The Lyris River flowed through the barony of Devalin with a serene majesty. Stretching over 1,200 km, it meandered through fertile lands and dense forests before emptying into the Sea of Liminus, south of Valoria. The Devalin basin was one of the regions where the Lyris spread its widest waters, offering the inhabitants a source of life and prosperity. About 50 km from Devalin, the river formed a waterfall over 100 meters high, one of the most spectacular and terrifying natural landscapes in the area. The roaring waters plunged freely, creating a deep, constant rumble that seemed to resonate to the very heart of the surrounding villages.

A boat, speeding across the surface of the river at a breakneck pace, raced toward the falls. It seemed out of control, heading straight for the drop. On the deck of the ship, flashes of white and black light intertwined, casting eerie shadows on the tumultuous waves.

The dark mage, clad in his dark robes, held a black metal staff firmly. At its tip, a dark orb pulsed, sending out ominous flashes. He muttered an incantation in a deep voice, and the orb glowed intensely before releasing a series of small, shimmering black spheres. He swept his staff once, twice, three times, and the black orbs darted straight toward Ale like cursed projectiles.

Ale tried to repel them, first summoning fireballs, then bursts of water shooting from his hands. But each spell, no matter how powerful, seemed to dissipate as soon as it touched the black spheres. The spheres absorbed Ale's magic with a disconcerting ease, as if it were nothing more than a breath of air unable to resist them. Flames were drowned in the darkness, and water was swallowed into their unfathomable depths, devoured by these spheres like an insatiable abyss.

Ale felt frustration rise within him. Earth spells, which could have given him an advantage, were not an option here. The environment on the boat was too precarious; using earth magic risked not only damaging the vessel but causing it to capsize, plunging him and the children into the dark waters of the river.

The driving rain made the deck slippery, and Ale struggled to dodge the attacks, rolling across the wet wood to avoid the spheres that relentlessly pursued him. They sliced through the air with frightening precision, bearing down on him like hungry predators. Every time he narrowly dodged one, another closed in, forcing him to leap, twist, barely avoiding the danger. The roar of the falls, drawing ever closer, added a persistent threat, like an inevitable warning.

Eventually, the black spheres regrouped behind him, floating in the air like predators in wait. They hovered, menacing, like malevolent eyes fixed on him, watching for the slightest misstep. Ale could almost feel their gaze weighing down on him.

"Under the power of darkness, you stand no chance!" shouted the dark mage, his voice echoing over the river’s roar, rumbling like thunder. He raised his staff to the sky, and an immense black sphere materialized above Ale's head, quickly expanding. Its shadow engulfed everything around, plunging the boat into an oppressive, suffocating darkness. Ale could feel the crushing weight of dark energy accumulating above him, threatening to consume him at any moment.

Ale's heart pounded, and his mind raced, frantically searching for a solution. Despair began to creep in, but amid this inner turmoil, a new and bright idea suddenly pierced through. It was as if a distant voice whispered the answer, soft yet clear. "Only light can drive away the darkness..."

With this flash of understanding, a magical formula burst into his mind, bright and pure, like a star piercing the darkest night. Ale felt energy boil within him, concentrating in his hand, ready to burst forth. "Lux Exaltia!" he cried, his voice resonating with newfound authority, powerful and strong.

Light exploded from his hand, enveloping his sword in a radiant, almost blinding aura. Rays of light shot out from the blade, cutting through the darkness and spreading around him. The black sphere above, so oppressive just moments earlier, began to tremble, cracked by the purity of this new energy. The aura of darkness faltered, pushed back by the radiant glow rising from Ale, bright and indomitable.

The sword gleamed with a light so intense it seemed unreal, as if the ordinary weapon had become a legendary sword forged by divine forces. Ale struck left, then right, his bright blade slicing through the black spheres, cutting them in two. The spheres shriveled, retracted, then vanished completely, as if the light had devoured them.

The dark mage stepped back, eyes wide. "White magic?!" he exclaimed, surprise etched across his face. But he wasn’t stunned for long. With a swift movement, he planted his staff on the ground and muttered an even darker incantation. "Tenebrae Fractura."

Invisible cracks seemed to appear in the air, as if space itself were tearing. From these rifts emerged dark, indistinct figures, like shadows coming to life. In an instant, a dozen dark creatures sprang onto the deck of the boat, their red, glowing eyes fixated on Ale with insatiable hunger.

These creatures were terrifying, each over two meters tall, with slender and deformed bodies, almost human but twisted into impossible positions. Their skin seemed made of pure shadow, a black so deep it absorbed the surrounding light. Long, sharp claws jutted from their withered hands, glinting in the dark like sharp blades. Wisps of black smoke escaped from their backs, swirling around them like a malevolent mist.

Their faces were the most disturbing. Lacking distinct features, they had hollow, pitch-black eye sockets, but inside those cavities glowed fiery red embers, like coals burning at the heart of a dark fire. A gaping jaw, with jagged, irregular teeth, opened and closed slowly, as if preparing to devour anything that came close.

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The dark mage, exhausted but determined, cast a defiant look at Ale. "When the darkness is absolute, a small light can do nothing," he said in a hoarse voice, his features marked by effort. The creatures began to advance, slowly but surely, their movements fluid and silent, like predators stalking their prey.

"Why are dark creatures always so hideous?" Ale muttered in a monotonous, almost disenchanted tone, before launching himself into the fray. Despite their imposing appearance, the creatures moved with an eerie fluidity, their twisted bodies shifting like living shadows. But Ale quickly realized they were neither as fast nor as agile as the shadow clones of Nyxion he had faced during his training. Compared to those more vicious entities, these creatures seemed almost sluggish.

Ale weaved effortlessly among them, dodging their sharp claws with almost disconcerting ease. His movements were precise and calculated, every roll and dodge executed without effort. When he found an opening, he struck with his glowing blade, each blow aimed at vulnerable points. The light from his sword cut through the dark bodies, leaving gaping fissures. But, to his frustration, the wounds quickly healed, as if the dark flesh wove itself back together, the black particles reconstituting on either side of the slashes.

"Do not underestimate these formidable soldiers," declared the dark mage, his voice laced with icy pride. He seemed to relish the spectacle, as if savoring the confrontation. Without wasting time, he continued to hurl dark spheres, making them rain around Ale like a shower of curses. Each black sphere zipped through the air with a sinister hiss, aiming to trap him.

Ale narrowly dodged one of these spheres, which came so close he could feel the air vibrate. "If there isn’t enough white magic, then I’ll show you more," he thought, determined. As he prepared to intensify his attack, something curious happened. Magical formulas began to flash through his mind, words and symbols he didn’t know, yet instinctively understood.

These incantations hadn’t come from nowhere. They had awakened within him, as if they had always been there, hidden deep within his being. Ale realized they had been gifted to him during the pact with Nyxion, simply waiting to be awakened by their summoner. A new energy surged within him, luminous and powerful, ready to be unleashed.

Without hesitation, Ale focused, letting this new magic take over him. He raised his left hand, and a stream of white light began to pulse around his palm, throbbing with a fierce energy. Bright currents coiled around his arm, emitting an intense and pure glow, like an inexhaustible energy, ready to be released. Without hesitation, Ale lunged at a dark creature that approached, its claws poised to strike.

"Lux Sanctum!" Ale cried, grabbing the monster's shoulder. Instantly, a stream of white magic surged from his hand, seeping into the creature. The bright flow quickly spread, like a spider web, covering every corner of its dark body. The white threads snaked fiercely, entwining around the particles of darkness, clinging to the shadows that formed the monster.

The glowing filaments spread wider, sizzling and crackling, each strand eliminating the evil particles as they passed. The creature struggled, twisting and thrashing, but it was as if it were trapped in an inescapable web of light. Gradually, the darkness was devoured by this pure energy, and the monster began to dissolve, its contours blurring, disintegrating.

The sight was both terrifying and mesmerizing: the shadow receded, giving way to a silhouette of white light, humanoid and ethereal. It stood still for a moment, like a ghostly glow floating in the air, before gently evaporating, carried away

by the wind, leaving no trace of its existence. It was as if the creature had never been there, swept away by the magic of Lux Sanctum.

Ale stepped back, his hand still pulsing with this newfound power. Silence briefly fell on the boat, only to be broken by the dark mage’s whisper. "Light magic…?" His voice, first incredulous, turned to anger. "Do you really think you can eradicate the darkness so easily? You’re only slowing the inevitable."

But Ale paid no attention to the mage's words. He continued to eliminate the dark creatures one by one. The children, seeing the monsters retreat and disappear, began to lose their fear. Slowly, timid applause echoed behind him, and soon, their eyes lit up with wonder, as if witnessing the epic of a legendary hero.

"Light Prince! Light Prince!" Cheers rang out, fueling Ale, strengthening his resolve.

The dark mage, watching his creatures being annihilated one by one, clenched his teeth, his pride wounded. In a swift motion, he reached into his coat and pulled out a dark mask, adorned with mystic symbols carved with eerie precision. At the center of the mask’s forehead, a crescent moon icon glowed faintly, emitting a malevolent and oppressive aura. Ale immediately sensed a growing threat emanating from this artifact, a dark and unknown power ready to be unleashed. Seeing this, he knew he had to act quickly.

Ale decided to take out the mage before he could do anything with the mask. He lunged forward, his blade ready to strike, but arrived a second too late. The mage had already donned the mask, and a guttural incantation flowed from his lips:

"Ohreth'na valra, Tenebris Dominus, precor tua benedictio ut tibi victoriam referam!"

("O mighty Lord of Darkness, grant me your blessing, and I shall bring you victory.")

Dark auras slithered around the mage’s body, undulating and swirling like black serpents ready to bite. The remaining dark creatures suddenly stopped, their movements frozen. As if called by an irresistible force, they all rushed to the mage, merging into him with a brutality that left Ale stunned. The monsters gathered around the mage, piling onto him until he was completely engulfed, their dark mass twisting and merging into a single being.

Before Ale’s horrified eyes, the mage and the monsters fused into one monstrous entity. The mage's body contorted, deformed, and a new figure emerged from the darkness. It grew over three meters tall, with elongated, muscular arms and legs, its body oozing raw, intimidating power. Every movement seemed to imbue the air with a terrifying force, as if the weight of the earth itself had gathered within this creature.

The mage’s mask shifted to the position of this new monster’s head, its mysterious patterns glowing with a sinister light. "I can feel the power..." the mage's voice echoed, distorted, heavy, and rumbling, as if coming from the depths of the earth itself. But it was clear that the mage Ale had known was no longer there. In his place, there was only a dark mask, filled with ominous mysteries, speaking with a sinister authority.

"This is the blessing of God!" it proclaimed, its voice resonating like thunder, while the darkness around it seemed to pulse and expand, threatening to engulf everything in its path.