Chapter 4 – Whispers in the Dark.
The Yamashiki residence in the Royal Kingdom was quiet, too quiet. A thin crescent moon hung above, spilling faint silver through the window.
Dark, exhausted from the day's unease, lay on the sofa in the living room. His chest rose and fell evenly, his breathing calm, but sleep had not come easily. The house never felt like home, and even in his dreams shadows lingered.
Suddenly—
Crack!
The front door shuddered open. Figures cloaked in black burst inside, their blades glinting.
"Reena," Light's sharp voice cut through the silence.
Already moving, Reena's hand pressed against the floor. "Vidgras: Mud Soil Down!"
The ground rippled like water before turning to sludge. The intruders screamed as their feet sank, the mud climbing higher, locking them in place until they were helplessly bound.
They thrashed violently, but the spell held firm.
Light stepped forward, eyes cold. "Pathetic. Who sent you?"
One intruder sneered. "Why should we tell you?"
Light's jaw tightened. "Then I'll tear it from your memories."
His palm pressed against the prisoner's forehead. Mana flared, threads of light weaving into the man's mind. At first there was resistance, the usual blur of jumbled thoughts. But then—darkness.
Nothing but black.
A voice thundered inside his skull.
> "Light Yamashiki… you broke your promise. Soon, I will take Dark from you. He cannot be hidden."
Light staggered, clutching his head as pain seared through him. His breath grew ragged.
"Brother?!" Reena rushed to his side.
But before he could answer, the intruders convulsed violently. Their bodies twisted, eyes rolling back. Then silence. One by one, they collapsed lifelessly.
The stench of death filled the basement.
Reena's face paled. "They… just died. All of them."
Light's breathing steadied, though his voice trembled. "No. They were killed. And if that voice is right… something bigger than us is moving. It's after Dark."
Upstairs, unaware of what had just transpired, Dark still slept in the living room. Shadows curled faintly at the corners of the room, as if watching.
---
The days passed quickly, leading to the moment Light had been dreading.
The Royal Academy Entrance Test.
Whispers filled the massive courtyard as hundreds of students gathered. Most weren't whispering about themselves, but about the legendary siblings: Light Yamashiki and Reena Yamashiki, who now stood with a quiet boy at their side.
"Is that their brother?"
"He looks weak."
"Strange… why would the Yamashikis bring someone like him here?"
Dark lowered his gaze, trying to ignore the words stabbing at him like knives.
"Stay calm," Reena murmured, gently fixing the collar of his tunic. "We're with you."
---
The first trial was simple: test of strength. Each candidate had to strike a target with their magic.
When Dark's turn came, he stepped forward reluctantly. The examiner nodded. "Channel your magic at the dummy."
Dark lifted his hand.
Crack!
A boulder-shaped bullet shot forth, smashing through the target—and the stone wall behind it. The entire courtyard echoed with the sound of shattering rock.
Students gasped. The examiner stared. "He… he destroyed the wall!"
Even Arshell, the calm overseer of the test, adjusted his glasses nervously.
Light forced a casual smile. "Well, after all, he is my brother."
Reena smirked faintly.
---
The second trial was more serious: the Orb of Flames.
The examiner explained as the glowing sphere was carried forward. "When you place your hand on the orb, it will reveal the quality of your blood. Flames of different colors measure a mage's strength."
A boy stepped forward before Dark, pressing his hand down. The orb flickered yellow.
"Yellow flame. Adequate," the examiner said.
Another girl placed her hand, her orb glowing blue. The crowd clapped lightly.
"Blue flame. Above average."
Then came Dark's turn.
He pressed his palm against the glass. At first, the orb pulsed dimly. Then—
Fwoosh!
A raging flame burst forth, not of one color but many. Red, blue, gold, green—colors merged together in a blinding spectrum until the orb roared with the brilliance of a rainbow flame.
Gasps spread instantly.
"Impossible…"
"Rainbow flame…?"
"That's the rarest! Only seven in history!"
Dark blinked, pulling his hand away. "…Why are you all staring like that? Is it rare?"
Light's expression was grim. "Rare is an understatement. Rainbow flame means your blood holds the highest rank of Saron—the purest source of power. In history, only seven have borne it. You… are the seventh."
Dark's lips parted. "…Who are the other six?"
Arshell answered softly. "The Yamashiki founder. Hanada. Light. Reena. And you dark two more… unknown to us."
He turned sharply toward Light. "Master Light, your brother must be placed in Class 3-S, the highest tier."
Light exhaled slowly. "So be it."
Dark stepped back, his chest tightening. The world he thought he knew was already changing.
Chapter 4
The end