The Architect's Grimoire had been quiet for two nights.
No new spells. No whispers.
But Alistair felt it.
Something building.
Something waiting.
It happened during the Astral Studies class, inside the Academy's central dome — a place where students studied magical energies beyond the physical world. The professor rambled about constellations and ancient energies. Alistair barely listened.
His mind was burning with something else.
Something pulling him.
Something calling from... the Void.
---
The Rift
As the class ended, Alistair stayed behind.
He stepped close to the giant astrolabe in the center of the dome — a spinning model of stars and magical ley lines.
Suddenly, time seemed to freeze.
The Architect's Grimoire appeared in front of him, glowing without being touched.
A new page flipped open on its own, black ink burning into the paper.
> Blueprint Unlocked: Voidstep
Travel through the fabric of space by stepping into the void. Instant movement from one location to another. Requires strong Willforce and deep focus. Caution: prolonged exposure to the Void may affect the mind.
Alistair's eyes widened slightly.
> "Space itself… is nothing but a wall. And I have the key."
He closed his eyes.
Focused.
Visualized the hallway outside his dorm.
Then — stepped.
---
The Speed of Light
There was no sound.
No light.
Only a brief moment of absolute silence.
Then—
CRACK.
He appeared in his hallway.
Not a second had passed.
Not even half.
He had traveled at the speed of light.
His body was untouched. But his mind trembled.
In the Void, there was something. Eyes. Shapes. Whispers.
> "Welcome, walker..."
"Another mind joins the hollow path…"
"Don't blink too long…"
Alistair shook it off. Not fear — curiosity. Danger meant growth.
He looked at his hand. His fingers still shimmered faintly with Void residue — dark smoke flowing off them like dying stars.
---
A New Weapon
Back in his dorm, he wrote in his own notebook:
Voidstep: Instant teleportation. Short range for now. Requires visual target. Extremely effective for ambush, escape, or infiltration.
He smiled.
> "Now… no door can stop me. No trap. No wall. No lock."
> "I am everywhere."
---
A Shadow Watches
But power never stays secret for long.
From the tallest spire of the academy, a pair of golden eyes watched through a scrying mirror.
A girl with snow-white hair.
She wore robes lined with silver and a crest from House Elowen, one of the Twelve.
> "So… the Void answered him too," she whispered.
"Let's see how long he can survive it."
She closed her mirror.
And began to prepare.
---
Alistair, unaware, stood before the mirror in his room.
His reflection flickered — just for a second — showing two versions of him.
One smiling.
The other… hollow-eyed.
He blinked. It vanished.
> "The Void," he whispered, "is watching me too."
And he smiled back.
---