Draven Blackstone — a name that struck fear into the hearts of the masses and kindled burning hatred in the hearts of those who had once known him. He was not just a man; he was a nightmare given flesh. Greed defined him, and cruelty walked in his shadow. He was a man so hungry for power that he had once turned his own blade against kin. Without hesitation, he had slaughtered more than half of his own clan simply to seize what he desired most. To Draven, human emotions were nothing but shackles. Bonds, loyalty, and love were weaknesses. Only strength mattered. Only power was eternal. It was whispered that if offered unimaginable power, he would sacrifice even his own newborn child without blinking. After his infamous massacre of his clan, carried out to obtain an ancient book steeped in darkness, his name became cursed across kingdoms. The book itself was rumored to hold spells older than the kingdoms themselves, secrets written in a language that clawed at the mind. Once the truth

The beasts poured out of the soil like a tide of nightmares, endless and suffocating.Their howls echoed in the blood-red void, a chorus of torment that rattled the bones of anyone who heard it. Their bodies twisted grotesquely as if they were half-shadow, half-rotting flesh, stitched together by some cruel hand. Jagged claws scraped against the ground, teeth like daggers snapped in the air, and their hollow eyes glowed faintly with hunger. Each one radiated killing intent so thick it clung to the lungs, almost suffocating those who breathed it.Melissa’s hair whipped around her face as her mana flared wildly, her aura of fire clashing with the oppressive darkness.“I’ll burn them all!” she shouted, her voice echoing as if to push back the terror. She flung her arms forward, unleashing a barrage of blazing orbs.The fireballs streaked through the void, glowing like miniature suns before detonating in thunderous bursts. Waves of searing flame rolled outward, burning the first ranks o

The room was silent as time came to say pause. Then—BOOOOOOM!A deafening explosion shook the tower, its force so violent that cracks spiderwebbed across the walls and ceiling in an instant. Dust and rubble cascaded downward as the roof split apart, torn open by a blinding surge of golden light that pierced through the blood-red void above.The oppressive darkness recoiled. The suffocating air trembled, ripped apart by the radiance.Chunks of stone and molten debris rained, yet none touched the frozen battlefield below. The light itself seemed to shield the ground, forcing destruction aside as though unwilling to harm those still fighting within.From within the torrent of brilliance, a figure slowly descended.An old man with long grey hair flowed behind him, each strand glimmering faintly in the golden light. He wore a robe of pure white, so immaculate it seemed untouched by the chaos around him. His steps carried no weight, yet each one bent the very void beneath him, as though

The explosion swallowed everything.Light and darkness collided, grinding against each other with a force that made the air scream. The tower shook from its foundation, cracks racing down its walls as stone rained in chunks. The blood-red void outside rippled like water struck by a storm.Melissa shielded her face with her arms, her flames wrapping around her body just to keep her from being torn apart by the shockwaves. Peterson dug his daggers into the floor, his body nearly lifted from the ground as the pressure tried to hurl him away.At the center of it all stood Draven and Michael.Draven’s eyes blazed with fury, his body wrapped in a maelstrom of shadow. Each movement of his hand spawned spears, blades, and claws of darkness that tore at the golden radiance pressing down on him. His roar shook the battlefield.“Why do you always stand above me?! Why do you always try to judge me?!”Michael did not flinch. His right hand glowed with divine brilliance, each gesture weaving light

It was the middle of the night on a Friday at the back of the famous Riverland Academy.The moonlight barely touched the ground, casting long shadows across the empty fields and the silent buildings. The night air was cold, still, and heavy with the kind of silence only a deserted school could carry.Suddenly, a figure appeared out of thin air, landing on the ground with soft, precise steps. The ripples of energy that carried him there faded instantly, leaving only the figure behind.That figure was none other than William.The first thing he did was freeze in place, his sharp eyes scanning his surroundings to make sure no one had seen him appear out of nowhere. His gaze swept across the academy yard, the looming walls, and the unlit windows of the classrooms.Fortunately, the campus was completely deserted. It was the weekend, and not a single student had stayed behind. Even the security guards who occasionally patrolled seemed absent at that moment.William let out a long sigh of re