Mystic Arts Dual System

Chapter 4

Merlin unwrapped the obsidian string carefully, his fingers trembling.

The scroll was heavier than he expected—older than anything he’d ever touched.

Dust clung to its edges, but the parchment itself gave off a faint pulse, like a heartbeat.

He sat down cross-legged on the cold marble floor. Around him, the Restricted Vault of the Scriptorium was still oppressively still.

[Skill Acquired — Silent Reading: Forbidden texts no longer alert magical wards.]

[Polarity Threshold reached — 10% Darkness unlocked.]

[Commencing Synchronization Memory Seed…]

“Silent Reading…?” Merlin whispered, blinking. “What does that even mean—wait, did I just… hear that in my head?”

The system text faded like mist. He swallowed. “Okay. Don’t panic. Just read it. You’ve already broken half the rules of the academy. Might as well commit.”

As he opened the scroll, the text didn’t look like anything from his usual classes. The letters twisted slightly as he focused on them, rearranging into words he could understand.

‘The Doctrine of Balance: Records of a Dual Mage’

‘To wield both Light and Dark is not to be cursed—it is to be complete. But balance is not gifted. It must be earned. The soul must hold two truths at once, and not be broken by the weight of either.’

Merlin blinked. “Not cursed,” he echoed softly. “Then what the hell am I?”

One line gripped his gut:

“Emotional dissonance is the first sign. When the mage begins to feel both extremes, compassion and rage, hope and despair….know the merge has begun.”

He sat back. That line struck too close. “Yeah,” he muttered. “That’s been happening.”

Lately, he'd felt off. One moment terrified, the next angry enough to burn the walls down. After the purification fire didn’t reject him, he felt something else waking up inside. Stronger and clearer like a fog had lifted.

He turned to the final lines. "Initiation begins with silence. Integration follows with sacrifice."

“What the hell does that mean?” Merlin muttered, voice shaky. “Sacrifice? I didn’t sign up for that…”

He ran a hand through his hair, eyes darting to the spiral stairwell. “This better not mean blood.”

A low crackle echoed from the staircase and it was Footsteps.

Merlin shot to his feet with the scroll in his hand. The stairs weren’t supposed to have anyone on them at this hour.

He moved immediately, tucking the scroll back into its obsidian wrap and clutching it close.

He spotted a stack of crates half-covered in enchanted cloth and slipped behind them.

His breathing slowed. He summoned Light energy to dull the echo of his heartbeat. It took concentration—a tight channeling of will, but it worked. Just enough to mask his presence.

Two voices entered the chamber. “…I’m telling you, Thalos suspects something,” muttered a male voice.

Merlin narrowed his eyes through a slit in the crates. Professor Halden.

“He suspects everything,” said another—cool, composed, and unmistakably female.

Merlin’s blood chilled. “He certainly looked like someone that has the traits of a dark mage” Halden said, voice tense.

“I’ve seen it. And the Grandmaster wants to hide it from others"

The lady paused, her voice was razor-sharp. “Then you watch him quietly.

Because if the Council learns what the boy truly is, none of us will be able to contain the fallout.”

The footsteps moved closer. Aureva’s robes brushed the floor within meters of where Merlin crouched.

His pulse surged. She was close enough to smell the pine-silver scent of his magic.

“No, no, no…” Merlin whispered. He forced his body still, locking every emotion, visualizing a sheath of Light masking him. Then he layered Darkness underneath—a shadow muffling his spiritual signature.

“Come on, come on,” he whispered under his breath, eyes shut tight. “Just anchor your Light. Mask with Dark. You’ve done this before. Just… breathe.”

The silence pressed down. Her footsteps neared.

“Please don’t stop. Please just keep walking…” he mouthed silently.

She hesitated. Merlin felt a sudden probe, sweeping like a silent sonar.

He locked down every emotion and began to.hold down his emotions.

He imagined shadows tightening around his aura, sinking him into the background. He let fear sharpen, let resentment echo in the walls of his chest.

System Message:

"Emergency Affinity Suppression Engaged – Manual polarity compression: Successful."

Aureva stopped... and turned away. Halden sighed behind her. “If he breaks, it’s on your hands.”

“Then let’s pray he doesn’t,” Aureva said coldly.

They left and Merlin stayed crouched for a long, silent minute before finally moving.

He didn’t waste time. Taking a different exit tunnel marked for custodial use, he clutched the scroll to his chest. Few students knew it even connected to the vault.

He’d memorized from blueprints he'd snuck glances of during orientation. The path was cramped, stinking of old ward ink and dust, but it was safe.

He moved slowly, listening for mana pulses and watching for echo wards.

Twice he felt a detection net fizz as he approached—and twice, he shifted polarity subtly, drawing in either Light or Dark to fool the signature.

He used Lightweave to blur his own presence just enough to pass.

One corridor nearly caught him, an old rune flared faintly—but he knelt, placed both palms to the ground, and exhaled.

Light trickled from his chest in threads, weaving into the rune and dispersing it.

He emerged behind the Dormitory Hall’s maintenance entrance just as first light breached the academy towers.

His body ached. His mind burned. But he had made it.

He entered his room, locked the door behind him, and finally collapsed to the floor.

“System,” he said aloud, his voice cracking. “Talk to me. What the hell is happening to me?”

There was a pause…longer than usual.

[Darklight Synchronization Level: 12%]

[Passive Skill: Silent Reading – Level 1 (+5% Adapted Comprehension)]

[New Trait Discovered: Emotional Echo (Pending Trigger))

[System Latency: High — Conscious Override Detected]

Polarity stabilization now requires active regulation.

He blinked as he saw another system note,

[Your emotional and magical states are beginning to self-sustain. Manual control is now critical to future stability.]

He stared at his hands. And for the first time, he tested. He raised his right palm, breathed in, and summoned Light.

"Woah! I finally did it"

[Merlin – Mystic Arts System Status]

Name: Merlin

Tier: 0 – Initiate (Stage II)

Affinity: Light (Primary) / Darkness (Locked – 12% Synced)

Title: White Branch Student

Skills:

• Lightweave [Minor] – Stabilize energy flow

• Silent Reading – Bypass spell-wards on scrolls

Polarity Balance: 88% Light, 12% Dark

System Note: Balance Threshold Detected. Internal Quest Initialized.

Merlin froze, staring at the glowing projection in front of him. It hung in the air like mist on fire, flickering faintly at the edges.

“What the... What is this?”

He leaned closer, half-expecting it to vanish.

“I didn’t ask for... a status window. Is this... some kind of interface?” He whispered, then louder: “What the hell is this?”

[Mystic Arts System is now active. You have entered the Synchronization Tier. Status display unlocked.]