The students of Holy Light Academy sat attentively, their eyes fixed on their tablets, which projected scriptures and notes.The grand lecture hall, illuminated by sunlight streaming through towering transparent windows, held an air of discipline and focus.At the front stood Professor Hargrave, the academy’s Combat Theory Spell Instructor. His voice carried across the room as he lectured his students on Light Spells.He paused for a moment, then turned to face his audience.“As you all know,” he began, his voice steady, “the Blessing Spell is one of the most crucial components in any Light Mage’s arsenal.”He gestured to the board. “The speed at which it is cast, particularly in combat, is unmatched by any Dark Curse.”His gaze swept over the class. “This is why Light always prevails. A well-cast Blessing will counter any curse, no matter how fast the Dark Mage is.”The students nodded in agreement. But then a hand shot up from the back of the hall. A loud voice rang out. “Professor,

The voice didn’t come from outside. It wasn’t one of the priests, rather it came from inside his mind.A pulse of power surged from Merlin’s chest. The flames erupted outward, blowing out every candle and rune in the chamber. The shockwave sent all three priests crashing backward.High Priest Anselm slammed into the wall with a grunt. The guards shielded their eyes. Merlin stood, untouched. The golden fire around him dimmed, leaving only faint trails of light.He gasped. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.[New Ability Gained: "Darklight Channel (Locked)][New Objective: Master dual magic in secret before your next public spell test.]“What… is that?” Merlin whispered, his voice raspy as he looked around, but priests didn't hear what he heard.Anselm staggered to his feet, his eyes never leaving Merlin. "That wasn’t fire… that was acceptance. The flames didn't reject you."One of the priests whispered, "He's not cursed. He’s... something else.""Something the Academy isn’t prepared t

Merlin sat in stunned silence. “So... this whole time... this was inside me?” he whispered. “A system? A... path?”He looked at the scroll beside him again.[To wield both Light and Dark is not to be cursed—it is to be complete.]“Complete, huh? Then let’s see what that means.”He opened the scroll again, this time intent not just to read, but to understand. His fingers moved to mimic the first stance sketched beside a passage labeled Inner Pulse Differentiation. Light channeled into his right palm; Darkness flickered in his left. He took a deep breath and began to practice.The next morning, a cold wind scraped across the academy grounds as students assembled in the open dueling yard. The sunlight angled through the silver-braided banners of the White Branch. Merlin stood near the outer circle, clutching his robe tight. His eyes were shadowed by a sleepless night, but his heart was steady. Because for the first time he had more chances of winning.In combat sessions at Holy Ligh

The chamber opened like a wide stone bowl. Dark walls curved upward, smooth and cold, until they disappeared into shadow.The floor was made of black stone, cracked with thin silver lines that pulsed slowly, like a distant heartbeat beneath their feet.A pale ring of light hovered high above. Shadows stretched long across the floor, shifting as the light trembled.Something moved in the space between the floor and the ceiling. At first, it looked like mist caught in still air.Thin strands drifted lazily, pale one moment and dark the next, twisting around each other as if pulled by an unseen tide.When they brushed the stone, tiny sparks jumped and vanished. When two strands touched, they snapped apart with a sharp hiss.Merlin slowed to a stop“…That’s Etherium,” he said quietly.Merlin stopped at the edge as he crouched with his fingers hovering over a trembling strand.“Etherium fields,” he said quietly. “It’s raw untamed magic. It reacts to our polarities.”Eldridge snorts behind

On the screen, Merlin’s body didn't move. Blood continued to spread slowly beneath his cheek, seeping into the cracks of the stone like the Tower itself was drinking him in.The system display remained steady."LIFE SIGNS: TERMINATED."A long, suffocating silence settled. Then one of the analysts leaned forward, frowning. "Pause the feed.""It's live," another replied, voice tight."No… look." On the projection, something shifted. At first it was so subtle it looked like a trick of the light. The blood had stopped moving.Callie's breath hitched. "What…?"The dark pool beneath Merlin's face trembled. Then it pulled back. Slow like invisible threads were dragging it across the stone. A thin line of red slid backward, then another, then all of it began to retract, crawling toward his body in thin, trembling streams.Eldridge in the room whispered, "That's not possible."The blood reached him. And didn't stop. It sank back into his skin.Inside the chamber, a faint glow flickered bene