Chapter 25: The Fall of Valen
The Academy’s atmosphere had shifted. Word spread quickly through the student body—rumors of an impending clash, the rising tension between the top students, and the unspoken knowledge that something big was about to happen. Lahsiv could sense it in the air as he moved through the halls: the nervous glances, the whispered conversations, and the way even the most confident of students seemed on edge. Valen’s name was being passed around in hushed tones, but few knew the truth of what was coming.
Lahsiv was no longer concerned with rumors. He had set the pieces in motion, and now it was only a matter of time before Valen’s carefully constructed alliances collapsed around him. The instructors had begun their quiet investigation, and they would soon have enough to act. But Lahsiv knew Valen wouldn’t go down without a fight, and that fight was going to happen soon—sooner than anyone expected.
He met with Elira again that afternoon, this time in a secluded part of the Academy’s sprawling gardens. The sun hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the stone paths. Elira’s face was tense, her usual confidence tinged with concern.
“The instructors are moving, aren’t they?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lahsiv nodded. “It’s happening. They’ll take Valen in soon.”
“And the students? His allies?”
“They’ll scatter once he’s gone,” Lahsiv said. “They’re only loyal because they think Valen is untouchable. Once the instructors take him, they’ll abandon him to save themselves.”
Elira bit her lip, glancing around nervously. “You’re sure about this?”
Lahsiv’s gaze was cold. “I am. But it won’t be that simple. Valen won’t go quietly, and the Umbral Circle might try to interfere.”
Elira’s eyes widened. “What do we do if the Umbral Circle gets involved? We’re not ready to take on something like that.”
Lahsiv’s lips curled into a smirk. “They won’t. Not yet. They don’t care about Valen—they care about the power he promised them. Once he’s out of the picture, they’ll have to shift their focus. And that’s when we strike.”
Elira nodded, though the tension in her shoulders didn’t ease. “What if the instructors don’t act fast enough? What if Valen makes a move first?”
Lahsiv’s expression darkened. “He won’t have the chance.”
The night descended quickly, bringing with it a chill that seemed to permeate the very stone of the Academy’s walls. Lahsiv moved quietly through the shadowed halls, his destination clear. Valen’s allies had gathered in the old sparring grounds, the place where they thought they could plan in secret. But Lahsiv had already anticipated their every move. He had been one step ahead from the beginning, and now it was time to end it.
As he approached the grounds, Lahsiv could hear the low murmur of voices—Valen and his closest followers, huddled together in a circle, their tones urgent. From his hidden vantage point, Lahsiv could see Valen at the center, his face tight with frustration. Lira stood beside him, her arms crossed, but it was clear that the pressure was starting to get to them.
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“We don’t have time,” Valen was saying, his voice low but edged with desperation. “The instructors are watching us. We need to act now, or they’ll take us down one by one.”
Lira shook her head. “If we move too soon, we risk exposing everything. We don’t even know how much they’ve figured out yet.”
Valen’s jaw clenched, his eyes darting around the group. “Lahsiv. He’s behind this. I know he is. He’s been too quiet lately.”
One of the other students, a lanky boy named Rolan, frowned. “What do we do about Lahsiv? He’s already got the instructors on his side, and we don’t even know what he’s capable of anymore.”
Valen’s face twisted in anger. “We’ll deal with him the same way we deal with anyone who stands in our way. He’s not untouchable.”
Lahsiv felt a surge of dark energy within him as he listened, the Abyss stirring in response to the tension in the air. He had heard enough.
Stepping out from the shadows, Lahsiv let his presence be known. The air around him seemed to thicken as he approached the group, the shadows shifting unnaturally in his wake. Valen and the others froze as soon as they saw him, their eyes wide with shock and uncertainty.
“Lahsiv,” Valen spat, taking a step forward, though there was a flicker of fear in his eyes. “I should’ve known you’d show up.”
Lahsiv’s expression was calm, his voice cold as ice. “You’re running out of time, Valen. The instructors know. They’re coming for you.”
Valen’s face darkened, his fists clenching at his sides. “You think you can just waltz in here and threaten me? I’m not afraid of you.”
Lahsiv smirked. “You should be.”
The tension in the air crackled like lightning. Valen’s allies shifted uncomfortably, their loyalty clearly faltering in the face of Lahsiv’s confidence. They had followed Valen because they believed in his strength, but now, standing in the presence of someone who had truly mastered the Abyss, they were beginning to doubt.
Valen’s eyes narrowed. “You think you’ve won, don’t you? But you don’t know what I’ve got planned. You don’t know who I’ve been working with.”
Lahsiv’s smirk deepened. “The Umbral Circle? They don’t care about you, Valen. They’re using you to get what they want. And when they realize you’ve failed, they’ll cut you loose.”
Valen’s face twisted with rage. “You don’t know anything!”
Before Lahsiv could respond, Valen lunged at him, his hands crackling with energy as he unleashed a blast of Light Karma. The air around them shimmered as Valen’s power surged, but Lahsiv was ready.
With a swift motion, Lahsiv summoned the shadows around him, the dark energy of the Abyss rising to meet Valen’s attack. The two forces clashed violently, sending shockwaves through the sparring grounds. The ground beneath them cracked, and the air was filled with the crackling of energy as Light and Dark Karma collided.
Lahsiv moved quickly, his Sword of Ruin flashing in the dim light as he parried Valen’s strikes. Valen was strong, but his attacks were wild, fueled by desperation and anger. Lahsiv, on the other hand, was calm, his movements precise and controlled. The shadows around him shifted and twisted, bending to his will as he used them to his advantage.
With a sharp twist of his wrist, Lahsiv sent a tendril of dark energy snaking toward Valen, wrapping around his arm and pulling him off balance. Valen stumbled, his concentration breaking for a moment, and Lahsiv seized the opportunity. He struck with a powerful slash, his blade cutting through Valen’s defenses and sending him crashing to the ground.
Valen gasped for breath, his face pale as he struggled to stand. The other students watched in stunned silence, too afraid to intervene.
“You’ve lost,” Lahsiv said coldly, standing over Valen with his sword raised. “The instructors are coming. You won’t walk away from this.”
Valen’s eyes burned with hatred, but there was a flicker of fear behind them. He knew it was over.
Before Valen could respond, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the sparring grounds. Lahsiv turned to see Kaelor and two other senior instructors approaching, their expressions grim. They had arrived just in time to witness the end of the confrontation.
“Valen,” Kaelor said, his voice hard. “You are to come with us.”
Valen’s face twisted in fury, but he didn’t move. His allies stood frozen, unsure of what to do now that their leader had fallen.
The instructors moved quickly, binding Valen with a series of Light Karma restraints. His power was neutralized almost instantly, leaving him defenseless.
As they began to drag Valen away, Lahsiv met Kaelor’s gaze. The instructor’s expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something—respect, perhaps—behind his cold eyes.
“You’ve done well, Lahsiv,” Kaelor said quietly. “But this is far from over.”
Lahsiv nodded, his mind already racing ahead. Valen was finished, but the Umbral Circle remained, lurking in the shadows. And now that they had lost their foothold in the Academy, they would undoubtedly shift their attention to him.
But Lahsiv wasn’t afraid. He had faced the Abyss, mastered its power, and defeated his rivals. Whatever came next, he was ready for it.
As the shadows deepened around the Academy, Lahsiv felt the dark energy within him pulse with anticipation. The battle with Valen was over, but a far greater conflict was on the horizon.
And this time, Lahsiv would face it on his own terms.