"Ready"....

"Go."

At his whisper, a man and a boy jolted in tandem, spells flaring right past them as both nimbly dodged the other. Under the faint sunlight, they clashed second after second.

Each moment, their movements resonating against each other. Every attack countered by the former. Fire erupted from one's wand, but a stone barrier erupted from the earth, swallowing the fire whole.

Within an instant, three bolts shot from the man's wand, blaring past as the boy briskly slid right under them.

Carrying a wave brewing in his right hand, the boy swung deftly. A force ushering through to the other side, only to be met with an impermeable bubble that erupted around the man.

Both adeptly continued flinging jinxes, trying to force the other to his feet. The ground shook, charred from the plethora of spells parried to its mound. But neither side would yield against the ever flowing barrage of charms.

A thin shred of silence and stillness remained, for but a fraction of a second....The flow of battle fluidly resuming.

The two forces collided once more, as their spells embraced at the center of the field. Energies intertwining, the very threads of magic pulsating as the power channeled through.

But the boy could hold no longer, his hand unable to bear the continuum of magic, buckled.

His body tensed up and feet slid from the ground, the force catapulting him back into the dirt. The magic crunched up with an abrupt halt, as the man strolled towards the aggrieved boy.

"Hmmh, You've lost for the 27th time. Don't you think that's enough? I mean it is about 27 to null Zack." The man chuckled.

"It's 26, and yeah I can't exactly go on any longer." Zack let out an exasperated sigh.

Ivan offered him a hand, Zack lifted his neck to see the gesture but choose not to take it.

Instead, he buried his head in the cool grass, with an exhausted yawn.

Ivan peeked at the boy with some amusement,

"Are you going to spend the rest of the day moping about it?" He teased, with a sly smirk planted on his face..

At his words, Zack glared at him with slight annoyance. After all, it didn't feel nice to be called out....(A/N: Me when someone tells me to study for Uni finals....T_T)

Zack grunted and ruefully sprang up, slightly off balance due to the wet grass. Shrugging of the fresh defeat he had suffered at the hands of his so called mentor.

"Fine. I guess I will just go have breakfast inside with the others.", Zack said shuttling down to the gate, not waiting for a response.

His anger and frustrations stemmed from a chain of losses facing Ivan. Knowing that he was the weakest associate was also not helpful. It clearly showed the divide between him and the power he so craved.

It wasn't just about the losses.... Zack contemplated as he brisked through to the dining hall, a bitterness in his step.

No... It was more than that....Zack had never once won the advantage.... In 10 days, 26 duels. Not once...

Did that make sense? Perhaps, considering his opponents repertoire and history. It was very well expected. But Zack had in itch, that he could not quite scratch.

A quality that surfaced among every talented soul. An itch, to improve. There were no excuses they would settle on. Unknown to Zack, he too had developed such a habit. His frustrations tried to push him down, to show him how vast the world was.

But he would not budge. Whether it was an urge or his own ego. It craved success, craved progress. Despite the odds stacked against him, he wanted a single morsel of success, to make peace with his shortcomings.

Unfortunately, Ivan was also aware of this odd habit. No matter how many duels would pass, he would never allow Zack to grasp the initiative.

It wasn't out of malice, rather an act of consideration if anything.

As dedicated as Zack was, Ivan had noticed a hint of arrogance and pride in his eyes. In his opinion, it was good to be confident, but never beneficial to be overconfident.

Allowing Zack to feel that he had improved rapidly would give him a huge boost, detrimental to his own future. Hence, even if he had to extinguish the flames of his ambitions early on, Ivan planned for Zack to experience a much slower growth.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Brooding in silence as the boy stormed off, Ivan felt a whisper, ringing from a ring on his finger.

It was a signal, used by his closest confidants.... for a dire occasion.

Understanding the sign, Ivan instantly slipped away to the guest room, and began stoking the fire under the chimney.

Within a few seconds, a surplus of soot flushed down the chimney into the fire pit, and an envelope made its away to his hands.

Ripping through the cover, he hastily skimmed over the contents. A frown brewing on his brows.

Almost as if he misread the first time, Ivan scanned the paper with great focus.....

Ivan had fury etched all over his face, and a grave sense of unease as he held the latter in his grasp. Unable to hold it in, he crumpled the letter harshly and chucked it back into the stoked flame, the paper bursting into a pile of ashes immediately.

Ivan flicked his wand.

At his command, the room began shifting, erasing the signs of human presence. Grabbing a suitcase, he swiftly packed all his belongings.

The room had been completely wiped off of all signs of use. As if he was never here.

Making sure to wipe the trails behind him, Ivan grabbed his case and slipped away to the outskirts of the barrier.

With a dark face and unbridled stride, he closed his way to the exit. Looking back one last time, unsure of what the future would be.

"....I hope we meet again."

He addressed it seemingly absent minded, Ivan slithered away tacitly with no signs or sound. Warping the second he reached outside the barrier. It would take a long while before anyone would realize he had left.

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[Zack Pov]

...Honestly... I couldn't put my frustrations into words. Stepping towards the dining hall, I spotted Nosferat and Sophie already prepped and ready for breakfast.

My recent dueling schedule had influenced the morning meal slightly. Since I was done quite later on, we would all gather at that time. As Sophie's gaze fell onto me, I could feel some of the bitterness subside.

Aside from feeling stuck in place regarding my training for the last week, life had been quite uneventful. I would always have a few meals with "family". I didn't mind it.

Today was no different.

Taking my seat beside Nosferat and across Sophie, I waited as our conversations struck alight, but they didn't last for long as Ephyl catered the food to our plates and we all began ceremoniously attending to the dishes before us.

My habits had undergone a few changes, as table manners were quite essential in Ephyl's eyes. The gaunt shrew had even recommended a few books on the subject. Urging me to improve upon my "filthy" habits, that he considered a "stain" on the family name.

Quite a harsh judgement...I couldn't really argue back, it was "heresy" to even imply that I didn't need table manners.

Anyhow, having ate my meal, I excused myself to my room...

Lifting the mattress slightly and taking out the diary I stuffed inside, I grabbed a pen nearby and flipped to a new page to jot down todays results.

Duel # 26.... Loss.

Following the same format I had for the last few pages, I began scribbling away the reasons for my loss at the left side....But when it finally came to solutions. I could only bring about two possible improvements.

I grunted and began fidgeting with the pen once more.

A few minutes of silence and no ideas had surfaced in my mind. Slightly in disbelief over my own incompetence, I glanced back at the last few pages.

Gaping blank paper at the right side of each page.....Not a single improvement had been listed for the past few days..

I guess it was an improvement to even list down two. Yet, I wasn't happy with it.

I spent the rest of the morning, wasting away my time trying to come up with new tactics. I had innovated quite a few within my duels. But every time I felt close to a breakthrough, Ivan would double down on his side.

I mean if he really tried, I had no chance of winning. But him squashing any attempt at victory was frustrating in its own right.

Soon, within my pensive stupor, I heard an abrupt knock on my door. Sure enough, glancing around the room, the clock had struck noon and it was time for lunch. Can't believe this bastard is still doing this....

"I will be down in a few minutes."

At my words, Ephyl wisped away, and I soon found myself at the lunch table, with the others.

The same sequence of events played out, we talked for a few minutes, but as the food came to our table, a hefty silence plagued the dining table. Apparently it was quite rude to converse while eating...

The old habits die hard I guess...

It was all within expectations, but somewhere within the middle, slipping my perception, a red letter had appeared from thin air. Stopping inches away from Nosferat's face.

The old count was imaginably disturbed as he halted everything to pay attention. A few seconds of contemplation, as he recognized the insignia on the letter.

I was clueless... yet why did it feel so ominous? I couldn't put my finger on it...But I could swear I had a bad hunch about this letter...

Nosferat read the letter with patience and precision. I couldn't make out anything from his expression, but the air around us turned colder by the second.

Every moment he read on, I could feel my heart beat rise through to the roof. It was akin to the feeling I had when I first met him. A feeling of pure horror from the depths of my instincts.

A primal fear. It surfaced again today as he read the contents of the red letter. It's words were obscured to me, but Nosferat had this inexplicable coldness and rage in his gaze as he read on.

As he reached the crux of the message, the count couldn't help but frown.

And as he did, a certain stillness took the room. Stifling the air in my lungs as he calmly put the letter down.

Nosferat said no words, but an eerie fury was present within his gaze. The pleasant atmosphere around the room ended immediately, and even Sophie looked concerned.

Speaking no further, Nosferat excused himself, abruptly standing up and Sophie followed as he gestured her to come along.

As the two left the room, I exhaled an eased breath.

Shifting from my seat, I peeked at the letter hastily, afraid that it would disappear.

Rushing through the words, my eyes stayed wide open, as a shock ran through my mind....

"What....What is.."

Something unbelievable had just happened, something that could very well set the course of history...

My hands traced along the words as I read them...

"This is...."

"No...."

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