The night was quiet. Too quiet.
Moonlight spilled over the academy's empty training field the same place Mila had nearly scorched into ash just hours before.
A faint wind brushed her silver hair as she prepared another training round.
"Arthianos…" she whispered, steadying her breath.
But before she could cast, a cold ripple of magic rolled through the air.
Every instinct screamed danger.
She turned sharply.
"Who's there?"
A shadow stepped from behind the trees. The Sage.
His robes shimmered faintly with runes that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. His expression was calm far too calm.
"You've been busy lately, Miss Mila," he said evenly. "Your 'late-night training' is starting to shake the city."
Mila stiffened.
"You've been watching me?"
"Observing," he corrected, walking closer. "Trying to confirm something. And now… I have."
"You shouldn't be here," Mila said quietly, her tone darkening. "I'm not in the mood for your suspicions tonight."
The Sage smiled faintly though it didn't reach his eyes.
"That's exactly why I came. You're unstable, aren't you? That magic of yours… it's not human, nor elven, nor even demonic. It's something ancient."
Mila's gaze hardened.
"You don't know what you're dealing with."
"No," the Sage replied. "You don't know what I'm capable of."
Before she could react, he lifted one hand and a pulse of golden light erupted, encircling her like a web.
The spell snapped into place instantly.
Mila gasped, her body jerking as her limbs froze.
"W–What did yo-?"
"Mind Dominion," he said flatly. "Last time, I only touched your thoughts. This time, I've claimed your body."
Mila's fingers twitched violently. Her legs moved on their own.
"S–Stop…!" she strained, her voice shaking. "This isn't you…!"
"I warned you," the Sage said, eyes glowing with steady focus. "You're dangerous. You've brought destruction, lies, and corrupted mana into our academy. I can't allow it to continue."
Her head bowed low, her silver hair falling across her face.
"You don't understand…" she whispered weakly. "If you dig too deep… you'll wake it up…"
The Sage hesitated for a moment but pressed his hand forward, tightening the spell's grip.
Mila's golden eyes flashed to maroon. A surge of dark-red energy rippled through the magic circle, fracturing its edge.
"Impossible…" the Sage muttered, gritting his teeth as the bindings began to spark.
Her voice dropped to a chilling whisper layered, echoing like two voices overlapping.
"You shouldn't have tried to control a dragon."
The ground beneath her cracked. Flames erupted in brief bursts, then vanished just as fast. The spell still held, but barely her power straining against it like a storm trying to break a cage.
The Sage struggled to keep the control stable, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
"I… will not… lose control…"
"Then you'll burn with it," Mila hissed, her eyes flaring brighter.
The ground lit up for a single terrifying moment, her aura pulsed crimson-black. But then, just as suddenly, she fell forward, the energy collapsing in on itself.
The spell broke.
The night went silent again only the faint hum of fading magic remained.
The Sage stood there, panting slightly. He stared at her collapsed form, his thoughts tangled between fear and awe.
"That wasn't ordinary power…" he murmured. "It fought my control. It rejected me."
He knelt beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
Even unconscious, her expression looked pained as though she was fighting something inside.
"Miss Mila…" he said softly. "What are you?"