The afternoon sun filtered softly through the branches, casting dancing shadows over the university’s sprawling courtyard. Lance lounged beneath a broad, ancient tree, his back against the rough bark, absently practicing Gale Burst. A quick flick of his wrist sent a burst of wind rustling through the leaves above, sending a few loose ones fluttering down like lazy confetti. William, his wisp companion, floated beside him, casting a glow that shimmered in the sunlight.
“Seriously, Lance, you call that a Gale Burst?” William teased, hisvoice echoing in Lance’s head. “I’ve seen stronger breezes on laundry day!”
Lance chuckled. “Cut me some slack! It’s only been a week since I started practicing. Besides, maybe if I had a better companion—”
“Oh, you wound me, truly,” William huffe. “If I were Elias’s partner, we’d have conquered the world twice over by now!”
Before Lance could respond, he felt it—a prickling sensation, like static in the air. His smile faded as an eerie chill settled over the courtyard. The sunlight dimmed, and the comforting warmth drained away, leaving only an uncomfortable silence that weighed heavily on his chest. Lance’s heart began to pound, a creeping sense of dread filling him.
Then, from the edge of the courtyard, shadows coalesced and twisted, forming a grotesque shape. With a rumbling growl, a demon emerged from the darkness, its hulking body oozing with an unnatural energy. Its skin was blackened and cracked, with veins of fire pulsing beneath the surface. The courtyard erupted into chaos as students screamed, scrambling to flee the creature’s path. Some, too terrified to move, stared in shock, their books and belongings forgotten.
Lance ducked behind the tree, his mind racing. He wasn’t prepared for this—not here, not now.
The demon let out a guttural roar, its eyes glowing with an intense, malicious light as it prowled through the courtyard, striking fear into all who saw it. A few brave students attempted to conjure spells, but their attacks barely scratched the creature’s hide, flickering out against its hardened form.
Just then, Lance heard the heavy footsteps of the Sentinels—the university’s elite guardians—as they rushed in, brandishing their weapons and chanting incantations. They hurled blasts of magic toward the demon, creating explosions of light and color that briefly illuminated the courtyard. Lance’s pulse quickened, his instinct to fight warring with the overwhelming fear knotting his stomach.
One of the Sentinels, casting a protective shield around a group of students, yelled, “Get back! We’ll handle this!”
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But the demon was relentless, shrugging off each magical assault with a snarl. As it lunged forward, ready to tear through the line of Sentinels, everything went still.
A wave of energy rippled through the air, strong enough to make Lance’s hair stand on end. Suddenly, an enormous, radiant hand of energy materialized above the courtyard, reaching down and gripping the demon mid-strike. The creature writhed in its grasp, but the hand held firm, hoisting it into the air as easily as if it were a doll.
From across the courtyard, a tall figure stepped forward, her presence radiating authority and control—Chancellor Elowen. She stood there, her gaze calm and unflinching, observing the demon with a look that bordered on boredom.
With a dismissive flick of her wrist, she pulled the creature closer. “Who sent you here, creature?” she demanded, her voice low and chilling.
The demon snarled, its eyes burning with defiance as it attempted to lunge at her. Elowen sighed, her face settling into a look of mild irritation. “Very well,” she murmured, as if indulging a petulant child. “Begone, foul thing.”
In her other hand, a massive, gleaming blade of pure energy formed, pulsing with raw power. With a single, fluid motion, she drove the blade into the demon’s chest. The creature shrieked, a horrible sound that echoed through the courtyard, as its flesh began to dissolve under the blade’s influence, melting away until all that remained was a blackened, oozing pile of goo that smoked and hissed on the ground.
With a wave of her hand, Elowen dismissed the energy constructs, and the remaining ooze faded into nothingness. She dusted off her hands, glancing around the courtyard at the stunned students and Sentinels. Her gaze swept over Lance’s hiding spot briefly, but she said nothing as she turned and strode away, muttering under her breath about the lack of proper defenses.
Lance stayed frozen in place, his heart still racing as he processed what he’d just witnessed. The courtyard buzzed with hushed whispers, students exchanging wide-eyed looks and murmuring about Elowen’s extraordinary display of power.
“That was—insane,” Lance breathed, glancing inwardly at William. “How did she do that?”
Lance frowned. “William, what was that? You’ve got to know something about this.”
“Demons from the Plane of Fury have strange tendencies,” he said, looking away. “These things… happen sometimes.”
Lance narrowed his eyes. “You’re hiding something.”
But William ignored him, and Lance sighed, realizing he wouldn’t get any more answers. As he stood there, listening to the chatter around him, he began piecing together what little he’d heard.
“That’s Chancellor Elowen’s material magic,” a student near him was whispering, her voice awestruck. “They say she can manifest physical forms from pure energy! I heard she once created a whole wall to hold back a firestorm!”
Another student nodded, glancing nervously at the remains of the demon. “She didn’t even seem bothered. Do you think we’re going to see more attacks like this?”
A chill ran through Lance as he realized the implications. The university—his sanctuary, his training ground—had just been breached. The threat was real, and whatever had sent that demon might only be the beginning.
As he made his way out of the courtyard, Lance cast one last look at the scorched patch where the demon had been, a sense of foreboding settling over him.