A few moments earlier at Aki’s room.....

“Seems like everyone has gone to the mine,” Aki muttered, standing near the window as his gaze fixated on the dark swirling vortex forming not far from the academy. “I’ve seen that pattern before,” he added, his voice calm yet tinged with familiarity.

Aki closed his eyes, activating his foresight ability. In an instant, he sensed the ominous energy emanating from the vortex. “I can feel it... the same dark energy as before. It’s Nishay,” he said with certainty.

Unlike before, Aki’s demeanor seemed more composed, his aura exuding maturity. The once unrefined control over his magic had evolved into something steadier, a testament to his training. He turned toward his bed, where Vidia, the fairy, lay sprawled, her tiny form resting from exhaustion. Though she appeared to be resting, her wide-open eyes hinted at a mind deep in thought, disbelief flickering within them. “I cannot believe this is possible,” Vidia mused silently.

A memory surfaced:

Inside the world in-between, where Vidia had taken Aki to train, magic energy sparked and flowed like wild rivers, an aftermath of his intense training.

“It’s almost time,” Vidia said aloud, manifesting a sand timer hovering above her right hand. The grains of sand trickled steadily, nearing their end. “It’s been two months. We need to leave before your brain turns to mush,” she warned sternly, her gaze fixed on Aki.

In front of her, Aki was hunched over, panting, the signs of pushing himself to his absolute limits evident. “No, we continue,” Aki replied, his tone resolute and unwavering.

“What?” Vidia exclaimed, incredulous at his determination. “Didn’t I tell you? The longer we stay here, the higher the chances your brain will turn to mush! Your mind isn’t strong enough to withstand the time dilation between this world and your own,” she explained, her tone both stern and lecturing.

Aki straightened up, wiped the sweat from his brow, and smiled at her, his resolve unshaken. “I’m fine. Don’t worry. You can check my mind—I’m really fine. I can still go on.”

Just as Vidia prepared to raise her voice in another round of lecturing, she hesitated. Flying closer, she hovered beside Aki and began circling his head, her tiny hands glowing faintly as she scanned his mind. What she discovered left her speechless.

In her thoughts, she marvelled, “It’s as if his consciousness is adapting, coexisting between interdimensional states, not only that but his physical properties also able to adapt faster than I could ever imagined. This... this is incredible.”

“Vidia,” Aki called, his voice steady but firm, breaking through her amazement.

Vidia snapped out of her thoughts and turned to him, her expression still filled with wonder. “This is something unheard of,” she said, her tone carrying both astonishment and acknowledgement. “Very well, I’ll extend your training time here by another two months.”

With a flick of her fingers, she manifested the sand timer once more, resetting it and letting the grains of sand begin their flow anew.

......

Present time.

Vidia rose and fluttered over to Aki’s study table, landing softly on the surface. “Honestly, I still can’t believe you managed to endure a whole year in the world in-between,” she said, her tone tinged with a rare admiration.

Vidia had set the timer for two more months, but Aki kept insisting; eventually, they ended up in the world in-between for a year.

Aki, gazing at his hand as he lifted it slightly, replied, “Once I grasped the essence of my magic, everything seemed clearer.” His voice brimmed with excitement as he continued, “I feel a renewed energy coursing through me, like I can do anything—like nothing is impossible.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Vidia cautioned, her tone firm. “You’re still far from being ready to face the full wrath of Nishay’s presence.”

“I know,” Aki said with a smile, seemingly acknowledge the fact. “But I’ve rested enough.” He continued, his gaze shifted toward the ever-present dark vortex spiraling in the sky above, its ominous location unmistakably near the mine. Turning back to Vidia, he added, “While you were resting, I heard from a servant that the headmistress has gone to the mine, accompanied by guardsmen and mages.”

“They did?” Vidia asked, hovering closer to him. She tilted her head curiously and continued, “What about your foresight ability? Did it pick up anything?”

Aki paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the swirling vortex in the distance. “I can sense it,” he finally replied. “The vortex clearly exudes Nishay's essence, but there's something else.”

Vidia tilted her head further, intrigued by his words. “Something else?” she echoed.

Aki nodded, his expression serious. “I sense another presence—a malicious entity. Its presence is faint, almost vague, but it’s definitely there.”

Vidia then flew to the open arch window, her small frame silhouetted against the dim light of the stormy sky. She studied the dark, swirling vortex momentarily, her expression growing serious. “Something’s coming,” she said softly, her voice heavy with concern.

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A thunderous, monstrous roar erupted from the vortex, shaking the air. Moments later, a massive creature burst forth, its dark, armoured scales gleaming ominously under the swirling clouds. Jagged spikes ran the length of its back, and as it unfurled its enormous wings, the sheer force of the motion sent gusts rippling through the air. The dragon let out another deafening roar, its presence both commanding and terrifying.

“Dragon!” Vidia exclaimed, her voice a mix of shock and disbelief. She fluttered closer to the window, her eyes wide with alarm.

Aki stood frozen for a moment, his gaze locked on the colossal beast as it circled the vortex. Awe and unease battled within him; it was his first time witnessing a real dragon, a creature he had only read about in fantasy books and from video games.

But the moment of stunned admiration passed quickly. Aki snapped back to reality, his expression turning serious. “No,” he said firmly. “The headmistress and her group are out there.” His voice carried urgency, and he turned sharply toward Vidia, his determination evident.

Without hesitation, Aki grabbed his wand and moved swiftly to the centre of his room. “Vidia, we need to stop that dragon,” he said, his tone urgent and resolute.

“Wait, what?” Vidia exclaimed, her tiny form darting toward him in disbelief. “You can’t just—”

“There’s no time to explain!” Aki interrupted, already focusing his magic. “We need to hurry.”

Vidia hovered before him, her expression a mix of shock and frustration. “It’s a dragon! We can’t just—”

Before she could finish, Aki raised his wand, its tip glowing brightly. Beneath his feet, a radiant magic circle flared to life, intricate runes etching across the wooden floor. A second circle materialized above his head, spinning slowly as streaks of energy resembling electric currents crackled between the two. Aki and Vidia stood at the centre of the shimmering vortex of power.

“Trust me,” Aki said with a calm, confident smile.

Vidia hesitated, her protest dying on her lips as she saw the unwavering determination in his eyes.

With a deep breath, Aki released the spell. The air around them rippled and shimmered before, in an instant, both of them vanished, leaving behind faint streaks of crackling energy that slowly dissipated into the silence of the room.

The sky above the mine....

Wooosssh... sound of wind gusting. Below, vortex of dark clouds swirling about.

"Kyaaaa!" Vidia screamed, clutching tightly onto Aki's shirt by his shoulder. A mere second ago, they had been in the cozy confines of his room at the academy, and now they were free-falling through the open sky, the vast expanse of air rushing past them.

"Since when did you learn teleportation magic?" Vidia asked, her voice rising with panic as they fell through the endless expanse of air. The ground was still far, a thousand meters away below.

Aki, however, was unnervingly calm and collected. Without a word, he waved his wand with precision. A dim, transparent blue light enveloped his body, shimmering like an ethereal shield. Although still falling, their descent began to slow down a bit. The frantic fall eased into a controlled glide until he was almost levitating.

"There," Aki said, his tone calms yet focused as he pointed below. Emerging through the swirling clouds was the dragon they had seen earlier, its massive wings cutting through the air with power. The beast seemed unaware of their presence, its attention fixated elsewhere.

"What's your plan? How do you intend to stop it?" Vidia asked, her voice laced with concern and urgency as she clung to Aki's shoulder.

Aki didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gave her a confident smile, his gaze unwavering. Raising his wand above his head, he muttered, "Eltro."

Aki snapped his wand downward without hesitation, and instantly, a brilliant magic circle materialized at its tip, glowing faintly in the sky as it aimed directly at the dragon below.

The dragon, poised to plunge toward Sir William's group, suddenly roared in shock. From above, a crackling bolt of energy burst forth, the lightning-like magic striking the dragon squarely on its back. The sheer force of the blast rippled through the air, illuminating the dark clouds with a bright flash as the dragon let out a deafening, pained roar.

“You did it!” Vidia exclaimed in a delighted tone, her excitement clear.

“Vidia, hold on tight,” Aki warned, his voice steady yet urgent.

“What?” Vidia exclaimed, puzzled, but Aki waved his wand before she could say more. In an instant, they vanished into thin air, leaving only shimmering particles of magic energy that gradually dissipated into the sky.

Silence followed the thunderous crash of the dragon’s massive body hitting the ground below. The once-dreaded beast lay lifeless, sending waves of shock through Sir William’s group. Between them and the imposing figure of Demon Lord Alastair, a new presence suddenly emerged.

Electric like streaks sparked around Aki as he appeared, briefly illuminating the air before vanishing just as suddenly.

“Well, well,” Alastair said, his voice laced with mockery. “Look who it is. If it isn’t Athia’s little pawn.” His eyes gleamed sinisterly as he observed Aki with unnerving intensity.

“It’s the savior!” several guardsmen exclaimed, their voices carrying a mix of relief and near-celebration.

“Savior?” Amabel muttered, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“It’s him, alright,” Sylvia said with a faint smile, awe evident in her tone.

Amabel fixed her gaze on Aki, who stood resolute before them. Though she could only see his back, the sight triggered a sudden memory—the time she had stumbled upon him at the academy. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and words failed her.

“Aki,” the headmistress said as she stepped closer to him, her voice soft but filled with surprise.

Aki turned slightly and nodded in acknowledgement. “Headmistress,” he said, his tone calm yet resolute.

“How—did you just teleport here?” she asked, amazement flickering in her expression.

Aki offered her a warm smile. “Apparently, I did.”

Though still incredulous, the headmistress chose not to press further. The tension in the air was palpable as they turned their attention to Demon Lord Alastair, whose gaze now burned with visible agitation at Aki’s arrival.

“Headmistress, the entity before me... it emanates Nishay’s presence,” Aki said, his tone a mix of puzzlement and seriousness.

“The entity you see is none other than the Demon Lord himself,” the headmistress replied, her voice firm and resolute. “His name is Alastair—the Demon Lord of curses and black magic. He is one of Nishay’s creations.”

“I see,” Aki said, his expression sharpening as his gaze locked onto Alastair, unwavering and determined.

“Savior,” Sir William said, positioning himself beside Aki. His voice was steady, but his urgency was clear. “We must defeat this Demon Lord before he wreaks further havoc.”

“Yes, we must” Aki replied, his grip tightening on his wand. His gaze remained unwavering, locked on Alastair, who now radiated a malicious aura so intense it seemed to distort the air around him.

Once drowning in despair, the guardsmen seemed to find renewed courage in Aki’s presence. Determined, they began moving into formation, creating an offensive line with Aki, Sir William, and the headmistress at its center.

Behind them, the remaining group—Sylvia, Amabel, Professor Gale, and several mages—formed a defensive line. Their focus was sharp, their stances ready as they prepared to support the frontline.

The battlefield was set. Every heartbeat was filled with fear and hope as they faced the looming shadow of the Demon Lord.