The atmosphere above Elavain shone with a crimson hue.
Blood and excess energy spilled everywhere.
The battlefield had become a sea of silver, crimson, and violet.
Thousands of corrupted beasts littered the fields of the Elven Academy.
Students fought beside teachers.
Elven knights fought beside teachers.
And at the center of the battlefield—
Four figures stood against the tide.
Each showing different abilities.
Leo.
Aelion.
Evangeline.
And even Sol.
BOOOOOOM!
A massive serpent-like beast crashed through a ruined tower.
Before it could strike the fleeing students.
A beam of moonlight pierced its skull.
Aelion lowered his blade.
"Protect the students first!"
The Crowned Prince's voice carried authority.
Despite his exhaustion...
He remained composed.
A true prince.
Elsewhere.
Evangeline danced across the battlefield.
Golden light bloomed wherever she stepped.
Wounded students found their injuries easing.
Fear lessened.
Exhausted energy reserves recovered.
"...Princess Evangeline..."
The students straightened.
Hope returned to their eyes.
Meanwhile.
Leo moved like a god of death.
Spatial tears flickered around him.
Purple flames consumed corruption.
His twin katanas moved around him like phantoms
Every strike ended another beast.
Yet...
His breathing had grown heavier.
His body screamed from overuse.
The voice inside him laughed softly.
"You're slowing down."
Leo ignored it.
Hours seemed to pass.
Eventually...
The tide began to turn.
The beasts were falling.
One by one.
Then dozens.
Then hundreds.
Until finally—
Only a few remained.
The students erupted into cheers.
"We're winning!"
"The beasts are retreating!"
"We did it!"
Even Sol couldn't hold back laughing.
"Hah... I knew we'd pull it off."
Aelion sheathed his sword.
"...Barely...
Now the main event"
All eyes shifted to the figure floating above them.
The Zodiac member clapped slowly.
"...Remarkable." his voice came like a gloomy storm .
'Even if they had cleared the beast hoard ..
He alone could wipe them out ..'
His masked gaze swept across the battlefield settling on leo.
..'..Well not all of them though..'
"You exceeded every expectation."
Leo narrowed his eyes.
"...It's time to end this."
The Zodiac member tilted his head.
"...Perhaps."
Then
He smiled.
"But I wonder..."
His gaze shifted elsewhere .
"...what betrayal feels like when it comes from family."
Silence.
Then
BOOOOOOOM!
A spear of corrupted energy erupted towards...
Evangeline.
"Agh—!"
Blood splattered.
The princess was thrown back landing hard on the ground , blood flowing from her side.
"Evangeline!" Leo screamed.
Aelion's expression froze.
Another spear streaked towards him.
He couldn't avoid it .
BANG!!.
He to was sent flying back.
"...What?"
Standing there holding another spear ..
Was ...
Someone who had fought alongside them throughout the battle.
Someone Leo disliked from the start.
The Fifth prince ...
Sol Vinter..
His silver armor was stained black.
Chaos energy pulsed beneath his skin.
His expression twisted with bitterness.
"...It should have been me."
Silence fell.
Aelion stared at his brother blood gathering in his mouth.
"...Sol .."
The Sol laughed dryly.
"Do you know what it's like?"
Dark veins spread further across his face.
"To train your entire life..."
Chaos erupted from his body.
"...only to be overshadowed by you?"
The students looked horrified.
The teachers even more so.
All of them were exhausted.
Even a well trained mortal could beat them now.
All the guards capable of joining the fight where killed in the chaos .
And now a betrayal.
"You were born with talent."
Sol's voice cracked.
"Evangeline was loved by everyone."
The corruption intensified.
"And me?"
His gaze turned hateful.
"I was just another spare prince."
The Zodiac member watched silently.
Amused.
"You even brought a human here , treating him like his better than me ."
Sol raised a crystalline vial filled with swirling black crimson energy.
" With this I will ascend as the new crowded prince and next emperor..
Then I'll become a sovereign.. and rule this world.."
His gaze drifted off to the trembling students a wide grin forming on his lips.
"You should be happy..
You'll all be part of my ascension ".
He injected the liquid directly into his neck.
"No!" Aelion shouted.
BOOOOOOOM!
Chaos energy exploded outward.
The battlefield shook violently.
Sol screamed.
His cultivation surged.
One rank.
Then another.
His pressure rose higher and higher.
Aelion's eyes widened.
"...You fool."
Sol just laughed.
"I'll become a king!"
He turned to the human waiting to see the defeated look on his face.
Yet all he saw was 2 emotionless eyes staring through him.
"Your what I hate most.. " leo spoke calmly.
"Your not free"
Then
Sol's laughter stopped.
"...W-what?"
The Chaos didn't stabilize.
It spread.
Hungrily.
Black crystal erupted from his flesh.
His eyes turned crimson.
The Zodiac member sighed.
"...I warned you not to take that much."
Sol screamed.
"NO!"
His body expanded unnaturally.
Arms elongated.
Crystal spikes pierced his skin.
His voice became distorted.
"I... WILL... BECOME... KING!"
Aelion lowered his head.
"...Idiot."
Evangeline standing slowly clenched trembling fists.
"...Sol."
The students turned away.
The prince they knew...
Was gone.
The Zodiac member stepped backward.
"...Well."
They shrugged.
"This experiment has concluded."
Leo immediately looked up.
"You're not leaving."
Purple flames ignited.
Spatial distortions cracked around him.
The Zodiac member laughed.
"Are you going to stop me..
You've grown strong."
His gaze lingering on Leo.
"...But not enough."
He raised one hand.
Dark energy gathered.
"Until next time."
Space fractured.
A portal opened behind them.
Leo vanished.
BOOOOOOOM!
His fist crashed into empty air.
The Zodiac member smiled beneath his mask.
"The real game begins soon."
His gaze sharpened.
"Treasure your peace while you can."
Then
They disappeared.
Leo clenched trembling fists.
"...Damn it."
The voice inside him chuckled.
"You couldn't catch him.... Too slow."
"...Shut up."
A roar shook the battlefield.
Everyone turned.
Sol..
Or whatever remained of him
Had transformed completely.
A towering humanoid monster covered in red crystalized energy.
The last remnants of his mind shattered.
"DESTROY..."
BOOOOOOOM!
The monster charged.
Aelion stepped forward.
"No one interferes."
Leo frowned.
"...What?"
Aelion drew his sword.
Silver moonlight gathered around him.
"...He was my brother."
His voice remained calm.
"I will end this."
Evangeline stepped beside him.
"...No."
Golden light surrounded her.
"We'll do it together."
Aelion glanced toward her.
Then nodded.
"...Very well."
The siblings charged.
Moonlight erupted.
Golden light shone.
The corrupted prince roared.
The final battle had begun.
Leo watched silently.
The voice inside him whispered.
"Would you have killed your own brother?"
Leo didn't answer.
Because he didn't know.
BOOOOOOOM!
Aelion's blade severed crystal limbs.
Evangeline's golden light restrained the spreading corruption.
The corrupted prince retaliated wildly.
But his attacks lacked reason.
Only rage remained.
Only envy.
Only despair.
"...I'm sorry," Evangeline whispered.
Compressed light pierced his chest.
Aelion raised his blade.
Moonlight gathered one final time.
"...Rest my brother."
SHHHHK!
The sword descended.
The corruption shattered.
Sol's monstrous form froze.
Then slowly
Shifted back to his original form.
For one brief moment...
Sol smiled weakly.
"...Brother..."
Evangeline's tears fell.
"...Sol..."
"...I'm... sorry..."
Then
Light faded from his eyes
The fire of his soul extinguished
Silence.
The battlefield grew still.
The corruption dispersed.
The beasts had fallen.
The isolation barrier retracted.
The enemy had escaped.
The academy stood battered.
But alive.
Leo looked toward the rising dawn.
His injuries ached.
His cultivation had advanced.
His purple flames had evolved.
Yet...
He had met the Zodiac.
More questions remained out there.
Watching.
Planning.
Waiting.
The voice inside him chuckled softly.
"This was only the beginning."
Leo stared toward the horizon.
Then quietly answered.
"...I know."
Aelion stood beside Evangeline.
Both watched the sunrise.
The Crowned Prince finally spoke.
"...Thank you."
Leo blinked.
"...What?"
Aelion looked away.
"...Don't make me repeat myself."
Evangeline immediately burst into laughter.
"Damm the ice prince can say thank you!"
Leo laughed.
A genuine laugh.
Even Aelion joined him.
Evangeline smiled through her tears staring at Leo.
Because despite everything...
They had survived.
Leo turned to her smiling "I guess my mission is complete."
*****************************
Thus ended the Elven Academy Incident.
A battle that would forever change the kingdom.
The day the students stood against a thousand beasts.
The day a prince fell to Chaos.
The day Leo's name began spreading throughout the continent.
And somewhere...
Hidden in the shadows...
The Zodiac prepared for the next act.
End of the Elven Academy Arc.
*****************************
Hey there 👋.
This is the author, Elvis Winston.
I deeply apologize for the lack of chapters.
A lot of unforseen circumstances that I won't bore you with came up.
But now I'm ready to continue this book till the end.
I'm going to re-edit the previous chapters due to the poor writing quality so expect new chapters when I am done.😁
I have also started a new book called Twinborn: Inverted Fate.
Check it out, add it to your library and let's continue our journey through the chaos bound realms.
Thank you.👍