"H-Huh? What's going on… why is the carriage shaking?!"
Carl jolted awake, his body lurching with the violent tremors. Around him, the wooden walls groaned and cracked—then suddenly burst into flames.
"W-What the hell is happening?!"
Screams erupted as the boys inside the carriage scrambled to escape. Some leapt out instinctively, tumbling into the dirt. Carl tried to move, but a terrifying realization gripped him—
He couldn't.
"What the—why can't I move?!"
Panic surged through his veins. His limbs were frozen, his body paralyzed despite his frantic attempts to rise. A cold sweat formed on his forehead.
Outside, the chaos only grew worse. The boys who had escaped the carriage stumbled back, their faces pale with horror. One of them pointed to the ground beneath the vehicle, voice trembling.
"T-The space! It's tearing… just like in the legends…"
"Don't tell me… the Demon King is awakening?!"
"Stop screwing around! That's impossible!"
But it wasn't a joke.
The ground beneath the carriage twisted unnaturally, warping like a spiral. A massive, dark vortex cracked open below—sucking in debris, flames, and dust.
A rift in reality itself.
"No! No! Someone's still inside!" one of the boys shouted.
"Wait—was that a person?! Did I just see a boy in there?!"
"Nah, don't mess with me right now, bro… this isn't the time for jokes…"
And then, with a thunderous roar, the entire carriage—and Carl within it—vanished into the swirling void.
Swallowed whole by the rift.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inside the Academy – Principal's Office
Elric sat behind his desk, flipping through an ancient tome on advanced magic, his expression calm and focused. The flickering candlelight cast shadows on the worn pages as he muttered arcane words under his breath.
Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud bang.
Startled, Elric looked up sharply—and frowned."Ishara? Weren't you supposed to have left already? What happened?"
Ishara stepped in, her usual blindfold removed. Her glowing purple eyes shimmered with urgency, glinting like starlight.
"Elric, I think you need to head to the Vampire Realm much sooner than planned," she said, voice tight with concern.
He blinked in confusion. "What? I was scheduled to go next week. Why the sudden rush?"
Ishara took a deep breath, her brows drawn tight."Someone's used demonic magic near the Vampire Realm—powerful enough to tear open a crack."
Elric's expression darkened, but he waved a hand dismissively. "That's happened before. The Vampires are strong. Their lords can contain it—why would I need to interfere this time?"
"No, Elric. You don't understand," she snapped. "I just had a revelation—my eyes showed me. One of the Saint Candidates... the fifth one... he fell into that crack."
Elric's face went pale."W-What?!"
Ishara nodded grimly. "If anything happens to him… if he dies down there, we've already lost the war before it even begins."
Without another word, Elric slammed the book shut and stood up so fast his chair tipped backward. He turned for the door.
Seeing him run, Ishara let out a sigh and tied her blindfold back over her glowing eyes.
"Elric," she called dryly, "you know you can use teleportation magic. Why are you running?"
He froze mid-step."…Oh."
In an instant, he vanished in a burst of golden light.
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Training Hall – Early Morning
The crisp morning air echoed with the clash of blades.
In the center of the training field, two girls were locked in a fierce spar. Selena moved like a shadow—precise, fast, merciless. Her blade swept low, tripping Zara's stance and sending her stumbling backward.
Zara caught herself before hitting the ground, panting slightly. A wry smile tugged at her lips.
"Again… I lost," she muttered, brushing her sweat-soaked hair away from her eyes. "Selena, why do I keep losing? I've already learned the basics of aura."
Selena stepped back, letting her sword fall to her side. She shrugged, calm and composed.
"Yes, but it's just the basics. Knowing how to summon aura isn't the same as mastering it," she said bluntly. "Still, I don't know how you've picked it up so quickly. You must have talent with the sword."
Zara chuckled softly, the glow of confidence flickering in her eyes.No, it's thanks to the Swordsman Class... I never would've gotten this far on my own.
"Okay! Again!" Selena said, raising her blade and getting into position.
Zara blinked, still catching her breath. "Wait—can't we take a one-minute break?"
"No," Selena said flatly.
Zara groaned but lifted her sword again.
—
Far Above – Mountain Peak
A lone figure stood silently on a jagged cliff overlooking the training hall. Cloaked in a flowing black robe, only the faint gleam of red eyes shone from beneath his hood.
He watched the two girls spar below—his gaze fixed on Selena.
His voice was low and cold, carried away by the wind."Don't blame me, Drakan... I'm doing this for your own good."
With that, he disappeared into thin air—leaving behind only the whisper of fading magic.