The next morning came too fast.
I hadn't slept much—every time I closed my eyes, I saw the Void's eyes staring back at me from behind the mirror.
Lyra insisted on walking me to the Arcanis Academy, saying her mentor, Elion, had already prepared my entry papers. "You'll love it," she said with her usual brightness. "It's the best academy in Aetherion! Magic, history, combat—everything you could imagine."
I smiled faintly. I didn't have the heart to tell her I wasn't here to learn. I was here to remember.
The academy was breathtaking.
Set atop a floating plateau, its spires reached the sky, woven with glowing runes. Rivers of mana flowed through channels carved in white marble, and massive crystal trees surrounded the central courtyard.
Students in uniforms of deep blue and silver walked past us, their laughter echoing through the air.
For a moment, I felt like I was watching someone else's dream.
Elion met us at the entrance, holding a stack of documents. "Your identity has been registered," he said. "You're listed as a transfer from a minor kingdom across the eastern sea. No one will question it."
"Thank you," I said quietly.
He studied me with the same analytical gaze as before. "You're welcome. But know this, Serena—the academy is not without danger. Many noble families send their heirs here. Power games are common. Choose your friends wisely."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Classes began that afternoon.
The first was Elemental Theory, a lecture hall filled with young mages discussing the balance between mana, will, and the elements.
When it was my turn to demonstrate affinity, I touched the crystal orb at the instructor's request.
The orb should have glowed one of the seven colors—red for fire, blue for water, and so on.
Instead, it turned black.
No—darker than black. It was a void that swallowed even the room's light.
The instructor froze. "That's… impossible."
Whispers spread instantly.
"Did you see that?"
"Is she cursed?"
"Maybe it's a trick—"
I pulled my hand back. The orb shattered, and the fragments evaporated into dust.
Everyone stared at me like I'd brought a storm into the room.
The instructor's tone wavered between awe and fear. "You may… report to the Headmaster's office after class, Miss Serena."
I simply nodded, forcing calm. Inside, I could feel the Void's laughter rippling through my veins.
"You shouldn't hide what you are."
"They'll fear you if I don't."
"Let them."
I pressed a hand against my chest, silencing the whisper. Not now. Not here.
That evening, as the sun sank behind the crystal towers, I found myself in the academy's courtyard alone. The students kept their distance, whispering rumors as they passed.
Good.
Fear was familiar.
It meant control.
I closed my eyes and reached inward. The runes beneath my skin responded, pulsing faintly. Shadows bled from my fingertips, swirling into shapes—a blade, a bird, then dust.
"Power given by the Void is not bound by the laws of this realm."
The whisper returned, softer this time.
"You can create or erase. But creation demands a price."
"And what price is that?" I murmured.
"A fragment of what you once were."
My heart skipped. "My humanity?"
"Call it what you will."
The shadows receded. I looked up at the twin moons above, one pale white, the other violet. Between them, I saw movement—a faint shimmer, almost like an eye watching from the sky.
The air grew colder.
"You are not alone here."
The voice wasn't the Void's. It was sharper, human, echoing from behind me.
I turned quickly, summoning a thread of darkness between my palms. A boy stood beneath the archway, his black hair glinting in the moonlight. His eyes glowed faint silver—calm, but dangerous.
He smiled faintly. "Relax. I'm not here to hurt you."
"Then don't sneak up on people."
He chuckled. "Fair enough. Name's Ravel. I saw your little… demonstration today."
"Were you impressed?" I said, tone dry.
"Terrified, actually," he admitted. "But impressed comes close."
He stepped closer, his gaze sharp. "That power—you're not like the others. You're something else. I can feel it."
"You're mistaken."
"I don't think so." He turned away, hands in his pockets. "The last time I saw an aura like yours, it belonged to something that devoured half a kingdom."
He left before I could reply, disappearing into the dark.
I exhaled slowly. "Great. Another mystery."
But deep inside, I knew he was right.
The hunger, the whispers—they were growing stronger.
And if I didn't control them soon, they would consume everything I touched.
"You were born from the abyss, Serena," the Void murmured faintly. "And the abyss always calls its own."