A knock sounded at the door.
Luke opened it and found Syndra standing outside. Slightly surprised, he asked, "How did you find me?"
"You stand out. I only had to ask around a little."
Syndra kept her head lowered as she spoke.
"Is that so? Come on in."
Luke scratched his head and led her inside.
Once in the room, Syndra silently sat against the wall with her knees hugged to her chest. She was clearly in low spirits.
Luke was arranging the bedding when he noticed her expression. "I don't mean to rub salt in the wound, but aren't you going to stay with your family?"
Syndra shook her head without saying anything.
Luke didn't press the subject. He remembered how eagerly she had spoken about seeing her family that morning, which only made the contrast now all the more striking.
After going there himself, he could clearly tell how that family viewed Syndra.
She was their own daughter, yet they looked at her as though she were someone they wished they never had to see.
The three of them were a happy little family, without even the smallest place left for her among them.
Perhaps she had finally realized it too.
Maybe the family she treasured had already abandoned her three years ago.
After leaving home, she had nowhere to go. In this vast world, it seemed there was not a single place where she belonged.
When the people she had always relied on could no longer be relied upon, she felt as though the entire world had cast her aside.
In the end, the only person she could think of was Luke.
Fortunately, he wasn't difficult to find. A few questions had been enough to track him down.
Everyone she asked remembered him vividly.
"In that case, stay here for the night."
Luke finished making the bed and didn't say much more. After thinking for a moment, he added, "It's still early. Want to play a game?"
Syndra nodded and stood up.
She had not come looking for comfort. She simply didn't want to be alone.
The two combined their magic to form a chessboard, then began placing pieces.
For once, Luke actually took the game seriously. He showed absolutely no consideration for the young girl's gloomy mood and mercilessly crushed the novice across from him.
Syndra pursed her lips, her refusal to admit defeat written all over her face. Even after being utterly wiped off the board, she stubbornly refused to say a word.
Gradually, she became completely absorbed in the game.
The two continued their silent match as time slowly passed.
Suddenly, Syndra asked, "What is the world outside like?"
Luke thought about it before answering, "Huge. Boundless, and full of incredible things. Every place has different scenery, different people, and different ways of life."
Syndra's eyes flickered. "Can you tell me about it?"
"Sure. Where should I start?"
Luke contemplated the question while placing another piece. Then he slowly began, "Let's start with my homeland, Demacia."
He had mentioned it that afternoon, but only briefly.
This time, he told her about Silverwing raptors, the great stone colossus, the Argent Mountains, heroes slaying dragons, and a hammer-wielding yordle wandering the world in search of a hero.
There were far too many stories to finish in a single night, so he picked out the most exciting ones.
At first, Syndra simply listened in silence. Before long, however, yearning began to appear in her eyes. Every so often she would ask a question, and Luke answered each one.
Without realizing it, the light in her eyes had begun to shine brightly again.
It wasn't until it had gotten quite late that Luke yawned and finally stopped. "We should probably get some sleep. I'll tell you more another time."
"Okay."
Syndra wasn't greedy. What she had already heard was more than enough to satisfy her.
But instead of going straight to bed, she stood up and went to the luggage she had brought with her, taking out several medicinal herbs.
Curious, Luke asked, "What are those for?"
"Medicine. It helps me control my magic better."
Syndra answered truthfully. She found a container and ground all the herbs into powder.
Luke stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Let me see that."
Syndra handed him the container.
Luke pinched a little of the powdered residue between his fingers and put it in his mouth. His brow furrowed slightly.
"Coldblood Grass, Frostroot, Red Dusk Leaf, Willow Grass…"
Syndra stared at him in surprise as he named them one after another.
Some of the names were different from the ones she knew, but several sounded very similar. They were probably the same kinds of herbs.
She couldn't help asking, "You know medicine too?"
"I was a famous miracle doctor back in my village."
Luke grinned shamelessly, but the smile soon disappeared from his face.
"Do you know what these herbs actually do?"
Syndra found the question strange and shook her head. "No."
"How long have you been drinking this?"
"Three years."
Syndra answered honestly.
"I see."
Luke thought for a moment. Seeing the confusion in her eyes, he decided to tell her the truth.
"All of these herbs have cold properties. Every time you drink this medicine, your body feels cold afterward, doesn't it?"
Syndra immediately nodded, then couldn't resist asking, "Is something wrong with that?"
"Of course there is. If these herbs were taken separately, they wouldn't be much of a problem. But mix all of them together and you can't really call the result medicine anymore. It's a cold poison."
Luke set the container on the table and explained, "After being ingested, it affects both the mind and body. First, it weakens your mental strength, leaving you mentally exhausted. Second, it suppresses your bodily functions and slows your blood circulation, which interferes with the generation of magical power."
Luke was actually very familiar with this kind of concoction.
Demacia had once produced plenty of mage-suppressing medicines like it. The formulas differed slightly, but they were fundamentally the same.
To weaken mages, they were either forced to drink petricite-laced potions or medicines like this one.
Either way, they brought mages nothing but harm.
And Syndra had been taking this medicine continuously for three years.
After hearing Luke's explanation, Syndra froze.
Suddenly, she felt a bone-deep chill spreading throughout her entire body.
"This medicine… is meant to suppress my magical power?"
She looked at the container, feeling colder by the second.
"More or less." Luke nodded. "After drinking it, you feel mentally drained, and your perception of magic becomes weaker, right?"
Syndra nodded, her voice beginning to tremble. "But my teacher said… that meant I was getting better at controlling my magic."
Even as she said it, she no longer believed those words herself.
It was her own magic. She could feel what was happening to it.
Over the past three years, not only had she failed to learn how to control her power, her magic had instead grown weaker.
She had always thought the problem was with her.
Because of that, she had trained with even greater focus and dedication.
All so she wouldn't disappoint her family.
So she wouldn't disappoint her teacher.
All so she could control her power and make everyone stop being afraid of her.
She had never imagined the truth would be this.
Syndra fell silent.
Then she lay down on her side, pulled the blanket over herself, and allowed the darkness to envelop her.
Luke watched her but had no idea what he could possibly say.
The room descended into an indescribable silence.
In the middle of the night, Syndra sat up in bed.
Even in the darkness, she could see everything clearly.
She glanced at Luke sleeping in the bed nearby, then silently climbed down. Using magic, she quietly opened the door and left the room.
From beginning to end, she made almost no sound.
No matter what, she needed an answer from her teacher.
But she didn't want Luke dragged into this.
By early morning, Syndra was standing at the entrance to the temple.
The temple was bathed in a peaceful radiance and was regarded as a sanctuary by the people living nearby. Its master, Konigen, had lived there for many years. He was kind to others, respected by all, and deeply beloved.
Syndra had always believed that a master like him would never lie to anyone.
She pushed open the temple doors she had passed through countless times before and headed toward Konigen's courtyard.
When she arrived, she saw Konigen meditating in the courtyard. His body floated above the ground, enveloped by the power of his meditation.
Apparently sensing someone's arrival, Konigen opened his eyes and descended to the ground.
"Didn't I tell you not to disturb me for the next day or two?"
Then he noticed the dense dark energy surrounding Syndra and seemed to realize something.
Calmly, he asked, "Why have you come?"
"Those medicines were meant to suppress my magical power and weaken my magic, weren't they?"
Syndra raised her head.
There was no trace of her former timidity. She stared directly at Konigen.
Konigen heard her question and asked, "Who told you?"
"You only need to answer me. Yes or no."
Suppressed fury had entered Syndra's voice.
Perhaps his question alone had already given her the answer.
"Yes."
Konigen did not deny it.
Syndra trembled and clenched her fists.
"Why? You could have taught me the right way!"
Konigen sighed softly. "Your power is too great, and it is constantly growing. You cannot truly control it. This was the only way I could weaken it."
"So you lied to me for three whole years?"
A miserable smile appeared on Syndra's face.
"I trusted you so much. There was a time when I truly believed you would guide me onto the right path."
"That was what I intended at first." Konigen looked at Syndra. "I believed I could slowly guide you. But the darkness inside you is far too terrifying. Only this method could ensure your safety."
"Heh…"
Syndra understood.
There had never been a single moment when he truly believed in her.
"You never actually saw me as your student, did you?"
"You embody darkness, which cannot coexist with the sacred." Konigen continued looking down at Syndra. "But I did indeed consider you my student."
"What meaning can anything built entirely on lies possibly have?"
Syndra's emotions spiraled uncontrollably into despair. Her voice became cold, and the dark power surrounding her began to surge wildly.
Three years of medicine had failed to weaken her power.
At this moment, everything that had been suppressed came flooding back.
"You are already on the verge of losing control."
Konigen's voice remained calm. He raised both hands and began forming signs.
"I had not intended to use this so soon, but it seems I have no choice. Your power is growing far too quickly. Losing control of it is inevitable. You simply cannot master it. If I allow it to continue growing, you will only bring harm to others and yourself."
His gaze hardened.
The words that followed sounded almost as though he were trying to convince himself.
He no longer hesitated. Great waves of magical power surged around his body, and he shouted,
"Spirit-Binding Formation, arise!"
The instant his voice fell, several beams of light erupted from every direction, forming a three-dimensional barrier that enclosed the entire courtyard.
Beneath their feet, a formation that had clearly been prepared long ago suddenly lit up, countless runes flowing across its surface.
In an instant, Syndra felt her magic being suppressed by an immensely powerful force. Her body became several times heavier, forcing her down onto her knees. She barely managed to keep herself from collapsing completely.
"Tea…cher…"
She forced the word through clenched teeth, her desolate eyes fixed on Konigen.
Konigen ignored the way she addressed him and spoke coldly.
"This formation was created specifically for you. Within it, all magic will be suppressed. Its purpose is to prevent your power from going out of control. It will not kill you. It will only drain away your dark power. Do not resist. Trust me. Once the formation has finished its work, you will become an ordinary person."
Syndra could indeed feel threads of magical power being stripped from her body.
But it felt as though someone were draining her blood and carving away her flesh.
Agonizing pain pierced all the way to her bones.
She understood with perfect clarity that if all of this power were completely taken from her, she would die.
This power had been with her since birth.
It was part of her, inseparable from her very existence.
"I will never believe your lies again."
Syndra gritted her teeth and forced herself upright. She unleashed her dark power, attempting to break free of the restraints around her.
A second later, an even greater force crushed down upon her.
"Your resistance is useless. Inside the Spirit-Binding Formation, even the strongest magical power will be suppressed."
Konigen sighed softly.
"Resisting will only make your suffering worse. You might as well trust me this once. I have never intended to harm you. Darkness is rejected by the sacred, and purifying darkness is the duty of this temple. As my student, you should understand that responsibility."
"Then you might as well kill me."
Syndra clenched her teeth so hard they nearly cracked.
Then something occurred to her.
For a brief instant, her resistance weakened.
Clinging to one last tiny shred of hope, she asked, "Did they know about all of this?"
"They knew from the very beginning. Three years ago, when they came to find me, their intention was for me to counteract the darkness within you. Your dark power was not as strong then as it is now. Had I been more ruthless at the time, perhaps you would not be suffering so much today."
Konigen was not surprised by the question.
Nor did he want to keep deceiving this child.
Perhaps, at this final moment, she deserved to know the truth.
Three years ago, it was her own family who had wanted to be rid of her and had deliberately sought him out.
The Spirit-Binding Formation could indeed drain a target's magic, but doing so was little different from draining away their life force.
In truth, the chance of surviving was extremely low.
He did not want to do this.
But he felt he had no other choice.
He truly had once considered guiding Syndra himself, teaching her how to use her power properly.
Yet after only a few days, he realized that he could not.
Syndra was the most extraordinary human being he had ever encountered.
She was a dark mage by birth, embraced by darkness from the moment she entered the world, a true child of darkness and an omen of misfortune.
"Heh…"
After hearing the answer, Syndra suddenly laughed.
But her smile was unbearably desolate, and her heart sank into a freezing abyss.
She had believed that after leaving the village, they could go somewhere no one knew about their past and live together as a family.
So they had wanted to get rid of her all along?
So they had never considered her family at all?
Then who had she endured all those years of suffering for?
At that moment, the sky changed.
Dark clouds rolled overhead. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed as rain suddenly poured from the heavens.
Konigen's expression shifted slightly.
He could sense that all of this was being affected by Syndra's magic.
The signs that she was losing control were becoming increasingly obvious.
The Spirit-Binding Formation flashed brightly, forcibly suppressing her magic.
"Ever since I was born, no one has ever liked me. For just the tiniest bit of love, I could endure being bullied and insulted. I could swallow every humiliation."
"As long as I did what you told me, you wouldn't hate me. As long as I studied hard, trained hard, and worked hard to meet every demand anyone placed on me, I could earn your approval. I could finally become one of you."
"I was naive enough to believe all of that. I thought that one day, you would finally change the way you saw me."
"But everything, every single thing, was a lie. And for that false promise, I kept trying like an idiot. Hahaha… I never wanted to hurt anyone! Why? Why do all of you keep treating me like this?!"
Syndra's hysterical scream echoed through the rain.
She didn't understand.
She truly didn't understand.
Why had everyone hated her from the moment she was born?
Her parents scolded her.
Her older brother mocked her.
The children in the village bullied her.
The adults looked at her with disgust.
Wherever she went, people avoided her like the plague.
She had never once felt warmth from another person.
When she had finally seen the faintest glimmer of hope, she had desperately clung to it like a lifeline.
Yet even that tiny bit of hope had been fake.
It had all been a lie.
Rain streamed down her face, impossible to distinguish from her tears.
She was in so much pain.
Why?
Why was this happening?
Konigen sighed after hearing her cries.
"You were born embraced by darkness and rejected by everyone. This is your fate."
"Fate?"
Syndra raised her head and stared into the heavens, her voice hoarse.
"If a person's fate is decided from the moment they are born, then what meaning does anything in this world have?"
She rose to her feet.
Dark power was continuously being torn from her body, yet even more surged forth to replace it, as though it were endless.
But the process caused her body more and more pain.
Under the bone-deep agony, thin wounds began appearing across her skin, blood seeping from them.
It was as though countless tiny blades were continually slicing through her flesh.
The girl's face was utterly miserable.
Her eyes burned with fury.
And the dark energy churning around her was terrifying.
Boundless hatred spread through her heart.
Fate?
She refused to let herself be bound by something as insignificant as a single word!
Konigen could barely stand to watch any longer. "Stop resisting. You're only making the pain worse."
"It's only… pain…"
Syndra's eyes were icy cold, as deep and lightless as the darkness itself.
Rage, hatred, and every negative emotion imaginable churned violently within her chest, stirring up boundless killing intent. Her mind screamed in anguish, her soul wept, and her body trembled.
She had endured every humiliation thrown at her.
And in the end, all she had received in return was deception!
Enough.
Then she would end all of it.
The torrential rain continued falling, as though even the heavens were weeping, washing away every trace of the tears on her face.
Kill.
Kill them!
At that moment, only one voice remained in her heart.
"That's enough. I'm here now."
Suddenly, a large hand silently came to rest on top of her head.
The dark magic that had been on the verge of erupting completely out of control vanished in that instant.
Amid the pouring rain, Syndra raised her head and saw Luke standing beside her.
His eyes were filled with such gentleness and heartache.
Like a beam of light piercing straight into Syndra's heart.
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