she was also… fair. Though, really, it was far too early in my apprenticeship for an actual assessment. Today was the day I was going to meet the actual devil for some reason and I still wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “But I have learned many things under her tutelage.”

“That’s good,” Lord Kyroth nodded. “The Crow-Mother is an exceptionally powerful Dark Mage, a monster among monsters. There are many who would brave the darkest depths of the Crucible just for a chance to learn from her. I expect great things from you, Neophyte – many do.”

His eyes flickered towards Olga for a moment and, very briefly, his face twisted into a sharp sneer. I thought he might’ve wanted to say something to her as his lips parted, but he stayed his tongue and huffed. For a moment, it seem as though the blazing red of his eyes dimmed. But I might’ve just been imagining things. “Be careful, Neophyte; there are those who would see you fall before you reach the highest peak of power. Some of them may even take the guise of dear friends.”

I nodded, though I wasn’t quite sure just what he was talking about. The only friend I had was Olga and I trusted her well enough. Still, I wasn’t about to argue with a teacher. “I will keep that in mind, Lord Kyroth.”

“Good… now, I believe you children have the entire morning to yourselves, yes? Make it a productive morning, at least,” At that, Lord Kyroth took a step back and shimmered out of the air, disappearing as though he was never there at all.

I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Olga. “We should probably go back….”

I reached in and grabbed her hand, but then she spoke, “I don’t want to stay in the dormitory, doing nothing while I wait for my mentor; let’s… explore the school.”

The fact that we apparently had no classes for the morning had been a surprise. It was the reason why Olga and I ventured out of our dormitories in the first place, to see if someone was waiting for us. But then that whole… thing happened. And now, much like Olga, I was no longer interested in staying in my room for the rest of the morning. No one ever told us that we couldn’t walk around or explore. However, actively moving about in the dark of the hallways of this school would be… dangerous. I mean, I didn’t think anyone in particular wanted either of us dead, but it would be so easy to get tangled up in someone else’s quarrel.

“Alright,” I nodded and smiled. “But we have to be careful.”

Olga smiled as well, nodding once. “I know.”

Right, neither of us knew anything about the interior of this school and it wasn’t as though we had a map available… right?

“So, where should we go?” I was vaguely aware of the direction that might lead us to the classroom from yesterday, but I couldn’t be too sure. There were hundreds of doors and pathways and hallways and corridors that Olga and I could easily lose ourselves in if we weren’t careful.

Olga glanced around us, before taking a step towards me. She reached into her robes and pulled out a rolled piece of withered paper, which she then held out to me. I took it and opened it up, which then revealed a map of sorts. I’d never seen a map of anything before and this was… new. Though, thanks to Olga’s lessons, I was able to understand a few of the named places, such as the Sanctum of Lost Souls and the Hall of Bones – both places I definitely do not want to visit. The Crucible, the place that Lord Kyroth had mentioned, was also there.

I also noted several places that she had crossed out for some reason.

“Where’d you get this?”

Her right hand surged forward and snatched the map from my grasp.

Olga seemed… nervous; her eyes darted to and fro, and she would look over her shoulders with wide eyes as though she was expecting someone or something to be standing right behind her. Her breaths were quick and shallow. And her hands shook. But I didn’t know why.

It took a moment for her to calm down. “I found it in my room.”

She didn’t feel like explaining and I didn’t feel like prying. Her business was her own. It was suspicious, sure, but it was probably harmless. We were still Neophytes, after all.

“Let’s go to the library,” I suggested. According to her map, which I’d glanced only very briefly, the library wasn’t too far from the Neophyte Dormitory. I could read now – somewhat - and I have never been inside a library in my entire life. I've walked by a few, but books were pointless if one lacked the ability to read. If there were words I didn’t understand, I could always ask Olga. And I wanted, simply, to learn more about this place, about my situation, about the world, and about magic in general; why my fellow Neophytes wanted to hole up in their rooms like scared animals when they had the opportunity to become far more than what they were was beyond me.

It was possible, perhaps, that they still longed for their former lives; perhaps, a few of them had homes, families, and friends. But, unlike them, there literally nothing and no one for me to return to, nothing at all. For better or for worse, this dark place was my home now. And I was determined to make the most of it, no matter the horrors I would have to face or the sins I would have to commit.

Olga nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.”