Milan was still standing in that old building with Esther. He was still learning to master magic. It's strange—he used to only see things like this in the magic movies he watched as a kid, or in the storybooks about magic that his mother used to buy for him. Now he's actually doing it. It still feels like a dream—exciting, even if a little bit scary.
He was busy reading a stack of books that Esther had given him earlier. Meanwhile, Esther was enjoying the banana bread she'd mentioned earlier. Milan was reading with great focus. Inside the books, there were various lessons on magic, explaining how to use it properly.
In one of the books, he found several types of magic that should never be used recklessly, such as spells meant to kill someone instantly.
"Lévitation de pierre!"
Milan swung his wand, using the technique he had seen Esther perform earlier for the first time. He lifted a flower using his magic.
"Wow... I did it!" Milan called out, amazed. "Esther, I actually did it!"
Upon hearing that, Esther quickly ran over to him.
"Wow, good job, Milan," Esther said enthusiastically, her mouth still full of her last bite of banana bread. She had a deep fondness for pastries and sweet treats—especially banana bread. Her favorite part was dipping it into milk.
"You have to see this," Milan said. "Lévitation de pierre!" he repeated, then proudly handed her the fallen flower with a wave of his wand.
"Is that all you've got?" Esther said mockingly, making Milan bristle a little.
"Pouvoir!" Milan swung his wand again. This time, he cast a spell on Esther's clothes—which had been wet, probably from the milk—turning them dry instantly.
Esther raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed. "I'm really proud you've managed to use magic, Milan. But now try something a bit more powerful."
"Fissure!"
Milan was startled as Esther cast a spell that cracked the ground beneath them.
"We're going to face an evil sorcerer," she said calmly. "So you'll need to master stronger magic to stand a chance against him."
"Evil sorcerer?"
"Right now, the town of La Roche Noire is being targeted by Lyzander. He's searching for the Erebusstone, which is said to be here," Esther said with a serious expression.
"What exactly is the Erebusstone—and why does Lyzander want it?"
"I don't know exactly what the Erebusstone is, but I do know he's after it to gain immense power. That means he wants to have control."
Milan swallowed hard. He felt something slowly stirring in his stomach—a mix of fear and curiosity.
"Lyzander…" he said quietly, "he wants to get the Erebusstone to become the ruler of the magical world?"
"More than that," Esther murmured. "He wants to shatter the balance between light and dark magic. If that happens, our world will change forever. There will be no more boundaries between life and death… between will and destruction."
"Where is the Erebusstone?" Milan asked, intrigued.
"I've heard," Esther continued softly, "that the Erebusstone is hidden somewhere in Lunargue—the magic school," she explained.
The sound of footsteps echoed from a distance. Esther immediately stood upright, narrowing her eyes. "Someone is coming."
Not long after, a tall elderly man wearing a white robe emerged from the mist. His eyes were slightly weary, and his hair was silvery white. He carried a long staff.
"Who is that?" Milan whispered.
"Professor Seamus," Esther replied softly. "The headmaster of Lunargue."
"You must already know what's happening in Noire, Esther," the man named Seamus said.
"Yes, Theodore told me," Esther answered.
Professor Seamus then turned to Milan. "You must be the one Theodore sent." Milan nodded in agreement.
Professor Seamus stepped forward and stopped right in front of Milan.
"If you truly want to learn magic, Milan," he said quietly, "You must go to Lunargue—and be prepared to face more than just theory and floating flowers."
Milan looked at Esther, wondering how this man could know what he had just learned. Could he be a seer? A chill ran down Milan's spine.
He looked back at the man, feeling as if he had just stepped into an unwritten story.
"I will go," he said firmly. "Help me learn… everything."
Professor Seamus nodded.
Milan's new adventure had just begun.
***
Lunargue rose majestically, its walls tall and lined with narrow, high windows. The corridors were filled with paintings and statues, and there were countless staircases.
Inside the training room, the light from a large magical orb hung in the air, illuminating the serious faces of the students.
"Magic isn't about power," Professor Seamus said one morning in front of them, "but about control. The stronger you are, the heavier the burden you must bear."
"Now, let's begin today's lesson: Détection des Ombres. You will learn to detect traces of dark magic, even the most hidden ones."
Professor Seamus raised his hand, and the room grew slightly darker. From within his robe, he produced a small, gleaming black orb.
"This is Fumée de Lyzar — the smoke of high-level dark magic. If you can sense it… then you are ready to face the realities beyond Lunargue."
The training began. One by one, the students tried to feel the aura of the black orb. Some failed. Others complained of dizziness.
Then it was Milan's turn.
He approached hesitantly. His hand touched the orb.
A deafening crack rang out.
A flash of black lightning streaked through the air. Milan staggered. Suddenly, the room shifted before his eyes—he saw a dark forest, a figure cloaked in black walking slowly… then the figure's sharp eyes locked onto his.
"Milan…"
Milan was thrown backward.
"Milan!" Esther ran to his side.
All the students turned to look. Professor Seamus quickly came over and checked Milan's pulse. "He… saw something," he murmured softly.
Milan opened his eyes.
"What did you see, Milan?" Professor Seamus asked, voice low.
"Someone in a dark cloak, messy hair, and very sharp eyes. His face was terrifying."
"Lyzander." The single word from Professor Seamus silenced the classroom.
"Impossible," said one of the students. "This is just a training exercise!"
"No," said Professor Seamus. "If Milan can see Lyzander… it means their connection has already begun."