"He was a scholarship student," Catherine corrected him. Her grip on Adam’s hand tightened, sending a surge of warmth through him. "But I have discovered that his Null status was a mistake. He possesses a rare Void Heart—a body that can stabilize and refine mana better than any of your Spirit Veins, Julian Martinez."Julian looked like he had been slapped. "A Void Heart? There's no such thing in the textbooks!""The textbooks are written for ordinary people," Catherine snapped. "And as you can see, the Inquisitor’s own orb confirms it. There is no corruption here. Only the refinement of my magic. Now, unless you want to explain to the Headmaster why you are interrupting a high-level breakthrough session, I suggest you leave my tower."Malphas looked at the orb one last time. It was perfectly clear. He looked at Adam, who was still glowing with that strange, beautiful light. The Inquisitor didn't look completely convinced, but he couldn't argue with the magical readings."My apologies

The Bourbon Academy Arena was a massive stone bowl designed for high-level combat. It was carved deep into the earth, with tiers of marble seating that could hold five thousand students. By the time the sun began to dip behind the Academy towers, every seat was filled. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and expectation.They were all here to see a funeral.Adam Cook stood in the center of the arena floor. The sand beneath his feet was cool. Above him, the sky turned a deep, bruised purple. He wore his new, dark coat, and his hands were bare. He held no wand. He carried no staff. To the thousands of eyes watching from above, he looked like a lamb waiting for the slaughter."Look at him," a voice whispered from the stands. "He’s not even holding a weapon. He really has given up.""He’s a Null," another replied with a cruel laugh. "He just wants to get it over with."Across the arena, the heavy iron gate groaned and swung open. Julian Martinez walked out. He looked like a god of

The Bone Dragon let out a sound that felt like boulders grinding together. Its massive, skeletal jaws hung open, and from the depths of its hollow throat, a river of sickly green, necromantic fire began to churn. The courtyard was bathed in a nauseating glow that cast long, twisted shadows against the Academy walls.Catherine lay in the shallow, muddy water of the broken fountain. Her face was ashen, her breathing ragged. The Demonic Seal on her chest was pulsating—a black, rhythmic throb that seemed to sync with the dragon’s heartbeat. Every second that passed, the corruption spread further toward her throat."Adam," she gasped, reaching a hand toward him. "Don't... don't be a hero. Run. The seal... it’s hungry. It wants to feed on your void, and if you get close, it will take you too."Adam didn't look back. He stood between the beast and the woman, his feet planted firmly in the gravel. He felt the System pulsing in his skull, the interface glowing with an intensity he had never

The stairs went down forever. Adam Cook walked in silence. He left the bright, clean halls of Bourbon Academy far above him. The higher levels of the school were full of white marble floors, gold statues, and massive windows that let in the warm sunlight. The air up there smelled like expensive perfume and fresh flowers.Down here, the world was very different.The air was heavy and cold. It smelled like old metal, wet stone, and dry blood. The walls were made of rough, dark concrete. There were no bright magic lanterns on the walls. Only cheap, flickering yellow lights buzzed from the ceiling. Every time a light flickered, the shadows in the stairwell grew long and sharp.Adam was wearing his new black coat. It was made of shadow-cloth from the Ancient Vault. It absorbed the little light there was in the stairwell. He moved without making a single sound. His boots did not click or echo. He moved like a ghost.Deep inside his chest, the Eternal Sovereign System hummed. It was a quiet

BOOM!Lyra’s Tiger’s Ruin slammed into the stone floor exactly where Adam had been standing.The explosion was huge. Rocks flew everywhere. A cloud of thick black smoke and white fire filled the ring. The impact shook the entire underground room. Dust fell from the ceiling.Lyra landed on her knees in the center of the crater she had just made. She was panting heavily. Her white fire slowly faded back to orange.She looked down at the smoking crater. She expected to see a burnt body. She expected to see ashes.But the crater was completely empty.Lyra blinked. "What...?" she whispered. Her anger vanished, replaced by sudden, cold confusion. "Where did he go?"She did not sense him moving. She did not see him run away. He was just... gone."I am right here."The voice did not come from in front of her. It did not come from the side. It came from directly behind her ear.Lyra’s blood turned to ice. She tried to spin around. She tried to ignite her elbows to strike behind her.She was to