In the heart of an ancient forest, under the cover of a moonless night, two cloaked figures met in a secluded clearing. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, and the only sounds were the distant hoots of owls and the rustling of unseen creatures. A faint, eerie glow emanated from the enchanted stones that marked their meeting place, casting long, twisted shadows that danced like specters in the darkness. If one were to look from outside the clearing, you would see that the figures were invisble to the naked eye

Urek: (his voice a low, gravelly whisper) "The northern branch reports success. The guards at the border have been compromised. Our agents now control the key checkpoints."

Thorne: (nodding, his eyes glinting with a sinister light) "Good. The eastern branch has infiltrated the royal kitchens. The poison will be ready by the next full moon. The king's feast will be his last."

A cold wind swept through the clearing, causing the trees to creak and groan as if they were whispering secrets to one another. The two men stood unmoved, their dark cloaks billowing like the wings of nightmarish creatures.

Urek: "And the southern branch?"

Thorne: (a cruel smile curling his lips) "They have secured the allegiance of the mercenaries. When the signal is given, they will strike the heart of the capital with unmatched ferocity."

The atmosphere grew heavier, as if the very air was laden with the weight of their malevolent intentions. The enchanted stones pulsed with a dark energy, reflecting the power that these men wielded.

Urek: "The western branch has encountered resistance. The mages are proving more resilient than anticipated. We may need to deploy the shadow beasts."

"Do it. Leave no room for failure. The human kingdom will fall, and we will rise from its ashes, as the master ordered. He will take his place as the new ruler, and our conquest for the establishment of the empire will commence" his voice was literally dripping with malice. His eyes shone with an intense feverish glow that extended to his brow, a crooked smile plastered on his lips

"And the academy?"

"Our insider is working on it, we take care of the huma kingdom first. Our next target will of course be the academy. Attacking their symbol of unity should sow chaos among the."

A distant thunder rumbled, as if the heavens themselves were protesting the dark scheme unfolding below. The two men exchanged a final, knowing glance before melting back into the shadows, their presence leaving an unsettling stillness in the clearing. The enchanted mana stones blinked out, the glow fading, leaving unremarkable stones occupying the clearing.

The forest seemed to hold its breath, aware that a storm of darkness was brewing, one that would soon engulf the human kingdom in chaos and despair.

....

A week later

In the grand hall of the royal palace in the kingdom of Larsia, the capital, Belgrav (The human continent) , the king and his nobles gathered for an urgent council meeting. The room was illuminated by flickering torches, casting long shadows on the stone walls adorned with tapestries depicting the kingdom's glorious past. The atmosphere was heavy with concern and uncertainty, the gloominess ih the hall was palpable.

King Alden: seated at the head of the table, his brow furrowed. His visage show visible signs of old age, eyes closed and he used the palm of his hand to support his head. The arm of his elevated chair supporting his elbow. His eyes open slowly, their blue pupils contracting slightly as he looks on to the people seated in the grand hall. "My aides, we face troubling times. Reports of unrest and sabotage have reached us from all corners of the kingdom. Merchants coming to our borders have reduced to a third of what we usually receive, we have reports of multiple dissapearances, nobles and commoners alike. I am well aware most of you here act to serve your own interests" his eyes scanned the figures seated at the table, narrowing ever so slightly

" I have allowed you to do as you please in times of peace. You must all think I have grown senile." The air in the room grew heavy, the nobles gathered around the table gasped for breath as their eyes went wide with shock. They had not forgotten how powerful their king was. But it had been too long since they hard last seen him take up his sword or went to war. They had experienced a largely peaceful and blissful few centuries. The strongest amongst the nobles present was Duke varian. He was a stage 6 saint. The king, being in the middle stages of the demi-god ranks, only had to release his aura to lock them all in place. We must determine the cause and restore order."

As the king's words hung in the air, the grand hall fell into a tense silence. The nobles, frozen in place by King Alden's overwhelming aura, could only stare wide-eyed at their sovereign. The flickering torchlight seemed to dance more frantically, casting eerie shadows across the faces of those present.

Duke Varian, despite his status as a Stage 6 Saint, found himself struggling against the invisible force that held him in place. Beads of sweat formed on his brow as he attempted to maintain his composure. His voice, when he finally managed to speak, came out strained and respectful.

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"Your Majesty," Duke Varian barely managed to speak out, his words carefully measured, "we... we are at your service. What would you have us do to address these dire circumstances?"

The other nobles remained silent, their eyes darting between the king and Duke Varian, waiting to see how this interaction would unfold. The weight of centuries of peace seemed to evaporate in an instant.

King let out a light chuckle, pleased to see they had not let their greed cloud them. His piercing blue eyes fixed upon Duke Varian, considering his words. After a moment, he slightly relaxed his aura, allowing the nobles to breathe more easily, though the pressure in the room remained palpable.

"Duke Varian," the king spoke, his voice carrying the weight of command, "I want you to personally investigate the reports of disappearances. Start with the nobles, then move on to the commoners. Find any connections, any patterns that might shed light on this mystery."

The king then turned his gaze to the rest of the gathered nobles, his expression stern and unyielding. "As for the rest of you, I expect full cooperation and transparency. Any information, no matter how small, is to be brought to my attention immediately. We will root out this threat to our kingdom, whatever it may be."

He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing, "I will not tolerate any attempts to use this crisis for personal gain. Remember, the strength of Larsia lies in our unity. Prove your worth to the crown, and you shall be rewarded. Fail me, and the consequences will be... severe."

The nobles, still reeling from the display of the king's power, nodded in unison, a chorus of "Yes, Your Majesty" echoing through the grand hall.

"Now, I will be leaving this matter in your hands as you try to prove your worths. Do not dissapoint me." He abruptly stood up, prompting all the council members to stand up in a vertical bow. noone daring to look up until they heard the guards close the door after their ruler walked out.

As the meeting went, the atmosphere in the room remained charged with a mix of fear, respect, and determination.

Lord Harren: (a seasoned warrior, his voice gruff) "The northern borders have seen increased bandit activity. Our patrols are stretched thin, and the people are losing faith in our ability to protect them."

Lady Elara: (a wise and respected noblewoman) "The eastern provinces have suffered from mysterious illnesses. Our healers are baffled, and the people are growing desperate. There are whispers of dark magic at play."

Duke Varian "The southern mercenaries have been unusually active. There are rumors that they have been hired by an unknown benefactor to sow chaos. We must investigate their allegiances."

Elare (nodding solemnly) "And what of the western mages? Have they offered any insight?"

Lord Cedric: (a mage advisor, his expression grave) "The mages have encountered resistance from an unknown force. Their spells are being countered, and they suspect a powerful adversary is at work. We may be dealing with more than mere bandits and mercenaries."

Duke Varian "We must act swiftly. Lord Harren, increase patrols along the northern borders. Lady Elara, send more healers to the eastern provinces and investigate the source of these illnesses. Marquee Sylvie, find out who is behind the mercenaries' actions. Lord Cedric, work with the mages to uncover this mysterious force."

As the council members nodded and began to discuss their plans, a cold wind swept through the hall, causing the torches to flicker. They couldn't shake the feeling that a dark shadow loomed over the kingdom, one that threatened to engulf them all.

.......

Back in Eritrea

Raph is preparing to leave for the academy with Freya. He will be taking one of the five yearly qoutas assigned to the elven kingdom. Though preparing is a strong word in his case, every one of his possessions is stored away in his mind space. They were scheduled to leave for the central continent the next day.

Raphael remained seated in his room, his mind churning with thoughts about the academy and its true purpose. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows across his face, reflecting the turmoil of his inner musings.

'An academy for all races,' he pondered, his eyes narrowing slightly. 'A noble idea on the surface, but there's always more beneath such grand gestures.'

He stood up slowly, stretching his limbs as he walked towards the window. The night sky stretched out before him, stars twinkling against the velvet darkness.

'Mana theory,' he mused, a wry smile playing on his lips. 'I could probably teach the professors a thing or two. But that might reveal too much, too soon.'

Raphael's fingers traced abstract patterns on the cool glass of the window as he considered his next moves. The academy presented both opportunities and risks. On one hand, it was a chance to gather information, to understand the political landscape of this world more intimately. On the other, it could be a carefully laid trap, designed to identify and neutralize potential threats.

'And Freya,' he thought, his expression softening slightly before hardening again. 'Is she just another pawn in this game, or does she have her own agenda?'

He turned away from the window, his gaze falling on the books scattered across his desk. Tomes of magic, history, and politics - all tools in his quest for understanding and power. He had requested a recent map of their world and a number of grimoires and books to catch up on the norms and practices in recent times.

The most important think he figured out in his little excursion was that the standard of mages and strength had fallen significantly had.'This feels like an elaborate plan laid out carefully for centuries already. But to what end?'

'I'll play along for now,' Raphael decided, extinguishing the candles with a wave of his hand. 'I'll be the eager student, the prodigy they expect. But all the while, I'll be watching, learning, piecing together the true nature of this academy and those who control it This will be enough to entertain me for now no?.' A smirk graced his otherworldly features, an amused glint visible in his eyes.

As darkness enveloped the room, Raphael's eyes glowed faintly in the gloom. 'Let the game begin,' he thought, a determined smile spreading across his face. 'They think they're the players, but little do they know - I'm rewriting the rules.'

With that final thought, Raphael settled into his bed, his mind already plotting the intricate moves of the game that lay ahead. The academy awaited, and with it, the promise of power, knowledge, and perhaps, unexpected alliances.