Chapter 10: Into the Dark Gate
Night had fallen over the academy as Kaelen made his way to the outer gates, where his mission team awaited him. The unstable gate they were set to investigate was reportedly more volatile than typical E-rank gates. Although the council categorized it as a D-rank, rumors hinted it contained unusual creatures and energies that were rarely seen at that level. The council’s attention on this gate was both an opportunity and a risk for Kaelen; if he could succeed without showing his full power, he’d earn their trust while advancing his own plans.
Mara stood among the team members, her icy composure set in place. Alongside her were two other students: Taron, a fire mage whose ability to generate walls of flame made him a useful ally, and Elise, an earth mage known for her defensive skills. Kaelen felt a flicker of relief knowing he would be entering the gate with capable allies. Each of them understood the high stakes of this mission, and each bore the same uneasy resolve.
As they moved toward the dark portal, Kaelen allowed himself a moment to review his skills. Midnight Cloak would be essential, giving him the ability to block strikes from unexpected creatures while maintaining his control. If the rumors about this gate’s volatile nature were true, he’d need every bit of defense it provided.
Inside the Gate
Crossing the threshold, Kaelen felt the air shift, dense with an unfamiliar energy that hung like fog. His senses sharpened instantly, his energy heart pulsing in sync with the dark particles that filled the atmosphere. Around him, the landscape was bleak—a shadowy forest, trees twisted and lifeless, casting elongated shadows that seemed to move of their own accord. Faint whispers of otherworldly sounds floated on the air, hinting at unseen dangers lurking within the fog.
“Elise, set up a perimeter with your earth barriers,” Kaelen instructed, his voice low. “Taron, be ready with fire. If anything moves too close, we need to keep it at a distance.”
The others nodded, quickly falling into formation. They had trained together in the academy’s combat courses, but a real gate was different. Here, one wrong move could mean death. Mara took her place beside Kaelen, her gaze sharp as she conjured a barrier of frost around them.
They moved forward cautiously, passing through patches of fog that shifted, swirling around their feet. Kaelen could feel the energy thickening the further they went. It wasn’t like the controlled gates within the academy grounds; this one felt wild, unpredictable.
Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the trees. Kaelen’s senses flared as he turned toward the sound, spotting a creature emerging from the shadows—a hulking figure covered in dark scales, its eyes glowing a sickly green. The creature let out a roar, revealing rows of jagged teeth, and lunged forward.
“Taron, now!” Kaelen shouted.
Taron responded instantly, unleashing a wall of fire that rose between the creature and their team. The beast halted, snarling as the flames licked at its scales, but the fire barely slowed it. The creature began to circle, searching for a weak spot in the barrier.
Kaelen took a deep breath, activating Midnight Cloak. Shadows wrapped around him, forming a protective barrier that absorbed energy from the air, thickening around him like a suit of armor. He stepped forward, drawing the creature’s attention, while his team adjusted their positions.
“Mara, freeze it,” Kaelen ordered, his voice steady.
Mara nodded, extending her hands as ice crept across the ground, latching onto the creature’s legs. The beast struggled, its movements slowing as the ice climbed higher, encasing it. Taking advantage of the opening, Kaelen summoned Umbral Grasp, his spectral hand reaching out to drain the creature’s energy. Dark particles surged into him, bolstering his energy heart as the creature let out a final, pitiful growl before disintegrating into shadows.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
“Is everyone okay?” he asked, releasing his grip on the shadows.
The team nodded, though Taron and Elise looked shaken. The beast’s strength had been well beyond what they expected from a D-rank gate.
“What kind of gate is this?” Elise murmured, her voice tense. “That creature was nearly C-rank in power.”
Kaelen shared her concern. This gate was clearly unstable, and he suspected that the council had known it. They’d sent his team here as a test, watching to see how they would handle the unexpected.
“Stay close,” he said, his tone firm. “If we encounter anything stronger, we retreat. The council wants information on this gate, not our lives.”
They continued forward, deeper into the fog-laden forest. The dark energy grew thicker, and Kaelen could feel his energy heart reacting, absorbing particles passively as they moved. His senses were on high alert, every flicker of shadow and rustle of leaves making his pulse quicken.
Encounter in the Dark
After nearly an hour, they reached a clearing, the fog thinning just enough to reveal something unusual—a dark stone altar standing in the center of the clearing, etched with unfamiliar symbols that pulsed with dark energy. Kaelen felt a strange pull from the altar, a resonance that tugged at his energy heart.
“Is that… a relic?” Mara whispered, her eyes fixed on the altar. “I’ve read about these. They amplify elemental energy. But why would something like this be here?”
Kaelen moved cautiously toward the altar, feeling the energy intensify with each step. He knew touching it was dangerous, but the dark particles surrounding it were powerful, almost magnetic. They fed into his energy heart as if drawn to him.
Just as he reached out to examine the runes on the stone, the ground trembled, and a figure emerged from the shadows beyond the altar. This creature was unlike anything Kaelen had seen—a towering figure cloaked in swirling dark mist, its eyes a blazing red. The aura it radiated was heavy, oppressive, filled with a raw, feral energy that seemed to distort the air around it.
“Back up!” Kaelen called, raising his hands defensively as he activated Midnight Cloak. Shadows enveloped him in a protective shroud, absorbing the creature’s intense aura.
The creature moved, faster than expected, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. Kaelen barely managed to summon Dark Shroud, blending into the shadows to evade its strike. The creature’s clawed hand passed through where he had just been standing, leaving deep gouges in the ground.
“Taron, Elise, we need barriers!” Mara shouted, her voice taut with urgency.
Taron and Elise responded, their combined fire and earth magic creating a wall between them and the creature. But Kaelen could tell the barriers wouldn’t hold for long. This creature wasn’t just a beast—it was something more powerful, something that felt almost… intelligent.
Kaelen activated Nightcaller, summoning tendrils of shadow that wrapped around the creature’s legs, holding it in place. He gritted his teeth as the creature struggled, its strength pushing his control to its limits. With each pull, he could feel his energy heart draining rapidly.
Mara shot shards of ice at the creature, striking its back, while Taron released a torrent of fire. The creature staggered, but Kaelen knew it wasn’t enough. He’d have to risk more if they were to bring it down.
He took a steadying breath and extended his hand, activating Umbral Grasp once more. The spectral hand of darkness latched onto the creature, draining energy from it, and he felt a surge of dark particles flood his energy heart, bolstering him even as it strained his control.
The creature let out a roar, its strength ebbing as Kaelen drained it, the shadows binding it weakening with each passing second. Just as he thought they might overpower it, the creature broke free, its arm swinging in a brutal arc.
Kaelen barely managed to raise Midnight Cloak in time, the shadow barrier absorbing the impact but sending him staggering back. He gritted his teeth, feeling the drain on his energy heart, but the shield held, deflecting the creature’s claws.
“Elise, trap it!” he shouted, his voice hoarse.
Elise stomped the ground, sending pillars of stone shooting up around the creature, pinning it between them. With a final push, Kaelen extended his hand, releasing a burst of Dark Pulse directly at the creature’s core. The blast hit, the dark energy rippling through the creature’s form, and it let out a shuddering, inhuman cry before disintegrating into shadow.
The clearing was silent once more, the altar’s glow dimming as the dark energy dissipated. Kaelen lowered his hands, breathing heavily, his energy heart pulsing faintly as it recovered from the intense strain.
“Is… is it over?” Taron asked, his voice shaky.
Kaelen nodded, his gaze fixed on the altar. “For now.”
But as he stared at the ancient relic, he felt a strange sense of unease. This mission had been more than just a test. The council had known about the altar, known about the unusual creatures, and sent them here anyway. The council wasn’t simply testing their skill; they were using them to gather information on something far more dangerous.
Returning to the Academy
The team made their way back to the academy, exhausted but alive. Kaelen’s mind raced, replaying the mission and the strange altar they’d encountered. The council would demand a report, but he knew better than to reveal everything they had seen. Whatever that altar was, it was a secret the council wanted kept, and he had no intention of giving them more power.
When they reached the academy gates, Magister Lorn was waiting, his gaze calculating as he looked them over. “Well done,” he said, his voice even. “The council is pleased with your performance.”
Kaelen inclined his head respectfully, careful to keep his expression neutral. “Thank you, Magister. The gate was… different than expected.”
Lorn’s eyes glinted with a hint of satisfaction. “Indeed. The council will take your report, but rest assured, there will be more missions in the future. You have proven yourselves… useful.”
Kaelen nodded, his stomach twisting. The council saw them as tools, expendable assets in their pursuit of power. But as he walked away from Lorn, he felt a growing resolve within him. He would play their game, gain their trust, and learn everything he could.
One day, he would use that knowledge to break free from their control. Until then, he would remain in the shadows, growing stronger with each mission, each risk, each encounter.
And when the time came, he would make the council pay for every manipulation, every secret they had buried beneath the academy’s dark history.