The sun loomed low over the training sector of the academy a harsh golden glare stretching shadows across the polished stone like claws of ancient beasts
The courtyard buzzed with energy tension thick as smoke rumors had swirled like a storm cloud for days and now they gathered to witness the impossible
Kenovar the quiet the once pitiful student who everyone mocked now stood tall in the center of the dueling platform facing Jack Spencer the strongest recruit of the Crimson Court
Ken's cloak rippled in the dry breeze his new frame a sculpted silhouette carved from the trials of the past month and a half he had grown taller now standing at six feet a body no longer fragile but firm his eyes no longer dull but glowing with focus and quiet wrath
He remembered how he trained for countless hours beneath the guidance of the system battling Rift Ant colonies across every dark corner of the sectors his hands burned from spell after spell bruises blooming like ink beneath his skin he had bled he had screamed he had fallen again and again until magic bent for him like thread in the needle of his will
He remembered the Vambat with wings like razors and fangs that searched for blood how he stood in the caverns arms trembling and finally struck it down with a newly formed spell of piercing wind magic the system had rewarded him with nothing but silence and that silence became his companion his motivator
And now here he was face to face with a boy who once laughed at him who once tripped him in the halls who once made him taste the dirt like it was his role in life
Jack paced like a predator his confidence thick and loud muscles flexing under his sleeves smirking while the crowd gathered in wide-eyed clusters whispering hungry for humiliation and spectacle
Jack's power level was known a verified level 3 magician a title forged through fire and raw brutality trained under the best handpicked for the Crimson Court he had never lost a duel
Ken however was an anomaly
A mystery
A quiet enigma that none could place
The match began with no formal warning only movement a blur
Jack charged first swift and heavy his foot slamming into Ken's stomach with the force of a battering ram the sound cracked through the air like a whip
Ken's body folded under the force as he staggered back coughing bile bubbling in his throat pain radiated through his ribs like molten lines but he didn't fall he didn't scream
He steadied himself through sheer will the fire spell came next Jack's palm bursting into a blaze and with a sharp shout the flames lashed across Ken's chest scorching through his cloak and branding his skin with searing agony
Pain again but pain was no longer unfamiliar
Pain was now a companion
His eyes narrowed through the smoke and ash and that's when he remembered
The system's lesson
A spell unlike any in the academy a spell whispered to him from beyond the known language of magic itself
Shadow Grab
He bent his knees and slid his hand into his own shadow the courtyard hushed watching with confusion and awe as he pulled a weapon not from steel but from darkness itself
The blade glimmered with an eerie purple sheen thin and curved like a crescent moon forged not by men but by the remnants of ancient power
Shadow Reaper
Its name echoed in his mind not as a weapon but as an extension of his soul
The blade hummed with something deeper than power it felt alive
Jack's eyes widened not in fear but in irritation he barked another insult but Ken was already stepping forward the words of the spell forming silently on his lips
The ground beneath Jack shifted like liquid a pool of shadows forming beneath his boots tendrils snaked upward silent and smooth wrapping around Jack's legs like vines grown in midnight
The crowd gasped unable to comprehend what they were seeing
The shadow swamp thickened dark as void pulling Jack down slowly his arms flailing his fire extinguished by the sheer gravity of the spell
Jack screamed not from pain but confusion and fear
Ken's heart remained still no faster than the beat of a war drum he walked slowly until he stood above the trap and looked down at the boy drowning in darkness
He could hear the murmurs
Dark magic
This isn't academy sanctioned
What is that sword
Where did he learn that spell
None of it mattered now
For too long he had endured silence endured humiliation endured weakness
Now the world would know strength forged through fire and shadow alike
With a cold breath he whispered the final word
Release
The spell shattered into smoke the swamp dissolving instantly Jack collapsed gasping like a fish pulled from water his body limp on the stone his pride shattered and scattered across the courtyard
He shouted his voice desperate and furious accusing Ken of using foul magic dark techniques that didn't belong in this world
But Ken did not answer
He simply turned and walked away
He didn't need to explain
He didn't need to justify
The Shadow Reaper returned to his essence swallowed back into the quiet folds of his shadow and the world stared at him as if they had never seen him before
Because they hadn't
This was not the same boy who walked through these halls timid and broken
This was not the same boy who sat in the back of class shrinking under words and laughter
This was Kenovar the magician who bent shadows the warrior who walked through fire and emerged untouched
And now the city would remember
They would speak his name not with mockery but with caution
They would tell tales of how he stood against a power level 3 magician and won with nothing but silent fury and forbidden power
They would fear him or respect him or both
The instructors watched from their crystal orbs in silence eyes wide brows furrowed some with worry others with awe
He was changing too fast they said
Too strong too soon
They feared what came next
But Ken didn't fear
He knew there were still four moons before the judgment of the professors before he would be called to prove himself worthy to fight against the chaos magic rising beyond the realm
Four moons to grow
Four moons to prepare
And today was only the beginning
The wind picked up as he walked away the crowd still frozen behind him shadows clinging to his steps like loyal ghosts whispers trailing his back like broken feathers carried by the breeze
He didn't glance at Jack didn't turn to see if he had risen again or if he was still choking on shame because none of it mattered anymore
He had crossed a line and there was no going back
Kenovar clenched his fists the cold bite of power still humming in his veins the aftertaste of dark magic lingering on his tongue like iron and ash
He didn't know what was happening to him
The system had taught him spells not known in any textbook not stored in any magical archive of the academy it was like someone or something was preparing him for a war no one else could see
He knew the risks he had read about them magic that touched shadow was feared for a reason it corrupted broke minds twisted intentions but this shadow felt different it didn't speak to him it didn't tempt him it simply waited and obeyed
That's what scared him the most
It felt natural
Like it had always belonged
He made it to the edge of the courtyard the crowd slowly breaking apart behind him eyes still wide mouths still moving
He didn't listen
His mind wandered back to the prophecy
The Innocent Eclipse
No magic in his veins they said
And yet he wielded something greater than any ordinary spell
Was this fate
Was this the path written before his birth
He didn't know
But one thing was clear
The city would never look at him the same again
And he wasn't sure if that was a blessing
Or a curse
Far above him the clouds shifted slightly dimming the sunlight for a brief moment as if the heavens themselves were watching and uncertain
He walked onward
Toward whatever came next
Alone but unafraid