We ran through the academy corridors at maximum speed, the alarm sirens piercing our ears from every direction. Students were fleeing in panic, professors shouting conflicting orders, chaos everywhere.
"The library is ahead!" Professor Stormhammer shouted as he led our group through the crowds. "But be ready—we don't know what awaits us there!"
When we reached the library courtyard, we all stopped in shock. The beautiful building I loved was partially destroyed. The eastern wall had completely collapsed, black smoke rose from broken windows, and strange red lights flickered inside.
"By all the gods," Draken whispered. "What have they done?"
"Worse than we imagined," Stormhammer replied with terrifying seriousness. "Look at this energy."
He raised his hand, pointing at the air around the library. Even without using the "Sacred Spirit Eye," I could see threads of dark magical energy flowing from the building like blood from a deep wound.
"This isn't ordinary magic," I said with growing dread. "It's older… stronger."
I activated the "Sacred Spirit Eye" and wished I hadn't. What I saw froze my blood.
The dark energy wasn't just leaking magic—it was moving with intelligence, searching, testing, as if a living being was awakening after a long slumber.
"Something is waking up in there," I whispered to Stormhammer. "Something that has been asleep for a very long time."
The professor looked at me gravely. "How do you know?"
"I can see it," I said, pointing to my eye. "A special ability."
"Of course," Stormhammer remembered. "The Sacred Spirit Eye. What exactly do you see?"
"The energy moves with intelligence," I described. "As if a vast consciousness is waking and testing its surroundings for the first time in… in a very long time."
"A thousand years," Elaina said weakly. "Like Celia said."
"Orilia," Draken corrected. "Her real name is Orilia."
"Whatever her name, she was telling the truth about the Master," Ash said anxiously. "And now he's awakening."
"Not yet," Stormhammer said firmly. "If he were free after a thousand years, the entire place would be destroyed. This means they're still working. We still have a chance to stop him—but we must act now."
We stormed into the library through the shattered main entrance. Inside was worse than outside. Bookshelves were destroyed, rare manuscripts scattered across the floor, and worst of all—several professors and guards lay dead among the wreckage.
"We were too late," Stormhammer said bitterly, kneeling beside one of the professors. "Professor Merlin… he was a dear friend."
"We weren't too late," I said firmly. "If the Master were free, the entire place would be ruined. That means they're still trying to free him."
"Then where are they?" Marcus asked.
I pointed toward a spiral staircase at the far end of the library. "The Forbidden Section. Underground."
The staircase led deep underground, to ancient levels of the library most students had never seen. With every step we descended, the dark energy grew denser.
"The air itself is becoming heavy," Luna noticed, placing a hand on her chest. "I feel something pressing on my heart."
"This is the effect of ancient magic," Stormhammer explained. "The closer we get to the source, the stronger the effect."
We reached a massive underground chamber, far larger than expected. The walls were lined with shelves reaching the ceiling, filled with books and scrolls glowing with powerful magical energy. This was the true Forbidden Section.
But in the center of the hall was a terrifying sight.
A massive circle was carved into the stone floor, filled with symbols and inscriptions in an ancient language I didn't understand. Around the circle stood five hooded figures, chanting a spell in unison. And in the center of the circle…
In the center stood a black stone statue, human-sized, but its features were not human. A distorted body with unnaturally long limbs, a face with multiple eyes and a mouth full of sharp fangs.
And the most horrifying part—the statue was moving. Slowly, but clearly. Its stone fingers trembled, and its multiple eyes glowed with a faint red light.
"The seal is partially broken," Stormhammer whispered in shock. "They're really freeing him."
"Who is he?" Zara asked, fear evident in her voice.
"Arkan the Shattered Darkness," Stormhammer said, his voice filled with dread. "An ancient being from the pre-human age. He destroyed half the continent before the greatest sorcerers in history managed to imprison him."
Suddenly, the hooded figures stopped chanting and turned toward us.
"Visitors!" one said with a grotesque, mocking laugh. "And right on time!"
He removed his mask, revealing a familiar, hated face.
"Professor Firestone?!" I shouted in shock.
"Surprise!" Firestone said with an evil smile. "Did you really think an organization as powerful as the Crimson Shadow wouldn't place spies in the highest positions of the academy?"
"You… you led the academy," Stormhammer said, stunned and pained. "You were my friend!"
"I was a useful tool," Firestone said coldly. "You helped me reach this place. And now that you're here, you can contribute to the final ritual."
"The final ritual?" I asked cautiously.
"To complete the Master's liberation, we need a powerful sacrifice," Firestone explained with sick pleasure. "The blood and spiritual power of gifted young sorcerers. You are perfect for this purpose."
"We won't let you!" Draken shouted, drawing his sword.
"Oh, but you will," Firestone said, raising his hand. "Because you have no choice."
A wave of dark energy surged toward us, but I was ready.
"Ember, maximum protection!"
Ember transformed into a wall of golden fire, shielding us from the initial attack. But the dark energy was too strong—it began to pierce through our defenses.
"This is too powerful!" Elaina cried, reinforcing the barrier with additional light magic.
"Because it's drawing power from Arkan!" Stormhammer shouted, casting a counter-spell. "The more he awakens, the stronger they become!"
I looked at the statue in the center of the circle and saw it moving more. Its head began to rise, and strange sounds came from its stone mouth.
"We need to stop the ritual!" I shouted. "Before he fully awakens!"
"But how?" Ash asked, launching a lightning bolt at one of the hooded figures. "There are five of them and seven of us, but they're too strong!"
Suddenly, I realized something. In the game, there was a way to stop summoning rituals—destroying the magic circle itself.
"Attack the circle!" I shouted. "The symbols on the ground! If we destroy them, the ritual stops!"
"Brilliant idea!" Stormhammer said. "But how do we reach it?"
He was right. The hooded figures surrounded the circle, guarding it fiercely.
"Orilius!" I summoned the little dragon. "We need your full power!"
Orilius appeared, but not in his small form this time. He grew to his full size—a ten-meter golden dragon, filling half the chamber.
"By the gods…!" Firestone shouted in shock. "A fully grown dragon?! How can a student summon…?"
"Because I'm not just a student," I said, feeling a new power surge through my body from my bond with Orilius and Ember. "I am Lian Shadowwind, the last of my name, and I will protect this world from scum like you!"
[Warning: Using more power than usual!] [Evolved Spirit Bond activated!] [New Level: 28] [New Rank: Expert Spirit Controller (Early Third Rank)]
I felt immense power flowing through me—not just from Orilius and Ember, but from something deeper—the legacy of the Shadowwind family, a latent strength waiting for the perfect moment to emerge.
"Shadowwind Forbidden Technique: Dragonfire Tempest!"
I raised my hand, and Orilius unleashed a powerful golden flame toward the ceiling. At the same time, Ember transformed into dozens of small fireballs, swirling around me in a stunning vortex.
The heat and energy in the chamber rose to dangerous levels. Even the stone began glowing red.
"Impossible!" Firestone screamed. "No student could possess this kind of power!"
But he was wrong. The fire vortex surged toward the magic circle, and when it struck the carved symbols, it exploded with devastating force.
The stone floor cracked and shattered, the magical symbols broke apart and scattered. Instantly, the red glow in the statue's eyes faded, and it stilled completely.
"No!" Firestone screamed. "Years of preparation! Everything destroyed!"
But our relief didn't last long.
Even though the ritual had stopped, the statue hadn't fully returned to its original state. It was still moving—slowly, but clearly. And worse, it was speaking.
"Where… am I?" a deep, terrifying voice emerged from the statue's mouth. "How… much time… has passed?"
"Master!" Firestone fell to his knees. "You're awake! At least partially!"
"Partially…" the voice repeated, slowly turning the statue's head toward us. Its multiple eyes focused on me. "You… destroyed… my ritual."
I felt an immense weight pressing on my soul. Even in its weakened state, this being's power was terrifying.
"I will… remember… your face," Arkan said slowly. "When I regain… my full power… you will be… the first… I kill."
"You won't get that chance," I said with more courage than I felt.
"Oh… but I will," Arkan said, smiling a horrifying smile. "This body… is only a temporary prison. My spirit… is already escaping… into the world."
He was right. I could see with the "Sacred Spirit Eye" threads of dark energy seeping from the statue, spreading through the walls and ceiling.
"He's escaping!" I told Stormhammer. "His spirit is leaking from the imprisoned body!"
"This is very bad," Stormhammer said with dread. "If his spirit spreads, he could possess other bodies—or even influence the world directly!"
"Firestone!" Arkan suddenly commanded. "Complete… the second mission!"
"Yes, Master!" Firestone said, standing quickly. From his pocket, he pulled out a large black crystal radiating terrifying energy.
"What is that?" I asked, alarmed.
"The Seed of Corruption," Firestone said with an evil grin. "If we can't fully free the Master, we'll corrupt this place instead. The academy will become the center of darkness spreading across the empire!"
He raised the crystal high, and it began to glow with intense black light.
"We won't let you!" Draken shouted, attacking Firestone with his sword.
But it was too late. The crystal exploded with dark energy, and waves of corruption began spreading through the walls and ceiling.
"Now… even if we fail… darkness will spread," Arkan laughed horrifyingly. "And when it covers… the empire… I will return… stronger… than ever."
The chamber began to shake and crumble around us. The dark energy was consuming the stone itself, turning it into something evil and tainted.
"We have to get out of here!" Stormhammer shouted. "The place is collapsing!"
"But the corruption will spread!" I said in despair. "It'll reach the academy, then the city, and finally the entire empire!"
In that desperate moment, I heard a calm, wise voice in my mind.
"Lian," Orilius spoke directly into my thoughts. "There is a way. But it's very dangerous."
"What way?" I asked mentally.
"Complete fusion with all my power and Ember's. You'll gain enough strength to purify the corruption, but…"
"But what?"
"You may not survive. The power will be more than your human body can withstand."
I looked around at my friends—Draken, Elaina, Zara, Ash, Marcus, Luna. All of them fighting bravely against the remaining hooded figures, trying to protect me and each other.
I looked at Stormhammer, desperately trying to stop the corruption with his magic.
I looked at the dark energy spreading toward the ceiling, toward the academy, toward the world I loved.
"I'll do it," I told Orilius firmly.
"Lian, no!" Elaina screamed, apparently hearing part of the conversation through her bond with Luna. "We won't let you sacrifice yourself!"
"Sometimes sacrifice is the only way to protect those we love," I said with a gentle smile. "Orilius, Ember, let's finish this."
I felt immense power surge through my body—not just the dragon's and the fire spirit's strength, but something more. The power of protective will, the power of love for my friends, the power to save the world.
[Warning: Life-threatening!] [Full Fusion activated!] [New Level: 35] [New Rank: Master Spirit Controller (Fourth Rank)]
But this time, I didn't just feel power. I also felt my body beginning to break apart under the overwhelming energy.
"Final Forbidden Shadowwind Technique," I shouted, my voice filled with divine energy. "Eternal Light Purification!"
Pure golden light erupted from my body—brighter than the sun, purer than starlight. The light filled the entire chamber, then spread throughout the academy.
The dark energy, upon contact with the light, began to melt and vanish. The corruption spreading through the stone started to be purified and healed.
"No!" Arkan screamed. "This is impossible! No human power…"
But his words were cut off as the light reached him. The stone statue cracked and collapsed, the dark energy within it purified and gone.
"This… will not… be the end," Arkan said, his voice fading. "I will return… someday… and I will remember…"
Then he vanished completely, and the statue turned to gray ash.
Firestone and the other hooded figures collapsed to the ground, unconscious. The dark energy supporting them had disappeared, leaving them as ordinary humans.
But victory came at a heavy price.
I felt my body beginning to collapse. The immense power I had used was more than I could endure.
"Lian!" Elaina screamed, rushing toward me as I fell to my knees.
"Did… did we succeed?" I asked weakly.
"Yes," Stormhammer said, tears in his eyes. "You saved the academy. You saved the empire. You saved everyone."
"Good," I smiled, feeling my vision blur. "That… that was worth it."
"Don't talk like that!" Elaina cried. "You'll be fine! Luna, help me heal him!"
Luna tried, but my wounds weren't physical. They were spiritual—my very soul was damaged from using power beyond its limits.
"My friends," I whispered to everyone gathered around me. "Thank you… for being… the best friends… anyone could… wish for."
And as I felt consciousness fading, I heard Orilius's voice in my mind one last time.
"Sleep, brave warrior. But this is not the end. Power like yours does not die easily."
The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was my friends' faces, filled with tears and worry.
And the last thing I felt was Ember's warmth as she wrapped around my heart, protecting me even in the darkness.