The forest around Lorian fell eerily silent, an unnatural chill settling over the air, making him pause mid-stride. What had once been a bright arena now seemed smothered in an oppressive dimness, as though a shroud had blotted out the sun itself. Shadows stretched and twisted, casting dark tendrils through the trees, reaching out as if alive. Lorian’s gaze was drawn upward, where glimpses of the sky through the canopy revealed a strange, unnatural twilight descending over the grounds.

Then he saw it—a twisted, black symbol hovering ominously above the arena, blotting out the light. It looked like a broken crescent moon, jagged and webbed with sinister lines and runes, as though the heavens themselves bore a dark wound. Each pulse of its dark energy felt like a whisper of malice, something ancient and malevolent pressing its presence into his mind. The sight rooted him in place, the relic in his hand growing colder with each passing second. He tightened his grip, trying to anchor himself against the suffocating aura that seemed to pull him into its depths.

"Lorian, run!" Lysara's voice rang through his mind, sharp and insistent, her tone more urgent than he had ever heard.

"Lysara, what is that?" he murmured, barely able to form the words as his eyes remained fixed on the looming symbol above.

“There’s no time to explain—just go!” Her voice wavered, an edge of intensity breaking through her usual calm. “Something dark and twisted has entered this place, and it’s not something you’re ready to face. You must escape now.”

Lorian hesitated, torn between the instinct to flee and a growing need to understand. “Lysara, I don’t—”

“Lorian, please,” she interrupted, the faintest trace of a plea in her voice. “Trust me. That mark is a harbinger of destruction, and you’re not safe here.”

A chill ran down his spine as her words sank in. The twisted symbol, the dimming light, and Lysara’s desperate tone left little room for doubt. Whatever was happening around him, it was beyond anything he’d ever prepared for.

He turned, but another sound stopped him cold—a scream echoing from the direction of the arena, followed by more cries tinged with terror. Each cry twisted through the forest, distorted and strange, filling him with an urgency he couldn’t ignore. His blood ran cold as the reality of the situation set in.

Lysara’s voice softened, but her tone remained resolute. “Find a safe place, Lorian. Stay out of sight and wait for the signal to move. You’ll need everything you’ve learned if you want to survive this.”

His heart pounded as he adjusted his course, aiming to head back toward Elara and the rest of her team. He couldn’t leave her alone—not with the eerie symbol in the sky and this dark energy pressing in from all sides.

“No,” he replied firmly, his tone filled with quiet determination. “I can’t just run off, Lysara. Elara’s out there. So is Selene. I’m not abandoning either of them in the middle of… whatever this is.”

A brief pause followed, and then Lysara’s voice returned, laced with both understanding and worry. “Lorian, this darkness… it’s not like anything you’ve faced before. But if you’re going to them, go carefully. Rushing in could make you a target.”

He nodded, a fierce resolve settling deep within him. “I know. But we’re better off together. If something’s coming, we’ll face it head-on—and I’ll do everything I can to protect them.”

Lysara’s presence felt closer, her voice growing softer yet remaining firm. “Then go. Move quickly and stay hidden as much as possible. This darkness is unlike anything you’ve encountered before. Keep your wits about you.”

Without another word, Lorian angled his path toward where he’d last seen Elara, every muscle tense and alert as he moved. The forest had grown colder, a creeping stillness that felt unnatural. The canopy above seemed to close in, casting shadows that danced and flickered as though alive, heightening his sense of unease. The further he went, the heavier the air became, each step weighted as if something unseen pressed against him. The ominous presence of the symbol above seeped down, cloaking the forest in dread.

Screams echoed from every direction, each one amplifying the chilling silence around him. They were joined by twisted sounds—like the skittering of claws and faint, mocking laughter that seemed to flit through the air, sharp and cruel. Lorian caught glimpses of movement above him. Small, grotesque shapes darted through the branches, their sickly yellow eyes glowing in the dim light, and their sinister, cackling laughter sliced through the oppressive silence like a dagger. Imps—creatures he’d read about but never faced—zipped through the air, their wings flapping erratically, claws gleaming with a predatory gleam.

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A piercing cry from his left stopped him in his tracks. In a small clearing, barely a few steps from his path, Lorian saw a first-year student, face contorted with fear and pain, as imps swarmed him. The creatures cackled with glee, delighting in each shallow stab, each rivulet of blood seeping from their victim.

A surge of horror filled Lorian as he took in the scene, his breath catching. Without hesitation, he charged into the clearing, his sword flashing in the dim light as he cleaved through the first imp, its dark blood splattering across his cheek. Another imp lunged, claws extended, but he ducked, swinging upward to slice through its twisted form. The foul, greenish blood sprayed across the ground, adding to the thick, metallic scent that filled the air.

He moved through the swarm, fighting with a desperation he hadn’t felt before. Each imp he cut down filled the air with that sickly scent, their blood mingling with the earthy decay of the forest. With one last gurgling shriek, the final imp fell, and an unnatural silence blanketed the clearing.

Lorian turned to the fallen student, dread twisting in his stomach. The boy lay on the ground, uniform soaked with blood, eyes wide with terror as he struggled to focus on Lorian. Recognition sparked as Lorian realized who he was—one of the first-years he’d sat with in class, a quiet boy who’d only just begun his studies.

“Hey, hang on,” Lorian murmured, dropping to his knees beside him, his voice thick with urgency. “You’re going to be okay.”

The boy’s mouth opened, but only a wet, gurgling sound escaped as blood dripped down his chin. He reached out, his hand weakly grasping Lorian’s sleeve, lips moving as he tried to form words, eyes pleading to convey something, anything.

“Save your strength,” Lorian whispered, though the sinking weight of reality pressed down on him. Refusing to accept it, he lifted his hands to summon his light magic, hoping the glow could staunch the bleeding. The faint warmth flickered to life, but as he pressed his hands to the boy’s wounds, the light wavered and faded. He could only summon the faintest pulse—Lorian lacked the precision and control for healing magic compared to the steady, healing radiance he’d seen Elara wield.

“Come on,” he muttered, voice trembling as he forced his focus into the boy’s injuries. His hands shook as he tried to channel more magic, but each attempt left him feeling more desperate, the boy’s grip slipping as his breaths grew shallow.

“Lorian…” Lysara’s voice echoed faintly in his mind, but he barely registered it, his focus entirely on saving the boy.

“Just hold on… please…” His words were barely a whisper as he tried again, pushing as much magic through his hands as he could. But it was no use; Lorian had never used his light magic for others, and his inexperience was showing. The light magic pulsed but none of it was showing any healing effect.

“Lorian…” she repeated, louder, yet still he tried, pouring every ounce of focus and energy he could muster, willing the magic to stay.

“Lorian! He’s gone,” Lysara’s voice cut through his despair, a finality in her words that forced him to stop. Her tone held a sharpness he couldn’t ignore, but it was also laced with something gentle—a reminder of the truth he couldn’t deny. His light magic flickered, then faded.

Lorian’s eyes fell to his hands, fingers trembling as he took in the blood staining his skin—a stark, dark reminder of his failure. He looked down at the boy, whose lifeless eyes stared back at him, and something in his chest twisted painfully. A hollow ache took root as he sat back, feeling as though the forest around him had gone entirely silent, the weight of it settling over him like a shroud.

He took a shuddering breath, wiping his hands on his pants as he steadied himself, each movement feeling heavier. He forced himself to his feet, casting a final, lingering glance at the boy who had once been his classmate. His heart hardened, his resolve unyielding.

"Elara… Selene… I have to find them," he murmured, forcing himself to turn and move forward, his steps resolute as he plunged back into the shadows of the forest. Each scream in the distance pulled him onward, fueling a new fire within him.

A low, simmering anger began to rise in his chest, each step drawing more heat from that bubbling pit of rage within—a flame fed by everything he’d just seen, everything he’d felt powerless to stop. He’d trained hard, pushed himself to the brink, and yet in the moment when it mattered most, his own magic had failed him. Again.

His fists clenched, the faint glow of his light magic flickering against his knuckles, but it felt hollow—a distant glimmer when he needed a blazing inferno. The imps, the blood, the twisted shadow in the sky—all of it churned within him, adding fuel to the fire. This isn’t just happening to that first-year. It’s happening to everyone out here, and he wasn’t about to let it take his sister, too.

“Elara… Selene… I have to find them,” he murmured, his voice thick with determination as he plunged deeper into the shadows of the forest. He pushed his magic as he ran, a flicker of light guiding his path. Every scream, every fleeting shadow fed the rage building within him.

His jaw clenched, his pace quickening as the air around him hummed with his magic. Light flared, joined by a swirling pulse of shadow—a fierce, intense duality rising within him. And then, something more. A dark spark—subtle but unmistakable—flickered in answer to his call. It wasn’t light, nor was it the familiar shadow he knew. It was something deeper, darker, answering his cry for strength. This was power that felt both foreign and thrilling, a hidden rawness fusing with his light and shadow magic.

The forest around him seemed to warp, shadows deepening, as the magic coursed through him. This wasn’t just strength; it was as if something within him had awoken, meeting his rage with its own hunger. His path grew sharper, each footfall carrying him closer to Elara and Selene.

Breaking through the final line of trees, he skidded to a halt, the dark scene before him stealing the breath from his lungs.