"I am Tenebrius," the dark figure intoned, its voice echoing like a thousand whispers. "I command not just shadows, but all elemental affinities. Yet shadow… shadow is my greatest mastery—and the one you excel at, Leon."
As Tenebrius spoke, its form began to shift. Black hair and crimson, piercing eyes appeared, mirroring Leon's own. "Leon Arcandrel," it continued, voice both commanding and mesmerizing, "I offer you a contract—not only as a god of shadow, but a god of all affinities. Should you accept, you will wield immense shadow power, as well as command over the other elements. You will gain immunity to all curses, and…"
Tenebrius paused, tilting its head with curiosity. "Hmm… how curious."
Leon's eyes widened. Behind him, a shadowy figure lingered—an invisible hand clutching a knife, the tip pressed perilously close to his heart. One wrong move, and it would pierce him.
"I see," Tenebrius murmured, a dark amusement in its tone. "Contractor… it seems envy was sown in the hearts of others when you were young."
With a swift motion, Tenebrius pressed a finger against Leon's chest, right over his heart. "This is why you could never reach your true potential. This curse… it suppresses everything—not just talent, but your very essence. No matter how hard you work, no progress will come. All your efforts are diminished, leaving you weak, lowly, a child in power and spirit."
"A curse… on me?" Leon whispered, his voice barely audible.
"Yes," Tenebrius replied simply, its crimson eyes locking onto his with unyielding intensity.
"Yes," Tenebrius said, voice low and steady. "It is a curse called Heaven's Restriction. It suppresses all of a person's talents, reducing their potential to nothing—lower than an average person. No matter how hard you push yourself, how much you strive, all you gain is exhaustion, frustration… and failure."
Leon swallowed hard.
"It is a curse that could never exist in your family, the Arcandrels," Tenebrius continued. "Your lineage has the tightest safeguards of all—none of this should have touched you. Yet somehow… it did."
A dark calm settled over Tenebrius. "Hmm… I see. So it was not your skill, your affinity for darkness, that drew me to you. It was your suffering—your misery—that called me, and brought me here."
With a single, deliberate touch, Tenebrius pressed a finger against Leon's chest. A sharp surge of energy tore through him, and the curse shattered. Dark chains of restriction burned bright for a moment before turning to ash, drifting away like smoke. Leon's eyes widened as he felt the invisible weight lift, the suppression that had held him back dying away completely.
"From this moment on," Tenebrius said, voice firm yet gentle, "no curse shall ever touch you again."
He placed a hand on Leon's shoulder, the presence of his power both grounding and reassuring. "I leave my sons and daughters to you. All that remains is for you to become what you were always meant to be. Since childhood, your fate has been to become an extraordinary Magic Swordsman."
Leon felt the weight of those words settle in, a fire kindling within him.
"Leon Arcandrel," Tenebrius continued, his voice resolute, "I will always be by your side. When you face hardship along your path, do not doubt me. Trust me, and I will be there to help you when you need it the most."
The shadowed void around him dissipated, leaving Leon standing in the open underground chamber. He grasped his sword and stepped outside. With a swift draw, he unleashed a massive slash, carving a deep, precise groove into the ground.
"It's… so light!" Leon exclaimed, awe threading his voice.
He focused, summoning a stream of miniature fireballs that shot through the air in rapid succession, obeying every flick of his intent.
"This… this is easier than I imagined!" he muttered, a wide, satisfied smile spreading across his face.
Recalling Tenebrius' words, he realized it had been the curse all along that had prevented him from achieving this. "So that's what held me back… it wasn't me."
Determined to push further, Leon ignited a dark flame in his right hand, letting it flow seamlessly into his sword. With a precise swing, he cut the air—and the ground trembled beneath the strike. A massive, straight wound appeared, slicing toward the forest like a scar in the earth itself.
"It feels… weightless," he thought, amazement mixing with exhilaration. "I can release spells freely, shape them however I imagine…"
Swing after swing, Leon's strikes carved the terrain, sparks flying, sweat dripping, yet the satisfied grin on his face never faded.
The Leon who had once been called the loser, the worst dunce of the Arcandrel family…
He no longer existed.
Finally… Leon thought, sweat dripping from his brow. Even if I didn't improve before, all the hard work I've done has finally paid off.
He swung his blade again, weaving spells with practiced precision.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion tore through the air. Leon's eyes flew open—his breath caught in his throat. The world had shifted. Dust and debris rained down, and his body felt unbearably heavy, pinned beneath something massive.
He blinked through the haze, blood running from cuts across his face. The familiar stonework of the place he'd called home had collapsed around him, burying him alive.
"Didn't I just… hear something?" he murmured, his voice faint. He tried to move, but the crushing weight held him down, unyielding.
A scream…? he thought dimly. Why do I feel so cold…?
"Master…?" His lips trembled. "Tenebrius…? Are you… two there?"
No reply. Only silence.
"Is… anyone… the…re?"
Leon's vision blurred. Each breath felt like it might be his last. I can't believe… I'm going to die like this, he thought bitterly. After finally lifting the curse…
Is it because I'm useless after all?
Do I not even have the chance to use Tenebrius' magic… the power he gave me… the sword and spells that held me back for so long?
The weight pressed harder, the edges of his consciousness fading.
If it's going to end like this… then why… why was I given a chance at all?
Darkness swallowed him completely, suffocating and absolute.
Then… a blinding white light erupted, piercing through the void and searing his senses.
"Huh…?"